Task Management & Follow-ups

Tasks are the backbone of consistent follow-up in AccuArk's CRM. Every customer interaction that requires a future action — whether it is a phone call to schedule, a proposal to send, or a payment to collect — can be captured as a task and tracked until it is completed. Tasks live on the Tasks tab of the Customer Form, tying every follow-up directly to the customer it relates to. They can also be linked to specific deals or support tickets, so you always know the context behind each action item.

This article covers everything you need to know about the Tasks tab: how to access it, how to read the task grid, how to create and edit tasks, how the priority and color-coding system works, how tasks relate to deals and tickets, and what permissions control access.

Accessing the Tasks Tab

To view tasks for a customer:

1. Open the Customer Form by navigating to Customers in the main menu and selecting the customer you want to review.
2. Click the Tasks tab near the top of the form.
3. The tab loads and displays all tasks associated with that customer in a grid view.

The Tasks tab is one of the CRM-specific tabs on the Customer Form, alongside Deals, Activities, Tickets, and Marketing. You need the CRM_VIEW_OWN_TASKS permission to see the tab and its contents. Without this permission, the tab will not appear.

The Tasks ToolStrip

At the top of the Tasks tab, a ToolStrip provides quick access to the most common task actions:

• New Task — Opens the Task dialog (FrmCRMTask) with empty fields so you can create a new task for this customer. This button requires the CRM_CREATE_TASK permission.

The ToolStrip keeps task creation one click away, so you never have to leave the customer record to add a follow-up item.

Understanding the Task Grid

The task grid is the central display on the Tasks tab. It lists every task associated with the current customer in a table format. Each row represents one task, and the columns provide all of the key information at a glance.

Grid Columns

Row Color Coding

The task grid uses row-level color coding to draw your attention to tasks that need immediate action:

• Red rows — Overdue tasks. A task is considered overdue when its due date has passed and its status is not Completed or Cancelled. Red rows are the highest-priority visual indicator, signaling that something is past due and needs attention right away.
• Amber/yellow rows — Tasks due today. These tasks are due before the end of the current day. The amber color serves as a warning that time is running out.
• Normal rows (no highlight) — Upcoming tasks. These tasks have due dates in the future and do not require immediate action.

This three-tier color system makes it easy to scan the grid and instantly identify which tasks are behind schedule, which are due now, and which are upcoming.

Priority Levels

Every task has a priority level that indicates its relative urgency. The priority is displayed as a color-coded badge in the Priority column of the task grid. AccuArk supports four priority levels:

Priority is independent of the due date. A task can be High priority with a due date next week, or Low priority with a due date tomorrow. The priority badge helps you understand the importance of the task, while the row color coding helps you understand the time urgency.

Task Statuses

Each task moves through a lifecycle represented by four statuses:

• Pending — The task has been created but work has not started. This is the default status for all new tasks.
• In Progress — Someone has started working on the task but has not finished it yet.
• Completed — The task has been finished. When a task is marked as completed, AccuArk records the completed_at timestamp, capturing the exact date and time the task was closed.
• Cancelled — The task is no longer needed and has been discarded. Cancelled tasks remain in the grid for historical reference but are no longer considered active.

Only tasks with a status of Pending or In Progress are eligible for overdue highlighting. Completed and Cancelled tasks are never highlighted, regardless of their due dates.

Creating a New Task

To create a new task:

1. Click the New Task button on the Tasks tab ToolStrip.
2. The Task dialog (FrmCRMTask) opens with empty fields.
3. Fill in the required and optional fields (described below).
4. Click Save to create the task.
5. The new task appears in the task grid and the grid refreshes to reflect the updated list.

Task Dialog Fields

The Task dialog contains the following fields:

Title (Required)

A short, descriptive name for the task. Choose a title that clearly communicates what needs to be done. Good examples include "Call customer about project timeline," "Send revised quote," or "Follow up on payment." Avoid vague titles like "Follow up" or "Task" because they make it difficult to understand the purpose at a glance.

Description

A multiline text area where you can provide additional details about the task. Use the description to add context that does not fit in the title, such as specific talking points for a phone call, details about what the proposal should include, or notes about customer preferences. The description is optional but highly recommended for complex tasks.

Due Date/Time Picker

A combined date and time picker that sets the deadline for the task. The due date determines whether the task appears as overdue (red), due today (amber), or upcoming (normal) in the task grid. Set this to a realistic deadline that reflects when the task genuinely needs to be completed.

Priority Dropdown

Select the priority level for the task: Low, Medium, High, or Urgent. The default is Medium. Choose a priority that reflects the genuine importance of the task. Overusing Urgent or High priority diminishes their impact over time and makes it harder to identify truly critical items.

Assigned To Dropdown

A dropdown listing all users at the current location. Select the person responsible for completing the task. If you are creating the task for yourself, select your own name. If you are delegating the task to a colleague, select their name.

When a task is assigned to a user, they receive a notification alerting them of the new task. This ensures that the responsible person is aware of the assignment without needing to check the Tasks tab manually.

Link To Section

The Link To section allows you to connect the task to related records:

• Client — This field is automatically filled with the current customer and cannot be changed from the Task dialog. Every task is always linked to the customer whose form you opened it from.
• Deal Dropdown (Optional) — Lists the customer's open deals. Select a deal if the task is related to a specific sales opportunity. For example, if the task is "Send proposal for Office Renovation," you would link it to the Office Renovation deal. The Related To column in the task grid will then display "Deal: Office Renovation."
• Ticket Dropdown (Optional) — Lists the customer's open tickets. Select a ticket if the task relates to a support issue. For example, if the task is "Follow up on shipping delay complaint," you would link it to the relevant ticket. The Related To column will display "Ticket: #1234."

Linking tasks to deals and tickets provides context and helps your team understand why the task exists and what it relates to.

Editing an Existing Task

To edit a task, double-click its row in the task grid. The Task dialog opens with all of the task's current information pre-populated. You can modify any field — title, description, due date, priority, assignment, or linked records — and click Save to apply the changes.

Editing a task requires the CRM_EDIT_TASK permission. Without this permission, the dialog opens in read-only mode.

Completing and Cancelling Tasks

The Task dialog provides two status action buttons:

Mark Complete

Clicking Mark Complete sets the task's status to Completed and records the completed_at timestamp with the current date and time. Once marked as complete, the task remains in the grid for historical reference but is no longer highlighted as overdue or due today. The completed_at timestamp provides an audit trail showing exactly when the task was finished.

Cancel Task

Clicking Cancel Task sets the task's status to Cancelled. Use this when a task is no longer relevant — for example, if the customer withdrew their request or the related deal was lost. Cancelled tasks remain visible in the grid but are no longer considered active.

Both actions require the CRM_EDIT_TASK permission.

Right-Click Context Menu

The task grid supports a right-click context menu with two quick actions:

• Mark Complete — Instantly marks the selected task as completed without opening the Task dialog. This is a shortcut for quickly closing tasks during a review session.
• Reassign — Opens a dropdown allowing you to reassign the task to a different user at the current location. This is useful during team meetings when tasks need to be redistributed.

Both context menu actions respect the same permissions as the Task dialog.

Automatic Task Creation

In addition to manually creating tasks, AccuArk can automatically generate tasks when deals move between pipeline stages. This feature is called auto-task automation and is configured at the pipeline stage level. When a deal enters a stage that has auto-task enabled, the system creates a task with a pre-configured title and due date, assigns it to the deal owner, and sends a notification.

Auto-tasks are a powerful way to ensure that critical follow-up steps are never missed as deals progress through your pipeline. For full details on configuring auto-task automation, see Auto-Tasks & Stage Automation.

Overdue Task Notifications

AccuArk's CRM includes an automatic overdue task monitoring system. Every 15 minutes, the system checks for tasks that are past their due date and have not been completed or cancelled. When overdue tasks are detected, the system sends a notification to the assigned user, reminding them that the task needs attention.

This background monitoring ensures that overdue tasks do not go unnoticed, even if the assigned user has not opened the Tasks tab recently. The 15-minute interval strikes a balance between timely reminders and avoiding notification fatigue.

Task Visibility

Task visibility is controlled by a location-level setting called crm_task_visibility. This setting determines which tasks a user can see on the Tasks tab:

• owner_only — Users can only see tasks that are assigned to them. Tasks assigned to other users are hidden from the grid. This is appropriate for organizations where task assignments are private and users should focus only on their own responsibilities.
• location_wide — Users can see all tasks at their current location, regardless of assignment. This is appropriate for collaborative teams where everyone benefits from knowing what tasks are in progress across the group.

Regardless of the visibility setting, users with the CRM_VIEW_ALL_TASKS permission can always see all tasks at the location. This override is typically granted to managers and administrators who need full visibility for oversight and reporting.

Permissions Summary

Tips and Best Practices

• Write clear titles — The title is the first thing anyone sees in the task grid. Make it specific enough that the required action is immediately obvious.
• Set realistic due dates — Overloading yourself with tasks due today defeats the purpose of the color-coding system. Spread your due dates across the week so the amber and red highlights remain meaningful.
• Use priority thoughtfully — Reserve High and Urgent for genuinely important items. When everything is marked Urgent, nothing stands out.
• Link tasks to deals and tickets — The Related To column is most useful when tasks are connected to their context. A task that says "Follow up" is much more actionable when it also shows "Deal: Office Renovation."
• Check the Tasks tab daily — Make it a habit to review your tasks at the start of each day. Address overdue items first, then move to tasks due today, and finally plan for upcoming tasks.
• Use Mark Complete promptly — Closing tasks as soon as they are done keeps your grid clean and accurate. Stale tasks that are actually finished but still showing as Pending create confusion.

What to Read Next

• Auto-Tasks & Stage Automation — Learn how automatic tasks are triggered when deals move between pipeline stages
• CRM Dashboard — See how tasks, deals, tickets, and activities come together on a single overview screen