# User Task Administration

This article includes information about tracking and configuring user tasks. For information about viewing and completing user tasks in your Vault, see <a href="/en/gr/40751/">Working with User Tasks</a>. For information about workflow tasks, see <a href="/en/gr/972/">Accepting & Completing Workflow Tasks</a>.

A user task is an object record with the _User Task_ object class applied. A user task represents an individual unit of work. For example, a Clinical Research Associate at VeePharm may create user tasks to represent the work involved with bringing a site up to compliance after a site visit.

A user task is a record for any object with the _User Task_ class applied. Your can configure multiple user task objects, for example, _User Tasks_ and _Follow-Up Tasks_.

## Configuring a User Task

Your Vault includes a standard _User Task_ object, which Vault uses when you create tasks from the **Create** menu. However, you can <a href="/en/gr/15057/">configure multiple _User Task_-class objects</a> in your Vault to meet your organization's process needs. For example, you could create a user task for ad hoc follow-up tasks and another for site initiation.

### User Task Object Relationships

Objects with the _User Task_ class applied can have a single parent relationship and multiple reference relationships. However, user tasks do not support inbound relationships.

### User Task Object Lifecycle

Objects with the _User Task_ class are automatically associated with the standard _User Task Lifecycle_ object lifecycle. You can customize the lifecycle as needed. Note that the _Open_ and _Complete_ lifecycle states are required for user tasks. Vault maps the _Open_ state to the _Initial_ lifecycle state type and the _Complete_ state to the _Complete_ state type by default.

## Assigning a User Task

Once you have configured any necessary objects, you can begin assigning user tasks to members of your Vault.

  1. Create a new object record in your chosen user task object from one of the following locations:
      * **Create > User Task** in the navigation bar
      * A related _User Task_ object section on an object's **Details** page.
      * **Business Admin > Objects > User Tasks**
  2. Enter a **Name** for your user task. This name appears in the default notifications and should be understandable to the assignee.
  3. Optional: Select a user to complete the task in the _Assigned To_ field.
  4. Select **No** from the _Completed_ field.
  5. Click **Save**.

The user you selected for _Assigned To_ receives a Vault notification that you assigned them a task. The user task now displays in that user's **My Tasks** view.

You will receive a notification once that user completes the task.

### Reassigning a User Task {#reassign_user_task}

To reassign a user task:

  1. Navigate to the user task.
  2. Click **Edit**.
  3. Choose a different user in the _Assigned To_ field. Vault send a notification to the previous _Assigned To_ user that the task has been reassigned to another user.
  4. Click **Save**.

Note that this notification occurs for reassigned user tasks. Different notifications occur for <a href="/en/gr/33553/#reassign_tasks">reassigned workflow tasks</a>.

## Tracking Tasks (Activity Object)

The _Activity_ object is a system-managed, read-only Vault object that tracks user tasks and workflow tasks in your Vault. Vault creates new _Activity_ object records each time a user in your Vault saves a user task or a workflow task. You can view _Activity_ records from **Business Admin > Objects > Activities** or a custom object tab. You can also use the _Activity_ object in a report. Note that the _Activity_ object does not support parent relationships, and so you cannot create an _Activity_ report with up objects.

## Notifications

Vault sends notifications related to user tasks in the following situations:

<table class="wbord">
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>Occurs</strong>
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>Recipient</strong>
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>Object Message</strong>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      On task creation, on task reassignment
    </td>
    <td>
      User Task Assignee
    </td>
    <td>
      User Task Assignment (user_task_assignment__v)
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      On task reassignment
    </td>
    <td>
      Previous User Task Assignee
    </td>
    <td>
      User Task Reassignment (user_task_reassignment__v)
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      On task completion
    </td>
    <td>
      User Task Owner
    </td>
    <td>
      User Task Completed (user_task_completed__v)
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

If you want to disable specific notifications, you can set the related object message to _Inactive_. To learn about editing notification message templates, see <a href="/en/gr/2157/">Email & Messages Administration</a>.



## User Tasks & Workflow Tasks

Whether you should use user tasks or workflow tasks depends on your organization's needs, processes, and the specific task.

### Best Practices

If the unit of work is part of a broader, defined business process with a specific sequence, approvals, and branching decisions, configure a workflow task. If the unit of work is simply assigning and completing, or it is a set of activities related to another object record, consider using user tasks.

### Comparing User Tasks & Workflow Tasks

The table below compares user tasks and workflow tasks:

<table class="wbord">
  <tr>
    <td>
      <strong>Function</strong>
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>User Task</strong>
    </td>
    <td>
      <strong>Workflow Task</strong>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Name, Description, Status, Due Date, Task Owner
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Support for Object Types
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Outbound Relationships to Custom Objects
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Multiple Outbound Relationships
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Notifications and Listed on Vault Home Tasks Views
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Consolidated Reporting Across Tasks
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Displays in Tabs and Pages
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Reminders
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Cascade Delete
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Deep Copy
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Notification for Task Creator when Assigned To User Completes the Task
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Different Permissions by Task Type
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>
      Create from Template (needs app specific footnote)
    </td>
    <td>
      &#x2714;
    </td>
    <td>
      &nbsp;
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>