How to assign a Task to a team of people instead of an individual

Overview

In Project Insight, users can assign tasks, approvals, issues, work items, and custom assignable items to a team instead of assigning the item to only one individual.

This is useful when work can be handled by anyone on a team. The item appears for the team members, and the first person who accepts the assignment becomes the assigned resource. Once accepted, the item is removed from the rest of the team’s work lists so duplicate work does not happen.

Use this feature when work needs to be routed to a group, queue, department, or shared team before one person takes ownership.

When to use team assignments

Use team assignments when:

• Any person on a team can complete the task
• Work needs to be routed to a group before being claimed
• A project manager does not know which specific person will handle the work yet
• Several people share responsibility for incoming tasks, issues, approvals, or custom work items
• You want team members to accept assignments from their own work list
• You want to prevent multiple team members from working on the same item after it is accepted

What can be assigned to a team?

In Project Insight, team assignment can be used for assignable items such as:

• Tasks
• Approvals
• Issues
• Work items
• Custom items that are assignable

If the item can be assigned, it can be routed to a team when the required add-ons are installed and configured.

Required add-ons

To assign tasks or work items to a team, the following add-ons must be installed:

• Placeholder Resources Add-on
• Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on

The Placeholder Resources Add-on is used to create the team as a placeholder resource. The Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on allows that placeholder team to include team members and receive assignable work.

How to set up a team

To configure a team for assignments:

1. Go to Add-Ons in your workspace.
2. Confirm that the Placeholder Resources Add-on is installed.
3. Confirm that the Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on is installed.
4. Open the Placeholder Resources configuration.
5. Select Configure.
6. If needed, select Add Placeholder to create a new placeholder resource.
7. Edit the placeholder resource you want to use as a team.
8. Give the team a name, such as Design Team.
9. Associate the team with a department, if needed.
10. Add the individual users or resources who should belong to the team.
11. Save the team.

Once the team is created, assignable work items can be assigned to that team.

How team assignment works

When a task or other assignable item is assigned to a team, it appears in the work list for the people who belong to that team.

The item is labeled as a team-assigned task or team-assigned item. Team members can see that the item is assigned to the team, not directly to them as an individual.

When a team member opens the item, Project Insight prompts them to accept the assignment.

If the team member accepts the assignment, Project Insight changes the assignment from the team resource to that individual person. The item is then removed from the other team members’ work lists.

This keeps the work visible to the team while it is unclaimed, then assigns it directly to one person once someone accepts it.

What happens when a team member accepts the assignment?

When a team member accepts a team-assigned item:

1. The item is reassigned from the team to that individual.
2. The accepting team member becomes responsible for the item.
3. The item is removed from the rest of the team’s work lists.
4. Other team members no longer see it as available team work.

This helps prevent two people from accidentally working on the same item.

How to identify team-assigned items

Team-assigned items have a visual cue in Project Insight.

If you see a gray-blue box around an item, that means the item is assigned to a team.

This visual cue can appear on different assignable item types, including:

• Tasks
• Approvals
• Issues
• Work items
• Custom assignable items

The gray-blue box helps users quickly recognize that the item is routed to a team rather than assigned directly to one person.

Example

A project manager creates a task and assigns it to the Design Team.

Every person on the Design Team can see the team-assigned task in their work list. When one designer opens the task, they are asked whether they want to accept the assignment.

If they accept it, Project Insight reassigns the task from Design Team to that individual designer. The task then drops off the other team members’ work lists.

Why use team assignments?

Team assignments help teams manage shared work more efficiently.

They are especially useful when:

• Work needs to go to a group first
• The exact assignee is not known yet
• A team shares responsibility for incoming work
• Team members need to claim work from a shared queue
• You want to avoid assigning everything manually to one person
• You want accepted work to become the responsibility of one individual

Best practices

Use clear team names

Name teams in a way that makes sense to project managers and users. Examples include Design Team, Development Team, QA Team, Support Team, or Approvals Team.

Keep team membership updated

Review team members regularly so assignments route to the right people.

Use departments when helpful

If teams are connected to departments, associate the placeholder resource with the appropriate department to keep your resource structure organized.

Explain how acceptance works

Make sure team members understand that accepting the item means they are taking ownership of it.

Use team assignment for shared work, not fixed individual ownership

If a specific person is already responsible for the work, assign the item directly to that person. Use team assignment when the work can be claimed by anyone on the team.

Frequently asked questions

Can tasks be assigned to a team in Project Insight?

Yes. With the Placeholder Resources Add-on and the Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on installed, tasks can be assigned to a team instead of only to an individual.

Can approvals and issues be assigned to a team?

Yes. Assignable items such as approvals, issues, tasks, work items, and custom assignable items can be assigned to a team.

What happens when someone accepts a team-assigned task?

When someone accepts the task, Project Insight reassigns the task from the team to that individual. The task is then removed from the other team members’ work lists.

How do users know an item is assigned to a team?

Team-assigned items display with a gray-blue box around them. This indicates that the item is assigned to a team rather than directly to one person.

Which add-ons are required for team assignment?

The required add-ons are the Placeholder Resources Add-on and the Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on.

Summary

The Team Assignment for Tasks and Work Add-on allows Project Insight users to assign tasks, approvals, issues, work items, and assignable custom items to a team.

Teams are set up through the Placeholder Resources Add-on. Once a team is configured, assignable items can be routed to the team. A team member can then accept the assignment, which moves the item from the team to that individual and removes it from everyone else’s work list.

This helps teams route shared work, claim assignments, and avoid duplicate effort.