More complex tickets can be broken down into subtasks. Each subtask has its own assignee, its own duration and its own status. Tickets and subtasks are closely interlinked: booked times and status changes of subtasks affect the parent ticket.
Create Subtasks
In the ticket detail view, open the Subtasks tab and create a subtask via the New subtask button. ZEP automatically takes over project, task and customer reference from the parent ticket.
Note: When copying a ticket via the Copy ticket action, a checkbox lets you decide whether existing subtasks should be copied along – including their duration configuration.
Fields of a Subtask
The form of a subtask is similar to a ticket but applies only to this one subtask:
Number and Subject: Number is assigned automatically and sequentially, subject is mandatory.
Status: Initial status new, further transitions follow the ticket workflow.
Creator and Assignee: Own assignment per subtask – often the assignee is different from the ticket.
Start date and Deadline: Own duration. Via the option like ticket, duration and deadline are taken directly from the parent ticket.
Planned hours: Estimated effort of the subtask. With the option prevent overbooking active, ZEP blocks time bookings once the planned hours are reached.
Categories and Tags: Own classification – independent of the ticket.
Remarks: WYSIWYG editor with mention support. Mentioned employees receive a notification.
Attachments: Subtask-specific files, separate from the ticket.
Subtask Statuses
Subtasks run through the same status workflow as tickets (new, in progress, done, rejected, accepted). Status transitions are also set via the workflow dialog in which follow-up status, assignee and an optional remark are recorded together.
Note: As long as not all subtasks are in a final status, the parent ticket cannot be finally closed. This ensures no open subtasks are overlooked.
In addition to manual status changes, the following automation rules apply that are hard-wired in ZEP:
When a subtask changes to in process, the parent ticket automatically goes to in process as well, provided it was still in status new.
When all subtasks reach status done or accepted, ZEP asks on the next save whether the ticket should also be set to done.
When a subtask changes to rejected and all other subtasks are also in an end status, the parent ticket automatically goes to rejected.
When a ticket in status done is manually reset to in process, all associated subtasks also revert to in process.
Duration and Deadline
Subtasks can have their own duration or take over the duration of the ticket.
If the subtask takes duration like ticket, the date of receipt, start date and deadline of the ticket apply. Changes to the ticket directly affect the subtask.
With its own duration, the subtask can have an earlier or later deadline than the ticket – useful for intermediate steps with their own deadline.
Booking Project Times on Subtasks
Like tickets, subtasks can also be booked with project times. In the Project Times tab of a subtask you see all bookings recorded there. The sum of the booked times automatically flows into the evaluation of the parent ticket.
Once a subtask is in a final status, no further bookings on this subtask are possible.
