💡 This article is intended for pilots and local pilots who manage the day-to-day operational monitoring of their security measures.
There are several ways to create recurring tasks. You can also create recurring task templates directly in the Catalog.
⚠️ Creating a task template in the catalog does not allow you to select public security measures. For this, it is preferable to use the Recurring Tasks module.
Create recurring tasks directly in Tenacy
Option 1: Creating from the security base
From the security base, you can directly create a new recurring task linked to your security measure:
⚠️ If you want to create your own recurring task, you need to use the Recurring Tasks module (see below).
Option 2: Creating from the Recurring Tasks module
To add a recurring task, click the button at the top right of the recurring tasks register:
You can also add a task directly within a group by clicking the button next to the group name:
The 'add' form lets you specify the basic information for the task. You'll be able to associate attachments (implementation instructions, for example) and metrics later, after creation.
💡 In Tenacy, a metric is a numeric value you enter when completing the task (for example, a number of incidents handled). An indicator is a separate object, built from one or more metrics, used to track a trend over time.
Fields in the recurring task creation form: what do they mean?
Measure, workload, mandatory proof, allow N/A, and nature of a recurring task
Measure: A task must always be associated with an implemented measure.
Workload: The workload for completing a period lets you plan the necessary resources.
Mandatory proof: You can make it mandatory to attach a file (usually proof of completion).
Allow N/A: You can also allow a completion period to be marked as Not Applicable.
🔎 Not Applicable can also be useful if you want to run a recurring task every 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years: you can use weekly, monthly, or annual frequencies and mark one out of every two occurrences of the recurring task as Not Applicable.
Nature: The nature of the task distinguishes operational tasks from control tasks.
Operational tasks correspond to security operations (SecOps) and are necessary for the proper functioning of security measures. They are completed or not (their completion performance can be measured through indicators), and they contribute to the measures' operational score.
Control tasks correspond to permanent or periodic controls and are used to check whether operational processes are working properly. They are completed or not, and when completed can be positive (OK test) or negative (KO test); they contribute to compliance.
🔎 Recurring control tasks have 3 possible outcomes: Done OK, Done KO, and Not done. A "Done KO" response means the recurring task was carried out, but the expected result was not achieved. These recurring tasks can be used as part of a control plan. This article explains how.
Start date and periodicity: calendar and non-calendar tasks
The Start field in the creation form determines the start date of the recurring task. Depending on the periodicity chosen and the date selected, the task will be calendar or non-calendar.
Weekly and monthly tasks are always calendar-aligned: the start date must be the first day of the period (week or month). For example, if you create a monthly recurring task on August 14th, your start date must be the 1st of a month.
Quarterly, half-yearly, and annual tasks, on the other hand, can be calendar or non-calendar, depending on the start date chosen.
🔎 By default, when a periodicity is selected, Tenacy sets the date to the beginning of the current calendar period. A different date can be chosen, and the behavior is as follows:
If the start date corresponds to a calendar period — for example 01/01/2024 for an annual task or 01/10/2024 for a quarterly task — the task will be calendar, and it will be possible to modify the start date to another valid calendar date.
If the start date does not correspond to a calendar period — for example 01/04/2024 for an annual task or 15/09/2024 for a "quarterly" task — the task will be non-calendar, and must be entered before its anniversary date minus 1 day (for example, between 01/04/2024 and 31/03/2025 for the first occurrence of the previous annual example), and the start date cannot be modified.
💡 A non-calendar task is useful for matching a business reality that doesn't follow the calendar year (for example, a fiscal year starting in April). Make sure to double-check your choice of start date before validating: it cannot be changed afterward.
Completion window for a recurring task
💡 The completion window is the number of days before the end of the period during which you can fill in the recurring task.
If no completion window is specified, a task can be marked as completed from the very start of its period. For example, for a monthly task, it can be marked as done for the current period as early as the 1st of the month.
If a window is specified, the task cannot be filled in before the start of that window, and the completion date must fall within the defined window. The window is calculated as [<period end date> - number of days, <period end date>]. For example, for an annual task, if the window is 30 days, the task cannot be entered before the last month of the year.
Approval (second-level control) of a recurring task
You can decide that a task requires approval by selecting a user or group in the Approver field:
If there is no approver, a task marked as completed moves directly to the Completed state.
If there is an approver, a task marked as completed moves to the Pending approval state.
If the pending task is accepted, it becomes Completed.
If the task is rejected, it goes back and must be resubmitted after correction.
🔎 Approval also applies to the Not Applicable status.
After creation: what you'll find in your recurring task
Registers
As a local pilot, "hidden" registers may appear. These are registers that the recurring task belongs to but that fall outside the local pilot's scope: the local pilot can therefore neither see nor edit them.
History tab
This tab lets you view the different occurrences of the recurring task and whether they were completed or not, by whom, and when. You can also complete the recurring task directly from this tab by clicking one of the occurrences.
Metrics tab
You can associate metrics with your recurring tasks: this way, when completing your task, you can enter the associated metric(s) directly.
🔎 You can read this article to understand how to attach a metric to a recurring task.
You can also simply view the metrics associated with recurring tasks from this tab.
Files tab
In this tab, you can view and add files attached to the task itself (valid for the entire duration of the task), such as completion instructions. These files are separate from the attachments you add to each occurrence (proof of completion).
Activity tab
As elsewhere in the solution, the "Activity" tab lets you see the different steps of the task, and add comments, images, links...
Create recurring tasks via import
You can also import/export your recurring task registers and generate a PDF report. You'll find the XLS file template by clicking "Import XLS".
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an operational task and a control task?
An operational task corresponds to a security operation that is completed or not, and contributes to the measure's operational score. A control task is used to verify that a process is working properly: it can be completed with a positive result (Done OK) or a negative result (Done KO), and contributes to compliance.
How do I know whether my recurring task will be calendar or non-calendar?
This depends on the start date chosen. If it corresponds to the first day of a calendar period (for example, January 1st for an annual task), the task is calendar and its start date remains editable. Otherwise, it is non-calendar and its start date can no longer be changed once the task is created.
What happens if I need to change the frequency of a recurring task that already has a completion history?
The frequency cannot be changed directly if a completion history exists. You have two options, depending on whether you want to keep this history or not:
You do not want to keep the history: you can clear it by clicking on the recurring task in question, then the History tab, then selecting the "Done" occurrences and clicking "Delete". If you have several recurring tasks to clear, you can also use an import: export the entire register, clear the data in the resulting Excel file, then re-import it into Tenacy.
You want to keep the history: close the current recurring task by giving it an end date, then create a new recurring task with the desired frequency.