Projects & Collaboration • Module glossary
This glossary explains common words and fields you’ll see when using Advanced Projects in XFatora.
Also known as: Project Management Enhancements
What it is: Billing type defines how a project is billed: fixed rate, project hours, or task hours.
When you use it: Use billing types to match your contract and invoice accurately.
Example: A fixed-rate project is billed as a single amount regardless of hours.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Invoice, Time Tracking, Core Accounting
What it is: Dependencies are relationships where one task can’t start until another finishes.
When you use it: Use dependencies to plan realistic timelines and reduce blockers.
Example: Packaging design must be approved before printing begins.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Gantt Chart, Milestone
What it is: A Gantt chart is a timeline view that shows tasks and milestones across dates.
When you use it: Use it to plan schedules, dependencies, and delivery dates visually.
Example: You identify overlapping tasks and adjust dates to avoid bottlenecks.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Dependencies, Scheduling
What it is: An issue is a current problem affecting the project that needs action now.
When you use it: Use issues to track blockers and ensure they are resolved quickly.
Example: Issue: warehouse access delayed; action: escalate to facilities team.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Risk, Support Desk, Smart Mentions
What it is: A Kanban board shows tasks as cards moving through workflow columns (To Do, In Progress, Done).
When you use it: Use it for day-to-day execution and visibility of work in progress.
Example: Team reviews the Kanban board daily to unblock stuck tasks.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Task, Workflow
What it is: A milestone is a major checkpoint or deliverable within a project.
When you use it: Use milestones to structure progress and communicate key dates.
Example: Milestone: “Go live with inventory module” due on March 1.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Project, Gantt, Timeline
What it is: A project is a structured container for work with a goal, timeline, and team members.
When you use it: Use projects to plan, track, and deliver work with clear accountability.
Example: You create a project for “Warehouse Setup” with tasks, milestones, and a deadline.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Task, Milestone, Gantt, Project Members
What it is: Project discussions are thread-style conversations for broader project topics (not tied to a single task).
When you use it: Use discussions for announcements, design decisions, and stakeholder updates.
Example: You post a weekly status update and collect questions in the same thread.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Project Activity, Smart Mentions
What it is: Project files are documents attached to the project—specs, contracts, designs, reports.
When you use it: Use them to keep the team working from the same source of truth.
Example: Upload a PDF requirement document visible to the customer (if needed).
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Customer Portal, Audit Trail
What it is: Project invoicing converts billable work into invoices for customers.
When you use it: Use it to ensure all billable time and items are captured and billed correctly.
Example: At month end, bill all approved timesheets for the project.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Core Accounting, Invoice, Timesheet
What it is: Project members are the people who can access and contribute to the project.
When you use it: Use members to define who participates, sees updates, and receives notifications.
Example: Add Procurement and Warehouse leads as project members for a rollout project.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Roles & Permissions, Smart Mentions
What it is: Project notes are internal notes that capture important context or decisions.
When you use it: Use notes to remember key agreements and assumptions.
Example: Note: “Customer approved scope change on Jan 10.”
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Audit Trail, Project Discussion
What it is: Project status shows the overall state of the project at a glance.
When you use it: Use it to communicate progress and to filter dashboards.
Example: A project moves from Not Started → In Progress → Finished once all deliverables are done.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Project, Reporting
What it is: A project template is a reusable project structure with standard tasks and milestones.
When you use it: Use templates to launch repeatable work faster and more consistently.
Example: You use a template for every client onboarding project with the same tasks and timeline.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Standardization, Onboarding
What it is: A risk is a potential issue that could impact timeline, cost, or quality if it happens.
When you use it: Use risk tracking to plan mitigation early.
Example: Risk: supplier lead time may increase; mitigation: add backup supplier.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Issue, Procurement
What it is: A task is a unit of work inside a project (or standalone) with an assignee and due date.
When you use it: Use tasks to break big work into manageable actions and track completion.
Example: Task: “Create supplier list” assigned to Procurement with due date next Friday.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Task Comment, Time Tracking, Kanban
What it is: Task assignment is linking a task to a responsible person.
When you use it: Use assignment to ensure ownership and avoid “someone should do this” ambiguity.
Example: A task is assigned to the warehouse supervisor to prepare stock locations.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Task, Workload Planner
What it is: Task comments are discussion messages inside a task to coordinate work.
When you use it: Use comments to keep decisions and updates tied to the task context.
Example: A team member posts an update with a screenshot and mentions the reviewer.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Smart Mentions, Attachments
What it is: Priority indicates urgency and importance for tasks.
When you use it: Use it to help teams choose what to do first—especially when workload is high.
Example: Critical tasks are marked High priority and appear first on dashboards.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Workload Planner, Deadlines
What it is: Time tracking records how much time is spent on tasks and projects.
When you use it: Use it for billing, cost control, and workload planning.
Example: A consultant starts a timer on a task and logs 2.5 hours.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Timesheet, Billing Type
What it is: A timer is a start/stop tool to track time spent on a task in real time.
When you use it: Use timers when work is fragmented and manual logging is error-prone.
Example: An agent starts a timer when working on a customer request and stops it when done.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Time Tracking, Timesheet
What it is: A timesheet summarizes time entries for review and approval.
When you use it: Use timesheets to validate hours and connect them to billing or payroll.
Example: Project manager approves weekly timesheets for billing.
Common fields (and what they mean):
Related terms: Time & Attendance, Billing
