Task Assignment System (TAS) is the online system that CSSE uses to keep track of work to be done, from minor requests to year-long projects. Any staff member or student can request a task either on the web or through a simple email gateway.
When a task is submitted the requestor recieves a confirmation email which contains a task ID (TID) and a couple of web links. This TID and these web links can be used at any time to keep track of the status of each task, or you can use this link.
Each task is always in a queue. Which queue depends on the status of the task:
| Pending | Tasks on this queue have not yet been assessed by the programmers. |
|---|---|
| Active | Tasks on this queue are actively being worked on by the programmers, and should be completed within the fortnight. |
| Dormant | Tasks on this queue have not been scheduled for the current fortnightly cycle. |
| Completed | Tasks on this queue have been completed. |
| Cancelled | Tasks on this queue have been cancelled for some reason, and will NOT be done. |
| Project | Tasks on this queue will probably take longer than a fortnight to complete. |
| Wish | Tasks on this queue may be attempted at some point in the future. |
When a new task is requested, the programmers assign it to a queue (by default, Pending), give it a priority (High, Normal, or Low) within that queue, and allocate it one (or more) programmers who are responsible for liaising with the requestor about the task. Each time a task is assigned a different queue, priority or programmer, the original requestor is informed of this by email. If the requestor perceives any potential problems with these periodic (re)assignments - e.g. a risk that the task may not be completed in a timely fashion - then s/he should contact the allocated programmer, in the first instance, to resolve the problem.
The programmer(s) allocated to each task can enter periodic progress reports as work proceeds. They also enter a report when a job has been completed or cancelled. All of these reports are emailed to the original requestor, and they are also available at any time via the web.