Tasks

A task is a defined piece of work to be completed within a given context. Tasks appear in many domains, from everyday chores to formal project management and computing. In daily life, a task might be washing dishes or paying a bill; in business, a task is a unit of work assigned to someone with a deadline; in computing, a task can refer to a unit of execution scheduled by an operating system.

In computing, a task can refer to a process or thread, an executing program or part of a program. The operating system schedules tasks, allocates resources, and handles inter-process communication. In project management, a task is a discrete activity with attributes such as description, owner, start and end dates, duration, dependencies, and deliverables. Tasks form the building blocks of a project schedule, often arranged in a work breakdown structure.

Task management involves selecting, organizing, and tracking tasks to achieve goals. Key activities include prioritization, estimation, assignment, sequencing with dependencies, and progress monitoring. Common methods include to-do lists, Kanban boards, and Gantt charts. Larger efforts use a work breakdown structure to decompose work into manageable tasks and sub-tasks, enabling resource planning and critical-path analysis.

Effective task management seeks to balance workload, minimize context switching, and improve reliability of delivery. Challenges include scope creep, overcommitment, unclear requirements, and interruptions. Metrics such as on-time completion, velocity, and completion rate help assess performance. Automation and integration with tools can reduce manual overhead and improve consistency.