TaskArchitect - Version 2
TaskArchitect is the task analysis tool relied upon by organizations around
the world for their mission critical projects.
Whether using task analysis for complex system design or to create documentation or training materials, TaskArchitect
enables users to work more efficiently and produce exceptional results.
New in Version 2
We've completely redesigned TaskArchitect from the ground up - more features, greater ease of use and more versions. Draw timelines from your task analysis, split pages up automatically for printing, do link analysis and more. Discover the new features now in TaskArchitect V2.
Pro, Standard, and Reviewer Editions
All of our new editions contain all of the new features - the difference is just in the size of aplications that they support. TaskArchitect Pro Edition supports massive analyses of over 4000 tasks. For smaller analyses TaskArchitect Standard Edition covers all of the bases. TaskArchitect Reviewer allows your customers to read and comment on your analyses without needing to purchase TaskArchitect. It is also a trial of the full version and suitable for small, academic examples.
The Pro Edition supports up to 4000 tasks and 100 properties. Typical application: Large, complex analyses
The Standard Edition supports up to 200 tasks and 20 properties. If larger analyses are opened then the tasks will be displayed but they may not be edited. One property may be edited for supplying comments. This supports reviews of large analyses created using the Pro version. Typical application: Standard size analyses; parts of large, complex analyses.
The Reviewer Edition is intended as a trial of TaskArchitect and a free version to distribute to reviewers of your data. It supports up to 50 tasks and 10 properties. Larger analyses are opened then the tasks will be displayed but they may not be edited. One property may be edited for supplying comments. Typical application: Trial of TaskArchitect, review of files, educational use.
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Review |
Standard |
Pro |
| Maximum number of tasks |
50 |
200 |
4000 |
| Maximum number of properties |
10 |
20 |
100 |
| Opens all TaskArchitect 2 files |
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| Always one property available for editing |
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| Spell checker |
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| Link analysis |
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| Timeline analysis |
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| Analysis checker |
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| Attach/detach tasks |
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3 Languages
TaskArchitect is being used by companies around the world. It is available now in English,
French and Japanese and a Chinese version is planned.
Standard Features
TaskArchitect delivers:
TaskArchitect Professional Edition includes all of the tools necessary to carry out full-scale task analyses in many
different domains. It currently supports models of up to 4000 nodes and with 40 properties on each task.
A free trial of TaskArchitect Professional is available for download. Please contact our sales department for further
information about Task Architect products and solutions.
Learn more about TaskArchitect Academic Solutions for educational institutions.
Simplicity in recording and organizing
tasks
It's critical that tasks can be entered quickly
and re-arranged on the fly. TaskArchitect supports this through
both the creation of indented lists of tasks and the moving
the tasks around in a task diagram. Parent and sibling selection,
cut-and paste, drag and drop, and task references are
supported all analysis diagrams in order to allow the user to re-shape and duplicate
areas of the analysis quickly and easily. It's so simple that
analyses can be edited on the fly with subject matter experts.
Because TaskArchitect captures the relationships between tasks,
and can re-draw the analysis automatically after every edit,
there is no need for the analyst to worry about re-drawing
task diagrams after each change is made. This provides you
with task tables and task diagrams, linked together to allow
you to quickly move between either format.
Tabular View |
Left-right View |
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Point-and-click task plan creation
In order to make task plan generation easier
and more accurate, TaskArchitect includes a plan editor that
makes entering and editing plans a point and click operation.
The logical flow of the plan is illustrated both graphically
and as simple statements.
By automatically generating a graphic flowchart of the plan,
TaskArchitect ensures that the plan will be specified with
precision and interpreted correctly by other users.
Plans can also be entered rapidly in plain English - more flexibility, more speed.
Plan Editor
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Automatic re-numbering of tasks and plans
after edits
With TaskArchitect, there is no longer any
need to re-enter task numbers and plans if a task is moved
- this process is fully automated, removing one of the biggest
inefficiencies of task analysis.
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Automatic generation of a variety of
clearly laid out task diagrams
TaskArchitect has focused on the visual design
of the task diagrams in order to maximize the ease of understanding
the overall shape of the layout and the arrangement of groups
of tasks. This makes it easy to understand large, complex
hierarchies while allowing the analysis to focus in on the
detail of plans, tasks and task properties.
The automatic layout of the tasks after editing means that
the display of the hierarchy does not have to be re-arranged
every time changes are made. This saves an enormous amount
of work and enables analysts to take on larger and more complex
projects. It also makes the communication of the results a
snap.
Each branch of the hierarchy can be expanded and collapsed in every view, allowing you to decide what information is communicated by the task diagrams. The Vertical Slice View automatically contracts the hierarchy to just the tasks you want to display - the reviewer's focus is now clearly on the key tasks instead of spread across wide diagrams.
One of an analyst's key requirements is the ability to communicate
the results of their work clearly. TaskArchitect provides
multiple views of task hierarchy to meet this need.
In addition to the graphical forms supported in TaskArchitect,
a tabular view enables task details to be quickly entered,
edited and displayed. We've even combined the two types of
view - allowing you to highlight tasks in a diagram automatically
according to the values of selected task details e.g. type
of tool being used, task frequency, task difficulty and other
details can all be highlighted in task diagrams.
Page View now automatically splits the task diagram (Overview) elegantly across the printed page after each edit. Now tasks are grouped automatically into hierarchical chunks, including the use of task ladders (combs) and
staggering of tasks within a level. No more shuffling of tasks around to make them fit on a page.
Additional features such as print registration marks and print preview and make life easier.
This means fast, fast, fast report production.
And export of the Left-Right diagrams as well as Overview to Visio TM enable the analyst to add the final touches to their diagrams.
Tabular View |
Left-right View
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Overview |
Vertical Slice View
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Form View
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Page View
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Timeline |
Link Analysis |
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Flexibility in recording task details
TaskArchitect allows users to capture detailed
information about each task, in any form the user chooses.
Using multiple choice fields, pictures, text fields, numbers,
rating scales, booleans, hyperlinks within analyses and between analyses, durations, calculated values, logical combinations of values (e.g. DIF calculations), and references to external documents users
can capture a wide range of information about each task. This
allows users to build their style of analysis into the tool.
TaskArchitect now supports up to 100 property definitions in a single file (Pro Edition).
Cascading calculations across tasks as well as within tasks (e.g. highest rating in the analysis, total duration, total cost …) supports the rapid combination of data in order to draw conclusions about the tasks.
Timeline analysis and Link analysis takes task analysis into new dimensions. By enabling the creation of timelines and analysis of task linkages within one package TaskArchitect becomes a workbench for human factors analysis.
Examples of task details include
- Task frequency
- Competencies
- Typical errors
- Need for training
- Example
- Picture of action
- Difficulty + Frequency + Importance
The new floating task details window and direct access to property values in the Tabular View mean that data entry just got faster. And the ability to scroll through the properties in the Tabular View allows you to have all of the data at your finger tips.
The Spell Checker keeps your content professionally finished. The Analysis Checker provides the flexibility to review each task against your in-house analysis rules.
Tabular View with task properties |
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Design supports any analysis goal
TaskArchitect recognizes that there are as
many ways to carry out task analysis as there are organizations
using the technique. Successful task analysis is largely due
to the ability of tools used to match the style of the analyst
and the needs of their work. TaskArchitect was designed to
allow analysts to use their preferred style of working as
opposed to conforming to a single predetermined style.
By selecting the task details that you want to record and
deciding on their definition and acceptable values, the analyst
can configure TaskArchitect as an aid to collecting and analyzing
exactly the information that is important to them.
Here are a few examples of analysis goals that have been achieved
using TaskArchitect
- Human error analysis
- Comparison of software releases
- Training needs analysis
- Risk Analysis
- Systems Design
TaskArchitect simplifies the creation of analyses by supplying templates (Human Error Analysis - SHERPA, Training Needs Analysis - DIF, and Timeline Analysis). Previous analyses can be used as the foundation of the next piece of work, simply import the definitions that apply to the new situation.
Some TaskArchitect templates |
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Support for collaboration between analysts
TaskArchitect helps the user to record the
status of any and all tasks graphically. For example, tasks
that are still in draft form or tasks where a decision has
been made to stop further analysis. This clear indication
of the state of the analysis - is provided to both the original
author and other analysts.
TaskArchitect automatically records the name of the person
who last edited a task and when that edit was carried out.
This makes it easier to track and review changes.
Tasks can be detached from the analysis, sent to other analysts
for development, then re-attached at a later date. New hyperlinks between analysis files as well creates live jumps between analyses.This helps
collaboration and assists analysts in tackling larger projects.
Analysis templates encourage consistency between analysts
by pre-defining the task details and acceptable values that
can be recorded.
Individual tasks and properties can be imported from other files, as can property definitions. Cut and paste across files, with multiple analyses open at once makes re-use of work even easier.
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Rapid production of reports
Task Architect understands that the ability
to export task diagrams, task lists and task tables for quick
incorporation into documents and spreadsheets is a major requirement
of ongoing use of task analysis tools.
- Pre-defined reports to quickly
produce specifically defined compilations of their results.
- Export of the raw data to spreadsheets
for further calculation
of results.
- Export to VisioTM for re-configuring diagrams to provide extra emphasis.
Templates for report output can be created using html so that the look of reports is tailored to the company needs, and data can be filtered on report production and export to provide the right focus in repot content.
Task Highlighting automatically changes the appearance of tasks according to the data recorded about them. For instance, all critical tasks can be given a particular box shape or color, or all tasks at a given level can be highlighted in one color.
Task Highlights can appear in the Tabular view and/or any of the diagram views.
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Easy export for re-use in other
tools
TaskArchitect can be used as a front end to
complex simulation and modeling tools. With XML, tab delimited
text and comma-delimited text as standard export formats,
transferring your data from to other tools can be easy. TaskArchitect
can also produce customized export modules to meet your needs.
TaskArchitect has been designed as a foundational tool for
analysts to build their work on.
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