# Comments and tasks on a sales job

## Comments and tasks on a sales job

A sales job is the workspace for one sales opportunity throughout its working life. Its
**Comments** area keeps the written conversation with the job, while **Tasks** keeps follow-up work
linked to that job.

| If you need to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Record or reply to written job discussion | [Keep the job discussion](#keep-the-job-discussion) |
| Review tasks linked to the saved job | [Maintain an open follow-up task](#maintain-an-open-follow-up-task) |
| Understand which tabs and fields are available | [Understand the comments and tasks surface](#understand-the-comments-and-tasks-surface) |
| Create a new sales job | [Create a sales job](doc:create-sales-job) |
| Work with the full task form | [Create a task](doc:create-task) |
| Continue with activities and files | [Sales job activities and files](doc:sales-job-activities-and-files) |

## Before you start

**Prerequisites**

- Have a saved sales job. The **Comments** and **Tasks** tabs require the job to have an ID.
- Have the Comments or Tasks feature available to your account.
- For task actions, work in the matching branch and use the role or ownership required by the
  action.
- For an existing task, be its owner when the action is limited to the owner.
- Have the discussion or follow-up information you want to record ready before you open the
  editor.

The available task columns come from the list layout used for your account. Work from the headers
that appear in your list rather than expecting every list to have the same columns.

> **Note:** The **Comments** and **Tasks** tabs belong to a saved job. Open the record before
> looking for discussion or job-linked tasks.

## Open a saved sales job

A saved sales job is the record that carries the **Comments** discussion and **Tasks** follow-up
work. The **Comments** and **Tasks** tabs belong to the sales-job record, not to the new-record form.

**Prerequisites**

- Know which saved sales job you need to open.
- If you are creating a new job instead, use [Create a sales job](doc:create-sales-job).

**Steps**

1. Open the saved sales job at `/sales/edit/:id`.
2. Confirm that the sales-job workspace displays the **Comments** and **Tasks** tabs.

![Saved sales-job workspace with the Comments and Tasks tabs](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/0fb140b34ff7a6ba28f7e5e31830966a.png)

**Result:** The saved sales-job workspace is open and ready for you to select **Comments** or
**Tasks**.

## Understand the comments and tasks surface

This surface places discussion and job-linked follow-up work beside the sales-job record. The
available tabs are **Comments**, **Tasks**, **Activities**,
**Attachment**, **Contacts**, **LGs**, **Pricing Quotations**, and **Last Modifications**.

The **Comments** surface provides a rich-text editor and **Post**. Its editor toolbar includes the
following controls:

| Editing need | Control |
|---|---|
| Reverse or repeat an edit | **Undo**, **Redo** |
| Format text | **Bold**, **Italic**, **Strikethrough**, **Underline**, **Font Color** |
| Format lists | **Ordered List**, **Bullet List** |
| Remove formatting | **Clear Formatting** |

The **Tasks** surface displays a task list filtered to the saved sales job.

| Area | What you can work with |
|---|---|
| Comments | Rich-text discussion, **Post**, replies, and your own comment controls |
| Tasks | Job-linked task rows and the list views **All**, **My Tasks**, and **View completed tasks** |
| Main job fields | **Order chance**, **Status**, **Branch**, **Product Type**, **Job Title**, **End User Account**, **File Number**, and **Expected Order Date** |
| Task form fields | **Priority**, task title, **Description**, **Start Date**, **Due Date**, and **Task Progress**. Follow is not available here. |
| Task columns seen in the list | **Title**, **Owner**, **Start date**, **Due date**, **Status**, and **Importance** |

In this workspace, **Product Type**, **Job Title**, and **File Number** carried required markers.
**Order chance**, **Status**, **Branch**, **End User Account**, and **Expected Order Date** did not
carry required markers.

![Tasks tab with the job-linked task list and visible columns](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/6f06bdaffa1ecc0c3af4119a1f4ceb70.png)

Select **Comments** for discussion and **Tasks** for job-linked follow-up work.

## Keep the job discussion

The job discussion is the written conversation associated with the current sales job. Use it to
leave context that colleagues returning to the job can read later.

**Prerequisites**

- Open a saved sales job.
- The **Comments** tab is available.
- Have the comment text ready.

**Steps**

1. Select **Comments**.
2. Enter the discussion in the rich-text editor.
3. Select **Post**.
4. Confirm that the new comment appears in the displayed conversation.

**Result:** The comment is associated with the current sales job and appears in its conversation.

### Reply to a comment

**Prerequisites**

- Open the **Comments** tab.
- Have a top-level comment from another person to answer.

**Steps**

1. Select **Reply** on the comment.
2. Enter the response.
3. Select **Reply**.

**Result:** The response is added beneath the comment.

### Edit your own comment

**Prerequisites**

- Open the **Comments** tab.
- Have one of your own comments available.

**Steps**

1. Select **Edit** on your comment.
2. Enter the revised text in the comment editor.
3. Select **Save**.

**Result:** Your edited comment is saved in the job discussion.

### Delete your own comment

**Prerequisites**

- Open the **Comments** tab.
- Have one of your own comments available.

**Steps**

1. Select **Delete** on your comment.
2. Read the confirmation.
3. Select **Delete**.

**Result:** The selected comment deletion is submitted.

The editor does not post when its plain text is empty or contains only spaces. Keep at least one
meaningful character in the comment before selecting **Post**.

## Maintain an open follow-up task

The **Tasks** tab is the sales job's related-task list. It keeps task rows associated with the
current job instead of showing the general task list.

**Prerequisites**

- Open a saved sales job.
- The **Tasks** tab is available.
- For task changes, be the task owner when the action requires ownership.

**Steps**

1. Select **Tasks**.
2. Review the task rows shown for the current sales job.
3. Select a task row to open that task.
4. Select **View completed tasks** when completed work needs to be included.

![Job-linked task rows and the View completed tasks option](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/6f06bdaffa1ecc0c3af4119a1f4ceb70.png)

The embedded list starts on **All**. The task list can show **Title**, **Owner**, **Start date**,
**Due date**, **Status**, and **Importance**. A task row opened from the embedded list opens the
task in a new browser tab.

The full task form contains the following fields:

| Field | Rule |
|---|---|
| **Priority** | Required |
| Task title | Required |
| **Description** | Optional |
| **Start Date** | Required |
| **Due Date** | Required and cannot be earlier than **Start Date** |
| **Task Progress** | Optional |
| Follow | Not available here. |

Use [Create a task](doc:create-task) for the full task-creation procedure.

**Result:** The task list shows work associated with the saved sales job, and the selected task is
open for the next task-specific action.

## Handle availability branches

The tabs and task actions change with feature access, role, branch, ownership, and task status.
Use the visible tab and action state to choose the applicable route.

| Situation | What to use or expect |
|---|---|
| Comments is available | Select **Comments** to open the job discussion. |
| Tasks is available to a non-principal user | Select **Tasks** to open the job-linked task list. |
| You are a principal user | The **Tasks** tab is displayed as disabled. |
| A task action requires ownership | Work from the task owner's account before selecting the action. |
| The task is completed | Completed-task controls are disabled for the completed state. |
| You need a task action from another branch | The task activity menu is available only when the branch matches. |
| You need a new task from the job | The job-level plus control requires the **Tasks** tab, the matching branch, a non-input-driven record, and permission to create a task. |
| You look for Follow | Follow is not available here. |
| You need to search comments | Search comments is not available here. |

The task list columns depend on your saved list layout. The task list showed **Title**,
**Owner**, **Start date**, **Due date**, **Status**, and **Importance**.

## When a comment or task action goes wrong

Use the exact message on screen to identify the correction or the page that owns the action.

| Class | Message | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Validation | `Required Receiving Date` | Complete the receiving-date field on the sales-job items surface. |
| Validation | `This field is required` | Complete the required field on the sales-job items surface. |
| Validation | `Invalid input. The value must be greater than 0 and cannot exceed 999,999.00` | Enter a value within the displayed range. |
| Validation | `Invalid input. Please enter a non-negative value` | Enter zero or a positive value. |
| Success | `Custom fields saved successfully` | Continue after the custom fields save. |
| Success | `Job updated successfully` | Continue with the updated job. |
| Success | `Job deleted successfully` | Continue in the sales-job lifecycle page. |
| Success | `Job regretted successfully` | Continue in the sales-job lifecycle page. |
| Success | `Job cancelled successfully` | Continue in the sales-job lifecycle page. |
| Success | `Job missed successfully` | Continue in the sales-job lifecycle page. |
| Success | `Job reactivated successfully` | Continue in the sales-job lifecycle page. |
| Success | `Converted to offer successfully` | Continue with [Offers](doc:offers). |
| Success | `Converted to inquiry successfully` | Continue with [Inquiries](doc:inquiries). |
| Error | `An error occurred while processing your request` | Review the action and its conditions before trying again. |
| Error | `Error saving custom fields` | Review the custom fields before trying again. |
| Error | `Cannot be un-delivered — a due invoice already exists` | Continue with [From orders to delivered](doc:from-orders-to-delivered). |
| Error | `All offers must be in draft status to revert to inquiry` | Continue with [Offers](doc:offers) and return the offers to draft status. |
| Error | `An account with this name already exists` | Continue with [Accounts](doc:accounts). |
| Error | `A project with this name already exists` | Continue with [Projects](doc:projects). |
| Error | `Please save opened inquiry first` | Save the opened inquiry before returning to the previous stage. |
| Error | `All inquiries must be in draft stage to revert to potential` | Continue with [Potentials](doc:potentials) and return the inquiries to draft stage. |
| Error | `Please enter action for each milstone` | Complete the required action for each milestone. |
| Error | `Please save opened cost sheet first` | Continue with [Job profitability record](doc:job-profitability-record). |
| Success | `Your request was completed successfully` | Continue with the related activity. |
| Error | `Error: Vendor not saved yet` | Save the vendor before continuing. |
| Error | `Error: Client not saved yet` | Save the client before continuing. |
| Validation | `This Field Is Required` | Complete the required field before saving. |
| Error | `Forbidden characters detected. Please remove them and try again.` | Remove the forbidden characters and try again. |
| Error | `You already have a contact with this name` | Continue with [Contact record](doc:contact-record). |
| Error | `Booked quantity for this job is greater than the required BOM quantity` | Correct the booked quantity on the items surface. |
| Error | `You cannot edit or delete the product after the purchase package is created` | Continue with [Sales job items](doc:sales-job-items). |
| Error | `Cannot be deleted. Product is in purchasing` | Continue with [Purchase jobs procurement chain](doc:purchase-jobs-procurement-chain). |
| Error | `You cannot edit the product after the PO is created` | Continue with [Purchase job orders](doc:purchase-job-orders). |
| Error | `This product is already included in BOM` | Review the BOM before adding the product again. |
| Error | `The first variant cannot be deleted` | Continue with [Sales job variants](doc:sales-job-variants). |
| Error | `An error occurred while connecting to your CRM system.` | Continue with [Configuration integration CRMs](doc:configuration-integration-crms). |
| Validation | `Please select one product` | Select one product before continuing. |
| Validation | `Required Receiving After` | Complete the receiving-after field. |
| Validation | `Package must have at least one item` | Add at least one item to the package. |
| Validation | `You cannot save without adding at least one product` | Add a product before saving. |
| Error | `Action not allowed` | Check the action's role, branch, and record-state conditions. |
| Validation | `Please enter at least one email` | Enter at least one email address. |
| Validation | `Inquiry must have at least one item` | Add at least one inquiry item. |
| Validation | `Offer must have at least one item` | Add at least one offer item. |
| Validation | `Order must have at least one item` | Add at least one order item. |
| Error | `Items labeled as ‘Ready for Shipment’ or ‘Delivered’ cannot be deleted` | Continue with [From orders to delivered](doc:from-orders-to-delivered). |
| Validation | `Please select one or more items to create a RFQ.` | Select the items for the RFQ. |
| Validation | `Required Offer Type` | Complete the offer type. |
| Validation | `Required Bid Due Date` | Complete the bid due date. |
| Error | `Error loading accounts` | Continue with [Accounts](doc:accounts). |
| Error | `Serial you have entered already exist and belong to same manufacturer` | Review the serial and manufacturer. |
| Error | `There is error in serial you have entered` | Correct the serial and try again. |
| Validation | `Minimum: At least one serial` | Enter at least one serial. |
| Error | `LG has one or more extensions or deductions and cannot be reverted to the requested stage` | Continue with [L/G lifecycle](doc:l-g-lifecycle). |
| Validation | `Please choose a date after the current expiry date` | Choose a date after the current expiry date. |
| Error | `One topic and at least one note is required` | Add one topic and at least one note before completing the activity. |

The list above includes messages from shared sales-job surfaces and other stages. For ownership,
use these pages: [Sales job information and assessment](doc:sales-job-information-and-assessment),
[Sales job lifecycle](doc:sales-jobs-lifecycle), [Sales job items](doc:sales-job-items),
[Sales job contacts, guarantees and history](doc:sales-job-contacts-guarantees-and-history),
[Sales job activities and files](doc:sales-job-activities-and-files), and
[Sales job variants](doc:sales-job-variants).

## Continue after saving

The saved job remains the home for its discussion and related task list. Continue according to the
work you need to do next:

| Next need | Continue with |
|---|---|
| Review the sales-job record around the **Comments** and **Tasks** tabs | [Sales job record](doc:sales-job-record) |
| Work through the job lifecycle | [Sales jobs lifecycle](doc:sales-jobs-lifecycle) |
| Create or maintain the full task record | [Create a task](doc:create-task) |
| Work with activities and files | [Sales job activities and files](doc:sales-job-activities-and-files) |
| Find another saved sales job | [Find sales job work](doc:find-sales-job-work) |

**Result:** The saved sales job retains its written discussion and job-linked follow-up work, and
you know which registered page owns the next action.