Flow: Start/Stop Job Task

The Start-Stop Job Task function in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central lets you start a time collector for any job in your database, not just the tasks already on your own list. You select the job, pick the job task, and start tracking time immediately.

If you leave the duration field empty, the function starts the time collector and keeps it running until you stop it. If you enter a value in the duration field, the function both starts and stops the registration at once and creates a fixed time period with a start and stop entry beneath it.

You can use Start-Stop Job Task as a replacement for the standard Register Time action. It produces the same kind of time registration but routes it through the time collector functionality, giving you actual start and stop events on the entry.

Job Task List Versus Time Collectors

It helps to understand the difference between the job task list and time collectors. The job task is the list of things you are going to do. Time collectors are the list of things you are actually doing right now and have up and running.

You might have several job tasks assigned to you while only a few time collectors are active. In the example here, there are three time collectors running, but many more job tasks available to choose from.

Starting Any Job With Start-Stop Job Task

When you use the Start-Stop Job Task function, you can select from all jobs in your database. This works whether or not the job is already on your own task list. It is a quick way to start a new time collector.

You select the job, then the job task, and start it. The next action shows as Start, which means the time collector is not yet running. When you click Yes, the job starts. Once it is running, you can see it in your time collectors. Update the window and you will see the elapsed time tick forward, for example ten seconds of work.

Using the Duration Field to Register a Fixed Period

If you enter a value in the duration field before starting, the function behaves differently. Instead of leaving the time collector running, it both starts and stops the registration in one step and creates a fixed period.

For example, if you select another job number, pick a task, and enter a duration of two hours, the function registers those two hours directly. When you look into your time collectors, you see both a start entry and a stop entry beneath it. You get an actual start and stop event on that registration.

Replacing the Register Time Action

Entering a duration this way works like pressing the normal Register Time action, except it goes through the time collector functionality and provides related entries underneath. Because of this, you might choose to remove the standard Register Time action altogether.

If you want your users to work with Start-Stop, they can still use the Start-Stop functionality for full hour registrations. This keeps a single, consistent way of registering time across both live tracking and fixed registrations.

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