Communication & Activity
Communication and activity capture what happened, who said what, and when decisions were made.
They provide a shared history across projects, tasks, deliverables, and schedules—so context is never lost and work remains traceable over time.
What Is Communication?
Communication includes:
- Comments
- Notes
- Messages
- Logged meetings
- Logged phone calls
These items record human interaction, not system behavior.
What Is Activity?
Activity represents significant actions or changes within the system.
Examples include:
- Status changes
- Assignments
- Updates to key fields
- Milestone completions
- Schedule changes
Together, communication and activity create a clear timeline of what happened.
How Communication Fits Into the System
Communication is always contextual.
It attaches to:
- Projects
- Tasks
- Deliverables
- Scheduled work
- Records and entities
This ensures conversations stay connected to the work they relate to.
Why Context Matters
Instead of asking:
- “Where did we talk about this?”
- “Why was this changed?”
- “Who approved this?”
You can simply look at the activity and communication history tied to the item.
Context prevents confusion and reduces rework.
Comments and Notes
Comments are used for:
- Questions
- Clarifications
- Updates
- Decisions
- Internal discussion
They appear in a chronological timeline and remain searchable.
Comments are not temporary—they are part of the project record.
Meetings and Calls
Meetings and phone calls can be logged as structured entries.
These records help:
- Preserve outcomes
- Capture decisions
- Track commitments
- Provide accountability
They live alongside comments in the same activity stream.
Mentions and Visibility
Communication may include:
- Mentions of people or roles
- Visibility rules (internal vs shared)
This helps ensure the right people see the right information.
Activity History
Activity history shows:
- What changed
- When it changed
- Who made the change
This is especially useful for:
- Reviewing progress
- Understanding delays
- Auditing decisions
- Onboarding new team members
Communication vs. Tasks
Tasks drive action.
Communication explains why actions happened.
A task may be completed, but the discussion around it explains the reasoning.
Communication vs. Deliverables
Deliverables define outputs.
Communication defines expectations and approval context.
Together, they reduce ambiguity.
What Communication & Activity Do Not Do
Communication and activity:
- ❌ Do not replace formal documentation
- ❌ Do not assign work by themselves
- ❌ Do not define scope or schedule
- ❌ Do not override project ownership
They support clarity, not control.
Why Communication & Activity Matter
Clear communication history helps teams:
- Avoid repeating discussions
- Resolve disputes quickly
- Maintain continuity over long projects
- Provide transparency to stakeholders
- Protect institutional knowledge
It turns scattered conversations into an organized record.
The Big Picture
At this point, the system model is complete:
- Projects define what the work is
- Tasks define what needs to be done
- Deliverables define what is produced
- Scheduling & dispatch define when and by whom
- Resources define who performs the work
- Locations define where it happens
- Communication & activity define what happened and why
Everything works together through shared context.
What’s Next
With the conceptual model in place, you now have a foundation for:
- User onboarding
- Permissions and roles
- Automation rules
- Reporting
- Training materials
This model is the backbone of the platform.