RAG status is the key metric for evaluating the status of an item in WeTrack. In the planning module, RAG status is updated on each task, either manually or automatically based on preset rules. The RAG status of all other items (projects, task groups, and departments) is calculated based on the RAG status of underlying tasks. This calculation happens dynamically and automatically. RAG status for items other than tasks and sub-tasks cannot be controlled manually.
If a task has sub-tasks, its RAG status is calculated from the sub-task RAG rather than updated manually.
RAG Status Calculation
The RAG status of projects, task groups, departments, and tasks with sub-tasks is calculated based on the values of the underlying tasks. The status of these higher level items is not dependent on filtering, so all tasks are considered even when a filter may restrict the view of some items. Each task is assigned a numerical value based on its RAG:
- Grey: 0
- Red: 1
- Amber: 2
- Green: 3
- Blue: 4
When calculating the RAG status for a higher level item such as a project, the following calculations are then made and rules applied:
- Grey tasks are always ignored from the calculation, with two exceptions:
- When ALL tasks are Grey, overall RAG is Grey.
- When ONLY Grey and Blue tasks exist, the overall RAG is GREEN.
- The value of each remaining underlying task is totaled, based on the scoring listed above.
- This total is then divided by the total number of tasks with Red, Amber, Green or Blue status.
- The resulting figure then uses the scale below to display the overall RAG status for the higher level item:
- 1 - 1.99: Red
- 2 - 2.99: Amber
- 3 - 3.99: Green
- 4: Blue
Task and Sub-Task RAG Interaction
Task RAGs are static and only change subject to automatic RAG rule updates or manual user updates, unless the task has sub-tasks. When a task has sub-tasks, the following rules apply:
- Task RAG is an overall RAG of all its sub-task RAGs, using the RAG calculation above.
- Automatic RAG updates are not applied to the task, only to the sub-tasks.
- When calculating the task RAG from its sub-tasks, blue RAGs are ignored unless all there are only Grey and Blue sub-tasks.
If the task RAG status is updated, the same status will be applied to its sub-tasks; sub-tasks already marked complete will not change.