NetClose - Tasks Tips and Troubleshooting

Overview

This article collects practical tips for working with NetClose Tasks, fixes for the issues we see most often, and a reference for the background scripts that run the Tasks module. If a task didn't generate, an email didn't send, or the board won't load, start here. 

Tips

Templates drive everything. Tasks are generated from task templates, not created one by one. Task templates are accessed by navigating to NetClose > Lists > Tasks > change your view to Close Task Templates Only. Editing a generated (period-specific) task changes only that task - to change every future task, edit the template. If turned on, a global setting allows you to push edits back to a template directly from the board or list; see NetClose - Update Task Templates from the Task Board/List.

Set Auto-Generation Day correctly for recurring tasks. On the task template, set the Auto-Generation Day and Auto-Generation Preferred Period to control which period the task lands in. To auto-populate these values on newly created tasks, set the values in system settings. See NetClose - Auto-Generate Tasks

Due dates follow your work calendar. If using relative due dates (rather than absolute), due dates are calculated against the assigned work calendar and your non-working days, so a date can shift off a weekend or holiday. If due dates don't land where you expect, check NetClose - Work Calendars and NetClose - Non-Working Days before changing the template.

To restrict view access on certain tasks, use authorized viewers. By default, every NetClose user can view every task. If a task should be seen only by certain people, set authorized viewers to limit visibility to those you designate. See Authorized Viewers for Tasks and Reconciliations.

Utilize dashboards to monitor close progress. Navigate to NetClose > Dashboard to select from one of the out-of-the-box dashboards: Close Progress, Close Trends, and My Work. Save any dashboard as a NetSuite shortcut for easy access.

Troubleshooting

IssueWhat to Check
Recurring tasks auto-generated for the wrong month, or not at all.

This issue applies when tasks are set to auto-generate. Check the task template by navigating to NetClose > Lists > Tasks > Edit View > add the following fields in the Results:

  • Auto-Generation Day. A negative number counts backward from the last day of the period; a positive number counts forward from the first day (-5 is five days before period end; 0 or -1 is the last day; 25 is the 25th). If it is blank, the template will not auto-generate.
  • Auto-Generation Preferred Period - set it to the period you want the task to land in.
  • Quarterly tasks default to the first month of the quarter (Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct). To land them in the quarter-end month (Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec), use a negative Auto-Generation Day with the appropriate preferred period.
  • See NetClose - Auto-Generate Tasks.

Tasks didn't generate when you ran Generate Tasks.

Check:

  • The module isn't locked under NetClose > Close Management > Lock NetClose Modules.
  • The task templates are active and in scope for the subsidiary and period you generated.
  • The Frequency filter on the Generate Tasks page. Frequency alone does not restrict a task to a period - by default the page auto-selects Quarterly only for March, June, September, and December, and Annual only for December. Generating with the frequency filter cleared can produce off-cycle tasks (for example, an annual task in February).
  • The generation job finished - check the status of NetClose | Task Generate | MR (see Viewing Script Errors below).

A specific task or template is missing from the Generate Tasks page.

Check:

  • Duplicate Task Reference Number. The page checks for duplicates before creating - if a task with the same Task Reference already generated for that period, the missing one won't appear. You can check task reference numbers by navigating to NetClose > Lists > Tasks > Edit View > Add Task Reference to the Results.
  • The Other filter. A template set to auto-generate (Auto-Generation Day populated) won't show under the Only Templates selection - switch the filter to Include Auto-Generated. Likewise, a task already generated won't show unless the filter includes Generated This Period.

The auto-generate script didn't run on the day you set.

Check:

  • You're on the latest NetClose SuiteApp version (SuiteApps > search NetClose > check installed version vs latest version) - timing defects affecting certain date formats and time zones were fixed in updates. Contact support to request a SuiteApp update.
  • The NetClose | Task Auto Generate | MR script has an active scheduled deployment.
  • Your account time zone versus NetSuite server time - a run set for early morning can fall on the previous server day.

A template change didn't reach existing tasks.

Template edits apply to tasks generated afterward, not to tasks already created. To apply it:

  • Update the existing tasks directly.
  • Or regenerate tasks for that period (overwrites the original task with a new one derived from the updated template).

You can't delete a task template.

A template that already has generated tasks can't be deleted, because those tasks are dependent records. Instead:


A task can't be edited or completed.

This is almost always a lock or a permission. Check:

  • The module isn't locked under NetClose > Close Management > Lock NetClose Modules.
  • The user is the task's preparer or reviewer, or an authorized viewer.
  • The user has the right NetClose permissions - see NetClose - Add Granular Permissions by Role.

You can't remove a preparer or reviewer.

This usually means the assigned employee is inactive. Check:

  • Reactivate the employee record or assign them a NetClose User Type on the employee record (see NetClose - Add NetClose Users), then remove them from the task.

Task notification emails aren't behaving.

Task emails are sent on a schedule by NetClose | Task Email Automation | MR. Check:

  • The global setting NetClose > System Setup > Enable Tasks Email Notifications on Trigger - turn it off to stop trigger emails.
  • That the script deployment is scheduled and active.
  • The relevant email trigger is enabled or disabled on the task template record. See NetClose > Lists > Tasks > select the task > Notifications subtab.
  • To trace a specific email, compare its timestamp against the email script's execution log and Setup > Company > Sent Email List.

See NetClose - Standard Task Email Notifications and NetClose - Custom Task Email Notifications.


A completed task reverted to a different status after an import.This happens when the status field is included in the CSV mapping. When importing updates, don't map the status field.

Viewing Script Errors

Everything the Tasks module automates - generating, deleting, emailing, and maintaining tasks - runs as NetSuite scripts. When something doesn't happen, the script log usually says why.

To view logs across all scripts:

  1. Go to Customization > Scripting > Script Execution Logs.
  2. Filter Type to Error (and Date to today) to see only failures.
  3. Read the Detail column for the message.

To check a specific job:

  • For the Map/Reduce jobs (anything ending in | MR), open Customization > Scripting > Map/Reduce Script Status to see whether the run is Pending, Processing, Complete, or Failed.
  • Or open the script directly at Customization > Scripting > Scripts, click the script, open its Deployments, and review the Execution Log subtab.

NetClose writes errors in the form script id | stage | error name: message (for example, customscript_nact_generate_tasks_mr | GET_INPUT | ...), so the log tells you which script and which phase failed.

Task Scripts

These are the scripts behind the Tasks module. You don't run them by hand - NetClose triggers them from the Tasks pages or on a schedule - but knowing what each one does helps when you're reading a log or asking support a question. Find any of them at Customization > Scripting > Scripts, searching by the name below.

Script (NetSuite name)TypeWhat it doesWhen it runs
NetClose | Task Generate | MRMap/ReduceCreates close tasks from your task templates for the selected period and subsidiaryWhen you click Generate on the Generate Tasks page
NetClose | Task Generate Dependents | MRMap/ReduceCreates tasks that depend on a predecessor taskAfter the predecessor completes, or when dependents are generated
NetClose | Task Auto Generate | MRMap/ReduceAuto-creates recurring tasks for new periods without a manual clickOn its scheduled deployment
NetClose | Task Delete | MRMap/ReduceBulk-deletes the tasks you selectedWhen you delete tasks in bulk
NetClose | Task Email Automation | MRMap/ReduceSends task notification emails (assignment, due, overdue, and your custom triggers)On its scheduled deployment
NetClose | Task App | SLSuiteletServes the Tasks List, Board, Approve, Completed, and Generate viewsWhenever you open a Tasks page

Note: Several user-event and client scripts also run automatically as you work in the module.

Frequently Asked Questions

QuestionAnswer
When do annual and quarterly tasks generate?By default, annual tasks generate for December and quarterly tasks generate for the first month of each quarter. To change which period a recurring task lands in, set the Auto-Generation Day and Auto-Generation Preferred Period on the template. When generating manually, select the period you want and keep the frequency filter applied. See NetClose - Auto-Generate Tasks.
If a task has steps, do all the steps have to be completed before the task can be submitted?No. Task steps are a checklist to guide the preparer - they do not all have to be marked complete for the task itself to be submitted or completed.
Will NetClose notify users of upcoming or overdue tasks and reconciliations?Yes. Based on your notification settings, NetClose emails users about upcoming and overdue tasks and reconciliations. See NetClose - Standard Task Email Notifications.
Can I require that comments on a task be resolved before it is marked complete?Not currently. Comments on a task are a communication thread rather than items that must be cleared, so a task can be completed while comments remain open. Tasks that have comments are flagged with a comment icon on the task list so users know to check the thread. Required comment resolution is planned for a future release.
Can I sort the task list by due date while it is grouped?Not currently. Sorting within a grouped task list isn't supported, and the sort order resets when the list is refreshed.

Still Need Help?

If these steps don't resolve the issue, or you're seeing an error that isn't covered here, contact Netgain support at support@netgain.tech. Where possible, include the script name, the error message and timestamp from the execution log, and the period and subsidiary involved.


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