Tips For Building Project Templates - Workfront

Tips for buildingproject templatesCampaigns, product development, and company events are ideallyexecuted by following your organization’s standardized workflow.Simplify workflow compliance with Workfront project templates.MORE INFORMATIONTA RG ETE D LE A R N I N G G U I D Erev. December 19, 2019

Create a new project.Start your template by creating a new project in Workfront and building it from scratch.Or if there’s an existing project that worked well, copy that and use it as a base.Copy.Create.Your team just finished a project that was set up perfectly. Yourteam wants this to be the new standard template.You may need to create a templatefrom scratch for a new type of project,or if you don’t have an existing projectthat’s good enough to copy.Make a copy of the project (so you don’t mess up the originalproject’s data) and stash it in your template library. Clear anydata that you don’t want to be part of the template and makeother changes as needed. Then save the project as a template.[2]experience.workfront.comMake sure the project details are setas needed. And make sure the taskdetails are set to keep your timelineflowing smoothly.The New Projectoption createsa blank projectso you can buildfrom scratch.

Solidify the project details.Make sure everything in the project—from the task list to the project details—is in order. Making sure the detailsare accurate brings clarity and precision to project management and reporting.Project details checklist.Access the project details by selecting Editfrom the menu in the project header. Best practice is to schedule from the Start Date. Make sure the project owner, sponsor, group, and companyare correct. Select the portfolio and program that projects should beassigned to (if applicable). Choose a milestone path for the project (if applicable). Select a default schedule (if applicable). Select a resource pool (if applicable). When someone is assigned to a task from this project, givethem Contribute access to the project. Restrict access settings for viewers, contributors,and managers. Attach the appropriate project custom forms. If the projectwill be created by converting a request, make sure theproject version of the intake custom form is attached. This ispivotal for reporting.experience.workfront.com[3]

Build your steps.Use the checklist below to ensure you’re incorporating best practicesinto your templates as you add and edit tasks.Best practice is to establish start and due dateson a task with the duration and predecessors.Project timeline checklist.Build your template elements in this order:1. Start with listing your steps (adding tasks). Begin tasknames with a verb to make them action-oriented.2. Enter duration in days (e.g., 1 day) and avoidfractional durations.3. Add planned hours. Estimate the planned hours to thebest of your ability (and add a buffer).4. Establish predecessors to build out the project timeline.5. Assign tasks to job roles, if possible.Other tips Add a “project summary” task that is a parent task toall subsequent tasks in the project plan. This rolls-upinformation like total plan duration and planned hours. Assign the milestones and task approvals to theappropriate tasks. Parent tasks should not be assigned to users/roles. Attach custom forms and necessary documents to tasks. Set task constraints to “as soon as possible” if schedulingfrom a start date. Use “chain” to quickly set up predecessors.[4]experience.workfront.comCreate new tasks in-line byusing the Add More Taskslink. But you might needto edit the task details toensure all information isset correctly.When task names begin with averb—such as Edit copy or Reviewplans—everyone is clear on what needsto be done.

Create the template.Once project details are set and the project timeline is structured properly,it’s time to create your template.1. Save as a template2. Follow the promptsName the template and add custom forms.Clear unneeded information.Exclude unwanted tasks,then click Finish and Save Template.experience.workfront.com[5]

Build a template library.Save time when creating projects and ensure reporting consistency with templates.A well-stocked—but carefullycurated— template collection takestime to build.As you launch Workfront, don’trush to create a ton of templates.Be thoughtful and strategic. Buildwhat’s needed to get up andrunning. Then evaluate the needsand create additional templates.As part of your strategy, set upgovernance around templates.Decide who should be able tocreate and modify templates.Not everyone should have access.And don’t forget about templatemaintenance. Check in periodicallywith your project managers to learnwhat’s working and what isn’t.Make template updates as needed.[6]experience.workfront.comDifferent industries need differenttemplates. Here are some examplesof what Workfront customers areusing at their organizations.

project templates Campaigns, product development, and company events are ideally executed by following your organization’s standardized workflow. Simplify workflow compliance with Workfront project templates. TARGETED LEARNING GUIDE rev. December 19, 2019