Working With Projects

The following articles below will walk you through how to take certain actions on a project. We will guide you through the steps of creating, personalizing, changing/ updating, finding and more.

Note: To better your efforts you may copy the following topic header below, press CTRL + F on your keyboard and paste the title, this will send you directly to the needed article.

The topics covered in this article are:

• How to Create a Project
• How to Personalize the Project Home Page
• How to Assign a Project Category
• How to Designate a Hot Project
• How to Update a Project Overview
• How to Change a Project's Status
• How to Activate or Inactivate a Project
• How to Attach to, or Remove from, a Project
• How to Find a Project
• How to Copy a Project
• How to Transfer a Project
• How to Create, Edit, or Delete a Project Category
• How to Create Custom Project Overview Fields
• How to Create a Project Status
• How to Edit or Delete a Project Status
• How to View the Project Milestones
• How to Invite Suppliers to a Project

How to Create a Project

Projects are containers for specifications, estimates, and orders. You need to create a project before you can create specifications.

To create a project:

1. Click Create a Project on the right side of the top navigation bar.

2. Enter a Project name and other project overview information.

3. Choose a destination:

1. Project Home
2. Create Spec
3. Invite Member
4. Click Create Project.

How to Personalize the Project Home Page

You can specify what information is displayed on the Project Home page.

To specify the information displayed on the Project Home page:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Click the Personalize this page link in the top right hand corner of the page.
3. To display hidden information, or hide displayed information, drag the required item into the correct column.
4. You can also move the items up and down in the list to determine where they appear on the page.
5. When you are happy with your selection, click OK. 

How to Assign a Project Category

You can create project categories to help you better organize your projects. Project categories are only visible to you; the projects remain visible to the entire project team. Before you assign a project to a category, you need to create the project category. Once created, you may assign projects.

To assign a project to a category:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Update...  from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Choose a Project category, then click Save.

How to Change the Display Order of Project Categories

To change the display order of project categories:

1. Navigate to the Project Categories page.
2. Use the arrows to move categories up and down in the list. 

How to Designate a Hot Project

You can designate a project as a Hot Project. A Hot Project is easier to find and has a Hot Project indicator available for others on the Project Team.

To designate a Hot Project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Update...  from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Click Hot Project, then click Save.

How to Update a Project Overview

The project overview contains information that describes the project. Within the project overview, you can describe:

• Project name
• Project number
• Designate Hot Project
• Client account
• Project category
• Detailed description
• Comments
• Status
• Active/Inactivation status
• Specify Deactivation Reason

You can also add custom fields to the project overview. Refer to How to Create Custom Project Overview Fields.

To update a project overview:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Update...  from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Make any appropriate edits, then click Save. 

How to Change a Project's Status

Project statuses are unique to each workgroup. Project statuses are created by workgroup managers, and can be used by all workgroup members. You can use a project status to convey progress information about a project to all workgroup members on a project team. Status information is not shared to other workgroups on a project team. Buyer project statuses are not shared with suppliers; supplier project statuses are not shared with buyers.

Your workgroup manager(s) must first create project statuses before you can change a project's status.

To change a project's status:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Update...  from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Choose a Status, then click Save.

How to Activate or Inactivate a Project

When you inactivate a project, you prevent further updates and orders from taking place on the project. The names of inactive projects appear in red in the Projects List and on the individual project pages.

To make a project Active or Inactive:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Update...  from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Choose Active or Inactive next to Active/Inactive.
4. If selecting Inactive, choose a Deactivation Reason.
5. Click Save. 

How to Attach to, or Remove from, a Project

You can attach projects to other projects. When you attach a project the containing project becomes the "parent" project.

To attach a project to a project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page of the parent project.
2. Select Attach... from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Select a project or projects to attach, then click Attach Project.

To detach a project from a project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page of the parent project.
2. Click the  Detach Project icon next to the project you'd like to detach.
3. Click OK to confirm detaching the project. 

How to Find a Project

You may search for projects based on project name, project number, or client. You can also filter projects based on categories or activation status.

To find a project:

1. Select Workspace -> Projects from the top navigation menu.

 The Projects tab is displayed on the Workspace page.  You can use the Filters to search through the list of projects for a specific project.

How to Copy a Project

You can copy an existing project. When you do, you can choose to copy:

• Project Team
• Project Folders and Files
• Specs

To copy a project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page of the project you'd like to copy.
2. Select Copy... from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Select the text fields that you want autofilled and the ones you want left blank for editing.
4. If you are not the owner of the project you are copying, but want to be the owner of the copied project, DO NOT check the Project Team checkbox.
5. Check the Schedule checkbox if you want to copy the existing project schedule.
6. Check the Project Folder and Files checkbox if you want to copy exiting folders and files.
7. Check the Specs checkbox and select any specs you want to copy.
8. Click Continue.
9. Enter the relevant project details and click Continue.

The project is copied and you are returned to the Project Overview page for the copied project.

Note: If you choose to copy Project Folders and Files, team members from the original project are automatically included on the Project Team and will maintain their Folder and File privileges. Team Members must either be copied with the project or be members of the team template used for the Project Automatic Invitation to maintain their privileges.

If team members aren't included, all file privileges will go to the Project owner.

All shipment information is also copied when you copy a project. 

How to Transfer a Project

Project owners can transfer ownership of a project to another workgroup member, or to a Noosh member belonging to a separate workgroup.

When transferring a project:

• The project owner can choose to remain on the project team.
• Projects cannot be transferred to owners on separate workgroups once an RFE has been sent or Order has been placed.
• Projects within projects can be selectively transferred; transfer of the "master" project does not require all contained projects to be transferred.
• Projects within projects may lose their project hierarchy if the containing project is not transferred.
• Projects transferred to separate workgroups are transferred using the new workgroup's roles. If a project team is transferred and custom roles have been used, the transferring project owner will need to map team members' current roles to the new workgroup's roles.

To transfer a project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Select Transfer... from the Home drop-down menu.
3. Select the project(s) you'd like to transfer. You may select all projects enclosed within a project, or select the projects individually. If you do not select the parent project, the enclosed projects will lose their hierarchical relationship. The projects will be transferred, but they will become peer, or equal, projects.
4. Click the  Contact card icon, then select the person you'd like to transfer the project to. If you have previously transferred a project, the last person you transferred a project to will be selected by default.
5. Choose whether or not to Retain existing team members, then click Continue.
6. If you elected to retain existing team members, you'll be prompted to select new roles for yourself and other team members. Select team member roles, then click Transfer Project. If you have not elected to retain the existing team members, review the transfer and click Transfer Project.
7. If you've elected to remain on the project team, you'll be able to return to the Project Home page. 

How to Create, Edit, or Delete a Project Category

You can create project categories to help you better organize your projects. Project categories do not change the contents of the projects, but can help you filter and find projects more easily. Project categories are created for each individual and are not shared across project teams. Placing a project in a category will not change team members' access to the project.

To create a project category:

1. Click the Projects tab, then click the Categories sub-tab.
2. Click Add Category.
3. Enter a Name, then enter a Description. Click Add Category.

To edit a project category:

1. Click the Projects tab, then click the Categories sub-tab.
2. Click the  Edit icon next to the category you'd like to edit.
3. Enter a new name or description, then click Save.

To delete a project category:

1. Click the Projects tab, then click the Categories sub-tab.
2. Click the  Delete icon next to the category you'd like to delete.
3. Click OK to confirm the deletion. 

How to Create Custom Project Overview Fields

Noosh 5 provides pre-defined fields for your project overviews. You might want to track additional, standard information for each project. In that case, you can create custom project overview fields. You can also use these custom fields in custom reports to track projects by the attributes captured in your custom fields.

Both workgroup managers and workgroup members can create custom project overview fields.

To create custom project overview fields:

1. Click the Admin tab, then click the My Group sub-tab.
2. Click Form Fields in the Workgroup Options section.
3. Click Project Home.
4. Click Add Field.
5. Enter a Label for the field.
6. Select the Type of field you want it to be, and enter any field attributes.
7. Select Required if you want workgroup members to have to fill in the field for every project.
8. Click Add.

To change the order of custom project overview fields in the overview:

All custom project overview fields appear at the bottom of the overview. Use the arrows next to the fields in the Form Fields section to move them up or down in the overview. 

How to Create a Project Status

Workgroup managers can create statuses all workgroup members can use. Workgroup members can change the status of a project to communicate progress on a project with other workgroup members.

Managers create project statuses that work with their workgroup's workflow, and the statuses are shared with all members. Managers can also designate a single status as the default status for all new projects.

To create a project status:

1. Click the Admin tab, then click the My Group sub-tab.
2. Click the Project Status tab.
3. Click Add Status.
4. Enter a Status Name. You may also enter a description, then click Add Status. 

How to Edit or Delete a Project Status

Workgroup managers can add, edit, and delete project statuses to be shared by workgroup members.

To edit or delete a project status:

1. Click the Admin tab, then click the My Group sub-tab.
2. Click the Project Status tab.
3. Click the status name you'd like to delete or edit.
4. To delete the status, click Delete Status.
5. To edit the status, enter a new name and/or description, then click Update Status. 

How to View the Project Milestones

To view the project milestones:

1. Click the Projects tab.
2. Click the List sub-tab.
3. Click the Switch to Project Milestones link.
4. Enter the search criteria for the project you want to view in the search fields at the top of the page and click Run.
5. The search results are displayed according to the project milestones fields specified in the Admin section. For more information on specifying the project milestone fields, refer to How to Specify the Project Milestone Fields.

Note: The information displayed in the project milestones fields varies in color according to the status of that field.

The various colors have the following meaning:

Black (bold) - On time - Planned complete date is later than the column date. No actual complete date yet.

Red (bold) - Overdue - Planned complete date is earlier than the column date. No actual complete date yet.

Black (non-bold) - Actual complete date.

Red (non-bold) - Completed but completed later than the specified planned complete date.

Green (non-bold) - Actual complete date is earlier than displayed. 

How to Invite Suppliers to a Project

This version of Noosh 5 includes new functionality that allows you to invite suppliers to a project.

To invite suppliers to a project:

1. Navigate to the Project Home page.
2. Click on the project you want to add suppliers to.
3. Click the Teams options in the Project Menu.
4. Select Invite Supplier... from the Teams drop-down menu.
5. Click Add.
6. Choose a Supplier by clicking on the Contacts link, or typing a name in the field.

The supplier is added to the project team and you are returned to the My Team page. The suppliers you added are listed on this page.

When you add suppliers to a team, a supplier-project is created for EACH of the supplier-workgroups selected. If two or more members from the same workgroup are selected, they are added to the same project. Also, a Deactivate button appears beside each supplier. Click this button to unlink the team from the buyer-project. The Deactivate button is available only if there are no active procurement objects that tie the supplier project to the buyer project.