Projects

The Projects area provides comprehensive project lifecycle management from creation through completion. Projects serve as the central record linking SOW documents, team assignments, resource schedules, and status reports.

Creating Projects

Projects are created through a structured 5-tab form that captures all essential project information.

Project Creation Tabs

🖥️ 5-Tab Project Creation Form Screenshot

1. Details Tab

Core project information including:

• Name - Project identifier (auto-populated from SOW if linked)
• Client - Associated client organization
• Description - Project summary and objectives
• Status - Current project state (planning, active, on_hold, completed, cancelled)
• Key Dates:
  • Start Date - Project kickoff
  • End Date - Expected completion
  • Kickoff Call - Initial client meeting
  • Report Delivery - Final deliverable due date

2. Team Tab

Project team configuration:

• Project Manager - Lead responsible for project oversight
• Consultants - Team members assigned to perform work
• Skill Matching - System recommends consultants based on required skills
• Assignment Status - Track pending, confirmed, and declined assignments

3. Schedule Tab

Timeline visualization:

• Project Timeline - Visual chart showing project phases
• Milestones - Key dates and deliverables
• Resource Allocation - Consultant availability during project period

4. Components Tab

Service and component assignment:

• Service Selection - Add services from the service catalog
• Component Assignment - Assign specific components to consultants
• Auto-Assignment - Automatically assign components based on consultant skills
• Component Groups - Organize related components together

5. Reporting Tab

Status report configuration:

• Separate Reports - Configure individual report groups
• Report Groups - Define which components belong to each report
• Due Dates - Set individual report delivery dates
• Recipients - Configure report delivery contacts

SOW Management

Linking SOW Documents

Projects can be linked to SOW documents from the Sales module:

1. Create project from accepted SOW (auto-populates details)
2. Or link existing project to SOW document
3. SOW provides scope, pricing, and timeline baseline

SOW File Operations

🖥️ SOW File Operations Interface Screenshot

• Upload - Attach signed SOW document
• Replace - Update with revised SOW version
• Download - Access stored SOW file
• Generate PDF - Create PDF from SOW template

Project Status Tracking

Status Values

Status	Description	Actions Available
planning	Initial setup phase	Edit all details, assign team
active	Work in progress	Update progress, generate reports
on_hold	Temporarily paused	Resume, cancel, or complete
completed	All work finished	Archive, view history
cancelled	Project terminated	View history only

Status Transitions

planning → active → completed
    ↓         ↓
on_hold ←→ active
    ↓
cancelled

Team Assignment

🖥️ Team Assignment Interface with Skill Matching Screenshot

Consultant Selection Process

1. Define Requirements - Specify needed skills and certifications
2. View Matches - System scores available consultants
3. Request Assignment - Send assignment request to selected consultant
4. Await Response - Consultant accepts, declines, or proposes alternative
5. Confirm Assignment - Finalize team member allocation

Skill-Based Matching

The matching algorithm considers:

• Required skills vs. consultant skills
• Certification requirements
• Availability during project dates
• Current utilization level
• Historical performance on similar projects

Assignment Status Badges

Badge	Meaning
Proposed	Assignment suggested, not yet requested
Pending	Request sent, awaiting response
Confirmed	Consultant accepted assignment
Declined	Consultant declined, need alternative
Active	Currently working on project
Completed	Assignment work finished

Component Management

🖥️ Component Management with Auto-Assignment Screenshot

Adding Services

1. Navigate to Components tab
2. Click “Add Service”
3. Select from available services
4. Components from service are added to project

Component Assignment

Manual assignment:

1. Select component from list
2. Choose consultant from team
3. Set allocation percentage
4. Confirm assignment

Auto-assignment:

1. Click “Auto-Assign Components”
2. System matches components to consultants based on skills
3. Review suggested assignments
4. Confirm or adjust as needed

Component Groups

Organize components for reporting:

• Group related components together
• Assign groups to specific reports
• Track group completion status

Project Timeline

🖥️ Project Timeline Chart Screenshot

Timeline Chart

Visual representation showing:

• Project start and end dates
• Phase boundaries
• Milestone markers
• Assignment periods
• PTO conflicts

Milestone Tracking

Milestone Type	Description
Kickoff	Project initiation meeting
Checkpoint	Progress review points
Delivery	Deliverable due dates
Completion	Project closure

Project Data Structure

Projects maintain comprehensive records:

Project
├── Basic Info (name, client, description, status)
├── Dates (start, end, kickoff, delivery)
├── Team
│   ├── Project Manager
│   └── Consultants[]
├── Components
│   ├── Services[]
│   └── Assignments[]
├── Schedule
│   ├── Assignments[]
│   └── Requirements[]
├── Reports
│   ├── Report Groups[]
│   └── Status Reports[]
└── SOW Link
    ├── Scoping Session
    └── Documents[]

Best Practices

Project Setup

1. Link to SOW early for automatic detail population
2. Configure team before scheduling resources
3. Define all components before assignment
4. Set up reporting cadence during planning phase

Team Management

1. Use skill matching for optimal consultant selection
2. Verify availability before requesting assignments
3. Track assignment responses promptly
4. Have backup consultants identified

Component Organization

1. Group related components logically
2. Use auto-assignment as a starting point
3. Review assignments for skill alignment
4. Balance workload across team members

Timeline Management

1. Set realistic dates based on SOW estimates
2. Build in buffer for unexpected delays
3. Track milestones actively
4. Update status regularly