This how-to article will help users to create project templates using the TDNext. The user must have the Add Templates security role permission in addition to the Project Templates application and TDNext.
Overview
A project template is a sort of bare-bones or generic project that contains many of the basic features of a project so as to facilitate quickly creating similar projects.
By creating templates you can allow a project to be created and stood up faster than attempting to create one by hand.
We recommend limiting use of project templates to advanced users, since the user needs to understand how to use all project sections in the system to set it up well.
Creating a New Project Template
To create a new project template:
- Navigate to TDNext > Applications > Project Templates.
- Click the +New Project Template link in the toolbar.
- Enter a name for the template.
- If you believe any certain section of a template might not be useful or needed for this template, go ahead and un-select it at this point. This affects which sections are available to you when modifying the project template.
- Click the Save button.
The template will now appear in the Project Templates left navigation.
Building the Template Out
The following steps can be followed now that a template has been created to flesh it out to a point where if it were applied to a project, it would address many of the basic needs of the project’s various sections.
- Expand the new template in the left navigation.
- Click Briefcase in the left navigation, and add any default briefcase folders and files.
Review the Briefcase articles to determine what to include.
- Click Contacts in the left navigation. Add any default contacts and contact information.
Review the Project Manager Contact Information articles to determine what to include.
- Click Issues and add any default issues or issue categories.
Review the Tracking, Managing, and Resolving Issues articles to determine what to include.
- Click Links in the left navigation, and add any default web links, web link details, and web link categories.
Review the Links articles to determine what to include.
- Click Risks Register in the left navigation and add any default risks.
- Click Plans and create any standard plans and plan details
Review the Creating and Working With Project Plans and Card Walls section of the knowledge base for guidance on what to do here.
- Click the project plan name in the Plans list to add tasks and task details.
Now, whenever you create a project or project request, you can choose to apply a project template. All the default project information configured in the template will be filled into the newly created project.
Making a Project Template Available for Use by Others
By default, new templates are set as private, which prevents other users from seeing and using your template.
Making a project template global will allow any user within your organization to apply this project template when creating new projects. This does not give other users the ability to edit or modify this template. Only you can edit or modify your project templates.
To make a project template global:
- In TDNext, navigate to Applications > Project Templates.
- Click the template name from the template list in the main page or click the template link in the left navigation.
- Click the Mark Global button.
Inversely, if a template is global and you want to make it private, click the Mark Private button.
Editing A Project Template
Editing a project template will not have any impact on projects that were created using the template. The changes will only effect newly created projects.
To edit a project template, follow the same steps as outlined in the Building a Template Out section above.
Deleting A Project Template
If the template owner decides they no longer need a project template, they can delete it even if it has been used on past or active projects. Deleting a template does not remove the file structures, files, issues, plans, contacts, or links of projects the template was applied to. It only removes the template from the list of templates available to apply to new projects.
To delete a template:
- In TDNext, navigate to Applications > Project Templates.
- Select the template name from the list in the main page or click the template link in the left navigation.
- Click the Delete button.
Viewing Your Project Templates
The Project Templates application does not allow you to view project templates created by others, even if they are globally shared. The list of globally shared project templates can only be viewed when using the template lookup field when creating a project, staffing a project request, applying a template to an existing project, or administrators from the TDAdmin interface under Projects > Project Templates.
You can view project templates you created in TDNext > Applications > Project Templates, as described above.
Changing Template Owners
To change project template owners for your company:
- In TDAdmin, navigate to Projects > Project Templates.
- Select the template name from the list in the main page or click the template link in the left navigation.
- Click the Change Owner button.