Getting Started with Portfolio Planning Request Forms

This getting started article will help users and Administrators to create project request forms using either TDAdmin or the Client Portal. The user must have TDAdmin access, at least as a Client Portal Administrator, or have permission in a Client Portal security role to view the service catalog and create services.

Overview

Project request forms allow organizations to structure the intake of new project proposals and gather the relevant data needed before such a proposal can be properly evaluated.

Forms are created to gather information on things like:

• A problem a customer is trying to solve.
• An outcome a customer wants to achieve.
• The perceived priority of a request.
• Desired start and end dates.
• Funding and budgets.
• Whether they already have something started or they are starting from scratch.
• Requirements.
• Specific resources the customer would like to work on a request.

Where to Find This

This feature appears in the Client Portal and Work Management interfaces.

The Client Portal is where a typical user can submit new project requests for consideration, and Work Management is where more advanced users can use the built-in project request form to submit their project requests.

Navigate to a request form following these paths:

• Client Portal > Services > choose a project request service > select the button to request the service
• Work Management > View Applications > Portfolio Planning application > +New > Project Request

Where to Start

When building request forms, as a best practice, define the information you want to gather up front and decide which fields are required and which are optional.    

A list of all request forms can be viewed in TDAdmin by navigating to Portfolio Planning > Request Forms.

Custom forms are only used in the Services catalog. For reviewers in the Portfolio Planning application, the full General tab will be used for request creation.

Any custom attributes created for custom forms will show up when reviewing the request in the Portfolio Planning application. More information on how to create custom project attributes can be found here.

Creating Custom Request Forms for Project Requests

To create a custom request form for project requests:

1. Open the Project app admin interface:
   1. Project Application Admins: In Work Management, click View Applications, select the Project application, click the gear icon in the top-right corner, then select Admin from the menu
   2. Global Admins: In TDAdmin, go to Applications, then select the Project application
2. Click Project Request Forms in the left navigation
3. In TDAdmin, navigate to Portfolio Planning > Request Forms. 
4. Click the +New button.
5. Provide a form Name.
6. New forms are Active by default. Uncheck this box to make the form inactive.
7. Enable the 'Initially expand all' help option to automatically expand available help text on the form.
8. Select an existing form to copy as a starting point if desired.
9. Add, remove, and arrange the fields on your form. See the sections below for details on configuring the form fields.
10. When finished, click Save.

Applying a Request Form to a Service

Once a form has been created, it can be applied to a service.

To apply a form to a service:

1. Go to Client Portal > Services, select a service or create a new one.
2. Click Edit Service, and navigate to the Form tab.
3. Click the Remove Form button if the service already has a form you want to replace.
4. Select an option to create a form or use an existing one:
   • Create a New Form - Make a purpose-built, service-specific form. (Service-specific forms cannot be used for other services.)
   • Use an existing Shared Form - Select an existing form from the list of shared forms
   • Create a new form using an existing Shared Form - Copy an existing form from the list of shared forms. This new form will be considered service-specific and not reusable by other services. 
5. If you chose the second or third option, choose an Existing Form.
6. Click Save.

At this point, the form is applied, and you can further modify it by choosing the Open Form Builder button. 

Adding Static Content to Forms

The form builder view allows you to add static content to forms. You can add headings, instructional text, and other formatted content.

The static content element types are:

• Headings 1-6 – These will add a heading to the Form, which will automatically use the heading styles used throughout the rest of TeamDynamix. Heading 1 is the largest and Heading 6 is the smallest.
• Text Block – This will add a text-only content block, with no formatting.
• HTML Block – This will add HTML content. You can edit the content using the HTML editor. You can also click the Source button to edit the HTML directly.
• Horizontal Rule – This will add a horizontal line to divide sections of the form.

To add static content to your forms:

1. Navigate to either:
   1. The Project app admin interface:
      • Project Application Admins: In Work Management > View Applications > Project application, > gear icon > Admin > Project Request Forms > [select a form]
      • Global Admins: In TDAdmin, go to Applications, then select the Project application > [select a form]
   2. Client Portal > Services > [select a project request service] > Edit Service > Form tab > Open Form Builder button.
2. Drag the Add Static Content option from the right column onto the desired spot on the form.
3. In the Add Static Field popup, choose the Element Type.
4. In the content field, enter the text you would like to display.
5. Click the Save button.
6. Adjust the content’s placement on the form by drag-and-drop.
7. When finished, click Save.

Adding or Modifying Fields on a Project Request Form

To edit fields on a request form:

1. Open the Project app admin interface:
   • Project Application Admins: In Work Management > View Applications > Project application, > gear icon > Admin > Project Request Forms > [select a form]
   • Global Admins: In TDAdmin, go to Applications, then select the Project application > [select a form]
2. Add fields to the form by dragging them from the right column.
3. Drag and drop the fields  to adjust their order
4. Click Edit to modify the  Custom Field Name, Placeholder Text, and Custom Help Text.
5. Select Hidden, Read-Only, Editable, or Editable and Required option to tailor how the fields work on the form.
6. Each field can have a default value by entering or selecting a value below the field name.
7. To remove a field from the form, click the Remove button.
8. When you are done making changes, click the Save button.
9. Click the Preview tab to see what the current form configuration will look like in the Client Portal or Work Management.