How to Create a Project Template from a Project

Project templates are essential tools for Project Management Offices (PMOs) aiming to drive consistency, efficiency, and value across their portfolios. They provide a predefined structure, encompassing critical elements like risks, schedules, dependencies, and key actions, which ensures alignment with organisational standards and reduces the effort required to set up new projects. By using templates, teams can launch projects faster, mitigate common risks, and focus their efforts on strategic outcomes rather than administrative setup. Follow the steps below to create and refine project templates that empower your organisation to deliver excellence.

Step 1: Identify the Project

1. Choose the Project: Navigate to the project you wish to use as the basis for your template.

2. Ensure Completeness: Verify that the project contains all the key tasks, milestones, and structure you want in the template.

3. Download Files: Use the bulk edit functionality to export all associated project files, e.g., Schedule tasks, Actions & Decisions, Impacts, and Resource Allocations.
4. Prepare the Data: Clean the exported files by removing unique identifiers: ID, ShortID and GUID values. Remove the ProjectId, ProjectRef and AllocationId values from the Resource Allocation file. 

Step 2: Access Template Creation Settings

1. Navigate to Project Templates: From the Admin Console, select “Project Templates” in the Project Settings section.

   

   
   

2. Select Create Template: On the “Project Templates” page, click on the “Create Template” button to start the process of creating your new template.
   
   
   

3. Complete Template Details: Fill in the required fields:

   • Title: The name of the template.

   • Template Key: A unique reference key or identifier for the template.

   • Description: A brief explanation of the template's purpose and use.

   • Category: The category or grouping the template belongs to.

   • Methodology: The project methodology associated with the template, which will be automatically applied to projects created using this template.
     
     
     
     

4. Upload Template Files: Once the template has been saved, edit the template to upload the relevant files. In the dialog, select and upload the cleaned data files for each specific area—Schedule Tasks, Actions & Decisions, Impacts, and Resource Allocations. This ensures that all necessary components are properly linked and accessible within the template.

Step 3: Verify the Template

1. Test the Template: Create a new project using the template to ensure everything is as expected.

2. Adjust if Necessary: If any settings or details need refining, update the template accordingly.

Tips for Optimising Your Templates

• Keep Templates Focused: Avoid unnecessary details that might clutter the template.

• Update Regularly: Periodically review and update templates to reflect process changes.

• Use Naming Conventions: Establish a consistent naming system to make templates easy to locate.

• Template Usage: Provide a clear description on when and how to use specific templates for your team.

By following these steps, you can efficiently create and maintain project templates, streamlining your project management processes and improving team productivity.