Project Template use

[kellykaufmann]

Our process for creating new PRJ projects in SN is to start from a Demand, then have a PRJ created from the DMND and fields carried over from the DMND and the PRJ and DMND reference eachother. I was asked to look into the Project Template functionality. We are currently using the 'Copy Partial Project' functionality if we have a project schedule we want to use as a template. But to do this, we have to create a dummy PRJ just to have the schedule to copy to real projects, and this is messy having dummy PRJ's out there.

Should we just create a template for each template project schedules we want, then use the 'copy partial project' functionality from that template, so we don't have these dummy PRJ's?

Is it technically feasible to apply a template to an existing PRJ just to have the project tasks copy into that project?

Thank you

- Kelly

[kellykaufmann]

Oh my apologies Anna - yes I'm referring to project task list when I say 'schedule'. I should have been more clear.

I'm playing right now with the templates, and it isn't carrying over the project tasks when I apply a template to an existing or new project. Is there a setting I need to enable to get project tasks to carry over to the project a template is applied for?

[anna_scheib]

I don't believe there is a setting so I'm wondering how you are going about applying the template. Do you see a "To create project from a template click here" text at the top of an empty project?

Also, you can go to Project > Templates, open your template, and create a test project from it.

Maybe we can look at a screen shot if these suggestions don't help.

[kellykaufmann]

Hi Anna

I created a template from a new project with tasks (none yet started). Then in the project header I went to   Template > Save as Template. Then I went to create a new project, went to the header of the project form and selected Templates > Apply Template > and selected the template to apply. I saved the project, and the tasks aren't there.

I also created a template from an existing project with tasks (some tasks in-flight, some not yet started etc - does this matter?) and applied it to a project and the tasks didn't carry over.

Also...How do I apply a template to a project from within the template? When I go into a template (BTW when I go to Project > Projects > Templates, only the sample templates appear there, not the ones I created. I can see the ones I created when I go to a project header and go to Templates > Edit Templates.), my options are to Update or Delete. Right-clicking on the header allows me to Save, Insert (not sure what this does), Insert and Stay (not sure what this does), Show Latest Update, then again has the Templates option, Export, View, Copy URL, History, and Reload Form. Thoughts?

[anna_scheib]

Hi Kelly. I think I'm seeing part of the issue. Saving the project as a Template is done by selecting the Save as New Template link in the Related Links. The options under Project > Templates refer to the base platform template functionality and not specifically the Project Templates.

Once you save a project in this fashion, you should see the new Template listed in the Templates list under the Project application (same place you are seeing the Sample Templates now).

As far as applying, once you open the template, you will see a Copy and Create Project options under the Related links.

Also, a project with no child tasks will have a "To create project from a template click here" text in the header, so you can click "here" and begin applying the new Template. Let me know if this helps.

[kellykaufmann]

Thank you Anna. We had hid references to project templates since we hadn't experimented with it yet, trained people on it yet, etc. So it seems we have to unhide those references in Dev so I can actually use it   I just asked our Admin to unhide all that, I really appreciate your help!