Projects Management Guide

Understanding the Projects Dashboard

The Projects Dashboard gives you a bird's-eye view of all project activities and performance metrics.

How to Access:

1. Click on the Projects module icon
2. View the Dashboard (default page)
3. See overview statistics and quick access links

Dashboard Sections Available:

• • All Projects - Complete project list
• • Create Project - Start new projects
• • Time Entries - Log billable hours
• • Weekly Timesheet - Track weekly time
• • Task Board - Kanban-style task management
• • Milestones - Track project phases
• • Status Filters - Active, Completed, On Hold

Viewing and Managing All Projects

Access a comprehensive list of all projects across your organization.

Steps to View Projects:

1. Navigate to Projects → All Projects
2. View complete project list with key information
3. Use search to find specific projects
4. Filter by status, customer, or date
5. Sort by name, start date, or budget
6. Click on any project to view detailed information

Project Information Displayed:

• • Project Name and ID
• • Customer/Client Name
• • Project Status (Active, Completed, On Hold)
• • Start Date and Expected End Date
• • Project Budget
• • Total Time Logged
• • Completion Percentage
• • Project Manager

Creating a New Project

Set up projects with complete details including budget, timeline, team members, and deliverables.

Steps to Create a Project:

1. Go to Projects → Create Project
2. Or use Overview → Create Project
3. Fill in basic information:
   • Project Name (descriptive and unique)
   • Project Code/ID (optional, auto-generated)
   • Select Customer/Client
   • Project Type (Fixed Price, Time & Materials, Internal)
4. Set timeline:
   • Start Date
   • Expected End Date
   • Actual End Date (fill when completed)
5. Define budget and billing:
   • Total Budget Amount
   • Billing Method (Hourly, Fixed, Milestone-based)
   • Hourly Rate (if applicable)
   • Currency
6. Assign team:
   • Project Manager
   • Team Members (add multiple)
   • Define roles and responsibilities
7. Add project description and objectives
8. Upload project documents (contracts, SOW, etc.)
9. Set project status (Active by default)
10. Click Save to create the project

Tracking Time and Billable Hours

Log time spent on projects for accurate billing and resource management.

Creating a Time Entry:

1. Navigate to Projects → Time Entries
2. Click + New Time Entry
3. Select project from dropdown
4. Choose task/activity (if applicable)
5. Select date of work
6. Enter time:
   • Start Time and End Time, OR
   • Total Hours (e.g., 2.5 hours)
7. Mark as Billable or Non-billable
8. Add work description/notes
9. Click Submit

Viewing Time Entries:

• • View all time entries by date or project
• • Filter by team member, billable status
• • Edit or delete entries (if permissions allow)
• • Export time reports for invoicing
• • Analyze time spent vs. estimated

Managing Weekly Timesheets

Track time across the entire week in a calendar view for easier entry and review.

Using Weekly Timesheet:

1. Go to Projects → Weekly Timesheet
2. Select the week (current week shown by default)
3. View calendar grid (Monday to Sunday)
4. Click on any day to add time entries
5. See total hours per day
6. View weekly summary (total hours, billable vs. non-billable)
7. Submit timesheet for approval (if workflow enabled)

Timesheet Features:

• • Copy entries from previous week
• • Bulk edit multiple entries
• • Timesheet approval workflow
• • Export weekly reports
• • Visual indicators for submitted/approved status

Managing Tasks with Kanban Board

Visualize and manage project tasks using a Kanban-style board with drag-and-drop functionality.

Accessing Task Board:

1. Navigate to Projects → Task Board
2. Select project from dropdown
3. View tasks organized by status columns

Default Task Columns:

• • To Do: Tasks not yet started
• • In Progress: Tasks currently being worked on
• • Review: Tasks pending review/approval
• • Done: Completed tasks

Creating Tasks:

1. Click + Add Task in any column
2. Enter task title
3. Add detailed description
4. Assign to team member
5. Set due date
6. Add priority level (High, Medium, Low)
7. Estimate hours required
8. Add labels/tags
9. Click Create

Managing Tasks:

• • Drag and drop tasks between columns
• • Click task card to view/edit details
• • Add comments and updates
• • Attach files and documents
• • Link related tasks
• • Track time spent on each task
• • Set task dependencies

Tracking Project Milestones

Define and monitor key project phases and deliverables.

Creating Milestones:

1. Go to Projects → Milestones
2. Select project
3. Click + Add Milestone
4. Enter milestone name (e.g., "Phase 1 Completion")
5. Add description and deliverables
6. Set target date
7. Assign milestone value/budget (if applicable)
8. Link related tasks
9. Click Save

Managing Milestones:

• • Mark milestones as achieved when completed
• • Update completion dates
• • Track milestone-based billing
• • Generate milestone reports for stakeholders
• • Monitor overdue milestones

Managing Project Status

Track projects based on their current status for better portfolio management.

A. Active Projects

Projects currently in progress.

• • Navigate to Projects → Status → Active Projects
• • Monitor ongoing work
• • Track resource allocation
• • Review progress and deadlines

B. Completed Projects

Successfully finished projects.

• • Access via Projects → Status → Completed
• • Review final deliverables
• • Analyze actual vs. budget
• • Archive project documents
• • Use for reference and learning

C. On Hold Projects

Projects temporarily paused.

• • View via Projects → Status → On Hold
• • Monitor pending approvals or client decisions
• • Track hold reasons and expected resume dates
• • Reactivate when ready to resume

Changing Project Status:

1. Open project details
2. Click Change Status
3. Select new status (Active, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled)
4. Add reason/notes
5. Set completion date (if closing project)
6. Click Update

Project Analytics and Reporting

A. Project P&L (Profit & Loss)

Analyze project profitability by comparing revenue against costs.

1. Go to Projects → Reports → Project P&L
2. Select project or view portfolio P&L
3. Choose date range
4. View breakdown:
   • Total Revenue (billable hours, milestones)
   • Direct Costs (team salaries, resources)
   • Indirect Costs (overhead allocation)
   • Net Profit/Loss
   • Profit Margin %
5. Export to Excel for further analysis

B. Budget Analysis

Compare budgeted amounts with actual spending.

1. Access Projects → Reports → Budget Analysis
2. Select project
3. View comparison:
   • Budgeted Amount
   • Actual Spent
   • Variance (Over/Under Budget)
   • Variance %
   • Forecast to Complete
4. Identify cost overruns early
5. Take corrective actions

C. Income by Project

Track revenue generated by each project.

• • Navigate to Projects → Reports → Income by Project
• • View invoiced amounts per project
• • Track payment received
• • Identify top revenue-generating projects
• • Compare projected vs. actual income

D. Expense by Project

Monitor all project-related expenses.

• • Go to Projects → Reports → Expense by Project
• • View detailed expense breakdown
• • Categorize by expense type
• • Track team expenses and reimbursements
• • Monitor vendor and material costs

Using Quick Actions

Quick Actions provide shortcuts to common project management tasks.

Available Quick Actions:

• • New Project: Quickly create a new project
• • Project P&L: Jump to profitability analysis