Projects Overview

Keep track of projects, manage blockers, set milestones, and see what’s changed. Projects can be linked to your CRM records.

What are Projects?

Projects help you organize and track work that's linked to your clients, conversations, quotes, and invoices. They help you:

• See where projects stand at a glance
• Identify and handle blockers before they become problems
• Set milestones and know what's next
• Stay on top of changes and activity
• Connect your work to business results

Key Features

Project Management

• Status Tracking: See if a project is planning, active, on hold, completed, or cancelled
• Client Linking: Link projects to clients so everything's connected
• Conversation Linking: Connect projects to email threads and conversations
• Financial Tracking: Link projects to quotes and invoices

Blockers Management

Never let a project stall silently - track what's blocking progress:

• Blocker Types: Waiting on client input, waiting on approval, waiting on payment, external dependency
• Multiple Blockers: Projects can have several blockers at once
• Blocker History: See when blockers were added and resolved
• Auto-Detection: The system can automatically detect some blockers for you

Milestones & Next Steps

• Milestones: Set project milestones with due dates
• Next Milestone: See what's coming up next
• Next Step: Know the immediate next action
• Progress Tracking: See which milestones you've completed

Change Tracking

• "What Changed?" Views: See what's new since you last looked at a project
• Activity Log: Track all changes to projects
• Recent Changes: View recent updates at a glance
• Change Notifications: Get notified when important things change

Project Information

Basic Information

• Project Name: What you're calling this project
• Description: What the project is about
• Status: Where the project is right now
• Client: Which client this is for (if applicable)
• Start Date: When the project started
• End Date: When it should finish (optional)

Status Options

• Planning: Still figuring things out
• Active: Actively working on it
• On Hold: Temporarily paused
• Completed: Done
• Cancelled: Not happening anymore

Blockers

Adding Blockers

Track what's preventing progress:

1. Open a project
2. Go to the Blockers section
3. Click Add Blocker
4. Pick the blocker type:
   • Waiting on Client Input: Need something from the client
   • Waiting on Approval: Waiting for someone to approve something
   • Waiting on Payment: Need payment to move forward
   • External Dependency: Waiting on something outside your control
5. Add a description. Be specific.
6. Save it

Resolving Blockers

When a blocker is cleared:

1. Open the blocker
2. Click Resolve
3. Add a note about how it was resolved (optional but helpful)
4. The blocker is marked as resolved with a timestamp

Viewing Blockers

• Active Blockers: See what's blocking you right now
• Blocker History: See all blockers (including ones you've already solved)
• Blocker Details: See when it was added, by whom, and when it was resolved

Milestones & Next Steps

Creating Milestones

Set up project milestones to track progress:

1. Open a project
2. Go to the Milestones section
3. Click Add Milestone
4. Give it a name
5. Set a due date (optional but recommended)
6. Add a description if you want
7. Save it

Setting Next Milestone

The system can automatically figure out the next milestone, or you can set it yourself:

1. Open your project
2. Go to Milestones
3. Click Set as Next on any milestone
4. That milestone becomes the "next milestone" for the project

Next Step

Set the immediate next action:

1. Open your project
2. Go to the Overview section
3. Update the Next Step field
4. Save it

Next Step vs Next Milestone:

• Next Step: The immediate action item (like "Send design mockup to client")
• Next Milestone: A major project milestone (like "Design Phase Complete")

"What Changed?" Views

Seeing What's New

See what's changed since you last looked at a project:

1. Open a project
2. Go to the Recent Changes section
3. See everything that's changed since your last visit:
   • Status changes
   • New blockers added or resolved
   • Milestones completed
   • Next step updates
   • Other project changes

How Change Tracking Works

The system tracks:

• When you last viewed: The last time you looked at this project
• What changed: Everything that's been modified since then
• Who changed it: Which team member made each change
• What type of change: Status, blocker, milestone, etc.

Why This Helps

• Quick updates: See what's new without reading everything
• Stay in the loop: Know what happened while you were away
• Prioritize work: Focus on projects with recent changes
• Team awareness: Understand what your teammates have been doing

Linking Projects

Linking to Clients

Link projects to clients:

1. Open a project
2. Pick a client from the Client dropdown
3. Save it

Why this helps:

• See all projects for a client in one place
• Access client information right from the project
• Track a client's project history

Linking to Conversations

Link projects to email threads:

1. Open a project
2. Go to Linked Conversations
3. Click Link Conversation
4. Pick the email thread
5. The conversation is now linked

Why this helps:

• See the full conversation context
• Track project-related communications
• Understand the project history

Linking to Quotes & Invoices

Link projects to financial records:

1. Open a project
2. Go to the Financial section
3. Link quotes and invoices
4. Track project financials all in one place

Tips & Best Practices

Staying Organized

1. Clear names: Use descriptive project names (you'll thank yourself later)
2. Keep status current: Update project status regularly
3. Link everything: Link clients, conversations, and financials
4. Update regularly: Keep project information up to date

Managing Blockers

1. Add them quickly: Add blockers as soon as you see them
2. Be specific: Include clear descriptions so everyone understands
3. Resolve promptly: Mark blockers as resolved when they're cleared
4. Review regularly: Check for blockers that need attention

Milestones

1. Set realistic dates: Use dates you can actually hit
2. Update next milestone: Keep the next milestone current
3. Complete milestones: Mark them as done when you finish them
4. Use next steps: Set clear next steps so you know what to do

Change Tracking

1. Check changes regularly: Review "What Changed?" often
2. Stay updated: Look at projects with recent changes
3. Act on changes: Respond to important changes quickly

Exporting Project Data

Export your project information:

1. Open the Projects page
2. Apply any filters you want
3. Click Export
4. Choose your format (CSV or JSON)
5. Download your data

What gets exported:

• Project details
• Status and dates
• Blockers (both active and resolved)
• Milestones
• Next steps
• Linked entities

Troubleshooting

Blockers Not Showing

• Make sure the blocker was saved
• Check that you have permission to view the project
• Try refreshing the page
• Make sure the blocker isn't filtered out

Milestones Not Updating

• Verify the milestone was saved
• Check the date format
• Make sure you have permission to edit
• Try refreshing the page

Changes Not Tracking

• Make sure you've viewed the project before (so it knows when you last looked)
• Check that changes were actually made
• Ensure change tracking is enabled
• Contact your admin if issues persist

Next Steps

• Inbox Management - Link projects to email threads
• Outcomes - Track project creation outcomes
• Clients - Link projects to clients