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# Creating Projects

# Creating Projects

Set up new projects to organize work, track progress, and collaborate with your team.

## What are Projects?

Projects are containers for related work. Each project can have:
- **Tasks**: Individual work items
- **Task Lists**: Organize tasks into sections/phases
- **Team Members**: Assigned collaborators
- **Timeline**: Start and due dates
- **Budget**: Project budget and costs
- **Status**: Active, on hold, completed, cancelled

## Creating a Project

### Quick Create

1. Go to **Projects**
2. Click **"New Project"** button
3. Fill in project details
4. Save

### Required Fields

- **Name**: Project title
- **Status**: Project status (defaults to "Active")

### Optional Fields

**Basic Information:**
- **Description**: What the project involves
- **Client**: Link to CRM contact or company
- **Manager**: Project manager/owner
- **Start Date**: When project begins
- **Due Date**: Project deadline
- **Budget**: Project budget (hours or dollars)

**Visual:**
- **Color**: Project color (for visual organization)
- **Icon**: Project icon

**Settings:**
- **Progress Tracking**: Enable progress percentage
- **Time Tracking**: Enable time logging
- **Custom Fields**: Your custom project fields

## Project Setup Steps

### 1. Basic Information

Fill in:
- **Project Name**: Clear, descriptive name
- **Description**: Project overview and goals
- **Client**: Link to company/contact (if client project)
- **Manager**: Assign project owner

### 2. Timeline

Set dates:
- **Start Date**: When work begins
- **Due Date**: Project deadline
- **Milestones**: Key dates (if applicable)

### 3. Team Members

Add collaborators:
1. Find **"Team Members"** section
2. Click **"Add Team Member"**
3. Select user
4. Assign role (if applicable)
5. Save

**Team Roles:**
- **Manager**: Project owner
- **Member**: Team member
- **Viewer**: Read-only access

### 4. Task Lists

Organize work into sections:
1. Go to project detail view
2. Click **"Add Task List"** or **"New Section"**
3. Name the list (e.g., "Planning", "Development", "Testing")
4. Add tasks to list

**Common Task Lists:**
- Planning
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Support

### 5. Initial Tasks

Add first tasks:
1. Go to project
2. Click **"Add Task"**
3. Fill in task details
4. Assign to team member
5. Set due date
6. Save

## Project Statuses

### Active

Project is in progress:
- Work is ongoing
- Tasks being completed
- Team actively working
- Default status for new projects

### On Hold

Project temporarily paused:
- Work stopped temporarily
- Can resume later
- Tasks remain but not active
- Use when waiting on client/approval

### Completed

Project finished:
- All work done
- Tasks completed
- Project archived
- Can still view for reference

### Cancelled

Project cancelled:
- Work stopped permanently
- Tasks can be cancelled
- Project archived
- Use when project no longer needed

## Linking to CRM

### Link to Company

1. When creating project, select **"Company"**
2. Choose company from dropdown
3. Project linked to company
4. View all projects for company in CRM

### Link to Contact

1. Select **"Contact"** field
2. Choose contact
3. Project linked to contact
4. See projects in contact record

**Benefits:**
- See all projects for client in one place
- Track project history per client
- Create invoices from projects
- Link bookings to projects

## Project Templates

Save time with templates:

1. Create project with common structure
2. Add standard task lists
3. Add common tasks
4. Click **"Save as Template"**
5. Name template
6. Use for future projects

**Template Uses:**
- Standard project structure
- Common task lists
- Recurring project types
- Client-specific templates

## Duplicating Projects

Create similar projects quickly:

1. Open existing project
2. Click **"Duplicate"**
3. New project created with:
   - Same task lists
   - Same tasks (optional)
   - Same team members (optional)
4. Edit as needed
5. Save

**Use Cases:**
- Similar projects for different clients
- Recurring project types
- Project variations

## Viewing Projects

### Project List

View all projects:
- **Grid View**: Visual cards
- **List View**: Table format
- **Kanban View**: Status columns (if available)
- **Gantt View**: Timeline view (if available)

### Filters

Filter projects by:
- **Status**: Active, on hold, completed, cancelled
- **Client**: Filter by company/contact
- **Manager**: Filter by project manager
- **Date Range**: Filter by start/due date
- **Search**: Search by name, description

### Project Detail

Click project name to view:
- **Overview**: Project information and stats
- **Tasks**: All tasks organized by list
- **Team**: Team members
- **Timeline**: Project timeline
- **Files**: Attached files
- **Activities**: Project history

## Best Practices

1. **Clear Names**: Use descriptive project names
2. **Set Deadlines**: Always set due dates
3. **Link to Clients**: Link to CRM for tracking
4. **Organize Tasks**: Use task lists to organize work
5. **Assign Ownership**: Every project needs a manager
6. **Track Progress**: Update status regularly
7. **Use Templates**: Save time with templates
8. **Communicate**: Keep team informed

## Common Scenarios

### Client Project

**Setup:**
1. Create project
2. Link to client company
3. Add client contact
4. Set timeline
5. Add team members
6. Create task lists
7. Add initial tasks

### Internal Project

**Setup:**
1. Create project
2. No client link needed
3. Assign internal team
4. Set internal deadline
5. Organize work into phases
6. Track progress

### Recurring Project Type

**Setup:**
1. Create first project
2. Complete project
3. Save as template
4. Use template for next project
5. Adjust as needed

## Troubleshooting

**Can't create project?**
- Verify Projects module is active
- Check required fields filled
- Try refreshing page
- Check permissions

**Tasks not showing?**
- Verify task lists created
- Check tasks are in lists
- Verify filters not hiding tasks
- Refresh page

**Team members not appearing?**
- Verify users exist
- Check user has access to tenant
- Verify project permissions
- Try re-adding member

For more help, see [Common Issues](../troubleshooting/common-issues.md).

## Next Steps

- [Task Management](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/task-management-q9xyum/) - Create and organize tasks
- [Project Collaboration](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/project-collaboration-1gcyk75/) - Work with your team
- [CRM Overview](https://help.swellsystem.com/en/article/crm-overview-11ilr42/) - Link projects to clients