New project request [in-depth guide]
Guide contents: Security settings | Define a new project request form | Additional request setup | Next steps
Before your users can use, fill out, and submit a project request form, you must first define the setup.
NOTE: There are no project requests set up by default.
These guides will show you how to create project request forms, how a user can interact & submit them, and how one can then create projects from approved requests.
Security settings
The ability to view, edit, and use the project request forms is controlled via Menu>Admin/manager>System setup>Account information>System options: Security settings.
System administration
>System administration section.
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Edit project request: This allows the user to create/edit/delete project request forms via Menu>Admin>System setup>Tracking>Project request forms.
Staff settings
>Project requests section.
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View project request: This allows the user to view project requests via Menu>Project>Project requests listing screen.
Add new request to the system: This allows the user to create new project requests.
Edit existing requests: This allows the user to make and save changes to existing project requests and linked spec sheets.
Delete existing requests: This allows the user to delete requests from the system. It doesn't matter if a project has been created from the request, or not.
Edit the approval process: This allows the user to click on 'actions: edit request' and change the approval/notification steps.
Client/vendor settings
>Client/Vendor login options>All options section.
NOTE: Clients are only able to add and view project request forms for their company. They are unable to edit the approval process.
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View project requests: This allows users to view project requests for their company.
Add new project requests: This allows users to create a new project request for their company.
Edit project requests from their company: This allows users to edit requests prior to approval.
Can delete requests from their company: Allows users to delete requests prior to approval
Define a new project request form
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From Menu > Admin > System setup > Tracking > Define project requests.
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Click on 'define project requests'.
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Click the 'new' button to add a new project request form.
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Add request
Define request
Name: Required. Enter a descriptive name for this project request form.
Description: Optional - Enter a descriptive paragraph about this project request form, and what it is used for. This is visible to clients/staff from the project request selection screen.
Request prefix: Required. Enter a prefix that will help you identify this project request form from other request forms. (no spaces or special characters allowed).
Next request number: Required. Enter the next number you would like assigned to a project request form.
Minimum days: Number of days required for meeting the project due date. The project due date will be adjusted if the requested date does not allow sufficient time.
Template: Optional - A template can be chosen here allowing for a quick project start once the project request is approved
Active: Checked by default- designates the request form as being active & available for use.
Email subjects (optional)
You are able to define the email subject for outbound notifications
Send for approval: Email is sent when a project request is sent for approval. Sent only to approvers.
Approval: Email is sent when a project request is approved. Sent to notify list & submitter.
Rejected: Email is sent when a project request is rejected. Sent to notify list & submitter.
Display options
Display project information: If checked, the request form will allow the requestor to enter client project number & project due date. These fields are mapped to the same fields in the project.
Require project name - If checked the system will require this information gets entered
Require project description - If checked the system will require that this information gets entered. Any text entered into this area will be placed in the project description area.
Display client project number - If Checked, the requestor can enter in their own specific client project number
Display campaign: If checked, the request form will allow the requestor to select a campaign (if one is available for this client). This field is mapped to the same field in the project.
Display client divisions/products: If checked, the request form will allow the requestor to select divisions & products that are associated with the client.
Require attachments: If checked, the request form will require the requestor to include attachments prior to submitting for approval.
Include deliverables: If checked, the request form will allow the requestor to setup a deliverable based upon deliverable type prior to submitting for approval
Approval options
Add requestor to project team: If checked, when the request form is converted to a project, the requestor will be added to the project team.
Send confirmation email to requestor: If checked, Workamajig will send out an email to the requestor. The subject of the email will be what is entered in the text box. (i.e. Your project request has been submitted and is under review).
NOTE: When will a notification email be sent?
If the request is rejected or canceled, no email is sent. Otherwise, it will be sent based on the following:
I am the requester: Email is sent when...
- Submitted/resubmitted (when option above checked)
- Approved
- Rejected
- Canceled
I am the approver: Email is sent when ...
- my turn to review & approve
- canceled prior to my change to make a decision
- Resubmitted
I am set as notify: Email is sent when…
- Approved
Print spec on separate page: If checked, spec sheets associated with the request will be printed on separate page(s) from the request form info.
Use default name & email - If checked (recommended), the requestor's name will automatically drop in on the 'requested by' field. If left unchecked, the requestor can add someone else's name & email as their "requestor".
Available spec sheet list: If checked, the spec sheets available to be added to the request prior to submitting for approval will be restricted to the list defined on the request form.
Available deliverable type list: (visible only if 'include deliverables' is checked) If checked, the deliverable type available to be added to the request prior to submitting for approval will be restricted to the list defined on the request form.
Additional request setup
After making all of your selections on the Add request page, click SAVE which brings you to the next view:
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Edit: click the blue Pencil icon> this allows you to edit the fields & settings from the initial setup screen.
Setup custom fields section
This area is divided into 2 sections: Available fields & current layout.
Initially, this area will be empty, but as you create custom fields for project requests, they will show in 'available fields'. If a custom field is made inactive it will no longer show for future project requests. This section will only contain a list of all available pre-defined fields. To add custom fields to a project request, click & hold and drag over-under 'current layout' and place in the 'drop your fields here'. Add additional fields as needed, you can also click & hold to drag up or down to your desired order to appear in the user form.
NOTE: Separator text type custom fields can only be used once. So you must create multiple fields for this purpose if needed.
- To add custom fields click on 'available fields'. For more info on how the fields can be set up & used, refer to the Define custom fields [in-depth guide].
- To edit, delete or make inactive existing custom fields click directly on the custom field for options
- With custom fields set up, you can map the project request custom fields to new project custom fields so the data carries over. For more on this, refer to the Map to feature [in-depth guide].
Spec sheets
From the Specs sheets area, you are able to associate predefined specifications sheets with the project request form. From the project request, the spec sheet will be seen as a single page that needs to be filled in. Each spec sheet selected will create another "page" in the project request fill-out process.
To add existing specification sheets to the project request form, click the Spec sheets + icon.
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Specification sheet: Select a specifications sheet from the drop-down list.
Subject* - Required - The subject for the project request form will automatically default to the name of the specification sheet. You may change the subject if needed.
Description/instructions: Enter any additional description or instructions for the end user. This is visible when reviewing the project request form via the setup screens or if using the edit request form. It will not be visible to clients.
Click the Save button and the specification sheet will be added to the project request form. The system will clear the screen, and will be ready for you to add a new specification sheet.
NOTE: Spec sheet vs. request form custom field
Do I use the request form custom field or spec sheet to collect information? Where to set up these fields will be determined by who is the target audience for the information:
Request form: these fields are only visible on the project request form. So these should be limited to information required for management, AEs, & PMs.
Spec sheet: once a project request is approved, the spec sheet will be added to the project and viewable by the project team.
Access
Security group access section - This area allows you to define which security groups are allowed to select/complete the project request form via Project request >. If the requestor's security group is not selected, they will be unable to add/view/edit this specific project request form, even if the admin security group settings allow them to view project request forms.
This area is divided into 2 sections: 1) available security groups, and 2) selected security groups.
To add a security group click on the + and available security groups to add to the project request will be listed. Click on 'select all' or just on the specific security group that should have access to this project request which moves them onto the main page which now will be listed under the Access area.
Approval process
The approval process allows you to set up steps that the request form will follow. During the approval process, the system is designed to allow you to edit succeeding approval/notification steps. The current and past steps will remain locked. This allows you to specifically route the request form to a person(s) prior to the "current" approval step being completed. Notification step(s) will be sent after the prior step is completed.
NOTE: If no approvers are set up, then the request will be automatically approved upon submission. In this case, you can simply add people to the notify list to alert users that a request is ready to have a project created from it.
Select the 'approval process'. By default, the screen will be ready for you to add a new "step". Once saved, the steps will show visible below the Approval process section.
Step name: Required-enter the descriptive subject for the step (i.e. approval)
Instructions: Enter any instructions that should be given to the individual receiving this approval step. This is visible in the email subject line and also via the My items to approve screen. For the notifications step, this is visible as the email subject line.
Approvers:
This option is used to route the change request for approval. The blue dropdown list allows you to select specific staff, roles, project key people (requires further setup), and though not recommended, contacts.
NOTE: Key people allow you to select account manager, salesperson, billing manager, company owner, & project manager as defined on the client record.
Notify: This option is used to send an email with the contents of the project request form to the assigned individuals once approvers have approved/rejected the request. NOTE: Persons listed in the approve steps will be notified that they have a project request to review.
Once an approver is added the following fields will be available for setup
Send to everyone at once: Will send a request to everyone in the selected list at the same time
Send to people in order: When you enable routing, the system sends your project request to the selected people in the selected order. The system will send the request to the person at the top of the list first. When that person approves the request, the system will send a request to the next person on the list. If any one person rejects the request, the system will stop the approval process, and reject the overall request.
Everyone must review: If you do not choose 'send to people in order', the system will send a request to everyone in the selected list at the same time. If you require all to approve, the system will require a response from everyone in the selected list prior to moving the request to the next step. If this box is not checked, the system will use the first response it receives to either cancel the request step or approve it & move that request to the next step.
# of days to approve: When an approval process is updated, the system will try and determine due dates based on the number of days you give people to approve a particular step. When a request is sent to a person, the system will calculate the due date for approval based on the date it was sent to the person and the number of days that they have to approve the request.
Everyone must log in: when checked all approvers will need to log in to complete the processes. This prevents forwarded approval emails granting access to the request form.
Reminders
Do you want to send reminders?: If checked, the interval & number of days to start sending reminders will be available to select.
Click the Save button to save the approval process to the request form.
To edit or delete a step in the approval process click directly on the approval or notify box which will open the fields allowing you to edit your choices. To remove a step, click on 'more' which will allow you to delete the step.
Next steps
User submission of a project request [in-depth guide]