Purpose

Before users can start working with the Project Management area, several configuration elements must be defined within the Control Center.

These configurations establish the project structure, delivery workflows, resource-allocation rules, timesheet process, user responsibilities and access rules required to manage projects consistently.

This guide provides the recommended implementation sequence for an organisation using Projects, Resource Manager and Timesheets only. It is intentionally focused on project delivery and should not enable unrelated Sales, Commercials, Billing or People Management operational processes.

Project Management Operational Lifecycle

Once the initial setup has been completed, the typical project delivery process follows this lifecycle:

System Configuration
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Create Project
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Add Project Team
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Create Allocations
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Create Work Items
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Record Timesheets
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Approve Timesheets
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Monitor Progress and Capacity

Every stage of this process depends on one or more configuration elements created beforehand.

Global Prerequisites

Before configuring the Project Management area, verify that the following global configuration already exists.

Configuration	Control Center Path	Why it is Required
Companies	System → Companies Setup	All Projects, users and operational records belong to a company.
People and Users	System → Users, Profiles and Access Rules	Creates the users who will manage projects, allocations and timesheets.
Roles and Access Rules	System → Users, Profiles and Access Rules	Restricts access to the Project Management area and defines each user’s responsibilities.
User Rates	People Management → User Rates	Required when planned or actual project effort needs to be valued.
Notifications (Optional)	General → Notifications	Enables relevant project, allocation and timesheet notifications.

Project Management Configuration Matrix

Order	Configuration	Control Center Path	Used By	Mandatory	Purpose
1	Project Types	Project Management → Project → Project Types	Projects	✅	Classifies the different types of projects managed by the organisation.
2	Project Processes	Project Management → Project → Project Processes	Projects	✅	Defines the project lifecycle, available features and delivery workflow.
3	Project Templates	Project Management → Project → Project Templates	Projects	Recommended	Creates reusable project structures for recurring delivery models.
4	Work Item Types	Project Management → Work Items → Work Item Types	Work Items	✅	Defines the types of work that can be planned and tracked within a Project.
5	Work Item Workflows	Project Management → Work Items → Workflows	Work Items	✅	Defines the available statuses and transitions for Work Items.
6	Project Roles and Permissions	System → Users, Profiles and Access Rules	Projects, Resource Manager, Timesheets	✅	Defines what Project Managers, Resource Managers, Team Members and Approvers can access and maintain.
7	Resource Availability	Resource Manager → Resource Availability	Allocations	Recommended	Supports capacity planning and prevents resource overbooking.
8	Allocation Rules	Resource Manager → Allocations	Allocations, Timesheets	✅	Defines how resources are assigned to Projects and how planned effort is managed.
9	Timesheet Settings	Timesheets → Settings	Timesheets	✅	Defines how users record, submit and manage time.
10	Timesheet Approval Rules	Timesheets → Approval Process	Timesheets	✅	Defines who reviews, approves or rejects submitted timesheets.
11	Project Dashboards and KPIs	Project Management → Project Process → Summary	Projects	Recommended	Defines the project indicators available to users.
12	Project Notifications (Optional)	General → Notifications	Projects, Allocations, Timesheets	Optional	Enables action-based reminders and alerts.

Configuration Explained

Project Types

Project Types classify the projects managed by the organisation.

Typical examples may include:

• Client Delivery Project
• Internal Project
• Implementation Project
• Managed Service Project

A Project Type should only be created when it represents a different delivery model, process, reporting requirement or permission model.

Used in

• Projects
• Project Templates
• Project Reporting

Project Processes

A Project Process is the configurable blueprint that defines how a Project is managed.

It establishes:

• Project lifecycle stages
• Available project statuses
• Features available within the Project
• Delivery views and dashboards
• Project-level rules and controls

Each Project Type should be associated with the appropriate Project Process.

For a Project Management Only setup, enable only the features required for delivery, such as Work Items, Resource Manager, Allocations, Timesheets, Risks, Stakeholders and Milestones where applicable.

Commercials, Billing Plans, Revenue Recognition and Budget Consumption should remain disabled unless they are explicitly included in the customer scope.

Used in

• Projects
• Work Items
• Project Dashboards
• Resource Manager
• Timesheets

Project Templates

Project Templates create reusable structures for recurring project types.

A template may include:

• Default Project Process
• Standard Project Team structure
• Work Item hierarchy
• Milestones
• Typical delivery phases
• Default roles and responsibilities

Templates reduce manual effort and help ensure that projects are created consistently.

Used in

• Projects
• Work Items
• Project Teams

Work Item Configuration

Work Items represent the activities, deliverables and planning elements required to complete a Project.

The configuration defines:

• Work Item Types
• Work Item statuses
• Workflow transitions
• Available planning views
• Responsibility rules

Typical Work Item Types include:

• Task
• Milestone
• Issue
• Backlog Item
• Sprint

Enable only the Work Item Types and views that support the organisation’s delivery model. For example, Backlogs and Sprints should only be enabled when the customer uses agile planning.

Used in

• Projects
• Work Items
• Timesheets
• Project Progress Reporting

Resource Manager Configuration

Resource Manager supports the planning and assignment of users to Projects.

It allows project and resource managers to:

• Review resource capacity
• Create and maintain allocations
• Identify overbooking risks
• Plan project effort over time
• Assign the correct resources to each Project

An Allocation should contain the Project, resource, planned period and planned effort.

When allocations are created manually, dates should remain blank or default to the current date according to the intended planning approach. Planned effort should be calculated once the allocation dates are defined.

Each allocation segment represents a separate planning record and should be maintained independently.

Used in

• Projects
• Allocations
• Capacity Planning
• Timesheets

Timesheet Configuration

Timesheets record the actual time worked by users.

Time should be recorded against the relevant Project and, when detailed tracking is required, against the corresponding Work Item.

When a user selects a Project, the available Work Items should be limited to those belonging to that Project.

Timesheet configuration defines:

• Time-entry rules
• Available Project and Work Item references
• Submission frequency
• Approval workflow
• Timesheet statuses
• Notifications and reminders

Users should record actual worked time. Manual time entries should not default to the current time. Planned effort from an Allocation may be used as a suggestion, but users must be able to adjust it before submitting the Timesheet.

Used in

• Timesheets
• Project Actual Effort
• Project Progress Reporting
• Resource Utilisation

Timesheet Approval Configuration

Timesheet approval rules define who is responsible for reviewing submitted time.

The approval process should specify:

• Who can submit Timesheets
• Who can approve or reject Timesheets
• Whether rejected entries can be corrected and resubmitted
• The expected submission cycle
• The notifications sent for missing submissions or pending approvals

Typical roles include:

• Team Member
• Project Manager
• Timesheet Approver
• Resource Manager

Used in

• Timesheets
• Project Effort Reporting
• Resource Utilisation Reporting

Project Summary and KPI Configuration

Project Summary settings control the information displayed to project users.

For a Project Management Only setup, the most relevant indicators are:

• Project Progress
• Planned versus Actual Effort
• Upcoming Deadlines
• Overdue Work Items
• Resource Capacity
• Allocation Status
• Pending Timesheet Approvals
• Open Risks

Only activate indicators that support a clear operational decision.

Used in

• Project Dashboards
• Project Management Reporting
• Project Governance

Operational Dependencies

After the configuration phase, users can begin working with operational records.

Step 1 – Create Projects

Project Managers create Projects using:

• Company
• Project Type
• Project Process
• Project Template, where applicable
• Project Manager
• Project Team

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Step 2 – Create Allocations

Resource Managers or Project Managers assign resources to Projects.

Each Allocation defines:

• Resource
• Project
• Planning period
• Planned effort

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Step 3 – Create Work Items

Project Managers structure the Project using Work Items.

Work Items use:

• Work Item Type
• Workflow and status
• Responsible user
• Planned dates
• Project reference

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Step 4 – Record Timesheets

Team Members record actual worked time against:

• Project
• Work Item, where applicable
• Date
• Actual effort

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Step 5 – Approve Timesheets

Approvers review submitted entries and either:

• Approve the Timesheet
• Reject it for correction
• Request resubmission where necessary

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Step 6 – Monitor Delivery and Capacity

Project Managers and Resource Managers monitor:

• Project Progress
• Planned versus Actual Effort
• Allocation Capacity
• Work Item Status
• Pending Timesheets
• Open Risks and Deadlines

Recommended Implementation Sequence

For new implementations, configure the Project Management area in the following order:

Phase 1 – Global Configuration

1. Companies

2. People and Users

3. Roles and Access Rules

4. User Rates

5. Notifications (Optional)

Phase 2 – Project Configuration

1. Project Types

2. Project Processes

3. Project Templates

4. Work Item Types

5. Work Item Workflows

6. Project Roles and Permissions

7. Project Summary and KPIs

Phase 3 – Resource Manager Configuration

1. Resource Availability

2. Allocation Rules

3. Resource Manager Permissions

4. Capacity Planning Views

Phase 4 – Timesheet Configuration

1. Timesheet Settings

2. Time Recording Rules

3. Timesheet Approval Rules

4. Timesheet Notifications

5. Timesheet Permissions

Phase 5 – Validation

Before go-live, create a test Project and validate the full operational lifecycle:

Create Project
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Add Project Team
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Create Allocations
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Create Work Items
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Record Timesheets
     │
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Approve Timesheets
     │
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Review Project Progress and Capacity

The validation should confirm that:

• Users can access only the areas relevant to their role.

• Allocations are visible to the appropriate managers.

• Team Members can record time against the correct Projects and Work Items.

• Approvers can approve or reject Timesheets.

• Project dashboards show the expected delivery and capacity indicators.

• Features outside the agreed scope remain unavailable.

Related Articles

Project Management Overview
Project Management Process
Projects
Work Items
Resource Manager
Allocations
Timesheets
People Management
Tasks, Appointments and Notes
User Roles and Access Rules