Let's talk about the straight-forward definition of project intake to get us started. If you perform a search online for project intake you will get quite a few answers. Like it being the first step in a process whereby a company collects information about a potential project used to assess whether to execute the project. So that's helps us what Project Intake does. From its most simplistic definition, Project Intake is a way to initiate projects being created in the Microsoft Project Online system. Roles other than the Project Manager with Office 365 Project Professional may typically initiate them as well via Project Center in Project Web App. Helping to streamline that project request process. NICE!
What this Microsoft Project Online video focuses on is how you configure Project Intake to leverage it.
Now let's be crystal clear, Project Intake in Microsoft PPM is a very robust feature. (actually, Microsoft calls it demand management, but don't let that get in the way of our training!). We will not, however, be going into every nook and cranny of this functionality demonstrating its setup. Instead, we will demonstrate the most-used features of Project Intake in MS Project Online to help you get up and running using it rather quickly.
Why use Project Intake/Demand Management in Project Online
There are several clear reasons to use this functionality in MS Project Online.
- Project Schedule Templates - Each Enterprise Project Type may have a unique project template associated with it. Therefore, you may have an EPT for your IT, Marketing, Finance and other project types, each with it's own unique project template. When a project is requested, the schedule is created from the correct project template.
- Project Site Template - Each Enterprise Project Type may have a unique Project Site template used. Each Project Site template may be completely unique with different lists, theme, and content. They may also be prepopulated with project-related artifacts necessary for the specific type of project being requested.
- Project ID - Each Enterprise Project Type may have a unique Project ID automatically generated in Microsoft Project Online. The ID may have a prefix, suffix and starting number specified in the configuration settings of the Enterprise Project Type. This helps organizations identify projects by Project ID instead of just Project Name.
- Workflows - If using a workflow for your project approval process keep in mind a unique workflow may be used for each Enterprise Project Type with Microsoft PPM. You do not, however, have to use any workflow at all.
Steps to Create an Enterprise Project Type for Project Intake
- Navigate Settings - PWA Settings (Or if present, select Server Settings in left-hand navigation)
- In the Workflow and Project Detail Pages section, Select Enterprise Project Types.
- Select the New Enterprise Project Type button.
- In the Name text box, provide a name for your Enterprise Project Type. This would typically be something like Information Technology project.
- In the Description box, enter information to help the user determine the correct EPT to use.
- In the Project ID section, enter the desired Prefix, Starting Number, Postfix, and Minimum Digit Padding.
- In the New Project Page/Project Detail Pages section do the following (typical setup)
- for New Project Page, select Project Information
- Select Project Details and Schedule in the Available Project Detail Pages text box and move them to the right text box
- in Site Creation, choose whether a Project Site will be automatically created or user initiated.
- In Synchronization, select the checkbox for Sync User Permissions.
- For Site Template, select a Project Site template to use for this Enterprise Project Type.
- For Project Plan Template, select an appropriate template.
- Click the Save button.
