Frequently Asked Questions
Agile
I need a really flexible scheduler to help me create my teams’ sprints.
Scheduling is both very explicit and very easy to change in the tool. ProWorkflow will take your task data, like due dates and time allocations, and work out who has more/less time available in the coming weeks.
You’ll see what is currently happening, what’s overdue, how many hours have been missed, all in one place. As well as that, making changes is simple. If you need to move a group of tasks in a pinch, you can! If a task with dependencies is pushed forward, it’s up to you whether the subsequent dependant tasks should also move. The power is in your hands!
You can review and edit your schedules and workload on our Timeline page.
I need a system to track bug tickets
ProWorkflow has been successful at managing a wide range of applications, including development and bug fixing! You can easily itemize your bug tickets into smaller, more tangible parcels of work. That will ensure everyone from the requester to the technician is knows exactly what to expect every step of the way, helping the ticket get resolved as efficiently as possible. ProWorkflow is highly customizable, too. You can build standard forms within your projects to ensure all information is captured.
You can also use our tagging system to identify areas in which your bugs are occurring. You’ll be able to run reports to pinpoint areas of concern with the tag filter.
I need to ensure my clients are immediately informed of scope changes.
In ProWorkflow, you can not only provide the clients with notifications coming straight from your account but give them log-in access! Even better than that: you won’t need to assign them a license to do so!
Clients will receive email notifications that inform them of scope changes, right as they happen. Should the client need to enquire further, they can log in and examine a view-only version of your project page, with only the details you’ve allowed them to see. They’ll also be able to send you messages via the tool. So, all your communications throughout the project will be visible on the project page, too.
To get more information about the Client’s access please check our YouTube video.
I need to see tasks in an easy to read Kanban view for my scrum meetings
In ProWorkflow, both Projects and Tasks can be seen in a Kanban format. That means all of your project and task data will be consistent between the Kanban board and the more traditional views!
As well as that, you’ll be able to completely customize your columns in regard to tasks. So, even if your projects take a very different flow, the Kanban boards will still be a great option.
Our sprint reviews require insights from over the course of the sprint, I need to be able to retrieve specific data
With our reporting system, you’ll be able to retrieve any data you might require. Whether you need to report based on when something started/finished, you need to see what was worked on in a certain period or you need to see a set of tasks based on your customized tags, ProWorkflow will have an option for you.
Architecture
I need a way to manage prospective jobs as well as active ones. Does PWF do both?
ProWorkflow has plenty of ways to categorize projects, and because so many of these options are customizable, you can specify one of those categories is for pending jobs.
From there, you’ll be able to create task templates that outline the events taking place before the project, like scoping and quoting. As this project would also be attributed to a client, you’d have a full record of their enquiring about your services right through to your current job(s).
I need to be sure we’re maximizing our employees’ time. We’re struggling with wasted time.
If time is being wasted on non-critical tasks, ProWorkflow is here to help! Within your project, you can outline every single objective that needs to be met, with each of these having a start date, a due date, and an amount of time allocated. From the get-go, you’re ensuring your staff is fully informed of their expectations regarding their assignments, meaning there won’t be any wastage. Even if there is, these extensions will be explained within the individual time record notes. We’ve also made it easy to adjust your entire project schedule based on one task running overtime if required.
But ad hoc tasks can still happen! That’s why we’ve made it as easy as possible to add these tasks using an online editor, meaning amendments can be made to your task list at any time. The project manager will be notified of their creation immediately and can then review their necessity, as well as which resources they will occupy.
I’m not using a tool now, and I’m worried that taking on a tool like this will further diminish the little spare time I have left.
At ProWorkflow, we want to make taking on our tool as easy as possible. As well as personal training to help you get to know ProWorkflow, there are several help guides and videos to instruct where to go. We can generally help answer any questions you have about the system in less than an hour, and with that information set your account up. We’re also happy to schedule training for your entire team so everyone can get started on the right foot. It doesn’t take long at all, and we’re with you every step of the way!
Beyond that, once ProWorkflow is up and running, our users report an average reduction time on administration tasks by at least 20%. Once ProWorkflow is operational, you’ll have all the time you’ll need!
We need better real-time coordination across the team.
ProWorkflow is entirely web-based, meaning changes are uploaded as soon as they’re made. This means if a task you’re working on gets an update, you can be notified. So you’re operating on the most up-to-date information possible. No more surprises!
Constructive/Engineering
A few of my staff aren’t particularly technologically inclined. How easy is it to use the tool?
Ensuring staff members have access to only the pages and functions they require. Adjusting the user and permission settings is a great way to simplify how staff member interacts with their work. For example, assigning a Project Manager role, who holds the ability to add/edit/delete Projects, Tasks, and Time, versus a Team Member role, who will only require the ability to view Project and Tasks, but do not need to view Invoices and Quotes and other financial information.
Another way to ensure your account log-in is kept free from any issues is to clear your cache and cookies (we recommend once a month) to keep all background data cleared out. This way, you can decrease the likelihood of log-in issues and loading time.
Also, ProWorkflow offers free one-on-one staff training sessions. Useful for any new staff members you may be onboarding. Also, this is a great opportunity to make sure current users are optimizing their use of ProWorkflow.
Are you priced by a user or by the job?
ProWorkflow is priced per user. We only charge for users added as Staff and not for clients or contractors. Staff users will have much more visibility of ProWorkflow compared with clients or contractors.
As we charge per user instead of per job, you can add an unlimited amount of projects at the same price and have multiple projects open at the same time.
Here you can review our pricing structure and calculate the cost of our services.
Can I get my project data into MYOB/Xero/other accounting tools using PWF?
Transferring project data to MYOB/Xero or any other accounting software is possible if an invoice is created out of the project data. That way, the project’s tasks and other information, such as time tracked, will be available in the invoice. And the invoice can be transferred to any accounting tool from ProWorkflow via direct integration.
You can find more information about this process in our YouTube video.
Do you charge for client and contractor access?
Giving access to clients and contractors is free. However, their views are limited.
If you wish to give the full staff member access to clients and contractors, they need to be registered as paid users. To do this, contact us, and we will assist you with the process.
Do you have features for associating groups of jobs?
We definitely do! ProWorkflow has a few inbuilt methods, like which manager is handling a group of jobs/projects, which priority every job/project has, and which customized category each job/project has.
We’ve also got other options. Custom tagging, in which you can create and apply several custom identifiers and report on that identifier as a grouping. As well as that, our numbering system can be fixed or variable, so you can include prefixes/suffixes and report on those as groupings.
Due to how customizable many of these options are, we’ll be able to group your projects in whatever manner suits you best!
How long does it take to set up? I have a lot of builds active at the moment and don’t have time to take on setup work.
ProWorkflow is acutely aware that if you’re looking for a Project Management System, chances are you’re doing so because you’d like to improve your organization and cut down on admin time. That’s why we want to make setup and learning the system as easy as possible!
When you begin a trial, you’ll see some videos and things we recommend you do to get to understand PWF’s logic. As well as that, we have a whole host of videos designed to explain each aspect of the tool. All ProWorkflow videos are available on the YouTube channel for you to watch at any time.
If you’d like a more personal approach, ProWorkflow Team can get you on a screen share and help you set up your account within about an hour. We want this to be as easy for you as possible; just let us know what you need!
I need to make sure that some tasks are finished before others can be started.
The ProWorkflow mobile app is available on Google Play and Apple App Store. Giving you, your staff members, contractors, and even clients access to complete tasks, track time, send messages, and track Project progress while out of the office.
I have many members who are on-site or on the road. Is there a mobile version of this tool?
Create Task dependencies from pitching the Task list or Timeline (Gantt chart).
If a Dependent Task is set to start before its prerequisite is finished, the tool will make you aware of the error with a highlighted red dependency line. It’s a simple precaution that can save you a lot of trouble down the line.
Tasks with uncompleted prerequisites are shown slightly opaque on the Timeline. You also have the option to prevent any time being tracked on these tasks until they’ve been activated.
I’ve set my clients & contractors some tasks, and I need to know when they’re finished.
The client and the contractor will be able to complete an assigned task. And Proworkflow will notify you via email as soon as they have completed the task.
The client needs to have enabled access level View ALL Project Tasks. You can do this by setting up the contact or through the Settings page.
My jobs can take place over several addresses. How do I make sure my team knows where they’re going for each task?
Each task contains its description, start date, finish date, and time allocation. For any given task, you can fully inform any assigned staff members about the time and place they need to be. The description field is also a rich text editor. If you want to link to a GPS/Mapping service, you can!
Consulting
I have many contract jobs that require me to keep track of multiple deadlines, tasks, and clients.
Having multiple sources of work can be hard to juggle with differing clients, due dates, and tasks.
You can organize Projects into categories by way of priority, industry, or length of the contract. Our interactive board view is a perfect way of seeing a visual overview of all your contract work. And drag and drop function will help you to reshuffle priorities.
I need my contractors to be fully informed of the job, as well as their assignments.
Our free Contractor login access gives you the ability to assign contractors to Projects and Tasks. Allows you to track the completion progress, send and receive messages and share files with your contractors.
I need to be able to distinguish what work I am completing for which client.
Working on multiple tasks across different clients and projects can be tracked using many methods. Adding a task tag can identify the progress of a task or to whom the task relates. Using one of our many Task reports can provide both a high-level or more detailed overview of how you are tracking task completion across some or all projects.
I want to share files with clients, but I don’t want them to have access to view ALL files stored within a Project.
Our free Client log-in makes it easy to share information relating to your client’s project. But ensuring the information is secured and correct is also important.
Files shared within a Project can be added to either a Public or Private folder allowing you to have total control over the file access.
Creative/Marketing
A lot of my designers use the Adobe Creative Cloud. I need to make sure tracking time is an easy process for them, so they’re not constantly switching in between tools.
Many ProWorkflow clients are designers and use Adobe products every day. That’s why we have a special tool for them.
All your designers have to do is download the Adobe ProWorkflow extension and start tracking time.
Does your tool have any systems to deal with approvals?
ProWorkflow has a full file and messaging system. This means you can upload documents that require approval and have conversations about them that involve multiple project staff. All this will be stored directly in the relevant task, so these documents and approvals will be easy to find when you need to refer back to it in the future! That means if you ever have disagreements on scope, you’ll have a full paper trail to back you up.
I need to set up retainer work which recurs monthly
If certain projects or tasks are required every week/month (or at other frequencies), ProWorkflow has systems in place that allow you to do this entry work once and have your work repeat on your chosen time basis.
To add the Recurring tasks, go to the Project Details page and open the “Add/Edit Task” menu and select the “Add Recurring Task” button. In this pop-up window, you can set the parameters and frequency of recurrence and add the relevant task information. Once you fill this in, please select the Done button, and ProWorkflow will show these tasks in the project.
Ask a team member about recurring projects, and they’ll send you all the information you’ll need to create your own!
My campaigns are prone to delays because of ad hoc tasks, and I’m losing billable time. Can your tool help me?
With ProWorkflow, we wanted to ensure you could include ad hoc tasks as easily as possible. Even if you add unexpected steps to your workflow, you’ll be acutely aware of what it is, why it’s happening, who is doing it, and most importantly, how much time has been tracked against it. You’ll also be able to see how it affected your schedule and push other tasks forward if necessary.
Now you’ll be able to plan around random tasks, and you won’t miss out on billed hours!
My campaigns have hard deadlines. I need to be sure everyone knows where their goals are due.
Keeping all parties informed makes for efficient communication, which leads to seamless results.
Assign tasks to staff with particular start and due dates, and an email notification will be sent alerting all assignees. The Timeline Gantt chart also provides a visual overview of start and due dates for projects and tasks.
My invoicing is all based on time tracked. I need to easily pull time records through to invoices.
When an invoice is created through a project, the time tracked (if recorded) will automatically populate on the invoice. You will also have the option to enter the time into the invoice manually.
You can find detailed information in this video.
We have a good idea of what our campaign will entail, but I am not sure if my staff are available, so I cant schedule yet. Could you help with that?
Scheduling is possible in ProWorkflow, and you can check availability at the start of a project. When you add a task to the project, you will be able to see the workload of each staff. And also if they are available for the task for the project that you are starting.
What are the ideal/typical use cases for the companies that use accounting platforms (Xero, Quickbooks, Freshbooks, Kashflow, MYOB)?
General
Can I change my plans in Proworkflow?
In ProWorkflow, we have two plans – Pro and Advanced. You can get all the info about them on our pricing page. In case you’d like to switch from Pro plan to Advanced and vice versa, please visit the client area or write us a request for a change at subscriptions@proworkflow.com.
Can we archive projects in Proworkflow?
Absolutely! On the projects list page, you can find the Archive tab. All completed and deleted projects are stored there for good. ProWorkflow Archive has no limits in time and the number of projects you put there so you can keep all the history of your projects in one place. Moreover, you can restore projects from the Archive and keep working on them.
In ProWorkflow, we have the Archives for Tasks, Invoices, and Quotes as well.
Does Proworkflow have a Gantt chart?
Yes, we have! You can find a Gantt chart for the project on the detailed project page. Also, we have a Timeline page where you can find all the projects and tasks. You can filter the information and get workload information based on the tasks and time allocated. Here is a video for you.
Does ProWorkflow offer templates?
ProWorkflow can offer you project, task, invoice, and quote templates. There is no need to spend time filling all the data for regular procedures and a standard list of tasks. Just add templates for tasks, invoices, and quotes to the settings and use them.
How to add a task to a project?
In ProWorkflow, there are a few different methods that you can use to add tasks to your projects:
The first method is to add a task directly to the project – this is the most straightforward method. Simply open the project details page and use the Add Task field to add a new task.
On the same page, you can try our second method to add a task. In the top right corner of the Tasks section, click the Add/Edit Tasks button.
Within the pop-up window, add tasks and fill in any additional information about your tasks – description, files, priority, time allocation, financial information, for example. From here you can also assign users to your tasks.
The third method is to navigate to the Tasks menu and hit the green Add button in the top left corner. From the pop-up window, pick the project or add a new General task. It’s worth mentioning here that General tasks are not connected to any project.
For more details please take a look at our video tutorial.
Is ProWorkflow a multi-user PM tool?
Yes indeed! Your whole team can use ProWorkflow to get the most out of their day. Every team member can have their own set of permissions, fine-tuned to suit the needs of your business. For more information, check out our video about Users & Permissions!
Who can see my workspace and organizations?
ProWorkflow has a flexible system of user permissions, which empowers you to grant access in the most appropriate way for each project. An administrator can see the full list of projects, tasks, and contacts, and can adjust their view depending on whether they’d like to see the team’s tasks more broadly or focus on their own for that day. They can also grant access to their team according to the needs of the project.
HR
I need a way to associate candidates with the job listings I’m making.
You’ve likely already heard us talk about Projects as containers that can hold all of your job-relevant data. That extends to candidates!
Candidates can be added to the tool using the free contractor label and then assigned to jobs. From there, we can quickly determine things like:
- how many jobs we’ve put a certain candidate towards in a given period,
- how many they’ve secured.
ProWorkflow does make it easy!
I need to document internal policy/process in the account, is there space for that?
You can do this by using the Notes Tab. You can keep there the document information that is not likely to change too often. You can set up permissions in a way so that only certain staff members have access to that section and can make adjustments as needed.
I need to document my staff onboarding process.
Make onboarding is easy by creating a Project containing tasks associated with covering training materials, setting test exercises, attach training materials and files.
Having an organized ordered task list means your new staff member will have a single point of reference to all things onboarding!
Is there a way to build out a hiring process into your tool?
You can do this by using the tags, each step of the hiring process can be a tag, and each candidate can be a project. When a project is created, the candidate can be attributed a tag, and as they progress, the tags can be updated.
Project Management
Can I get an easy view of my teams’ tasks for the week or a schedule?
ProWorkflow offers a Timeline view of Projects and Tasks, located on the Time page. It’s an interactive Gantt chart, with a fully customizable range of Project and Task filters, including date range, staff member, contractor, start/due date, and plenty more. This chart is formed from the tasks assigned to staff members with a start date, due date, and allocated time.
You can get more information from our YouTube video and from our help center.
Can I get my timesheets from PWF to upload into another system?
ProWorkflows Time entry and Timesheet approval functions allow for your time-tracked data to be stored and reported by way of using any of our many filters. It’s easy to export and import into another third-party system (for example, a payroll account).
How can I find how many hours I have assigned each of my staff members each week?
ProWorkflow offers functionality to an overview of both staff workload and staff availability for your resource management. With our help, you get the ability to pre-determine who is in the best place to complete a project and/or task.
The workload is determined by an 8hr workday. It considers tasks assigned with a start and due date and an amount of time allocated to the task. Our workload function will show you the total amount of hours allocated to a staff member daily, leaving the opportunity to distribute work correctly the first time.
Our free Availability App works cohesively with your account to identify dates containing available time displayed in an easy-to-view format with the option to export to Excel.
How do I create a scheduling system?
In ProWorkflow, there are a few ways how you can do the scheduling.
Our two apps – Availability checker and Weekly workload (free-to-use) give you a week’s view of who’s available and what the workload is like per staff.
Within the apps, you can view the same information while adding a task template every time you start a new project.
And finally, on the overall Timeline page, you can view the workload of each staff based on the time allocated to them. Please see the video about this feature.
How do I link task deadlines together?
Tasks can be linked in the Gantt Chart using Task Dependencies. Select the blue circle when hovering over the task in the Gantt chart. Hold the click and link that task to the one that needs to be linked to it.
I need a seamless flow between my quotes and projects
It’s our goal to reduce your admin time by as much as we can. We don’t want you feeling like you’ve got to type the same data out twice.
That’s why in ProWorkflow, we’ve enabled you to create Projects with itemized task lists that are directly based on what items you had in your quote. Following on, you can do the same thing while you create your invoices!
I need to be able to see recent recurring events.
Projects Page You can create a category called Events and add all your Events there as Projects. While you are on the Projects Page, you can also consider tags to identify your events among the other projects.
Task Page You can create a category Events under the General tasks as these events don’t belong to a project, and add them there. And if the event is a task in a project, you can use tags to identity it.
Time page Use filters to identify events on a calendar and timeline.
Reports Reports can be generated using filters to identify Events.
I need to be aware of what my coworkers are doing.
Keeping up with your co-workers is as easy as changing the view of your account from My Work to a specific staff member or better All Staff view. All Staff view allows you to see the Projects and Tasks of your co-workers. Having access to see other staff’s workload makes resource and time management easier.
Please note: To view other staff work, you’ll require access to the Contacts page.
I need to see all proposed jobs, and what their value is
In ProWorkflow, we have a quoting tool that can create quotes detailing proposed jobs and contains an itemized breakdown of said jobs.
Every quote will be attributed to a client, so it will be easy to see the total value for proposed jobs and how each of your clients contributes to that total value.
You can use our reports to focus on unapproved and pending quotes. So, this way, you can track your upcoming project value.
I need to send emails into the system and save them against the project. How can it do that?
ProWorkflow has a Messaging system for these purposes.
If you and any other project participant initiate the conversation from Project or Task menu, ProWorkflow can notify you about a new message. This can be done through the emails function in the project or task. If clients have access, they can request new projects using ProWorkflow, and our system will notify you.
You can set up all notification settings in the Settings tab.
Many of my projects go through a similar process, but I need to minimize double entry.
The best way to avoid double entry is to set up Task templates. You can do this in the Settings tab.
Once you set up the templates, you can create a new project and assign the template to that project. This way, you prevent both – the double-entry issue and extra time spent for writing up the tasks for a project.
What have I been assigned to this week?
Seeing your assigned work in ProWorkflow is made easy with the Viewing tool. At any time, you can switch between a broad view of all projects and tasks to a narrowed view of your specific assignments.
As well as that, we have a series of tools that will allow you to view your work in the best way possible: Kanban Boards, Gantt Charts, Calendars, and even list views that show what tasks are active today, this week, and this month.
Quotes & Invoices
How do the Quoted hours become Job hours once the job is accepted?
Want to minimize double handling of Quoted work once it has become an approved job? Build your Quote to include tasks, service, and item rates. Add allocated time to these tasks, and once a Quote is approved, use these Quoted details to create a Project instantly, which will contain all the tasks, time, and start/due dates.
You can get more details from our video about the Quotes.
Remote Collaboration
Can I talk to my team within the tool?
Yes, in a project, there is an option to add notes, and you can share them with your team. You can also send messages – emails from the project both within your company and to clients.
I need my team to be able to access their assignments on the go. How do I go about that?
Especially when traveling for work, having multiple ways to access your information can be critical; this is why we offer ProWorkflow in Desktop and Mobile variants.
Whether you’re on the road, in a remote office, or a temporary workspace, ProWorkflow (and all of the data held within it) has been made as easy to access as possible.
On both iOS and Android, you’ll be able to find all of your assignments in a touch-screen-friendly format, ensuring you’ll never be without the information you need to get the job done.
I need to know when a project I’m assigned to is completed.
When a user completes a task or project, he should click on the “Complete” button. You will get a notification about this event as you are assigned to the project.
My staff needs to be aware of schedule changes, and these can happen very suddenly. How do I keep them informed?
Keeping the right people informed about changes to time, tasks, projects, and expectations is easy.
Choose a date to be notified when a task or project is approaching due date, be notified when task or project details are modified, and the choice is yours to share these email notifications with staff, clients, and contractors.
You can set this in our Notifications Settings.
