Use Workfront Blueprints to Optimize Your Work Management Environment!

[#1]

Since the launch of Blueprints in 2021, the solutions represented in the catalog have primarily all been focused on Project Templates. We are excited about recent developments in the Blueprints product capabilities that now allow the creation of Custom Forms, Reports and Dashboards, Projects and Queues, and a variety of other configuration objects. 

While Blueprints product features will continue to follow the normal quarterly release patterns that we rely on for other product features and capabilities, new Blueprints solutions will be added to the catalog on an on-going basis as new content is ready. This means that the normal communication channels for releases are not the best mechanism for us to highlight and announce new Blueprints solutions. 

The purpose of this blog post is to provide Adobe Workfront customers visibility into the catalog contents that are being released. As we release new content to the Preview environment, we will make an announcement as a reply to this post to inform interested customers that they can check it out. We expect that most content will be made available in Production approximately two weeks after it is available in the Preview environment. 

If you have feedback about Blueprints capabilities or about the solutions we are providing through the Blueprints, use the Feedback buttons available in the Blueprints area of Workfront instead of commenting here. We absolutely want to hear your input, especially regarding the solutions you would like to see in the catalog. 

For more information about Blueprints, see the documentation section of Experience League. 

[#2]

Blueprint Name: Post-implementation: New use case rollout
Blueprint Type: Project Template
Preview Release Date: September 29, 2022
Target Production Release Date: Week of October 3, 2022

The purpose of this blueprint is to assist customers to expand their implementation of Adobe Workfront beyond the initial implementation scope. The project template contained in this blueprint assumes it is an expansion of use cases within an implemented user group. If growing use cases outside of a previously implemented group, we suggest engaging Workfront professional services or a partner consultant instead of relying solely on this template.

While this template was designed for newer customers that just completed their first implementation, it is expected this blueprint will also be useful to more established implementations as well.

[#3]

Blueprint Name: System Administrator Maintenance Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Target Preview Release Date: September 29, 2022
Target Production Release Date: Week of October 3, 2022

The purpose of this blueprint is to help system administrators stay on top of their Workfront maintenance activities. Using this dashboard provides a digest of all the items a typical administrator will need to review to keep Workfront tidy and clean. End users appreciate this because unnecessary configuration causes confusion and loss of data integrity; not to mention gums up your processes.

[#4]

Blueprint Name: Workfront Usage Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Target Preview Release Date: September 29, 2022
Target Production Release Date: Week of October 3, 2022

The purpose of this blueprint is to help system administrators identify healthy usage patterns of key Workfront objects. By reviewing this dashboard regularly, you will be able to detect spikes or troughs in usage of Workfront. Additionally, you will be able to assess whether users are leveraging the functionality you intend them to use and measure the adoption of your processes as represented in the key activities you identify. You may find you need to modify the reports on this dashboard to fit the specific key activities for your organization.

[#5]

How can I go about suggesting a new Blueprint template?

[#6]

Hey @J_Hobbs Thanks for your question. If you visit the Blueprints landing page, you should see a "Feedback" button on the top left. You can use the feedback page to submit content requests, which will place your suggestion into a Blueprints backlog for an internal team to further investigate. Please see the attached image for details and let me know if you run into any issues with blueprint content submissions. 

[#7]

Would there ever be a blueprint for process integration - not the process creation itself, but that would align with the process visual that is shown in the Adobe Workfront PPM?

 

[#8]

@MegSault we are always looking for additional ideas of processes to include as a blueprint. I am not familiar with the visual you are referring to in your post. Can you send a link to the visual for this process?

[#9]

@MattMi3 

The link is https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/workfront/using/manage-work/portfolio-management/portfolio-o... 

[#10]

@MattMi3 -- 

I should be more specific with this idea... I am envisioning that each of these six steps would be a blueprint of their own that could easily be customized by System Admin to fit the need of the organization.

We are currently trying to revamp our marketing process within our organization and this is basically the process that we are working from. As the System

Admin and also the Traffic Manager, it is incredibly challenging for me to try and manage projects along with build the new process in Workfront. 

[#11]

@MegSault Thank you for sharing this image. I really like this idea. It is consistent with what the long term vision of blueprints has been from the beginning.

Earlier this month we release the first Dashboard blueprints. With this blueprint type coming online, it starts to fill in the Project Review, Execution, and Postmortem nodes in the diagram. We definitely need to provide you with more reporting and dashboard related content to consider those nodes covered.

In the coming months, we are planning to also release blueprints content for custom forms and request queues. This will start to cover off on the Project Request node of the diagram.

I'm curious about your comment "I am envisioning that each of these six steps would be a blueprint of their own." I agree with you that we could package up blueprints that way. Would it also be useful to have a blueprint that addresses all steps for a single request type? For example, we start with a digital asset creation as a work process, and we create a blueprint that contains the form and queue, the routing rules and teams needed, the template and roles, and the supporting reports to usher the work through the full process. Would this be more or less helpful than separate blueprints; one with all the creative request queues and forms, one with all of the creative templates and roles, one with all of the supporting reports for a creative workflow, etc.?
Or maybe we provide blueprints that contain both approaches? What are your thoughts?

[#12]

Thanks for the blueprints, great way to get someone started quickly. I had to take over system admin and account governance roles and the system admin blueprint was a great head start in understanding utilization of the system.

[#13]

Is there anywhere to view a roadmap for future blueprints to come? 

[#14]

@KellieGardner We don't have a public-facing roadmap for blueprints content published. I will mention that we are currently evaluating additional blueprints to be added in support of many of the initiatives highlighted at Adobe Summit a few weeks ago.  We will look for opportunities to share the outcome of those plans and prioritization activities shortly (and likely through existing mediums like release webinars and roadmap sessions).

I'm curious; is there a specific blueprint or type of blueprint you are hoping to find in the catalog?

[#15]

Blueprint Name: Value Realization | Core Value Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Target Preview Release Date: May 8, 2023
Target Production Release Date: May 22, 2023

This blueprint contains a single dashboard with 21 reports to help you measure the Value of Workfront. These reports help you translate the benefits of Centralizing Work and Managing Work Processes into measurable values that you can track over time to drive better outcomes.

[#16]

Blueprint Name: Resource Management Preparation
Blueprint Type: Report and Template
Preview Release Date: May 16, 2023
Target Production Release Date: Week of May 28, 2023

Use this Project Template and User Report to ensure you have the correct settings and information necessary to generate accurate Resource Management data.

[#17]

Blueprint Name: Value Realization | Review and Approve Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Preview Release Date: Week of May 29, 2023
Target Production Release Date: Week of June 12, 2023

This blueprint contains a single dashboard with 7 reports to help you realize the Value of Workfront. These reports help you translate the values of Reviewing & Approving work into measurable benefits that you can track over time to drive better outcomes.

[#18]

Blueprint Name: Offboarding | Departing User Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Preview Release Date: Week of June 12, 2023
Target Production Release Date: Week of July 10, 2023

 

This blueprint contains a single dashboard with 13 reports to help you find, reassign, or otherwise manage the objects and assignments associated with a user departing Workfront. You could also use these reports for a user moving into a new role or group to reassign their work.

[#19]

Blueprint Name: Inherited Instance Basics | Checklist
Blueprint Type: Template
Preview Release Date: Week of August 7, 2023
Target Production Release Date: August 18, 2023

 

Did you recently inherit a Workfront instance and need guidance on where to start? This blueprint contains a project template (or checklist) that you can review with a short list of questions, resources, and links for a clear understanding of how your Workfront instance has been configured.

[#20]

Blueprint Name: Marketing Organization Setup
Blueprint Type: Organizational Structure
Release Date: February 1, 2022

This blueprint was released a while ago, but we want to bring awareness to it and its sibling blueprints.

The purpose of this specific blueprint is to expedite the necessary configuration to expand Workfront to support Marketing teams when Workfront was originally configured to solve non-marketing use cases.

Other similar blueprints:

• Finance Organization Setup
• Human Resources Organization Setup
• Information Technology Organization Setup
• Professional Services Organization Setup

[#21]

Blueprint Name: Value Realization | Deliver Client-facing Services Dashboard
Blueprint Type: Dashboard
Preview Release Date: Week of November 27, 2023
Target Production Release Date: December 11, 2023

This blueprint contains a single dashboard with eight reports to help you realize the benefits of Workfront. These reports are designed to help you translate your client-facing services into measurable value that you can track over time to drive better outcomes.