You can create a reports dashboard as a custom tab for easy access.

[#1]

Did you know? You can make a collection of reports using a dashboard, and then make that dashboard easy to access with a custom tab.

One way to get visibility into information in Workfront is with reports. But oftentimes, getting to those reports involves a lot of clicking around. Dashboards and custom tabs bring all the information you need to the forefront so you see everything you need right when you log in.

Let’s start with the dashboard. A dashboard is a collection of reports that can be viewed in one window. Dashboards can group “like” reports together -- such as a series of reports showing the status of tasks and the projects they come from. Or they can be used to streamline the work you’re doing -- such as a series of reports that track incoming requests, requests that have been converted to projects, those projects in action, etc.

In order to create a dashboard, you must have a Plan license in Workfront with Edit access and the ability to create reports, dashboards, and calendars.

1. To create a dashboard, click on Reporting in the global navigation bar.
2. Then click the Dashboards subtab.
3. Click the New Dashboards button to bring up the dashboard window.
4. Give the dashboard a name. We recommend that the name describe the purpose of the dashboard. For example, My Task Dashboard or Marketing Team Tasks and Issues.
5. It’s also a good idea to add some information in the Description field -- why was the dashboard created, who is it assigned to, what the dashboard accomplishes — so other people looking at the dashboard list can see the purpose of this dashboard.
6. Now add the reports you want to the dashboard from the list in the center. You can scroll through the alphabetized list, or use the search bar at the top to find the exact reports you need.
7. When you’ve found the report you want, drag it over into the blue area on the right.
8. Continue searching for and adding the necessary reports to the dashboard. Drag and drop them into the desired order.
9. As a final step, select the layout for the reports in your dashboard by clicking the button under one of the layout icons at the top of the window. You can then drag and drop the reports into the desired section.
10. Once everything is arranged, click Save + Close.

Perfect! Your dashboard is complete and ready for you to use!

You can find this dashboard, in the Dashboards sub-tab, and then the My Dashboards folder -- or better yet, add this Dashboard to a Custom Tab, allowing you to have the information a click away! 

Adding a Dashboard to a Custom Tab: 

There are multiple areas in Workfront where you can create custom tabs. Almost anywhere you see a More drop-down menu is a place you can add a custom tab — the projects page, reporting page, project landing page, or programs page. Many project managers like to have custom tabs on the main Projects page because they’re already working from the Projects I Own tab on that page. So it makes sense to place a custom tab containing a dashboard there for easy access 

1. From the More drop-down menu in the Projects area, select Customize Tabs. This opens the Customize Tabs window.
2. Then from the More tab, click the Add Custom Tab link.
3. Enter a tab label — this is the name you’ll see on the tab itself. Most users just use the name of the dashboard.
4. Then in the bottom field, search for the dashboard you just created. Select it, and then click Add Tab.
5. If you had an empty tab position in the window, the custom tab adds itself there. You can drag the tabs around so they appear in the order you want them.
6. If there wasn’t a free tab, the custom tab adds under the More menu.
7. Click Save Changes when you’re done.
8. You’ll see the tab you just created on the Projects page.
9. Click it to access your dashboard so you can see all of the information you need to get your work done.

You also can add custom tabs at the object level. An object is a type of item in Workfront — a project, a task, an issue, a document, a user, etc.

Let’s add this same dashboard at the project object level.

To do that, start by opening any project. Doesn’t matter which one, as this change will apply to all projects you view.

Follow the same steps as before:

1. Click the More drop-down menu
2. Click Add Custom Tab
3. Enter a name for the tab label
4. And then find the dashboard
5. Click Add Tab to save
6. Drag the tabs into the order you want them to appear when you’re looking at a project landing page.
7. Then click Save Changes.

You should see your dashboard tab right here on the project landing page.

It’s important to note that custom tabs on the object level behave differently than custom tabs placed at the area level. The custom tab we put on the Project area page displays the reports as written, pulling results from across Workfront. However, custom tabs on the object level automatically include a filter to look at the data only within the object they’re on. For example, if my dashboard contains a “My Tasks” report, when I look at that report on my custom tab, I’ll only see tasks that are assigned to me from this project.

When I switch to another project, the custom tab is still there, but now the dashboard displays information from only that project.

There’s a lot more to dashboards and custom tabs. Join us for a live training session of Improve the User Experience with Dashboards & Layout Templates to dive in. This course goes beyond creating dashboards and shows how you can distribute custom tabs to multiple users through layout templates. You can register through Workfront Ascent.

For more information on Dashboards, Layout Templates and Custom Tabs, see the following Documentation articles on experience.workfront.com:

https://experience.workfront.com/s/article/Creating-and-Managing-Layout-Templates-1976479577

https://experience.workfront.com/s/article/Creating-Dashboards-28952893

https://experience.workfront.com/s/article/Creating-Custom-Tabs-703291108

Please post questions, feedback or your results of implementing these tips. If you have a related tip you’ve learned, feel free to comment and share below!

[#2]

Hi @jon_chen, Thanks for the information above. Is there a way to create a Report or Dashboard that acts like a hub area where users can easily find hyperlinks to specific areas inside and outside Workfront?  A page (like a homepage), a Report, or even an open Text area where we can add navigation options will help users find things around and keep Workfront as their Hub for where to go next.  Let me know your thought. Thank you.

[#3]

Hey @AndersonDeLima 

Technically this is possible, but there are limitations within dashboards. You can only add reports or calendars, so navigating to items within Workfront would need to be pulled into a report first. We do allow customers to add external URLs into a dashboard, so they can link out, but the webpage would need to be iframe enabled

I would recommend you start a discussion on the Community to see what others are doing. Most customers use dashboards for curating reports, but there may be some different use cases that I'm unaware of.