How do you create a frequently used links page in a project? | Community
Skip to main content
ChrisMc4
ChrisMc4
Level 2
October 27, 2020
Question

How do you create a frequently used links page in a project?

  • October 27, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 1371 views

I have a Technology solution project that we are managing in Workfront. I would like to create a Section (left rail tab - or some other way) to give the project team a place to go to access frequently used links associated with this project.

I tried creating a custom form for adding links. That does work, but associates have to click thru the Project Details to get to the links. It would be nice if a links page could be accessed easily in a Section tab. Adding new Custom Sections are all Dashboards... this could work but how do I pare it down to the info of the links I need?

Thanks,

Chris

    This post is no longer active and is closed to new replies. Need help? Start a new post to ask your question.

    2 replies

    Doug_Den_Hoed_AtAppStore
    Community Advisor
    Doug_Den_Hoed_AtAppStoreCommunity Advisor
    Community Advisor
    October 27, 2020

    Hi Chris,

    One technique could be to:

    • Create a new Issue custom form called FAQ (e.g. with a custom checkbox called "FAQ" yes/no)
    • For each such FAQ, create an Issue, name it, check the FAQ box, and paste the relevant link in the URL of the Issue
    • Create an Issue report that retrieves the name and URL of all Issues with the FAQ set to yes
    • Drop that Issue report on a dashboard
    • On a Project (either ad hoc, or via Layout Templates), create a custom section (NWE) or custom tab (WF Classic) to that dashboard

    In this fashion, Workfront should then automatically restrict the report to only those Issues that pertain to the Project being currently viewed, resulting in a tailored list of "just" the FAQ links of interest to the user within that context.

    Regards,

    Doug

      ChrisMc4
      ChrisMc4Author
      Level 2
      October 28, 2020

      Doug,

      Thanks for the suggestion! I am a novice, so trying to follow and build a test version of what you suggest.

      Will your solution allow our Project Leaders to add/subtract links as the project progresses?

      The PLs may have new Links to add or old ones to remove as the project goes along.

      Do you have an example of this build already? Even a screen grab would help me follow.

      I built a custom form and we are just attaching it to projects as needed for now. See the attached images. 1 & 2 are the Custom form, 3 is what it looks like attached to the project.

      Ideally we would have a Section (custom) tab on the left that is for links and PLs would go there to add them and associates working on the project could access them there if needed.

      Thanks for your help!

      Chris

      KatherineLa
      Community Advisor
      KatherineLaCommunity Advisor
      Community Advisor
      October 29, 2020

      Doug beat me to the solution on this one, this is where I was going with my questions about what functionality you needed. In a way, you're stealing an existing function in the system meant to do something else entirely, and repurposing here.

      Just like a Project can have many Tasks underneath it, so can it have many Issues. The Issue functionality is designed for anyone on the project to file a report to the PM about things like 'rendering image in links' or 'software bug needs RAID' etc. Not a task, but a roadblock. In this model though, you're going to build a special custom form at the Issue level. Instead of asking normal Issue type questions like "How many hours will it take to fix?" or "Who are we throwing under the bus for this one?" you're going to simply ask for the link URL, and whether the link is active or not.

      When your team want to add a link, they go to the Issue section of the project and hit New. Attach your form, and fill it out. That gets the data IN to Workfront, next trick is getting it back out.

      You'll start with an absolutely standard Issue report. Column for 'Active', the URL and any other pertinent info (when was the link added, who added it etc) you want. Put that single report on a Dashboard. When you look at that Dashboard by itself, you'll see a summary of EVERY issue matching your filter (URL = yes, active = yes). Almost there, one more trick.

      The next bit is one I wish Workfront documented better - when you take an object report (project/task/issue/risk etc) and you make it a dashboard displayed in a higher-order object then Workfront is smart enough to filter that report to only the related child objects.

      Build a Project-level dashboard and display it in a Portfolio - then every time you switch portfolios it will only show you the information for projects in THAT portfolio. In your case, build an Issue-level dashboard displayed as a project-level tab. Every time you switch projects, it will reset the dashboard to only information on that project.

      KatherineLa
      Community Advisor
      KatherineLaCommunity Advisor
      Community Advisor
      October 27, 2020

      Hi Chris,

      Couple questions -

      1. Are the links something that are the same project to project, or different for each project?
      2. Are the links something that will be static at the beginning of a project, or added to over time?
      3. Do the project users need the ability to add to the list of links?
      4. Are you currently utilizing Programs/Portfolios at all?

      I can think of a couple ideas, but they each depend on those questions.

      Katherine

      ChrisMc4
      ChrisMc4Author
      Level 2
      October 27, 2020

      Katherine,

      Thanks for the response.

      1 - The links will not be the same from project to project. They may be various websites that are relevant to the project.

      2 - The links will be fluid - added and subtracted over time. For this project, we have vendors sites and Sharepoint sites to get to and they may change frequently

      3 - Yes, It would be nice for all people assigned to a project to be able to update the links as needed, but if it had to be just the Project Leaders that is ok too.

      4 - yes we are using Programs/Portfolios

      Thanks for your help and let me know if you have any other questions!

      Chris

      N
      NRYNR
      Level 10
      October 28, 2020

      Hey Chris,

      As Doug mentioned, the WFPro Navigation package includes a "custom link development" capability that I believe gives you exactly what you're looking for. It's nothing custom, just Workfront configured to accomplish what you're after.

      If you'd like a look under the hood, just reach out and I can jump on a GoToMeeting with you. You're also welcome to join our weekly WFPro call where you can get expert advice from other veteran administrators.

      Thanks,

      Narayan

      WFPro Decompression Session - This Friday at 3PM Eastern

      - https://www.gotomeet.me/wfpro

        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

        Loading footer...