Prevent Users from Copying Projects

[NickVa1]

Hi WF Community, We're running into some issues when users use the copy project feature. It allows them to bypass filling out a custom field on a custom form that's attached to the project templates they're using. The custom field is called Project Categories, and we made it mandatory. However, when you copy a project from an existing project that doesn't have a value in this field, it allows them to bypass filling it out. There were a few other issues that cropped up from people copying projects, and I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to deactivate the copying feature? Thanks. Nick Nick Valeriote

[LiisaBl1]

Agree! Would like to remove the ability for users to "copy" an existing Project. In our organization, we have required custom form data that is needed for our reporting that gets skipped when a user copies an existing Project. It would be better for us if we could remove that function. Liisa Blick

[JillAc]

If the field is mandatory then how can it be blank in the originating project?

[NickVa1]

Hi Jill... We just created this new custom field a few weeks ago, but we have many projects prior to this field being created that don't have a value in the field. People copy some of these older projects. Nick Valeriote

[JillAc]

So it sounds like the projects when it wasn't mandatory hang on to that? I think you can mass change the field by editing all the old projects and filling it out so that it comes already populated when a project is copied? (Just trying to help before the community shuts down for a week!)

[NickVa1]

Thanks for the prompt response, Jill. Yeah, we updated old project with a value in this field. However, it appears when people copy projects they select the 'clear custom data' option, and it removes the pre-existing value that was there from the project they copied from. This might just be a process education item, and us enforcing it better, but I thought I'd check to see if there was an option to deactivate the copying feature. Thanks for your help. Nick Nick Valeriote

[Heather_Kulbacki]

One option for helping to enforce the re-education, might be to create a report with a filter to pull in projects where that field is blank, grouped by the project owner (or whoever should be filling in that field) and set that report to auto-send to yourself on a schedule that works for you.

Then forward that report to the offenders each time you get it reminding them to fill in that field.

it takes some time, but it gives you any easy way to catch those projects with missing data.

[NickVa1]

Thanks, Heather. Great minds think alike. Already in place.