Best Practices

We suggest the following best practices when using Workstream.

Tip: Best practices are noted throughout the help file as a tip.

Set Up All Necessary Information

With proper setup, much of your project monitoring and updating will be completed automatically.

Example: A staff member marks their assigned workstep as complete. As a result:

  • The status of the project changes.
  • The milestone date is set.
  • The form due date is marked complete.
  • The return status is updated.
  • A notification may be triggered.
  • Dashboards are updated.

Plan Your Project and Workstep Naming Conventions

Plan how you will name and organize your projects and worksteps. You can set some of these conventions in the project template. Some project names will repeat from year to year if they roll forward. When you roll these projects forward, they will retain the same name. You can then choose to rename the new projects, but it is not required.

Use Project Route Sheets

Route sheets outline assignments, notifications, and other key events. They also can define the scope of the work and the steps necessary to complete it. You can set up project types that contain route sheet information to identify general bodies of work and use those to generate route sheets for specific bodies of work. See Using a Route Sheet or Status Tracker for more information.

If you choose not to use projects or route sheets, a basic route sheet appropriate to the type of work being performed will be automatically generated to ensure required events occur.

Use Project Types

Projects and templates are governed by a project type. The type dictates what options are available for statuses, priorities, and complexities, among other elements. The type controls what is required at the template and project level.

You can have different default settings for different project types, such as an audit type versus a tax type.

See Project Setup Hierarchy for more information.

Use Templates

Project templates function as project blueprints. They help ensure that projects are consistent and conform to the same rules and settings. Templates allow you to define default information for projects including dates, roles, forms, frequency, and worksteps.

When you create a project template, you answer a series of customizing questions that allow the template to be designed for your specific needs. Answer as many questions as you can so you can further tailor the project template. Those questions will be used later when you are selecting information for the project template.