Project Management Fundamentals

Overview

Projects are the foundation of Corcava's work organization system. Every piece of work, from simple tasks to complex campaigns, is organized within projects that connect to your clients, team members, and business processes. Understanding how projects work is essential for maximizing your team's productivity and maintaining clear client relationships.

Projects Overview

What is a Project?

A Project in Corcava is a container that organizes all work related to a specific client engagement, internal initiative, or business objective. Projects serve as the central hub that connects:

Client relationships - Link work directly to your clients
Team collaboration - Assign team members and manage access
Work organization - Contain boards, tasks, and activities
Time tracking - Capture billable and non-billable hours
Financial management - Track budgets and generate invoices

Core Project Properties

Every project includes these essential elements:

Required Information:

Project Name - Clear, descriptive title (up to 255 characters)
Team Assignment - Automatically assigned to your current team
Project Owner - The user who created the project (you)

Optional Information:

Description - Detailed project overview (up to 5,000 characters)
Client Association - Link to a specific client (can be changed later)
Billable Status - Whether time tracking should be billable by default
Team Members - Specific users assigned to work on this project

Project Benefits

✅ Centralized Organization - All project-related work in one place
✅ Client Transparency - Clear connection between work and clients
✅ Team Coordination - Controlled access and collaboration
✅ Time Tracking - Automatic time capture for billing
✅ Progress Visibility - Clear overview of project status
✅ Historical Records - Complete project lifecycle documentation

Project Hierarchy

Understanding how projects fit into Corcava's organizational structure helps you work more effectively and maintain clear relationships between different elements.

Organizational Structure

Team (Organization)
├── Clients
│   ├── Contacts
│   └── Projects ← Connected to specific clients
└── Projects ← Can exist without client assignment
    ├── Project Boards (Kanban boards)
    │   ├── Columns (workflow stages)
    │   └── Tasks (individual work items)
    ├── Time Intervals (tracked work)
    ├── Bill Rates (client billing rates)
    └── Team Members (assigned users)

Key Relationships

Team Level:

All projects belong to your team/organization
Team settings control project visibility and permissions
Team members can be assigned to multiple projects

Client Connections:

Projects can be linked to specific clients (optional)
Client association enables automatic billing and invoicing
Multiple projects can serve the same client
Projects can exist without client assignment (internal projects)

User Assignments:

Project owners have full control over their projects
Team members can be assigned to specific projects
User roles determine what actions are possible within projects
Permissions can be customized per project

Work Organization:

Each project can contain multiple boards (different workflows)
Boards contain columns that represent workflow stages
Tasks are the individual work items within columns
Time tracking happens at the task and project level

Project Lifecycle

Projects in Corcava follow a complete lifecycle that supports both active work and long-term record keeping.

1. Project Creation

Creating a New Project:

Navigate to Projects - Go to the main Projects section
Click "Create Project" - Start the project creation process
Enter Project Details:
- Name (required) - Choose a clear, descriptive name
- Description (optional) - Add project overview and objectives
- Client (optional) - Select from your existing clients
- Billable Status (optional) - Set default billing behavior
Assign Team Members (optional) - Add users who will work on this project
Save Project - Create the project and begin organizing work

Automatic Setup:

Project owner is automatically set to the creator
Team assignment happens automatically
Basic permissions are configured based on user roles
Project is immediately available for board and task creation

2. Active Project Management

During Active Work:

Board Creation:

Create Kanban boards to organize different workflows
Set up columns that match your team's process
Configure board-specific settings and permissions

Team Collaboration:

Add or remove team members as needed
Assign specific users to tasks and activities
Manage permissions and access levels

Work Organization:

Create and manage tasks within boards
Track time spent on project activities
Upload files and maintain project documentation
Monitor progress and completion rates

Client Communication:

Share project progress through the client portal
Generate reports and status updates
Maintain transparency with automatic activity tracking

3. Project Completion

Finishing a Project:

When project work is complete, you have several options:

Keep Active:

Leave project active for ongoing maintenance
Continue time tracking for support activities
Maintain client access through portal

Archive Project:

Move project to archived status
Preserve all data and history
Remove from active project lists
Maintain ability to restore if needed

4. Archive Management

Archived Projects:

Archiving provides clean organization while preserving important data:

What Happens When Archived:

✅ Project removed from active lists
✅ All data preserved (tasks, time, files, comments)
✅ Historical reports remain available
✅ Client portal access is maintained
✅ Time tracking is disabled
✅ New tasks cannot be created

Archive Benefits:

Clean up active project lists
Maintain professional organization
Preserve complete project history
Enable easy restoration if needed

Restoration Process:

Navigate to Project Archives
Find the archived project
Click "Restore" to return to active status
All functionality returns immediately

Project Permissions & Access Control

Corcava's role-based permission system ensures that team members have appropriate access to projects while maintaining security and organization.

User Roles & Project Access

Superadmin

✅ Full access to all projects
✅ Can create, edit, delete any project
✅ Can assign users to any project
✅ Can modify project permissions
✅ Access to all project data and reports

Organization Manager

✅ Full access to all team projects
✅ Can create and manage projects
✅ Can assign team members to projects
✅ Can archive and restore projects
✅ Access to comprehensive project reporting

Sales Manager

✅ Can view and manage assigned projects
✅ Can create projects for their clients
✅ Can assign team members to their projects
✅ Limited to projects they own or are assigned to
✅ Can generate client reports and updates

Sales Representative

✅ Can create projects for their clients
✅ Can manage projects they own
✅ Limited access to assigned projects only
✅ Can collaborate on shared projects
✅ Can track time and create tasks

Project Viewer (Client Users)

✅ Can view assigned projects through client portal
✅ Can see project progress and completed work
✅ Can access time reports and invoices
✅ Can participate in project chat/communication
❌ Cannot create or modify projects
❌ Cannot access internal project management tools

Regular User

✅ Can view and work on assigned projects
✅ Can create tasks and track time
✅ Can collaborate within assigned projects
❌ Cannot create new projects
❌ Cannot assign other users to projects

Permission Levels

Project-Level Permissions:

Full Control:

Create, edit, and delete projects
Manage project settings and configuration
Assign and remove team members
Archive and restore projects
Access all project data and reports

Collaboration Access:

View assigned projects
Create and manage tasks within projects
Track time and add project notes
Upload files and participate in discussions
Generate basic progress reports

View-Only Access:

See project information and progress
View completed work and time reports
Access shared files and documentation
Participate in project communication
Cannot modify project structure or settings

Managing Project Access

Assigning Users to Projects:

Open Project Settings - Navigate to the specific project
Access User Management - Find the team/user assignment section
Add Team Members:
- Select users from your team
- Choose their role/permission level
- Set project-specific access rights
Configure Permissions:
- Determine what actions users can perform
- Set visibility levels for project information
- Configure client portal access if applicable
Save Changes - Apply the new user assignments

Best Practices for Project Permissions:

✅ Principle of Least Privilege - Give users only the access they need
✅ Regular Review - Periodically audit project access and remove unnecessary permissions
✅ Clear Role Definition - Ensure team members understand their project responsibilities
✅ Client Separation - Keep client projects separate and secure
✅ Documentation - Maintain records of who has access to what projects

Security Considerations

Data Protection:

All project data is encrypted and secure
User access is logged and auditable
Client information is protected and isolated
File uploads are scanned and secured
Regular backups ensure data preservation

Access Control:

Multi-factor authentication available for enhanced security
Session management prevents unauthorized access
Role-based permissions prevent privilege escalation
Team isolation ensures data separation
Regular security updates maintain protection

Getting Started with Your First Project

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Create Your Project

Go to Projects → Create Project
Enter a descriptive project name
Add a brief description of the work
Select the client (if applicable)
Set billable status if time tracking is needed

Step 2: Set Up Your Team

Add team members who will work on this project
Assign appropriate roles and permissions
Communicate project goals and expectations

Step 3: Organize the Work

Create your first project board
Set up columns that match your workflow
Start creating tasks for the work to be done

Step 4: Begin Collaboration

Assign tasks to team members
Start tracking time on project activities
Use comments and file sharing for collaboration

Common Project Patterns

Client Work Projects:

Link to specific client for billing
Enable time tracking for accurate invoicing
Set up client portal access for transparency
Create boards that match client deliverables

Internal Projects:

No client assignment needed
Focus on team collaboration and task management
Use for company initiatives, training, or development
Track time for internal cost analysis

Campaign Projects:

Organize by campaign phases or deliverables
Multiple boards for different campaign aspects
Team assignments based on expertise areas
Time tracking for campaign ROI analysis

Next Steps

Now that you understand project fundamentals, you're ready to explore:

Project Boards - Learn how to create and manage Kanban boards
Task Management - Discover advanced task organization and collaboration
Team Collaboration - Master team coordination and communication
Time Tracking Integration - Connect project work with accurate billing

Remember: Projects are the foundation of everything you do in Corcava. Taking time to set them up properly will pay dividends in organization, efficiency, and client satisfaction throughout your project lifecycle.