Retrofitting reports and dashboards to sheets

Sing C

I've create a set of sheets for use as templates and would like my team to start using them sooner rather than later. When they "copy down" the templates for their specific projects, is there a way for me to 'cascade' down reports and dashboards that I've created at the template level?

For example, I create a risk log as a template. It is copied for Project A and starts getting used to record risks. I subsequently create a report against my template to show Critical risks (or anything else). If I create a copy of the report in my workspace for Project A how do I get it to 'point at' the risk log for Project A?

It's a process improvement use case. Reports and dashboards will constantly evolve and the desire is to have the consistency across all projects in the portfolio without having to change each instance of each report and dashboard to conform with the template.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Sing Chen

I hope you're well and safe!

Not sure I follow.

As long as you use a folder or workspace with the items, they will be "connected."

If you use workspaces for projects and reference them in the reports, it will show all information as needed.

If you need to add columns and similar to all sheets already created or similar, you should have a look at the premium add-on, Control Center.

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Andrée Starå

Hi @Sing Chen

I hope you're well and safe!

Not sure I follow.

As long as you use a folder or workspace with the items, they will be "connected."

If you use workspaces for projects and reference them in the reports, it will show all information as needed.

If you need to add columns and similar to all sheets already created or similar, you should have a look at the premium add-on, Control Center.

Make sense?

Would that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Sing C

Thanks for the response @Andrée Starå

Some screenshots from a contrived example may better articulate my thoughts. Let's say I have two projects in my program or portfolio and both are setup in their own workspaces like below:

The project managers in my team managing their individual projects will do so as you would expect, keeping things updated as their projects progress, etc.

Let's also assume I've got the assets for each project templated, so if Project C comes along I "save as new" and on we go.

I think there are two questions.

First. If the template for the Risk Log gets updated and subsequent to this change Project C comes along, when I "save as new", the workspace for Project C and the assets will look like Project the workspaces for Project A and Project B. However, Project C is using a newer version of the Risk Log (maybe a new column has been added) and the Critical Risks Report has been updated to display that new column.

The dashboard for Project C will also look different than for Projects A and B because of the new column in one of the reports for Project C and consumers of the dashboard lose the consistency of experience and information.

I'm not sure if there is some recommended best practice for keeping everything synchronised/aligned.

Second question. It could be that I decide to create a report for High Priority CRs and new projects start using that. Can I simply copy this new report into the workspaces for Projects A and B? How does the Project A version of the report know to look at the Project A version of the Change Log?

Not sure if that's made it any clearer. I'm going to do some testing regardless.