Customise your workspace

Your workspace configurations and structure is based on the template you have chosen when creating the workspace. To adjust these settings to your individual needs, go to the Settings tab on the left hand side of your workspace and then click Customisation.

Here, you can configure the following options:

• Activity types
• Activity/Event status
• Task status pattern types
• Participant types
• Cost categories
• General indirect cost rates
• Funding rules
• ID settings

Activity types

Activity types help to classify activities into categories. Activity types are also used to apply funding rules, but can also be used to analyse by activity type, or search and filter your activities by type.

To change the order of the activity types, drag and drop the activity type to the right position.

To create new activity types or to update, delete, duplicate an existing activity type, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new activity type, click  + Add Activity Type underneath the list of existing activity types. Or hover over an existing activity type and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the activity type in the sidebar.

2

Enter or update the activity properties:

• Short: Click the placeholder or existing short at the top and enter/update the short name
• Name: Click into the field and enter/update the name
• Color: Choose a color for the activity type (activities linked to the type are then marked with this color)

3

Click Save Activity Type at the bottom of the sidebar to create or update the activity type.

For existing activity types, you have the option to delete or duplicate them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar.

Activity/Event status

Activity/event status are the options available to define the progress / completion status when posting an update on an activity or event, e.g. Started, Completed, or Achieved.

To change the order of the activity/event status, drag and drop the status to the right position.

To create new activity/event status or to update, delete, duplicate an existing activity/event status, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new status, click + Add Status underneath the list of existing status. Or hover over an existing status and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the status in the sidebar.

2

Enter or update the status properties:

• Name: Click the placeholder or existing short at the top and enter/update the name
• Description: Click into the field and provide a description
• Color: Click a color you wish to see in the Workplan when an activity reaches this status
• This status must be reached: Click the toggle to set that this status must be reached to consider the activity or event completed or reached, e.g Completed or Achieved; you can define more that one status as the one to be reached

3

Click Save Update at the bottom of the sidebar to create or update the status.

For existing statuses, you have the option to delete or duplicate them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar.

Task status pattern types

Task statuses aim to indicate the progress of your workspace tasks, e.g. Open, In work, or Done.

To create a new task status or to update, delete an existing one, follow the instructions below.

Participant types

Participant types help to classify your participants into categories. Participant types are also used to apply funding rules, but can also be used to analyse by participants type, or search and filter your participants by type.

To change the order of the participant types, drag and drop the participant type to the right position.

To create new participant types or to update, delete, duplicate an existing participant type, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new participant type, click + Add Participant Type underneath the list of existing participant types. Or hover over an existing participant type and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the participant type in the sidebar.

2

Enter or update the participant type properties:

• Short: Click the placeholder or existing short at the top and enter/update the short name
• Name: Click into the field and enter/update the name
• Description: Click into the field and provide a description

3

Click Save Participant Type at the bottom of the sidebar to create or update the activity type.

For existing Participant types, you have the option to delete or duplicate them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar. 

Cost categories

Cost categories help to organise budget and expenses into categories. Cost categories are also used to apply funding rules, but can also be used to analyse by cost category, or search and filter your activities by cost categories.

To change the order of the cost categories, drag and drop the category to the right position.

To create new cost categories or to update, delete, duplicate an existing cost categories, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new cost categories, click  + Add Cost Category underneath the list of existing cost categories. Or hover over an existing cost categories and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the cost categories in the sidebar.

2

Enter or update the cost category properties: 

• Short: Click the placeholder or existing short at the top and enter/update the short name
• Name: Click into the field and enter/update the name
• Cost class: Select the cost class from the dropdown: Personnel costs, Other direct costs, or Sub-Contracting
• Type: Click the dropdown and define whether the cost category is based on a unit-rate based or fixed costs
• Tags: Add tags to categorise with any label

3

Click Save Cost Category at the bottom of the sidebar to create or update the activity type.

For existing cost categories, you have the option to delete or duplicate them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar.

General indirect cost rates

You can create a general indirect cost rate at a project level that will be applied to all participants working in a project workspace. Create a specific general indirect cost rate for each cost category or set the same general indirect cost rate for all cost categories. If each participant has a specific indirect cost rate, you can set it in the "Financial Profile" of a participant.

To create a new general indirect cost rate or to update, delete, duplicate an existing one, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new general indirect cost rate, click + Add indirect cost rate underneath the list of existing cost rates. Or hover over an existing general indirect cost rate and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the cost rate in a sidebar.

2

Here in the sidebar, you can create or update the general indirect cost rate:

• Rate (%): Click the blue placeholder and enter/update the rate (you can also set the indirect cost rate by dragging the slider to the left or right)
• Name: Enter/update a name for the general indirect cost rate
• Description (optional): Enter/update a description
• Cost categories: Tick the checkbox for each cost category to which the rate should apply (cost categories can be configured under the cost categories Customisation settings)
Note: Only those cost categories for which no indirect cost rates have yet been defined are offered for this selection.

3

Click Save Cost Rate in the bottom right corner.

Tip: If necessary, repeat the steps until general indirect cost rates are defined for all cost categories.

For existing general indirect cost rates, you have the option to delete or duplicate them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar.

Funding rules

With funding rules you have the option to manage the project funding and set rules on how funding is calculated. The funding is calculated on the basis of a percentage of the budget or expenditure. Rules must be defined to calculate the funding. A funding rule consists of a funding rate (%) that is applied to budget or expenses of relevant activities. Which activities fall under the funding rule is determined by the activity type, participant type, and cost category.

To create new funding rules or to update and delete an existing funding rules, follow the instructions below.

1

To create a new funding rule, click  + Add Funding Rule underneath the list of existing funding rules. Or hover over an existing funding rule and click the "Edit" icon on the right to open the funding rule in the sidebar.

2

Enter or update the funding rule properties:

• Name: Click the placeholder or existing name at the top and enter/update the name
• Participant Type: Select all or a specific organization type from the dropdown
• Activity Type: Select all or a specific activity type from the dropdown
• Cost Category: Select all or a specific cost category from the dropdown
• Funding Direct: Define the percent funding of direct costs
• Funding Indirect: Define the percent funding of indirect costs
• Description: Click into the field and provide a description

3

Click Save Funding Method at the bottom of the sidebar to create or update the funding rule.

For existing funding rules, you have the option to delete them by clicking the action menu at the top right of the sidebar.

ID settings

Numbering convention for activities and events

With ID Settings you can define the numbering conventions of activities and events on every level of your work breakdown structure.

To customise the format of numbering, update the numbering syntax using the available counting variables (described below) and click Save Changes.

Available counting variables:

To add further levels to your work breakdown structure, click + Add Level. 

To delete a level, hover over it and click X on the right (you can only remove the lowest level).

Numbering convention for participants

With ID Settings you can define the numbering conventions of participants on every level of your participants' hierarchical structure.

To customise the format of numbering, update the numbering syntax using the available counting variables (described below) and click Save Changes.

Available counting variables:

To add further levels to your participants' hierarchical structure, click + Add Level. 

To delete a level, hover over it and click X on the right (you can only remove the lowest level).