Managing developer documentation and direct mail requirements in Workfront

Hi @jenlynmik!

In my last role, we did a ton of Direct Mail projects, and we captured all of the requirements in Workfront using our Custom Form Fields.  We had a handful of different Project Templates based on the specific Direct Mail campaigns that we run monthly or quarterly.  It really helped us tremendously to have the info in Workfront because we could spin up these Projects in minutes and get the work started the same day.  My favorite part was the reporting I could build, having the audience, specs, etc. in the Project, along with the Project data itself.  We kept those project segmented to the small Teams that ran those projects, so the data was only visible if we shared it.

Also, during our last Workfront Collective session, I shared your post with the customers that attended the session to get their thoughts.  We definitely went down a few related rabbit holes, but hopefully some of the ideas might be helpful.

• Skip the Request Queue! If you know Projects are planned, create the project and start adding the information as it develops. 
• In a meeting where Projects are being discussed? Create it during the meeting and add your notes to the Project. 
• Revise your Intake forms on your Request Queues.  What is the bare minimum required to start a project? Design your Custom Forms around that and divide the other sections into fields for Sys Admins or Project Managers or move those sections into a modular Project Template that can be added later. 
  • When revising your Intake Forms, think “Do my users even need to see this?”  (This is great advice for any and all Workfront objects.) 

• You can create modular (or mini) templates to support specific departments, brands, or media types. 
  • Consider the advice above when sharing objects/permissions - what do users need to see and hide the rest. 
• You can create the “One Big Template” with all the tasks, and let your PMs or Fusion customize the Project based on the information provided on the intake form. 
• Make sure you regularly review and update your Templates and provide training to your users on which ones to use when (and how to favorite them)! 
  • Reminder that when creating a Project, users can preview the template to make sure it looks correct. 
• Also, check out Kiersten’s and Jen’s session on Foundations of Project Templates!  

• Build your reports on Template Tasks for consistency and flexibility. 
• Create Exception Reports to determine what is skipped during the intake process. 
  • Monique’s 2023 Skill Exchange session on Onboarding & User Adoption includes her Exception Report.  Her presentation begins at 21:48 and the Exception Report starts at 24:37. 

Search Tip! If you’re looking for recordings of our past events, use the keywords “Event Follow-up" in the search and it should return our posts. 

Hi @jenlynmik, 

Thank you for your question! This is a common one when it comes to teams managing complex workflows across creative, development and direct mail. In the past, I have seen organizations use Workfront for tracking work, collaboration and project visibility, while systems like SharePoint or OneDrive are used for storing supporting documents or reference materials. 

Keeping parts of the workflow inside of Workfront and others outside of Workfront helps prioritize the import work, while allowing teams to collaborate and not clutter projects for other team members. If the information is critical to completing a task or approval, it’s helpful to include a link to it in Workfront so that everyone has the full context.

- Monica