For when your projects aren't being created automatically via "accepting a project", you can add a project directly from the project dashboard's quick actions menu (Projects -> Dashboard -> Add a Project), or from the New Project menu shortcut (Projects -> New Project)

Adding a new project in WorkGuru requires to sets of information, details and line items:

New Project Details

Fill in the following project fields, WorkGuru will prompt any required fields are missed:

  • Project No - Unique project reference.  Leave blank to pick up the next automatic number in the sequence or enter a custom reference if required.
  • Project Name - Project name.
  • Description - Project description
  • Project Group - Assign the project to an existing project group.
  • Start Date - Date project is scheduled to start.
  • Due Date - Date project is expected to finish.
  • Project Manager - Staff member responsible for the project as a project or account manager.
  • Warehouse - Select which warehouse the project should draw it stock from.  If left blank it will default to the staff members setting.  Can also be used via the Kiosk to refine projects to a particular location.
  • Reporting Category - If Xero reporting categories have been enabled, WorkGuru will display this field.
  • Currency/Exchange Rate - Select invoice currency and over-ride currency and default exchange rate. if required.
  • Client - Select the project's client from the dropdown or click the Add Client button to add a new client if not in the current address book.
  • Billing Client - If you are invoicing a different client to the project client, select from this dropdown.  The billing client must already exist in the WorkGuru client list.
  • Client Purchase Order - Enter the client's purchaser order or reference that approved or authorised the project.
  • Client Contact - Project contact.
  • Asset -  If this project is related to an asset, select it from the dropdown or add a new asset using the Add Asset button.  Note:  This dropdown will display a list of assets that are setup in WorkGuru assigned to the selected project client.
  • Project Status - Select the current project status.
  • Project PhasesEnter project phase names to group tasks and product lines.
  • Add Template to Project - Select a project templates to add a pre-defined combination of tasks and/or products to quickly populate a project's line items.
  • Delete Empty Rows - Shortcut to remove all blank project lines before saving.

New Project Line Items

Next step is to add the line items to build the project. These line items consist of a combination of Tasks and Products which can be flagged as billable or non-billable as required.   Line items can be added to a project in the following ways:  

  • Individually per line
  • Project template
  • Added in bulk.

Per Line

Adding Tasks - You can search for your tasks setup in the WorkGuru Tasks database here. Search fro and select the relevant task (blue arrow) to add and you can further modify the following fields both shown inline in the row and expanded using the blue plus icon (red arrow). You can add multiple tasks as required using the Add Task button. The project will also display the tasks specific cost total.

  • Name - Selected task name
  • Phase - Select the phase from the dropdown to assign the task line to. Note: Only available if a phase has been entered in the project details.
  • Cost - Task cost rate per hour
  • Quantity - Forecast number of hours required
  • Sell Price - Billable price rate per hour.
  • Billable - Toggle if the line item is billable or not.  Note: Non-billable (unticked) line items do not display on invoices, but the forecast and actual timesheet costs still accrues on the project.
  • Total - Displays billable total line item amount (Quantity x Sell Price).
  • Task Line Details - Click the blue plus icon to expand the task line to access.
    • Description - Task description/details.
    • Project Phase - Assign the phase of the project this task is part of.
    • Tax Type - Tax status of line item (defaults to the task setting or default sales tax mapping).
    • Tax Amount - Displays tax amount of this task.
    • Cost Multiplier - Multiplies the user cost rate for any timesheets added to this task.
    • Start Date - Scheduled task start date
    • End Date - Scheduled expected task finish date.
    • Staff Allocation - Search for and add staff responsible for this task.  Display is dependant on the staff or task rate setting.
      • Staff - Display allocated staff name.
      • Hours - Allocate individual staff hours
      • Rate - Update hourly staff rate
    • Staff Team - Bulk add multiple staff to the task via pre-defined teams.
  • Invoice by Staff Rates? - Toggle between quoting based on the task rate or the allocated staff rates

Adding Products - You can search for the products setup in the WorkGuru products database, using either the SKU or the product Name.  You also have the ability to add ad-hoc line items (not in the Product database), by not selecting a database item if all the basic fields are filled out when prompted.   You can add multiple products as required using the Add Product button. The project will also display the product cost totals.

  • SKU - Stock Keeping Unit, or product code.
  • Name - Product name
  • Phase - Select the phase from the dropdown to assign the product line to. Note: Only available if a phase has been entered in the project details.
  • Cost - Forecast product cost.
  • Quantity - Number of products required
  • Discount% - Percentage discount off sell price.
  • Sell Price - Forecast product sell price
  • Billable - Toggle if the line item is billable or not.  Note: Non-billable (unticked) line items do not display on invoices, but the forecast and actual product costs still accrues on the project.
  • Line Total - Billable total line item amount (Quantity x Sell Price)
  • Product Details - Click the blue plus icon to expand the product line to access
    • Description - Product description/details. (Optional)
    • Tax Type - Tax status of line item (defaults to the product setting or default sales tax mapping).
    • Tax Amount - Displays tax amount of the product.
  • Project Phase - Assign the phase of the project this product is part of.

Project Templates

Project Templates let you add a pre-defined combination of Tasks and/or Products to easily populate a project minimising data entry.  The steps to a setup a Project Template are here.   To add a project template to the project, click the Add Template To Project button and select the relevant template or templates from the popup.  Edit the applied template task and product lines as required for the project.


Bulk Add Lines

You can also add tasks and products to the project via a spreadsheet upload template.  This is very advantageous if you already have an external quoting tool that calculates costings for you.    To bulk add lines, click the Bulk Add Tasks+ and Bulk Add Prodcuts+ buttons and select the import files when prompted.


Once the Task and Products have been added to the project, you can check the individual task and product cost totals and the overall project totals with the forecast profitability in total profit and gross profit percentage.

When the project information is complete, click Save Project to save the project, Save and Continue Editing is handy to ensure you don't lose an changes if your browser closes while editing.