How to create a workflow template?
TL;DR: Create workflow templates by uploading an Excel file or building them manually in the Projects app. Templates define tasks, assignees, required project statuses, and dates so that no necessary task is missed.
Who can do this
Company owners and main users by default
Regular company members can also create templates if enabled in the Projects app settings
Overview
Creating company-specific project workflow templates ensures that no necessary task is missed and all tasks are completed on time. There are two ways to add workflow templates in Uku:
Upload a workflow template from an Excel file
Create the template manually within Uku
How to upload a workflow template from Excel
Prepare your workflow template in an Excel file. You can find sample files here.
Navigate to the Templates menu.
Click Upload template.
In the upload window, drag and drop the file or select it from your computer.
Once uploaded, the template appears in your list along with the upload date and time.
Managing uploaded templates
Click the three-dot menu next to any template to access these options:
Rename the template
Duplicate it
Delete it
How to create the template manually
Open the Templates tab in the Projects app. You can also use Uku's pre-created templates as a starting basis by clicking on them.
Click + Add to create a new workflow template.
Give the template a descriptive name.
Choose whether to base it on an existing template or start from scratch.
For each task added to the template, define the following:
Task title -- the name of the task
User -- assign to a member, group, or member role (defaults to the member)
Required project status -- defines what the project status must be for the task to appear on the dashboard
Start/Due Date -- choose which project date value the task relates to
Setting the required project status
The Required project status field controls when tasks appear on team members' dashboards based on where the project is in your workflow.
For each task in your template, set the Wait until project status field.
Choose which status the project must reach for this task to become visible.
Tasks only appear on dashboards when the project reaches that status.
As you update the project status, different tasks automatically appear for team members.
Once you have saved the workflow template, you can add a project.
Note: You can add dependencies to tasks within the template. Read more about task dependencies here.
How does updating a workflow template work?
A workflow template can always be changed. By default, when saving changes to the workflow template, all projects are updated except for archived ones. Changes are applied to all new tasks in the project.
Before saving changes, the system displays all projects where this workflow template has been used. If necessary, you can remove a project from the list so the changes will not apply to it.
Important: Updating a template affects all active projects using it. Review the project list carefully before confirming your changes.
Troubleshooting
Tasks from the template are not appearing on dashboards. Check the Required project status setting on each task. Tasks only appear when the project reaches the specified status.
The + Add button is not visible in the Templates tab. Your account may not have permission to create templates. Ask a company owner or main user to enable template creation for regular members in the Projects app settings.
Excel upload fails or template appears empty. Ensure the Excel file follows the correct format. Download a sample file and verify your columns match the expected structure.
Template changes did not apply to an existing project. When saving template edits, verify the project was included in the update list. Archived projects are excluded from updates by default.