In this article, we will review the main functionality of the Process Management feature in PPM Express.
Each Project in PPM Express has an associated process. When a new project is created, a process is selected and applied immediately. If no process is manually chosen, the system will automatically apply the default process.
Different projects can utilize different processes, meaning each project may have a unique set of phases and stages, providing greater customization and flexibility.
Managing Processes in PPM Express
Each PPM Express tenant includes at least one project process. Administrators can review and edit this list by clicking the gear icon and selecting Process Management.
On the Process Management page, the following default processes are available for both Enterprise & Enterprise Ultra Plans:
- By default, only "Project Process (PMI)" is created when the tenant is set up.
- Users can clone and create new processes.
- If demo data is deployed, "Stage-Gate Process" and "PMI Demonstration Process" will also be created.
- Total: 1–3 out-of-the-box (OOB) processes.
"Project Process (PMI)" is set as the default process for all new tenants.
To add a new process to the tenant, click "New". Use filters to refine the process list for easier navigation.
The following actions can be performed on a process:
- Deactivate
- View Related Projects
- Set as Default
- Edit
- Delete
- Clone
Process Dashboard (Details and Stages)
When a process is opened, the Process Page is displayed. This page consists of two sections:
- Details
- Stages
In the Details section, you can:
- Rename the process
- Change its status(Active, Inactive, Draft)
- Add a description
The status determines whether a process is available for selection in projects:
- Draft → Not visible in the Project Process selection field and cannot be assigned to projects.
- Active → Visible in the Project Process selection field and can be assigned to projects.
- Inactive → Not visible in the Project Process selection field and cannot be assigned to projects.
From the ellipsis menu on the right, you can perform the following:
- Set the process as default (only an active process can be set as default)
- Clone the process
- Delete the process (Note: A process that is already assigned to projects cannot be deleted (except for the process assigned to the Archived projects).)
Stages & Phases
Each Project Process consists of 7 phases, and each phase includes multiple stages.
To manage process phases, open the Process page and go to the Configure Process Phases panel.
You can customize process phases by adding, editing, deleting, and rearranging them to match your workflow.
To create a Process Phase, perform the following:
1. Click New Process Phase below the list of existing phases.
2. In the Create Process Phase panel, fill in the required fields:
- Process Phase Name: Enter a name for the phase.
- Color: Select a color using the color picker.
- Save the phase.
Each new phase automatically includes one stage with the same name as the phase and the following default settings:
- Layout: Empty
- Approval for Transition: No Approval
- Project State: In Progress
You can change the order of process phases by dragging and dropping them into the desired position.
The system phases Suspended and Canceled always remain at the end of the list. They cannot be moved, and no other phases can be placed between or after them.
To edit a Process Phase, hover over the phase you want to modify and click Edit. In the Configure Process Phase panel, update the phase name or color. Click Save Process Phase to apply your changes.
To delete a Process Phase, hover over the phase you want to remove. Click Delete. In the confirmation dialog, confirm the deletion.
The following restrictions apply when configuring process phases:
- Suspended and Canceled are system phases and cannot be deleted or reordered.
- A process must always contain at least two phases, excluding Suspended and Canceled.
- When only two configurable phases remain, the Edit and Delete options are no longer available for those phases.
- Process phases cannot be configured once the process is used in a project.
You can create new stages and move them between phases using drag-and-drop.
You can perform the following actions with stages:
- Rename stages.
- Change their color.
- Select a phase for the open stage.
- Add a description.
- Choose a layout (determines how project sections appear on the project dashboard when this process and stage are used).
- Configure Approval for Transition
By default, "No Approval" is set.
Standard Approval option can be used to set up approvals for project stages. For more details, please refer to this article: 'Configuring Standard Approvals for stages'.
If an API feature is enabled for the tenant, API-based approvals can be configured. This determines whether approval is required to transition from this stage to the next one. For API-based approvals, an external approval workflow must be created. - Select Project State (This is a read-only project field connected to the project stage. It is automatically filled when the project stage is selected.)
Stages always follow a sequential order.
Clicking the ellipsis button next to each stage provides the following actions:
- Edit
- Move Up/Down
- Clone
- Delete
A Flow Chart view is available for the Stages section. From this view, you can add new stages and configure phases.
The Process Approvals view allows you to assign approvers to process stages. For more details, please refer to this article: Configuring standard approvals for project stages.
Once you've configured the process and stages, change the process Status to Active to use it in projects.