What are Smart Projects?

Smart Projects differ from the Classic ones in many ways. They are much more than just a nicer looking version of the XTRF's legacy project management.

Here is a list of the features that distinguish them:

• One-page view for simplicity of the interface
  

• Cutting edge, intuitive UX design
  

• Built in new technologies

• Gantt chart for vendor scheduling

• Cascading requests with job offers

• Seamless CAT Tool integration

• Integration can map 1 multilingual XTRF project to 1 such CAT tool project

• Inline process modification

A Classic Project underlies every Smart Project to let all the modules smoothly work together within one system:

• Client database and access to Client Portal
• Vendor database and access via Vendor Portal

• Invoicing incl. QuickBooks integration

• Opportunities / CRM

• Reporting

For those of you who work in the Classic Projects, here are the things that work differently:

• Customer Portal “Request a quote / Launch a project” button behavior

• No automatic conversion of quote to project or start of a process

• Quotes will need to be approved after the client approves the quote. (Can be set to ‘auto-approve’ after client approves.)

• No equivalent to “client review” step in the classic project workflow where you can enable a client contact access to the job.

• New notifications (a number of them) have been added and there may be issues with localization of their content.

• Tasks and jobs related to Smart Projects redirect to the project page, ie. there are no dedicated task or job pages anymore.

• 1 task per language is possible + 1 language-independent task.

• One smart job is many classic jobs: smart job can be multilingual, classic job is monolingual.

• Processes replace workflows (it is more than just the name!) Workflows cannot be migrated to processes. They need to be set up from scratch.
• Services play a vital role when a client decides to keep and use both, Classic and Smart Projects on their XTRF installation.
• Direct access to files (AKA Synchronize button) is NOT available. And there will be none in the future.
• A new contact person cannot be added on-the-go.
• Adding CAT receivables/Payable is easy, adding non-CAT analysis line items across all languages (DTP, VO, etc.) is currently harder.
• Instruction/notes won’t take text formatting unless written in HTML codes.
• Smart Project has just one source language.
• Smart Projects can be duplicated and duplicated as Smart Quotes. However, Project Templates cannot be used, because they work only with Classic Projects. Even if based on a Smart Project they can only produce a Classic one.
• Currently, only memoQ is an integrated CAT tool.
• TMs and TBs are supported only through memoQ project templates. The native XTRF mechanism for managing Resources does not work.
• Smart Project cannot be deleted individually.

To sum it up:

• It is a project management subsystem that works in parallel to the Classic Projects, not just a better looking layer over the classic ones.

• We want to simplify the interface and removing the less used functionality has been part of the task. So, especially for those who worked with Classic Projects, you may feel something is missing at times.

• But also, it is still a work in progress, so we cannot tell you now, if that feature is gone for good.

• Express your request for a new addition on our Product Development Ideas forum on this platform.

You may want to read more about them in the following series of articles:

• Smart Projects display