Another week, another update to Project-Extranet

Ok so it’s not the most glamorous number in the world, but none-the-less Project-Extranet v3.0.15 is now live! A tiara wearing release number it may not be, but as well as a host of little improvements and fixes, v3.0.15 does contain a new and interesting feature, one that has been often requested, and might benefit you too.

As you may know, when you click on a Project you are taken initially to the Project Summary screen. This aggregates all the information from the various Extranet Apps used in the Project, such as calendar, documents, contacts, as well as any bespoke Extranet Apps you may be running. It looks like this:

Project Summary

For rich collaborative extranet projects this works well, but there are a number of cases where you are using just one, or maybe two, Extranet Apps in certain Projects. There are other cases where, although you are using a number of Extranet Apps, it makes more sense to use, for example, Documents, as the starting page for a Project.

Well this is now possible. Your Extranet now has a new feature that allows you set the default starting page for each Project.

You can now set the default app via Project Settings > Project Apps

You can set any Extranet App to be the starting point for a Project. So for example, if you have setup a client a login so they can view their invoices, you have probably made a Project that includes the Document App. You may also have included the Calendar, to record payments, contract dates etc, and let’s say for the point of argument, the Notes App, maybe to keep a copy of purchase orders etc.

So the Project has all those features, but really the main thing you want your client to be able to do is view a list of all the invoices (that they should be paying you) and so it makes sense to set the default App for this Project to be Documents. It keeps things easy for them.

Another example is if you a photographer and want a way of using the Extranet to distribute photos to clients. Project-Extranet has a lovely Photo’s App included and you can now set that as the default App. Now when your clients login from your website to see their photo’s (wedding, event etc) they get taken straight to their private Project page where they are all presented for them to view.

Give your customers now excuse not to pay you by creating an
accountancy project for them. Set the default app to documents

Photographers give your clients a preview of their Photo's.
Create a photography project and set the Photo's App as the default app.
Once they have paid you, you can upload their final files to the Documents App, what a great way to do business!
And as you can see you can brand the Extranet so it fits seamlessly with your website.

Templates
In Project-Extranet you can of course create templates. These can be use as the basis for creating your Projects. The default app works here as well. Simply create, or edit, your templates, in the usual way (via Settings > Templates) and set the default App.

Templates can be used to create a list of common project configurations meaning
you don't have to start from scratch for each Project.

Now when you go to create your new Project it will already have the default app set correctly, and as you can see from the screenshot below, gives you and your team the option for many basic project types.

That’s all for now folks. Don’t forget to come and like us on facebook, follow us on twitter or visit the website and the blog. So many ways to stay in touch!

Gerry
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