Project Management
Create projects, track progress with Kanban boards, monitor time and budgets, and collaborate with your team
What You'll Learn
- Create and configure projects
- Understand project statuses and lifecycle
- Use the Kanban board for task management
- Track time and budget against project goals
- Collaborate with team members on projects
- View project reports and profitability
1. Creating a Project
Projects can be created manually or automatically when a client accepts a quote. Each project is linked to a client and contains tasks, time entries, expenses, and financial data.
Navigate to Projects
Go to Projects → Create New to start a new project, or let WorkCentral create one automatically when a quote is accepted.
Fill in Project Details
Every project requires some basic information:
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Client | Select from your active clients (required) |
| Project Name | A descriptive name for the project (required) |
| Description | Overview of the project scope and goals (optional) |
| Default Hourly Rate | The billing rate for time tracked on this project (optional, pre-populates on tasks) |
| Budget | Total project budget in dollars (optional, used for budget tracking) |
| Start & End Dates | Expected project timeline (optional) |
Save and Start Working
The project is created in Not Started status. You can immediately add tasks, start tracking time, and log expenses against it.
From Quote to Project
When a quote is accepted, a project is automatically created with the quote's title, client, and budget. Tasks are generated from the quote line items with estimated hours and rates already filled in. See Quote to Project Workflow for the full process.
2. Project Statuses
Projects have a lifecycle that tracks their progress from creation to completion. Most status transitions happen automatically based on task activity.
Default status. All tasks are in the "To Do" column or no tasks exist yet.
At least one task is in progress, in review, or blocked. Auto-updates when tasks move on the board.
All tasks are completed or cancelled. Auto-updates when the last task is done.
Manually set. Pauses auto-status updates until the project is resumed.
Manually set. Terminal status — the project is archived and no longer active.
Auto-Sync
Projects in Not Started, In Progress, or Completed status automatically update based on task board activity. Projects set to On Hold or Cancelled skip auto-updates and must be manually changed.
3. Kanban Board
Every project has a built-in Kanban board for visual task management. Tasks flow through four columns as work progresses.
To Do
Not Started
In Progress
Active Work
Review
Awaiting Review
Done
Completed
Key Kanban Features
- Drag and drop tasks between columns to update their status
- Priority badges (Low, Medium, High, Urgent) on each task card
- Built-in timers you can start, pause, and stop directly from the board
- Block/unblock tasks with reasons when work is stalled
- Progress tracking with hours logged vs. estimated
For a deep dive into all board features, see Kanban Boards & Task Management.
4. Time & Budget Tracking
WorkCentral tracks both time spent and money against your project budget, giving you real-time visibility into project health.
Time Tracking
- • Start timers directly from task cards
- • Log manual time entries for past work
- • View actual hours vs. estimated hours per task
- • Time entries roll up to project totals
Budget Tracking
- • Set a total project budget
- • Track spending from time entries and expenses
- • View budget burn rate and remaining budget
- • Expenses linked to the project reduce the budget
Project Financial Summary
The project detail page shows a financial summary card with:
For detailed timer and time entry documentation, see Time Tracking.
5. Team Collaboration
On the Business plan, you can add team members to your organization and collaborate on projects together.
Team Project Features
- Assign tasks to specific team members from the task creation form or Kanban board
- Track time per person — each team member logs their own time entries
- Role-based permissions control who can create projects, manage tasks, and view financials
- Shared visibility — all team members with project access can see the Kanban board and project progress
Business Plan Feature: Team collaboration requires the Business plan ($36/mo). Solo users on Free and Professional plans can still manage projects — team features like task assignment and shared access are the Business-only additions.
For team setup instructions, see Team Management and Team Collaboration.
6. Project Reports
WorkCentral provides reporting tools to analyze project performance, profitability, and team productivity.
Project Profitability Report
Revenue vs. costs breakdown per project, profit margins, and trends
Time Reports
Hours logged per project, task, and team member with utilization rates
Financial Overview
High-level view of revenue, expenses, and outstanding invoices across all projects
Report Availability by Plan
Basic project summary with current month data.
Full reports with custom date ranges, charts, and PDF/Excel export.
Everything in Professional plus team analytics and cross-project comparisons.
You're Ready to Manage Projects
With WorkCentral's project management tools, you have everything you need to deliver work on time and on budget:
- Create projects manually or from accepted quotes
- Organize work visually with Kanban boards
- Track time and budget in real time
- Analyze profitability with built-in reports