How to set up a project with phases on Mac

To set up a project on a Mac in Swiftly Workspace, open Projects, click + and fill in the new project. Then add a phase on the project's Phase tab, add work packages and tasks inside it, and mark who approves the hours on the Members tab.

Each level opens in a window of its own, so you can keep the project, a phase and a work package side by side. On iPhone or iPad? See how to set up a project on iPhone or iPad. New to the three levels? Phases, work packages and tasks explained covers the thinking behind them.

Before you start

• The customer exists. Every project belongs to a customer you pick from a list.
• Your colleagues have joined the company. You choose a project manager and an approving manager from its members.

Set up a project in six steps

1. Open the list. In the sidebar, click Projects, then Projects in the next column. You see your projects.
2. Create the project. In the toolbar, click + (Add Project). In the New Project window, fill in Project Name, Customer, Project Manager, Approving Manager and Status, and check the start and end dates. Click the checkmark (Create project). The project opens in its own window.
3. Add a phase. In the project window's sidebar, click Phase, then + in the toolbar (New Phase). Give the phase a Name, pick a Type and check the Currency, then click the checkmark (Create). The same window now shows the phase, with an Overview and a Work Packages tab.
4. Add work packages. Click Work Packages, then + in the toolbar (Add Work Package). In the New Work Package window, enter a description, the Estimated Hours (more than zero) and the Hourly Rate, and set Billable. Click the checkmark (Create). The window becomes the work package, and its Budgeted Amount follows from hours and rate.
5. Break it into tasks. In the work package window, click Tasks, then + (Add Task). In the New Task window, give the task a Name, a Status and its Planned Hours, then click the checkmark (Create). Repeat for each task.
6. Choose who approves the hours. Back in the project window, click Overview, then Members. The project manager and the approving manager are already listed. Double-click the person who will sign off timesheets (or right-click and choose Edit Member…), turn on Required timesheet approver and click Save.

Step six matters when your company requires timesheet approval, which is the default: hours on a project without a required approver can't be submitted. If approval is switched off for your company, the switch doesn't appear and you can skip the step.

Tips for a plan that holds

• Name phases after what the client signs off, such as Concept, Design and Build, so a status update reads naturally.
• Price at the work package level. Estimated hours times the hourly rate gives each work package its budgeted amount, which is the number to compare with your quote. Our guide to tracking a project budget picks up from there.
• Add tasks where they earn their keep: shared work, long work, or work you want to schedule.
• Pick the logging level. The project's Time-entry granularity setting decides whether people log hours on a phase, a work package or a task.

What comes next

With the structure in place, your team can log time against it. Filling in and submitting a timesheet on Mac shows the other side of the flow, and how timesheet approval works explains what the approver sees.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I save the new project?

A project needs a name, a customer, a project manager, an approving manager and a status, and the end date can't be before the start date. The checkmark shows what is missing when you click it.

Can a project have more than one phase?

Yes. Click + on the Phase tab again for each stage of the work. Each phase has its own work packages.

Does a work package need an hour estimate?

Yes. Every work package needs an estimate above zero, because its budgeted amount is hours times rate. Put in your best guess; you can change it later.

Who can be a required timesheet approver?

Any member of the project. Many teams pick the approving manager, but a project can have several required approvers when more than one person should sign off.