How to set up a project with phases on iPhone or iPad

To set up a project on iPhone or iPad in Swiftly Workspace, open Projects, tap + and save the new project. On its Phase tab, add a phase and approve it, then add work packages into it. Finally, add the colleague who approves the hours on the Members tab.

Working on a Mac? See how to set up a project on Mac, which also covers tasks. If you are still deciding how to split the work, phases, work packages and tasks explained is the place to start.

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 menu, tap Projects, then Projects. You see your projects.
2. Create the project. Tap the + button at the top. On the Details tab, fill in Project Name, Customer, Project Manager, Approving Manager and Initial Status, and check the dates. Tap the checkmark (VoiceOver: Save project). The sheet stays open, and the other tabs, such as Phase and Members, become available.
3. Add a phase. Open the Phase tab. Next to Phases, tap + (New). In the New Phase sheet, give the phase a name, keep or change the Type and check the currency. Leave Include in financials on. Tap the checkmark (Create phase). The phase appears in the list.
4. Approve the phase. Tap the phase, then the ⋯ button at the top, and choose Submit for Approval. Open ⋯ again and choose Approve.
5. Add work packages. Back on the Phase tab, tap + at the top (VoiceOver: Add Work Package). In the New Work Package sheet, enter a description, the Estimated Hours (more than zero) and the Hourly Rate, and set Billable. Tap the checkmark (Save work package). The work package appears in the Phase → Work Package → Task outline. Repeat for each one.
6. Choose who approves the hours. Open the Members tab. The project manager and the approving manager are already listed. Tap Add, pick the colleague under Select User, turn on Required timesheet approver and tap Add.

On iPhone, the project's tabs appear as a list you go back to between steps. On iPad, they sit in a sidebar inside the same sheet, which makes jumping from Phase to Members one tap. More on working this way in running a business from an iPad.

Why the phase is approved before work packages

On iPhone and iPad, a new work package goes into the project's current phase: the earliest phase approved with Include in financials on. Until a phase is approved, there is nowhere to put it and the work package won't save. Approving the phase in step four gives it a home. If you want to add work packages to a phase that is still a draft, the Mac app lets you add them from inside the phase itself.

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. The switch is offered when you add a member. To mark someone who is already on the project, such as the approving manager, use Edit Member… on a Mac.

What comes next

With the project in place, your team can log time against it. Submitting a timesheet on iPhone or iPad shows that side, and how timesheet approval works covers what the approver does next.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my work package save?

Two common reasons: the project has no approved phase yet, or the estimated hours are zero. Approve a phase as in step four, and give the work package an estimate above zero.

Can I plan a project on iPad and finish it on a Mac?

Yes. It is the same project in the same company, so a phase you add on iPad is there when you open the project on your Mac, where you can also add tasks to each work package.

Which fields does a new project need?

A name, a customer, a project manager, an approving manager and a status. The end date can't be before the start date.