Mastering Coordinate: Step-by-Step Guide on Project Lists, Tagging, and Custom Fields

Managing multiple projects can be a daunting task. However, using features such as Project Lists, Tagging, and Custom Fields in Coordinate can help make your project management process more effective and efficient. This blog post breaks down the process into an easy-to-follow guide.

Step 1: Understand the Project List

Upon opening Coordinate, you'll find the Project List, a powerful tool that gives you a glimpse of all the projects present in your system. You can filter these projects based on various criteria. You can choose to view all projects or just your own. You can also sort them by status or any other filter available. In this guide, we will be focusing on two hypothetical projects to illustrate the functionalities.

Step 2: Setting Up Project Tags

Project tags are a convenient way to categorize your projects. To create tags:

Navigate to the settings menu and select "Tags."
Here, you can add tags based on various dimensions relevant to your business, such as customer type (enterprise, small business, etc.), geographical location (USA, Europe, etc.), product type (Product A, Product B), and more.

These tags, once created, can be applied to your projects from the Project List. For instance, one of your projects could be tagged as 'USA,' 'Product A,' and 'SMB,' based on the customer's location, the product they bought, and their categorization. You can do this for all your projects as needed.

What's particularly powerful about tags is their ability to filter projects. Simply click on a tag, and it will automatically apply a filter to show only the projects that match that criteria. If you wish to see all projects again, you can clear your filters.

Note that tags can also be used to categorize tasks or goals within a project, but we won't delve into that in this post.

Step 3: Harness the Power of Custom Fields

In addition to the default fields available in Coordinate, you can also create Custom Fields to capture data relevant to your specific processes.

To create a Custom Field:

Click on "Add Custom Fields" in your Project List.
You'll be presented with the option to add fields that suit your needs. These could range from a checkbox to track if a customer has paid, to a text string to keep a record of internal next steps.

Once these Custom Fields are created, you can add them to your Project List table. These fields will provide additional, customized data at a glance, making your Project List a versatile tool tailored to your needs.

For instance, you might mark a checkbox in a custom field named 'Payment Status' to indicate that a customer has paid. In a text field labeled 'Next Steps,' you could note, "Set up meeting with Bob to discuss blank."

Step 4: Access and Use Custom Fields Elsewhere

Your Custom Fields aren't just limited to your Project List. They can be accessed in other places as well.

If you go into a project and click on the "Info" tab, you'll see a page only visible to your team. Here, along with tags and additional information, you'll find your Custom Fields. This versatility makes Custom Fields an excellent tool for keeping your team informed and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Conclusion