This blog describes a simple but an effective feature that is available in Cloud ALM Project and Task Management application. It is now possible to create and use templates for various task types offered in task management. Template creation is supported for:

• Requirements
• User Stories
• Project tasks
• Defects

Why do we need templates in a project?

Templates offer several advantages in streamlining the project planning and execution. By using templates in a project, you can ensure:

1. Consistency and standardization: Templates promote uniformity across the project and makes it easier for the project team to follow a pre-defined structure to capture project activities.
2. Efficiency: Using templates saves time by allowing a quick replication of a specific task type so that the project team can focus on the specifics rather than the structure of a task. Additionally, templates guide the user to include all the essential information that needs to be captured in specific task types.
3. Facilitating agile practices and improve collaboration: Standardized templates promote the adoption of best practices and common understanding among team members on how the project requirements should be captured and the project tasks needs to be structured. Thus, improving the collaboration and communication within the project team.

How to create and use templates in Cloud ALM for Implementation?

Here is how you can create and use templates in the Tasks application.

Step 1.: Within the Tasks application, use the ‘Create’ option to create a task type you are interested in. Let us pick ‘Requirement’ as an example.

Create a Requirement

Step 2: Provide the details of what needs to be captured in a ‘Requirement’; such as the description of the requirement, acceptance criteria, default priority, dependencies, and any other relevant information. You can specify a dedicated format for capturing the requirement.

Define a structure and format for the template

Step 3: Now you can convert this requirement to a template by checking the box ‘Use this item as template’ and save.

Select the flag to save as a template

Step 4: Once the requirement template is created, it is available for all the team members to be used during requirement creation. The user can choose the template during the creation of a ‘Requirement’ in the Tasks application and can easily follow the structure of the template and capture all the required information.

Choose the template for creating a Requirement

Capture specifics of a requirement

Next Steps:

We encourage you to use this feature and share your insights and experiences with us. Please feel free to leave your feedback in the comments section. You are also welcome to share your requests for blogs on specific topics in project and task management here.