This guide is meant to be used to update the basic sections required in each Hive project to match the standardization set by the PMO Manager of the Project management Office. It does not encompass all the updating ability that Hive offers but focuses on the items specific to Goettl. If it is not in this guide, please speak with the PMO Manager prior to making any other changes.

However, if you would like to know more about Hive, it’s features, or how to update even more not covered in this guide, feel free to review any of the following external links:

4. Hive University - https://university.hive.com/
5. Hive Zoom Webinars - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_igKM-zn1SHmEpgCLWCJTIA#/registration
6. Hive YouTube Videos - https://www.youtube.com/c/HiveForTeams
7. Hive Help & FAQs - https://help.hive.com/en/ 

Please note that prior to managing a project in Hive, it must have the Goettl PMO Standard set up configured. You can learn more on how to standardize Goettl projects in Hive in this internally hosted document: Hive Project Configuration .pdf. It should also be noted that only the resource indicated as the Project Manager should be updating most sections of the Hive Project Record, unless it is an action (task). Project team members with access to Hive may add, edit, or complete project tasks within the Project Record.

PROJECT ACTIONS (TASKS) SECTION

Project Tasks are referred to as Actions in Hive. An Action is a line items that must be completed as a part of the project. It is associated with an item required to be completed or a milestone achieved before a project can be closed. Actions have a responsible person or persons who are assigned to complete the action by a due date set in the project timeline.

At its core, an Action is made up of the following high-level items:

7. Title
8. Description
9. Status
10. Labels
11. Due Date
12. Responsible
13. Priority

However, a Project Manager may choose to have a more granular focus on actions and have the ability to link actions to other related projects, set dependencies on other actions, add attachments (such as requirements for an action, flow charts, or other important information), add notes, or comments on a per action basis. Actions can also have a start and end date.

HOW TO ADD A PROJECT ACTION 

To add an Action to a project, first make sure you are on the Project Record page. 

1. Then in the top right corner of the page, click the blue New button. 

1. This will display a drop-down. 

2. Click the Action option in the drop-down.

1. A blank Action pop up will appear.

3. Enter the following information at a minimum into the new Action:

1. Title – The high-level name of the Action/Task
2. Description – Identifying information to explain what the Action consist of
3. Responsible – The direct person responsible for this action to be completed.
4. Priority Level – The priority of the action should be set in this drop-down if the project relies on Actions being completed by priority.
5. Assignee – If the person adding the Action is not also the person marked as Responsible, then this field must be updated. Click your name under Assignee to display a list of users.

1. If the user is in Hive and selectable in the list, select their name. Otherwise, the default selection should be Unassigned.

4. Unless further options are needed, this Action is now created. Click the X in the top right of this box and observe the Action in your Action Table.

Further Action options can be found in this document in their respective How-To sections.

HOW TO EDIT A PROJECT ACTION

To edit an Action, first be on the Project Record page. 

1. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
2. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

3. The Action pop-up will appear.
4. Edit sections as needed.
5. Click the X in the top right of this box and observe the Action updated in your Action Table.
   

HOW TO COMPLETE A PROJECT ACTION

There are three ways to complete an Action. 

The first:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. Observe the white circle with a check mark in it on the Action line.

4. Click the circle.
5. The Action is now marked as Completed.

The Second:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. Double-click the box in the Status column to reveal Status options.

4. Click Completed in these options.
5. The Action is now marked as Completed.

The Third:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. To the right of Action pop-up, click the option under Status to reveal Status options.

6. Selected Completed in this drop-down list.
7. Click the X in the top right of this box and observe the Action as Completed in your Action Table.
   

HOW TO SCHEDULE A MEETING FROM AN ACTION

If you have an action that requires a meeting to be set to discuss, this can be done directly from Hive.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. In the bottom right corner, click Schedule Meeting.

6. A web version of Microsoft Outlook will open directly to a New Event window.

7. Invite attendees, select the meeting time and date, and edit the information as needed.
8. Click Send
9. You have now sent a Meeting Invite associated with an Action.
   

HOW TO ADD A START AND/OR END DATE TO AN ACTION

An Action due date should be added when adding an Action. However, if this was not completed or needs to be updated, these steps will show you how to do so. At its core, only an end date is required to be added to an Action. However, you can also track start dates as well.

There are two ways to update/add a Due Date to an Action.

The First (allows you to set a start date as well):

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. On the right-hand side of the Action pop-up, under Date click either Add Date or the date currently displaying, depending on what is there. A calendar pop-up will appear.

6. Select the Due Date in the calendar.

1. If a Start Date is required, click Add a Start Date to display two calendars for both Start and End Date to select.

7. Click Close and observe that date(s) available.

The Second:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. In the Due Date column, double-click the field (which may be empty or have an existing date, depending on prior setup.)
4. A calendar pop-up will appear.

5. Select the Due Date and observe the Action’s date is now updated.
   

HOW TO ADD AN ACTION DEPENDACY

Adding a dependency will give a visual representation of what needs to be completed prior to an Action being able to be worked on/completed itself. In high-level reporting, this also indicates which Actions are blocked by other Actions to allow for better project road mapping.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Find the Dependencies section and click on the + sign next to it. This will give an Add Dependency popup. 

6. Find the Action you wish to link in the list or use the search bar. 
7. Click the Action once found.
8. Click the Add button in the bottom right corner.
9. Observe the Dependency has been added to the Action.

As seen in the above example, you may add multiple dependencies to an Action, although must be added one at a time.

HOW TO ADD AN ATTACHMENT TO AN ACTION

Attachments can be added directly to an Action.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Find the Attachments section and click on the + sign next to it. This will give a popup to select where to upload the Attachment from.

6. Make your selection and upload the Attachment to the record.
7. Observe the file is now attached to the Action.
   

HOW TO ADD A NOTE TO AN ACTION

To add a Note to an Action, it must first be created in the project record. This is covered in the How to add Project Notes to a Project section of this document.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Find the Notes section and click on the + sign next to it. This will give an Attach Note popup.

6. Find the Note you wish to link in the list or use the search bar. 
7. Click the Note once found.
8. Click the Add button in the bottom right corner.
9. Observe the Note has been added to the Action.
   

HOW TO ADD A LABEL TO AN ACTION

Labels make classifying Actions easier, such as indicating different phases or associated tools.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Find the Labels section and click on the + sign next to it. This will give an Labels popup.

6. Find the Label(s) you wish to link in the list or use the search bar. 
7. Click the Label(s) once found.

1. Alternatively, you may add a new Label by typing it into the search bar and clicking the Create button if the Label is not previously found.

8. Click the Add Labels button at the bottom.
9. Observe the Label(s) that have been added to the Action.
   

HOW TO ASSIGN OR UNASSIGN AN ACTION (AND WHEN TO)

As we continue to bring new users into Hive, it will become increasingly important to assign active Hive users to Actions. However, as we do not have all project team members in the software, we are using the Responsible custom field to indicate who is assigned to complete the Action.

To help future proof the Hive experience, any user that has a Hive account and access to the project, should be assigned their own Actions as well as indicated in the Responsible custom field (Which is explained how to update in the How to Update the Person Responsible for the Action section of this document). If a project team member has an Action but is not in Hive, then this field should be set to Unassigned.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Click you’re the name under Assignee section in the right top corner to display a list of users.

6. If the user is in Hive and selectable in the list, select their name. Otherwise, the default selection should be Unassigned.
7. Observe that the Assignee has been associated to the Action, or that is it Unassigned.
   

HOW (AND WHEN) TO COMMENT ON AN ACTION

Comments are good to use to quickly note Action changes or information. They can also be used as easy to read reminders for the person completing the Action.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. At the bottom of the pop-up, observe the Comments section.

6. Type your Comment.
7. Click the Post button.
8. Observe your added Comment.
   

HOW TO CHANGE AN ACTION STATUS

There are two ways to change a Status of an Action. 

The First:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. Double-click the box in the Status column to reveal Status options.

4. Click the appropriate Status in these options.
5. Observe the changed Status.

The Second:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. To the right of Action pop-up, click the option under Status to reveal Status options.
6. 
7. Selected the appropriate Status in this drop-down list.

Click the X in the top right of this box and observe the Status updated in your Action Table

HOW TO CHANGE AN ACTION PRIORITY

There are two ways to change the Priority of an Action. 

The First:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. Double-click the box in the Priority column to reveal Status options.

4. Click the appropriate Priority in these options.
5. Observe the changed Priority.

The Second:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. To the right of Action pop-up, click the option under Priority Level to reveal Priority options.

6. Selected the appropriate Priority in this drop-down list.
7. Click the X in the top right of this box and observe the Priority updated in your Action Table
   

HOW TO MARK AN ACTION AS URGENT

Urgency is not currently used in tracking for Goettl but will be introduced at a later date. To future proof projects, Actions can be marked as Urgent now to help when this transition takes place.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. To the right top of Action pop-up, click three-dot More option to reveal a drop-down list of options.

6. Click the Mark as Urgent option.

The Action is now marked as Urgent.

HOW TO MARK AN ACTION AS A MILESTONE

Milestones are not currently used in tracking for Goettl but will be introduced at a later date. To future proof projects, Actions can be marked as a Milestone now to help when this transition takes place.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. To the right top of Action pop-up, click three-dot More option to reveal a drop-down list of options.

6. Click the Mark as Milestone option.

The Action is now marked as a Milestone.

HOW TO UPDATE THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ACTION

To add a person responsible for an Action to a project, first make sure you are on the Project Record page. Also refer to the How to Assign or Unassign An Action (And When To) section of this document for more information if a person responsible for an Action is also a Hive user.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Find the Action in the list of Actions.
3. On the very left of the Action, find the Open icon and click it.

4. The Action pop-up will appear.
5. Find the Responsible field under custom fields.

6. Type in the name of the person responsible to complete the action.
7. Click the blue Save Changes button.
8. Observe the person’s name is now added.
   

WHERE TO VIEW THE ACTION ACTIVITY LOG

View the Action Card History to see the status of an action card change and who made the change and when or when sub-actions were created and assigned.

With Action Card History, now you can view an audit log of card changes of the types below:

9. Created Date
10. Status Changes
11. Action Assignments
12. Creation of Sub-Actions
13. Time Estimates
14. Due Dates
15. Approval Requests and Decisions
16. Labels being added.
17. Attachment added.

View the Action History in the bottom left of the action card, where you'll see Show history.

PROJECT OVERVIEW SECTION

The Project Overview is the section that displays, at a high-level, the information about the project needed for leadership reviews, PMO portfolio reports, and other non-Action related items pertaining to a project. This is the section where the Project Manager will update with a high-level status, track the budget at a high-level, describe the project, take project notes, and more. 

It is key to ensure that the Project Overview is properly kept up as it can be exported into a PDF format and used as an overall status report to send to the project team or leadership.

The resource assigned as the Project Manager is responsible for the setup and upkeep of the Project Overview.

To get to the Project Overview, you must first be in the Project Record. Once in the record, click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

HOW TO UPDATE THE CURRENT PROJECT STATUS

The current Project Status should be updated regularly as new information is available. However, it is required to be updated by end of day every Wednesday for the PMO Portfolio Report that goes out to executive leadership on Thursday’s.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. The first section of the Overview is labeled Status. Observe, if available, the previous Status.
4. To the very right of this section, click the New Status Update link.

5. In the first drop-down box, select the appropriate Status if different than the default On-track Status.

6. Clear any text that may be inside of the Status Description box and replace it with a one to 5 sentence paragraph providing a high-level, executive view of the current project status. 

1. Reach out to the PMO Manager for assistance, if needed, on how to write this type of description.

7. Click the blue Save button under the Status Description.
8. Observe that the Status Description now displays the information you have added.
   

HOW TO VIEW HISTORICAL PROJECT STATUSES

Viewing older Project Status histories may be needed from time to time to ensure the project is accurately being updated and tracked.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. The first section of the Overview is labeled Status. Click the Show History link in the bottom left corner of this box.

4. Observe the previous Status Updates.
   

HOW TO UPDATE THE PROJECT BUDGET

The budget area of Hive is a work in progress for the needs of Goettl. However, it can currently be used to calculate how much has been charged or invoiced toward an approved Budget (if available for a project). The PMO Manager may also request a separate Budget Burndown Chart to be used with the project if a Budget is assigned.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. Observe that the third section of the Overview is labeled Billable Hours Budget. 

4. Input the total APPROVED Budget into the Total Budget field.

1. Work with the PMO Manager on getting budget approval if needed.

5. Observe that the Unused Budget field is automatically updated with this amount.

You have now entered the initial project Budget. However, when a new charge or invoice against the project is generated, you must enter this information in to update the Unused Budget field and track the overall budget usage. To do this, continuing from above:

6. Click the +Add Other Costs link in this section toward the bottom.

7. The Add Other Costs pop-up will appear.

8. Enter the name of the cost. If an invoice is associated with it, include the invoice number for better tracking.
9. Update the date of the cost
10. Update the amount of the cost.
11. Click the Add button.
12. Observe the new Unused Budget total and percentage of budget used chart to see where the budget stands.

If a Budget Burndown Chart is being used, you should be able to correctly forecast budget issues. The amount should also match what is shown in the overview. If for any reason 100% (or more) of the budget has been used and there are still billable items that will appear, notify the PMO Manager immediately. 

HOW TO UPDATE THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Project Description should only need to be entered once, at the beginning of a project. These steps go over adding a new description. If you need to edit a current Project Description, they may be slightly different and include an edit pen icon next to the current Project Description.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. Observe that the sixth section of the Overview is labeled Project Description

4. Click the + Add Description link.
5. Enter the Project Description. 

1. Try to keep it high-level and at a maximum of one paragraph. 

6. Click the blue Save button.
7. Observe the added Project Description.

HOW TO ADD ATTACHMENTS TO A PROJECT

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. Observe that the eighth section of the Overview is labeled Attachments.

4. Click the + Add Attachments link and observe the location drop down.

5. Choose where to upload the files from and click that link.
6. Locate the file you are attaching in the explorer and double click.
7. Observe the file upload prior to showing as attached.

HOW TO ADD PROJECT NOTES TO A PROJECT

Project Notes can be basic notes of interest to the project, or even be taken during meetings directly from Hive. They are key parts in keeping information about the project documented.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. Observe that the eighth section of the Overview is labeled Project Notes.

4. To add a note, click the + Add New Note button to the very right of this section.
5. Observe a new tab open for the note.

6. Enter a title for the note.
7. [OPTIONAL] If associated with a meeting, click the Link to Calendar Event button and select the meeting slot that appears.

8. Begin typing note below in the empty space.

1. You can also click the blue check in a circle to add additional features to your note.

9. Once completed, you can use the link in the top left corner of the page to return to the active project and see that the note is now added to it.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD A PDF VERSION OF THE PROJECT OVERVIEW

Using an updated Project Overview as a high-level project status report can save Project Managers time when providing updates to key stakeholders.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Overview link in the top navigation bar to display the Project Overview page.

3. In the top right corner of the Project Overview, click the arrow down button.

4. Observe that a PDF version of the Project Overview has been downloaded.
   

OTHER PROJECT SECTIONS/OPTIONS

Items in this section are found to be use cases that may be relevant to some, but not all projects.

HOW TO UPDATE THE PROJECT DUE DATE

At times, a Project Due Date may need to be updated. It is important that if for any reason the Project Due Date is updated, that it is called out in the Project Status area. Also, send an email to the PMO Manager with the reason why the date is being adjusted. 

There are two ways to update the Project Due Date.

The First:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. In the top left corner, you should observe the word Due: followed by a date.

3. Click this date and observe a calendar drop-down.

4. Choose the new date in the calendar.
5. Click the Close button.
6. Observe the new date.

The Second:

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. In the top right corner of the page, observe the three-dots and more link.

3. Click this and observe a new drop-down with various options.

4. Click the Edit Project link.
5. Observe a new project edit pop-up.

6. Click the date displayed under Project Dates on the right side and observe the new calendar drop-down.

7. Select the date.
8. Click the Close button.
9. Observe the date has been updated.
   

HOW (AND WHEN) TO SAVE AS A PROJECT TEMPLATE

This section will be updated at a future time to go through saving a project as a Project Template. Until then, if it should be set as a template, please reach out to the PMO Manager for assistance.

When should a project be saved as a template?

If the project that you are managing will be a part of a series of projects that share the basic core Actions, it is recommended to create a Project Template AFTER all base Actions have been added.

An example of this is if a project being worked on for one branch, Phoenix for example, will be mimicked later for another branch, like Las Vegas, you will want to save time by copying the Action and overview set up for the new project by using a template.

This will allow you to edit any branch specific items from a pre-populated list without needing to recreate the project from scratch.

HOW (AND WHEN) TO APPLY A PROJECT TEMPLATE

This section will be updated at a future time to go through applying a project as a Project Template. Until then, if it should be set as a template, please reach out to the PMO Manager for assistance.

See the above section How (and When) to Save as a Project Template for more information.

PROJECT GANTT CHART

Some projects may require a Gantt Chart for updates. Some Project Managers may prefer a Gantt Chart for their project management. If the project and Actions are updated correctly, Hive will generate this for you.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Gantt link in the top navigation bar to display the Gantt Chart for the project.

PROJECT CALENDAR

If the project Actions are updated correctly, Hive will generate a calendar for you displaying days and Actions.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Calendar link in the top navigation bar to display the Calendar for the project.

Clicking any of the items in the Calendar will open up that Action.

PROJECT KANBAN BOARD

Some projects may require a Kanban Board for updates. Some Project Managers may prefer a Kanban Board for their project management. If the project and Actions are updated correctly, Hive will generate this for you.

1. Start on the Project Record page.
2. Click the Status link in the top navigation bar to display the Kanban Board for the project.

Note that you may add project related status lanes, move the lanes as you need, and edit existing without affecting other projects.