Create a new project from another project or template

Other project managers have been down the road you're traveling. You can save a lot of time by building on their work — existing projects and templates — when setting up your new project.

Newer versionsOffice 2007

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Start with an existing project

1. Open the project or template you want to use as the basis for the new project.

2. Click File > Info.

3. Under Project Information, change the project's start date and finish date.

4. Click Save As and pick a new name and a new home for the project.

You can start working on your new project right away, but chances are you'll need to clean up some of the existing project information before you do.

One way around this clean up work, especially if you want to use the old file to create more than one project, is to save the old project as a template. You have the option of stripping out all that progress information as you save it, leaving only tasks and resources behind.

Start with a template

1. Click File > New.

2. Search for templates in the box or click the template you want below.

3. In the preview dialog box, click Create.

Make sure that the resources, tasks, and durations in the template are right for your project. Of course, you're now free to change them as you see fit. More templates are available on Microsoft templates.

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These instructions are specific to Microsoft Project 2007.

Create a new project from a template

Project 2007 includes many default templates that you can use. Additional templates are available on Microsoft templates. If your organization has its own custom templates, it may store them on its corporate intranet. Follow these steps to access any of these templates.

1. On the File menu, click New.

2. In the New Project task pane, under Templates, click On computer.

   - OR -

   If your organization stores templates on a Web site, under Templates, click On Web sites.

3. In the Templates dialog box, click the tabs to see the templates available.

4. Click the template that you want to use, and then click OK.

5. On the File menu, click Save As.

6. Type a name for the new project in the File name box, and then click Save.

Available templates

There are several categories of templates available to help you begin planning your project. Use the following sections to help identify the right template for your project.

Customer service templates

The following templates provide starting points for customer service projects.

Template	Description
Customer Feedback Monitoring	Provides a framework for developing processes to monitor customer feedback as part of a continuous improvement effort. This template is focused on processes to monitor feedback after it has been collected. It has a limited amount of direction on data collection.
Customer Service Ramp Up	Helps a customer service organization set up a support structure for a new product. This is a complex topic that can require several schedules to cover all of the components.
Post-Manufacturing Customer Service Planning	Provides the basic steps needed to establish a post-manufacture support service for a new consumer packaged good (CPG). CPGs are consumable goods, such as food and beverages, footwear and apparel, tobacco, and cleaning products.

Finance and accounting templates

The following templates provide starting points for finance and accounting projects.

Template	Description
Annual Report Preparation	Addresses the general financial and accounting activities that define a typical effort to prepare the Annual Financial Report. Activities include obtaining information from multiple departments, working with other departments (for example, Legal and Public Relations) to ensure that all required information is presented accurately, printing, and distribution.
Finance and Accounting System Implementation	Outlines the steps needed to implement a finance and accounting system. It assumes an existing system or process is in place and a new system will be replacing it. It also assumes that the new application software system has already been chosen.
Preparation of an Opening Balance Sheet at the Date of Transition to IFRS	Addresses the significant financial and accounting activities required of companies to prepare their opening balance sheet at the date of transition to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), within the context of a conversion from previous Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

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Human resources and resource management templates

The following templates provide starting points for resource management projects.

Template	Description
Develop Skills Needs - Hiring Plan - Hiring Forecast	Provides a framework for the general human resources activities needed to perform an analysis of forecasted skills needs and to develop the potential hiring and training plans needed to address the gap.
Evaluating Offshoring Strategy for HR Functions	Addresses the general activities needed to evaluate an offshoring strategy for human resources functions. It includes phases for analyzing your current situation, doing preliminary research, performing a deep analysis, and rolling out a pilot program.
Human Resources Information System Implementation	Outlines the high-level steps needed to implement a Human Resources Information System (HRIS). It is not specific to any commercial software system.
Performance Reviews	Addresses the general activities that define the typical quarterly or annual performance review cycle. This template assumes a performance review process has been established and that performance is not tied to compensation.
Vendor Evaluation and Consolidation	Addresses the process for identifying preferred vendors.
Vendor Request For Proposal (RFP) Solicitation	Provides a standard process for creating, distributing, and evaluating requests for proposals from potential vendors. It is intended for use by organizations that require formal compliance with an approved process to obtain the services of vendors.

Sales and marketing templates

The following templates provide starting points for sales and marketing projects.

Template	Description
Financial Service Offering Launch	Helps track the planning, execution, post-launch, and closedown of a financial service offering launch. This template focuses on the launch of the offering, not its development.
Internal Readiness Training	Presents a plan that helps to identify training needs, develop training solutions, and deploy internal training programs. The template focuses on internal training for sales purposes, but the general framework can be used for other training as well.
Managing Incoming Requests For Quotes (RFQs)	Provides sales managers with a regimented method of managing the request-for-quote (RFQ) process.
Marketing Campaign Planning	Outlines the various considerations that you might need to plan a marketing campaign in your organization, including understanding your position in the marketplace, collecting data, and analyzing campaign effectiveness.
Marketing Event Planning and Execution	Outlines the main categories that you should consider when planning a marketing event.
Tradeshow Planning, Execution, and Wrap-Up	Provides an outline of the steps involved with trade show planning. Tasks should shorten as you perform more trade shows and develop a rhythm.

Product development life cycle templates

The following templates provide starting points for projects within the product development life cycle.

Template	Description
External Technical Readiness Training	Covers planning through deployment of external training programs, with regards to assessing needs, developing materials and content, generating demand, and executing activities.
MSF Application Development	Comes from the Process Model for Application Development, a key component of the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF). This flexible model improves project control, minimizes risk, improves product quality, and increases development speed in the software industry.
New Product	Provides the framework for developing a new product, using a disciplined approach that should increase the success rate.
New Product Launch	Helps define and manage the key components in a strong product launch plan: clearly defined sales objectives; assured sales channel readiness; promotional functions (public relations, marketing, and advertising); and resources to track, monitor, and account for execution.
Product Development Planning	Outlines a strategic approach for product development. By working with your business position in the marketplace, establishing product infrastructure, and leveraging knowledge of your targets and competitors, this template establishes a framework to begin product development.
Product Evaluation Post Launch	Outlines key areas of evaluating a product's performance after it has been placed in the marketplace.
Software Development	Focuses on the steps and processes required to successfully initiate a software development process. You can use the template as is, or modify it for recursive development.
Software Localization	Focuses on the steps and processes required to successfully localize software.

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Process streamlining and compliance templates

The following templates provide starting points for projects that track process streamlining and compliance activities.

Template	Description
ISO 9001 Management Review	Guides you through the management review process for audit compliance with ISO 9001, including planned intervals and strict guidelines for review.
Project Office	Focuses on the required steps and processes to successfully initiate, monitor, and establish an enterprise project office.
Six Sigma DMAIC Cycle	Outlines the phases, key activities, and deliverables in the standard Six Sigma life cycle.
SOX Compliance and Technology Options	Addresses the general activities for reviewing existing internal controls and evaluating potential technology options for more efficient Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 Compliance. This project assumes that the organization is already SOX compliant.

IT templates

The following templates provide starting points for IT projects.

Template	Description
Infrastructure Deployment	Focuses on the required steps and processes to successfully initiate, design, and deploy a new infrastructure.
Security Infrastructure Improvement Plan	Provides an approach for identifying, planning, and rolling out infrastructure improvements. It focuses on security infrastructure to illustrate a plan that requires a balance between two driving needs: maintaining security and maintaining the ability to do business. However, this approach can be used on many infrastructure initiatives.

Strategic business development templates

The following templates provide starting points for strategic business development projects.

Template	Description
New Business	Outlines the process of developing an entrepreneurial opportunity into a new operating business. It can be customized to be used for a wide range of specific business situations.
Strategic Merger or Acquisition Evaluation	Addresses the general activities that a company goes through to determine its business growth strategy. The road map includes understanding market position, evaluating trade-offs between mergers and acquisitions and internal development, evaluating merger and acquisition candidates, and placing valuation on target companies.

Other templates

The following templates provide starting points for several other types of projects.

Template	Description
Commercial Construction	Includes the basic tasks required to construct a multiple-story commercial space, and shows the relationships between those tasks. You can use the template strictly as a training tool or to guide development of custom schedules for your projects, or you can modify the template and use it as the basis for an initial project schedule.
Electronic Government (E-Gov) Project	Provides a sample E-Government application for a state or local government agency. The sample application is an electronic payment system, an example of a Government to Citizen e-Gov project. It is organized as a program with three projects (Technical Architecture, Security Extranet, and e-Payment), demonstrating one way of organizing complex projects.
Engineering	Helps you identify the normal activities required for an effective engineering project and link them into a typical schedule format. You can use this template for training, or modify it and use it as the basis for an initial project schedule.
Home Move	Focuses on the steps to successfully move to a different home.
Insurance Claim Processing	Outlines property and casualty insurance claim processing from the point of view of the insurance company. It was designed for automobile insurance, but can also be used for homeowner's insurance.
Office Move	Focuses on the required steps to successfully move your office from one location to another.
Residential Construction	Includes the basic tasks required to construct a single-family home and the logical relationships between those tasks. You can use this template for training, to develop custom schedules for your projects, or as the basis for an initial project schedule.

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