9.2 Creating a workspace using a template

Workspace templates are designed to do two things:

• Create workspaces with a standard structure so that a structure of folders and documents which has proved successful in the past can be reused.
• Allow the workspace creator to carry out several activities related to creating a workspace - adding members and arranging a kick-off meeting - in a straightforward way.

Templates can contain any number of folders, subfolders and documents and as complicated a structure as is required. Anyone can set up the structure for a workspace template but only a system administrator can make it available to the other users of the server - ask your system administrator for details. All available templates will be displayed in the drop-down list at the bottom of the page. Select the template which you wish to use from this list (see Figure 13.3-1) and click on "Create Workspace". This will take you to a further page where you can give detailed instructions about the workspace you wish to create - see Figure 9.2-1:

Figure 9.2-1: Adding a Workspace using Templates

For the majority of Business Collaborator servers, the predefined workpspace structure will be fixed and you will not have the opportunity to modify it at this stage. (If, however, you do not wish to include all the files and folders from the template in your workspace, you should finish adding the workspace and then remove the unwanted folders and documents.)

On this page, you can also specify the exact capacity and termination date of the workspace (starting from the values entered on the previous screen). The next part of the page allows you to choose whether to invite new members to the workspace and arrange a kick-off meeting.

If you check the upper check-box, you will then be able to go directly to the "Add Member" page to select the users who should be added to the workspace (see section 4.2.2). (Note that you may not be permitted to add new users to the server and so may be unable to add all the users you wish. This is controlled by a setting which the server administrator controls. Ask the server administrator to add your colleague as a new user so that you can invite him to your workspace.)

If you check the lower check-box, you will be taken to the "Add Meeting" page to arrange a meeting (see section 5.4.2).

Finally, you will be returned to the new workspace which you have just created.

Notes on server-dependent workspace template settings

Templates are not available on all Business Collaborator servers. If no templates have been configured, then a choice of templates will not be offered.

On certain Business Collaborator servers, you will be permitted to configure which top and second level folders you wish to include in your workspace when creating it using a predefined template. This may be useful, for instance, in the following situation. Every task in a multi-task project may include Design, Costs, Planning and Deliverables aspects. In the workspace corresponding to the project, there would therefore be folders corresponding to each task and each of these would contain subfolders corresponding to each aspect. By replicating the same structure repeatedly, subfolders corresponding to each aspect can be created in the folder for each task. However, for example, if your project does not require to record the costs of each task separately, you may wish to omit this subfolder throughout your workspace structure.

To switch off folders and subfolders, you should deselect those which you do not wish to include from the appropriate drop-down list box. Deselecting a folder prevents this folder being created within the workspace. If you deselect any subfolders, they will not appear in any of the folders. (Note that by default all folders and subfolders possible will be created.)