A well-defined project has the highest potential for successful completion. Unfortunately, the project definition step is often overlooked, leading to many common project issues. Defining a project well means clearly outlining what needs to be done, how it should be done, the timeline for completion, the budget, and the well-defined constraints that the project depends on.

A project is composed of various documents, typically including a Project Description, a Project Plan, Tasks, Deliverables, Risks, and more. In Cerri Project, the minimum requirement for defining a project is creating the "Project Description."

There are several ways to create a project.

• Create a project using the "Project Wizard." This streamlines the project creation process, allowing the project leader to fill in key project data through a single interface.

• Create a project without the "Project Wizard." This is a simple and fast method for quickly creating an empty Project Description.

• Create a Project using a Project Template. Leverage predefined project structures and best practices by using templates. Refer to the "Project Templates" chapter for more details.

• Copy and existing project. Duplicate an already established project.

• Promote a "Project Request" to a "Project Description" in a Projects database. Convert an approved request into a formal project. Refer to the "Project Request" chapter for more details.

• Promote an "Assignment" into a new project. This feature is useful when an assigned task is complex enough to be managed as a full project.
  

When using Cerri Project’s "Project Wizard," at least the following three records will be created:

• Project Description. The central document containing key project information, also known as the "Project Charter".

• Project Plan. A Gantt chart to plan the project timeline.

• Project Budget. Defines the allocated financial resources and, depending on the setup and usage, the expected income.
  

All these elements will be explained in details below.