Take charge of an existing Adobe Workfront instance
The wonderful thing about Workfront is that it’s so customizable. The challenging thing about Workfront is that it’s so customizable. And if you’re a new system, or group, administrator taking over an existing Workfront instance, it can be overwhelming to figure out how it was originally configured and set up.
However, through our Inherited Instance Checklist, you can learn everything you need to know about your instance.
In the Inherited Instance checklist, you’ll review a comprehensive set of questions, resources and links to get a clear understanding of how it’s been configured.
The checklist has been created both as a Workfront Blueprint and as a downloadable Excel spreadsheet. We recommend using the Blueprint to manage and document your work right in Workfront.
Both the Blueprint and the spreadsheet are organized by topic, rather than by timeline so you can progress in the way that makes the most sense for you and your organization. The durations provided are just an example and you should adjust them to suit your specific needs. This does not have to be done all in one sitting!
Wherever possible, we encourage you to work with others in your organization to review and document these elements, and to keep your documentation up to date if there are any major changes. Future Admins in your instance will thank you!
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To download the Blueprint, navigate to the Main Menu in your own Workfront instance and select Blueprints. Find the Blueprint titled “Inherited Instance Basics | Checklist” and click Install. Choose your production or sandbox environment and continue to configure. More information on installing and configuring Blueprints can be found here.
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To download the Excel checklist, click here.
Whether you use the Blueprint or the Excel checklist, you can think of this process in 3 key phases - Discovery, Audit, and Documentation. Descriptions and ideal outcomes are listed below.
Phase 1: Learning & Discovery
Suggested time frame: 4 weeks
The first thing to do is to understand how your instance of Workfront is set up today.
This involves conducting stakeholder interviews and reviewing any existing documentation to understand how various groups within your organization are leveraging Workfront.
If you are not familiar with Workfront from a technological standpoint, take the System Administrator training. This provides the necessary insight into how different settings function and affect each tool, and potentially each user, in Workfront.
By the end of this phase, you should have:
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A clear understanding of the WHY behind your organization’s use of Workfront
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A general sense of the health of your instance, including the key use cases
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A document outlining what is working well, as well as challenges and/or gaps across process and user needs
Phase 2: System Audit
Suggested timeframe: 4 weeks
After the initial discovery, it’s recommended that you do a more technical audit of your instance. That means you need to determine changes or enhancements that may need to be done to ensure your current setup and configuration meets your business requirements and needs.
By the end of this phase, you should have:
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A deeper view into the current state of your instance
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Identified changes or enhancements you’d like to make to your instance to address business needs.