A template is an object used as a standard or pattern for creating new objects of the same type. In SLIM-Collaborate, preconfigured SLIM-Estimate (.sew) files can be uploaded by the Back Office administrator. Once uploaded, templates are used to quickly apply project settings (phase and milestone definitions, descriptive information about the project, phase duration/effort/overlap tuning factors, size calculator sizing techniques, defect categories and tuning factors, and industry trend lines) to new Estimation or Closeout projects. As Back Office administrator, your job is to provide one or more templates that model various project types in your organization and make them available to SLIM-Collaborate users.
Because most project settings are inherited from the templates the Back Office admin provides, they make creating new estimation or closeout projects much easier for stakeholders. Back Office users perform most of the project setup and configuration work in advance, so other Collaborate users can create new project records using just a few simple inputs.
Templates are maintained on a separate page accessed via the Back Office menu (Back Office | Template Management). This page is accessible only by users with full access to the Back Office service in their default role.