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Assign project numbers automatically

Set up naming rules per project type: composition from abbreviation, year, customer code and counter – classic and new notation, editability and behaviour on deletion.

Video-Vorschau: Projects – assign project numbers automatically

Projects – assign project numbers automatically

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Prerequisites

For some people, project numbers are unimportant; for others they are a central reference: you mention only the number and the other person knows immediately what it is about. teamspace assigns project numbers automatically – according to a naming rule per project type.

Where the project number is visible

  • In the project overview the number sits directly below the project name.
  • On a project’s business card it appears large.
  • When booking time under “My day” it is visible and searchable.

Set up the naming rule

The rule hangs off the project type: Configuration → Projects → Project types → on the desired type, open “Naming rules” at the end. Under “Project creation”, expand the rule.

Naming rule of a project type with abbreviation, year, customer code and counter
Naming rule of a project type with abbreviation, year, customer code and counter

Composition of a project number

A typical rule is made up of four building blocks:

  1. Abbreviation of the project type (e.g. “EP” for implementation project).
  2. Year (four or two digits).
  3. Company abbreviation (customer code).
  4. Counter – optionally taking company and type into account.

Example: EP + 2021 + brand code + 001 = the first implementation project for that brand in 2021.

Classic vs. new notation

Classic notation (counter logic):

  • If there is a “Y” in the rule, the counter starts from scratch each year – useful when the year comes first.
  • If you delete the “Y”, the counter runs continuously across the years.

New notation (switchable via the light-bulb icon) makes the building blocks explicitly configurable:

  • Year: number of digits via size – size=4 = four digits, size=2 = only the last two digits.
  • Counter: a switch for whether type, year (Y) and customer are counted. A counted type means, for example, that implementation and consulting projects each have their own counter.

Tip: You can feel your way in well by trial and error – the values in brackets are the same everywhere and reusable. There is also a blog post explaining the rules.

Editability and behaviour on deletion

  • The “editable” setting defines whether a number can be overwritten by hand.
  • When creating in early 2025, for example, 25 + 001 arises, and the next project gets 002.
  • On deletion, the highest assigned number is reused (if you delete 006, the next project gets 006 again).
  • Gaps in the middle are not reused – that would be pointless given the value of the number. Numbers are therefore always filled “upwards”.
  • You can fill gaps deliberately only via administrator mode or by making the ID editable.

Common questions & needs

You want to …How to
Set up the number ruleConfiguration → Projects → Project types → on the type, open “Naming rules” at the end and expand the rule under “Project creation”.
Combine year, customer code and counterCompose the rule from the four building blocks abbreviation, year, customer code and counter (e.g. EP + 2021 + code + 001).
The counter to restart each yearIn the classic notation, put a “Y” in the rule; without “Y” the counter runs continuously across the years.
Set the number of digits of the yearIn the new notation (via the light-bulb icon), control the year via size (size=4 four digits, size=2 two digits).
Separate counters per project typeIn the counter of the new notation, set type (and optionally year/customer) to be counted.
Overwrite a number by handActivate the “editable” setting.
Understand what happens on deletionOn deletion the highest number is reused; gaps in the middle are not filled (only possible via administrator mode).