# Project lifecycle

> [HTML Version](project-lifecycle.html)

Work with the project is done in stages. First, you create a draft of the project and make a calendar plan with tasks. Then the project is gradually implemented and archived after all tasks are completed. Project stages make up its lifecycle, which can be recorded in the system and tracked by statuses.

By default, the following statuses are configured in the **Projects** app:

- **Draft**. This status is assigned to a new project when it is created, as well as to a project [restored from the archive](archive-project.md#restore-plan).

- **In progress**. This status is to a project with the **Draft** status when the user clicks on the **Open** button on the project page. The action is available for a user with the [permissions to edit the plan](project-access-and-roles.md#change-plan). Instead of the **In progress** status, you can add stages present in your company: **Estimating**, **Planning**, **Testing**, etc.

- **Completed**. A project that has been archived.

Thus, the lifecycle is represented as a chain of statuses with rules of project transfer between them.

The current status of the project is displayed on its [page](project-card.md) in the **About the Project** widget.

On the **Projects** app page in the Kanban board display mode you can easily view all stages of the lifecycle and the current status of the project. You can also manually move the project to another stage here if this option is configured.

**(project-lifecycle-1.png)**

If your company uses [project types](project-types.md), you can view the lifecycle and current statuses of projects of that type on the app page of the selected type.

## Configure project lifecycle

Creating a lifecycle involves several actions that the system administrator performs in the **Projects** app settings and the project type apps:

- Configuring app statuses.

- Creating business processes for automatic status change.

- Setting buttons on the page of the app item to launch the created processes.

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If you have customized statuses, page forms and processes in the **Projects** app, these settings will automatically apply to new project types you add. The settings will not apply to previously created types.

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Let’s take a closer look at the lifecycle configuration using the **Projects** app as an example:

1. Select [Status Field](360009920611.md) in the app menu and change the default settings:

**(project-lifecycle-2.png)**

- Set up all lifecycle stages by defining status names and adding new ones.

- Define the initial and final stages of work with the project.

- Set the order of the project transfer to the next stages.

- Configure the order of displaying lifecycle stages in the Kanban board mode on the app page.

- Define the permission to change the status.

2. Set up the automatic transition of the project from one lifecycle stage to another. This will allow you to set the conditions required for such a transition. To do this, create [business processes](360009921131.md) associated with the **Projects** app, in which the [Manage Status](360012263332.md) activity is used. For example, you can set the project transition from **Planning** status only after the project budget is approved in a business process.

By default, there are processes associated with the **Projects** app to:

- Change the project status from **In progress** to **Completed**. This allows you to archive the project.

- Change the status from **Completed** to **Draft**. This is used to reopen the archived project.

In the settings of the **Manage Status** activity, select the status to which the **Projects** app item will move during the process flow.

**(project-lifecycle-3.png)**

3. On the project page, [add buttons](360019228531.md) to start the processes created in step 2. In the [button settings](button-types-settings.md) use the following options:

- **Show**. Define the permissions for which the button will be available on the project page. For example, only employees with the right to edit the project can archive and reopen the project.

- **Only for selected statuses**. The button will be displayed only on the page of a project with a certain status. By default:

	- On a project page with the **In progress** status, there is the **End and Archive** button. By clicking on it, the can start the process of project archiving and transition to the **Completed** status.

	- On a project page with the **Completed** status, there is the **Reopen** button, which allows you to reopen an archived project.

**(project-lifecycle-4.png)**

The set of actions on the project page can be configured according to your project lifecycle settings.