Forecast AI: Set up a project and baseline from a Statement of Work

If this feature is not available in your instance, please contact your Account Manager.

If you have a Statement of Work (SoW) for a new project, Forecast can read it and set up the project and its baseline for you. You review and edit everything before anything is created.

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What Forecast sets up from your SoW
Before you start
Set up a project from a SoW
What Forecast doesn't do
Documents Forecast can't set up a project from
Example SoW and results
Where to go next

What Forecast sets up from your SoW

Item	What Forecast does
Project name & client	Creates the project using the name in your SoW and links it to the client. The client must already exist in Forecast.
Dates & durations	Reads the start and end dates and durations for the project and each phase.
Deliverables	Adds the deliverables listed under each phase in your SoW to the baseline, with descriptions where the SoW includes them.
Budgets & rates	Reads the budget type (fixed price or time and materials) and the hours per phase, deliverable and role. Rates come from the roles on the selected rate card.

Before you start

Check your SoW includes these details before you upload it. If anything is missing or unclear, Forecast asks you about it, and you can review everything before the project is created.

Client: make sure the client already exists in Forecast.
Project name
Phase and deliverable names
Dates and durations: for the overall project and each phase.
Roles and hours: how many hours each role has in each phase. Roles are matched to the roles in Forecast and on the selected rate card.
Financial setup: fixed price or time and materials.
Language: English.
File: .pdf, .docx or .md, up to 20 MB. PDFs must contain selectable text, not scanned images.

Set up a project from a SoW

1. Create a new project and choose Set up from a SoW. Drag and drop your SoW, or browse your device to select it.

2. Upload your SoW. Forecast reads it, populates the project details, and builds a baseline.

3. Answer any questions. If something in the SoW is unclear, Forecast asks a short question, for example:

the client name matches more than one client in Forecast, or none.
a role in the SoW doesn't match a role on your rate card.
The SoW includes rates, but no rate card is highlighted for Forecast to use.
an item could be read two ways, such as two deliverables that may be the same.
a date is approximate, such as "Q3 kickoff"

4. Review the project overview, details, and financial setup. Look for prompts from Nova if it asks clarifying questions.

5. Once reviewed, click Create project.

Note: Every question has a Skip option. Skipping flags the field so you can fill it in later.

Note: If a role in your SoW doesn’t match your rate card, Forecast prompts you to select the closest matching role, or you can skip. A skipped role isn’t added to the baseline.

What Forecast doesn't do

Invent hours. If your SoW doesn't state hours for a deliverable or role, that line stays empty for you to fill in.
Create tasks. Break work into tasks after kickoff, as you do today.
Assign people.
Read contract terms. Payment schedules, termination, IP, confidentiality, risks, assumptions and exclusions aren't added to the project.

Documents Forecast can't set up a project from

Document	What happens
Retainer	Forecast explains it can't set up a retainer from a SoW and points you to manual setup.
Scanned or image-only PDF	Forecast shows a message that it can't read scanned documents. Upload a .docx or a PDF with selectable text.
Other file types, or files over 20 MB	The upload is rejected.

Example SoW

Results

The project phases outlined in the scoping page, along with their durations, estimated baseline hours, and projected total billable value of services:

Your baselines include the project phases, the deliverables within each phase, and the roles and estimated hours associated with each deliverable. The projected value is calculated based on the rate card selected during project creation:

Where to go next

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