Creating and Managing Projects

Creating a New Project

Projects in Ontario serve as dedicated spaces for specific deals, portfolio companies, business units, or initiatives. Creating a project is typically one of your first steps when beginning new work in Ontario, and the setup process allows you to configure data sources, calendar preferences, and team access all at once.

Step-by-Step Project Creation

Access the Project Creation Modal
From the Projects page, click the Create + button in the top right corner. This opens the project creation wizard that will guide you through four configuration steps.

1. Step 1: Enter Project Details
   Fill in the basic information about your project. The wizard shows a progress indicator at the top with four steps (Details, Reasons, Admins, Data Sources). The following fields are available:

   • Project Name *: Enter a clear, descriptive name for the project (e.g., "Project Money")
   • Instance Type *: Select the Ontario instance type that applies to this project. Available options are:
     • Catalyst
     • Compass
     • Diligent
     • Smith AI
   • Project Type *: Select from available types. Common options may include Buy Side (acquisition analysis), Sell Side (sale preparation), Operations (ongoing business support), Primer (pre-sale preparation), or Other. Note that these options can be customized by your organization during Ontario instance setup
   • Bank: Enter the bank identifier if applicable (e.g., "Test Bank")
   • PE Fund: Specify the associated private equity fund if applicable (e.g., "Fund III")
   • Project Industry *: Choose the industry category from the dropdown. Available options may include Software, Home Services, Manufacturing, and others. These options can be configured for your organization during setup
   • Calendar *: Select either Calendar (standard January–December) or Fiscal (custom fiscal year)
   • Start Month: If you selected Fiscal calendar, choose your fiscal year start month from the dropdown (e.g., January, February, March, etc.)
   Project creation modal - Step 1: Details showing all fields

   Note: Fields marked with * are required. The dropdown options for Project Type and Project Industry can be configured by your organization during initial Ontario setup and may differ from the examples shown.

   Click Next to continue to Step 2, or Cancel to exit without saving.

2. Step 2: Select Services and Deliverables
   Define the services and deliverables for this project. These fields help categorize project work and enable Ontario to recommend appropriate workflows.

   • Service(s): Select one or multiple services from the dropdown. Available options may include Audit/Compliance, Complex Data, Data Quality Issues, Disconnected Systems, Entering New Markets, ERP Limitations, and others. You can select all that apply to your project
   • Deliverable(s): Choose the specific deliverables this project will produce. Options may include Legal/Liability Exposure Analysis, PVM, Cohort/Retention Analysis, Run Rate, Customer Concentration, SKU Rationalisation, and others. Multiple selections are supported
   Project creation modal - Step 2: Reasons showing Service(s) and Deliverable(s) dropdowns

   Note: The list of available services and deliverables can be extensive and may be customized during your Ontario instance setup. The examples shown represent common options but may vary for your organization.

   Use the Back button to return to Step 1, or Next to proceed to Step 3.

3. Step 3: Add Project Admins
   Select which users should have administrative access to this project. Project admins can manage settings, add members, and configure project-level permissions.

   The Admin(s) field displays as a dropdown with search functionality. By default, you (the project creator) are automatically selected. You can add additional admins by:

   • Using the search box to find users by name or email
   • Checking the boxes next to users you want to designate as admins
   • Using the "Deselect all" link to clear all selections if needed

   The dropdown shows each user's name, email address, and role (e.g., Admin, Viewer). You can select multiple users as project admins.

   Project creation modal - Step 3: Admins with searchable dropdown

   Note: Admins can be either internal (your team) or external users (clients). Project admins have full control over the project's configuration and access settings.

   Click Back to return to Step 2, or Next to proceed to Step 4.

4. Step 4: Configure Data Sources
   Connect the data sources that this project will use for analytics and reporting. You can configure multiple data sources, each with its own set of companies and parameters.

   For each data source, you'll configure:

   • Data Source(s): Select one or multiple data sources from the dropdown (e.g., Quickbooks Online, Sage Intacct, Xero). The selected source(s) appear as tags at the top of the section
   • Data Source: For each source you selected, a separate configuration block appears. Select the specific source instance from this dropdown
   • Companies: Type company names and press Enter to add them as tags (e.g., "co1", "co2"). Remove companies using the X icon on each tag
   • Year start: Select the starting year for data collection from the dropdown (e.g., 2026, 2025, 2024)

   To add additional data sources beyond the first, click the + Add Data Source button. Each additional source will have its own configuration block. You can remove a data source using the trash icon.

   Project creation modal - Step 4: Data Sources showing configuration for Quickbooks Online

   Note: Each data source you configure will integrate with Ontario's data lakehouse for unified analytics. Data source connections cannot be edited after project creation.

   Click Back to return to Step 3, or Create Project to finalize your project setup.

5. Complete Project Creation
   Click Create Project to finalize the setup. Project creation runs asynchronously and you'll receive an email once complete. Once the project is ready, parent-level folders are created automatically within it.

   Coming Soon: A structure builder will be available after project creation (arriving May) to let you configure how your Harness folder hierarchy is organized. This step is not part of the current creation wizard.

   Toast notification showing project creation in progress on the Projects page

Understanding the Projects List

The Projects page displays all projects you have access to in a searchable, filterable table. Understanding the information shown here helps you quickly locate and manage your projects.

Project List Columns

Each project displays key information in the table:

• Pin Icon (left side): Click to pin important projects to the top of your list for quick access
• Name: The project name, which is clickable to enter the project
• Instance Type: The Ontario instance associated with the project (e.g., Catalyst, Compass, Diligent Portal, Smith)
• Project Type: The project classification (e.g., Buy-Side, Sell-Side, Operations)
• Team: Visual indicators showing team members with access to the project
• Last Modified: The date the project was most recently updated
• Status: Shows whether the project is Active or Inactive
  • Active: The project is live with background jobs running and member access enabled
  • Inactive: All background jobs are disabled and member access is prevented (also called "deactivated")

Finding and Filtering Projects

Use the tools at the top of the Projects table to locate specific projects:

• Search: Type project names, clients, or other details in the search bar (minimum 3 characters)
• Show Filters: Click to reveal advanced filtering options by status, type, or other criteria
• Pagination: Navigate through pages if you have more than 20 projects

Editing Project Details

After creating a project, you may need to update its configuration or adjust project metadata. Ontario provides an editing interface accessible from the project's three-dot menu.

Edit Details

Use Edit Details to modify project metadata and configuration.

1. Locate the project you want to edit in the Projects list
2. Click the three-dot menu icon on the right side of the project row
3. Select Edit Details from the dropdown menu

4. A side panel opens showing the project's current configuration. You can modify:

   • Project Name: Update the project's display name
   • Bank: Change the bank identifier
   • PE Fund: Update the associated private equity fund
   • Project Type: Change the project type (e.g., Buy Side, Operations, Sell Side)
   • Project Industry: Update the industry classification (e.g., Software, Manufacturing)
   • Service(s): Modify the selected services for this project
   • Deliverable(s): Update the deliverables associated with this project
   • Admin(s): Add or remove project administrators

   The panel displays when the project was created at the top. Fields marked with validation errors (shown in pink/red) must be corrected before saving.

5. Click Save to apply your changes, or Cancel to discard them

Deactivating Projects

When a project is no longer active—such as when a deal closes, a fiscal period ends, or work is complete—you can deactivate it rather than deleting it. Deactivation preserves all project data while preventing further changes and stopping resource-intensive background processes.

What Happens When You Deactivate

Deactivating a project:

• Stops all background jobs and automated processes
• Prevents team members from accessing the project (except Ontario-level admins)
• Preserves all files, tasks, data, and configuration for future reference
• Reduces computational overhead and may affect billing depending on your subscription

How to Deactivate a Project

1. Find the project in your Projects list
2. Click the three-dot menu on the right side of the project row
3. Select Deactivate from the dropdown menu
4. Confirm the action when prompted

The project's status will change to Inactive in the Projects list. To reactivate the project later, follow the same process and select Activate from the menu.

Important: Deactivation is reversible. If you need to permanently remove a project and all its data, use the Delete option instead—but note that deletion cannot be undone.

Best Practices for Project Organization

Thoughtful project naming and organization makes it easier for your team to find relevant projects, understand their purpose at a glance, and maintain consistency across your Ontario instance.

Project Naming Conventions

Establish a consistent naming pattern that works for your organization. Here are some proven approaches:

Additional Organization Tips

• Be Consistent: Choose a naming pattern and stick with it across all projects. This makes searching and filtering much more effective
• Use Descriptive Types: Take advantage of project types to categorize work. This enables filtering by Buy Side, Sell Side, Operations, or other categories relevant to your organization
• Pin Active Projects: Use the pin feature to keep your most frequently accessed projects at the top of the list
• Deactivate When Done: Move completed projects to inactive status to reduce clutter while preserving historical data
• Leverage Metadata Fields: Fill in all available fields during project creation (industry, PE fund, bank) to improve searchability and reporting
• Plan Your Data Sources Carefully: Data source connections cannot be edited after creation. Confirm which sources and companies you need before completing Step 4

Projects and the Ontario Ecosystem

Projects in Ontario don't exist in isolation—they're integrated with Harness for file management and will connect with Smith AI for AI-powered insights. Understanding how these systems work together helps you make the most of your project setup.

This integrated approach means that decisions made during project creation—such as which data sources to connect—impact how effectively you can leverage the full Ontario platform.

Project Management Decision Guide

Test your practical understanding with these real-world scenarios. Choose the best course of action:

What's Next

Now that you understand how to create and manage projects, you're ready to configure team access and start collaborating. The next steps in your Ontario journey include:

Projects serve as the foundation for all work in Ontario. Taking time to set them up thoughtfully—with clear naming conventions, appropriate data sources, and proper team access—pays dividends as your organization scales its use of the platform. Data source connections and calendar settings are permanent, so confirm these carefully during setup. Everything else can be adjusted as your needs evolve.