Harness is Ontario's file and folder management system that keeps all your project documentation centralized and organized. Every file you upload becomes part of your project's structured data environment, ready for analysis and collaboration.
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Overview
Harness is Ontario's integrated file management system that transforms how teams store, organize, and access project documentation. Unlike traditional file storage, Harness operates within your project structure, ensuring every document is connected to the right tasks, workflows, and team members.
When you create a project in Ontario, you define a folder structure that serves as the organizational backbone for all incoming files. This structure isn't arbitrary—it reflects how your team actually works, whether that means organizing by financial statements, operational documents, legal files, or any other categorization that makes sense for your analysis.
Every file uploaded through Harness becomes part of Ontario's unified data environment, accessible across the platform's features and ready for the AI-powered capabilities coming with Smith AI in future releases.
Understanding Your Folder Structure
Your folder structure begins during project creation. In Step 4 of the project setup process, you configure data sources (like QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, or Xero) and specify companies and parameters. Based on your selections, Ontario automatically creates ERP-related folders for the data sources you've configured. You'll have full flexibility to create additional folders, rename existing ones, and reorganize your structure as your project evolves.
Project Creation Connection
When you complete Step 4 of project creation, Ontario automatically generates folders based on the ERP data sources you selected. These folders provide the initial structure for organizing incoming financial and operational data.
Note: Parent-level folders (top-level organizational categories) must be created separately within the project after creation. The automatic folder generation applies only to ERP-related structures tied to your data source selections.
Accessing Harness
Harness lives within each project and can be accessed from multiple entry points:
Project Sidebar
Click the Harness tab in the left sidebar menu from any project view
Project Home
Upload files directly from the project landing page using the quick actions
Folder Navigation
Navigate through your folder hierarchy using the expandable tree view in the sidebar
Uploading Files
Ontario provides multiple upload methods to fit different workflows. Whether you're uploading a single file or an entire batch of documents, Harness makes the process straightforward.
Upload Methods
Browse and Select
Click the Upload button in Harness or use the three-dot menu on any folder. This opens your system's file browser where you can select one or multiple files.
Drag and Drop
Drag files directly from your desktop or file explorer into any folder in Harness. Ontario will display "Browse or drag & drop" when you open a folder's detail panel.
Folder Action Menu
Click the three-dot menu next to any folder and select Upload. This targets the specific folder and opens the file browser.
Step-by-Step: Uploading Files
Click the Harness tab in the project sidebar. Expand the folder tree or use the main folder table to locate where you want to upload files.
Either click the folder name to open its detail panel, or use the three-dot action menu and select Upload. You can also click directly from Project Home if uploading to the default location.
Choose files from the browser dialog, or drag files directly onto the "Browse or drag & drop" area. You can select multiple files at once using Ctrl+Click (Windows) or Cmd+Click (Mac).
Click the Upload button to begin the transfer. Ontario displays upload progress and confirms when files are successfully added. Files appear immediately in the folder table and are available for use.
Navigating Your File Structure
Harness provides two complementary views for navigating your files: the sidebar tree view and the main folder table. Understanding how to use both efficiently helps you move through large file structures quickly.
Sidebar Tree View
The left sidebar displays your entire folder hierarchy in an expandable tree structure. This view is particularly useful for understanding your project's organizational structure at a glance and jumping between distant folders.
Tree View Features
- Expandable folders: Click the arrow icon next to any folder to reveal its child folders
- Quick navigation: Double-click any folder name to open it in the main table view
- Visual hierarchy: Indentation shows parent-child relationships between folders
- Collapse all: Use the collapse control to minimize the tree and focus on top-level folders
Main Folder Table
The central area displays your current location as a detailed table, showing folders and files with their metadata. This view provides comprehensive information about each item and access to all available actions.
Folder and file names with index numbers for reference
Last modification timestamp
User who added the item
Number of associated tasks
Working with Folders
Folders in Harness aren't just containers—they're organizational units with their own permissions, tasks, comments, and user access controls. Understanding how to manage folders effectively helps maintain structure as your project grows.
Creating New Folders
You can create folders at any level of your hierarchy to further organize your files:
- Navigate to the parent folder where you want to add a child folder
- Click the three-dot action menu next to the folder name
- Select Create Folder from the menu
- Enter a name and optional description for the new folder
- Click Create to add the folder to your structure
Folder Actions Menu
Every folder includes a comprehensive actions menu (accessed via the three-dot icon) with the following capabilities:
Important: Duplicate vs. Copy
The Duplicate action creates a copy of the folder structure only—it does not duplicate the underlying files. This is useful for replicating organizational hierarchies across projects without duplicating storage.
Using Favorites
The Favorites feature provides quick access to your most frequently used folders, regardless of where they sit in your folder hierarchy. Favorited folders appear at the top of your Harness view in a dedicated section.
Adding and Removing Favorites
To Add a Favorite
- Locate the folder you want to favorite
- Click the three-dot action menu
- Select Favorite
- The folder appears in the Favorites section at the top of Harness
To Remove a Favorite
- Find the folder in the Favorites section
- Click the X icon on the favorite card
- The folder remains in its original location but is removed from Favorites
Favorites are especially useful for folders you access daily, such as those containing financial statements, reporting documents, or active analysis files. Each team member manages their own favorites independently.
Viewing Folder Details
Clicking on any folder name opens a detailed side panel that shows comprehensive information and provides direct access to folder-level features.
Detail Panel Tabs
Details
View folder metadata including name, type, size, description, uploader, requestor, and upload date. Upload new files directly from this tab.
Comments
Read and add comments about the folder. Both user-generated and system-generated comments (like move or archive actions) appear here with appropriate icons.
User Access
View who has access to the folder. Add users or groups, set their roles (owner, editor, viewer), and manage permissions. Ontario Admins appear automatically with access.
Tasks
View all tasks associated with this folder. Tasks can be linked to folders to track work related to specific documentation or file sets.
Organizing Files Effectively
Good file organization in Harness isn't just about creating folders—it's about building a structure that reflects how your team actually works and makes information easy to find throughout the project lifecycle.
Organization Best Practices
Match Your Workflow
Structure folders around how files move through your analysis process. If financial statements go through validation, normalization, and reporting phases, create folders that reflect those stages.
Consider Time-Based Organization
For projects with ongoing data collection, organize by period (monthly, quarterly, annual). This makes it easy to compare data across time and track project evolution.
Keep Hierarchies Shallow
Aim for 2-4 levels of folder depth maximum. Deeper hierarchies become difficult to navigate and can slow down file discovery. If you find yourself creating deeply nested structures, consider whether some folders could be combined.
Use Clear, Consistent Naming
Establish naming conventions for folders and stick to them across the project. Consider including index numbers (1.0, 1.1, 1.2) to maintain order and make references easier in communications.
Workflow Integration
Files in Harness don't exist in isolation—they're integrated with Ontario's task management, workflow tracking, and collaboration features. Understanding these connections helps you use Harness more effectively as part of your broader project work.
Files → Tasks → Workflows
Files can be linked to tasks, which move through workflows
When files are uploaded, they become available for linking to tasks. The folder structure helps categorize what type of work the file relates to.
Tasks assigned to team members can reference specific folders or files. When you view a folder's Tasks tab, you see all work related to that documentation.
As tasks move through workflow stages (Ready for Review, Plan, In Progress, Done), files move with them. System comments in the folder's Comments tab track these workflow transitions.
Quick Check: Testing Your Understanding
What's Next
Now that your files are organized in Harness, explore how to work with them effectively and control access.
File Actions and Collaboration
Learn how to rename, move, duplicate, archive, and collaborate on files with comments and version tracking.
Read article →File Permissions and Sharing
Control who can view, edit, or manage files and folders. Set up permissions at the folder level to maintain security.
Read article →Finding and Searching Files
Discover advanced search techniques, filters, and navigation shortcuts to locate files quickly in large projects.
Read article →Harness represents the foundation of Ontario's data-centric approach to project management. By keeping files organized and connected to tasks and workflows, you create a structured information environment that supports sophisticated analysis and AI-powered insights as the platform evolves. The time invested in thoughtful organization pays dividends throughout your project's lifecycle.
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