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Create a project

In this topic

  1. Create a project in the Workforce web app
  2. Define the types of work
  3. Define roles
  4. Customize the maps
  5. Create a map area
  6. Integrate other Esri apps
  7. Test your project
  8. Migrate Classic projects

ArcGIS Workforce is built on assignments: dispatchers create and assign assignments to mobile workers, and mobile workers see a personalized assignments list. The assignments, maps, dispatchers, and mobile workers are defined in the Workforce project. You'll create a project in the Workforce web app to get your organization started with Workforce.

Note:

Classic projects cannot be created in the Workforce web app and they are not enabled for offline use. To migrate Classic projects so they are enabled for offline use, see Migrate Classic projects. To learn how to configure Classic projects, see Create your first project (Classic) and Tips for project owners (Classic).

For more information, see What is a Classic project.

Create a project in the Workforce web app

When you create a Workforce project in the Workforce web app, you create assignment types, add users from your organization as either dispatchers or mobile workers, and configure the Dispatcher and Worker web maps.

To create a Workforce project, you must have an Administrator or Publisher role in your organization.

  1. In a browser, sign in to your organization and open the Workforce web app from the app launcher in ArcGIS Online or the app launcher in ArcGIS Enterprise.

    The Projects page appears, showing projects that you've created or that you participate in as a dispatcher or mobile worker.

  2. Click Create Project.

    Only the project owner can configure the project, including adding assignment types and assigning roles. Once provided with a role in the project, designated users can participate as dispatchers, mobile workers, or both.

    Note:
    If you don't have sufficient privileges in your organization, you won't see Create Project.

  3. Provide a name and summary for your project and click Create project.
    Tip:

    The name of the project is also used as the name of the map that appears in the Workforce mobile app. Provide a meaningful title so mobile users can easily find it on their device.

    During project creation, the maps, layers, and tables that comprise the project are also created. In addition, a folder and a group are created in your ArcGIS organization for this project. You, as the project owner, are also added to the project as a dispatcher so you can test it.

    Caution:

    Although the maps, layers, tables, and group are in your portal and can be edited when you're signed in to ArcGIS in a browser, you must be careful with the changes you make outside of the Workforce web app. If you manage these items outside of Workforce, do not do the following:

    • Unshare these items with the project's group
    • Share the Workforce feature service using the Everyone (public) option
    • Delete the project's group
    • Delete or modify the predefined fields in the layers or tables
    • Delete or modify the predefined layers or tables

    Sync will fail if you share the Workforce feature service using the Everyone (public) option. To avoid this, share a hosted feature layer view instead. For more information, see Create hosted feature layer views in ArcGIS Online or Create hosted feature layer views in ArcGIS Enterprise.

    While you can change ownership of the items, do so carefully and follow all guidelines in Troubleshooting: How do I move project ownership to another member.

A Project Setup task list appears at the top of the page to guide you through the configuration of your project. The task list indicates the step you're on, the step to perform next, and the remaining steps before your project is ready for use.

Define the types of work

On the Assignment Types tab, you'll define the work that is being done in the project. The assignment types should reflect how the dispatchers and mobile workers talk to each other. Generally, the assignment types in a project are items that can be assigned to all or most mobile workers in that project.

  1. In the Add an Assignment Type box, type an assignment type you want to add and click + Type.
    Note:

    A project must have at least one assignment type. You can add more after the project is configured and remove them if they are not used.

    The assignment type is added to your project and appears at the bottom of the tab in the list of assignment types. If you add multiple assignment types, they are sorted alphabetically when you return to the tab and when they are presented to dispatchers.

Tip:

To determine the types of work to include in a single project, look for work where all of the mobile workers can do all or most of the assignment types. Having an assignment type that is always assigned to the same mobile worker and not to other workers who complete that type of assignment indicates that type of work may belong in its own project.

Define roles

On the Users tab, you'll add the users who will participate in this project and assign them the role of either dispatcher or mobile worker. The roles define which app is used: dispatchers use the web app, while mobile workers use the mobile app.

  1. Search for users to add to the project. Depending on your group settings, you can choose from one of the following search options:
    • My organization only—Search for members in your ArcGIS organization.
    • Partnered organizations—Search for collaborators in a partnered collaboration established for your ArcGIS organization. To learn more about partnered collaborations and how to add users as collaborators, see Create a partnered collaboration.
    • Any organization—Search for users with public profiles from other ArcGIS organizations.
    Note:

    Inviting users from partnered organizations requires the following:

    • You must have the Groups: Invite partnered organization members privilege.
    • In the group settings, under Who can be in this group?, you must select Partnered collaboration and my organization's members only.

    If the Any organization option doesn't appear, ensure you meet the requirements to add users from outside your organization.

    Inviting users from partnered collaborations or from outside your organization is not supported on ArcGIS Enterprise.

  2. From the Organization User drop-down menu, select a user to add to the project.

    If you add a user from an outside organization, they are sent an invitation to join the project group. They won't have access to the project until they accept the invitation.

  3. From the Project Role menu, assign the user either the dispatcher or mobile worker role.
  4. Click +User.

    The user's name, user ID, and role appear in the project's user list. A project requires at least one dispatcher (which includes your default role as dispatcher) and at least one mobile worker.

    Tip:

    Add yourself as a mobile worker so you can test your project in the mobile app before deploying it.

  5. In the User list, point to each name and click +Add details.

    In the Edit User Details window, you can add a contact number for both dispatchers and mobile workers. You can also add a job title and additional notes for each mobile worker. This information helps dispatchers and mobile workers stay organized and connected with one another during the work day.

Tip:

If you have multiple mobile workers to add to your project, you can upload a .csv file instead of adding them individually. Along with the mobile workers' usernames, the .csv file can include their titles, contact numbers, and notes about each one. These details will be included in your project.

To add mobile workers from a .csv file, click Add workers from file. In the Add Workers from File window, click Import CSV file or click Download template CSV file if you don't already have one prepared.

Remove users from a project

If you add a dispatcher or a mobile worker to a project in error, if they are reassigned to another project, or if they leave your organization, you can remove them from the project, revoking their access.

  1. While configuring your project, click the Users tab.
  2. Scroll to find the user (either dispatcher or mobile worker) you need to remove.
  3. Click the remove button Remove to the right of their name.

    If you see Active instead of the remove button Remove next to their name, they can't be removed. For mobile workers, you'll see Active if they have assignments assigned to them. You must reassign those assignments before you can remove the mobile worker. Dispatchers show Active if they have created or assigned any work.

Customize the maps

You can customize the Dispatcher and Worker maps to display relevant layers for your dispatchers and mobile workers. The Dispatcher map is used by dispatchers in the Workforce web app, and the Worker map is used by mobile workers in the Workforce mobile app.

Add layers to the maps

By default, the Dispatcher and Worker maps contain the worker and assignment layers generated with your project. The Worker map also contains the tables generated with your project. Dispatchers and mobile workers may want to see additional information on the map other than assignments and mobile workers. You can add your organization's asset layers to the maps by completing the following steps:

  1. Click the Overview tab of the project.
  2. Under the Maps list, click Dispatcher map or Worker map depending on which map you want to configure.

    The map opens with the default Workers and Assignments layers.

    Note:

    The Worker map also includes the Assignment Integrations, Assignment Types, and Dispatchers tables.

  3. Click Add and add layers of interest.

    You can add your organization's asset layers to the maps. For more information, see Add layers in ArcGIS Online or Add layers in ArcGIS Enterprise.

Make the layers searchable

When you add layers, you can also enable search for those layers if your dispatchers or mobile workers need to easily locate features on the map. The maps specify the included layers, as well as those that are searchable and the fields from those layers that can be used in the search. Add layers while editing the map, and specify your searchable layers and their fields on the item details page of the map.

  1. While configuring your project, click the Overview tab.
  2. Under Maps, click Dispatcher map or Worker map to edit that map.
  3. Click About, and click More Details.

    The item details page opens in a new browser tab.

  4. Click the Settings tab.
  5. Scroll down to the Application Settings section under Web Map Settings.
  6. Expand the Find Locations setting and check the By Layer check box.
  7. Click Add Layer to enable search on another layer.
  8. In the first drop-down list, choose the layer you want to make searchable.
  9. In the second drop-down list, choose the attribute that will be searched.
  10. In the third drop-down list, leave the Contains option to support partial matches, or specify the Equals option to support exact matches.

Customize feature pop-ups

When you add features to your map, create descriptive pop-up titles for those layers and customize the body of the pop-up.

The pop-up provided on the Dispatcher map controls the information you see in the web app. The title is used as the description of the feature. If you create an assignment from the feature, the pop-up title is used to populate the location text. When you view the details of a feature, the pop-up appears.

The pop-up provided on the Worker map controls the feature information the mobile worker sees.

See Configure pop-ups in ArcGIS Online or Configure pop-ups in ArcGIS Enterprise for details. Make sure you accept your pop-up changes and save your map after editing the pop-up.

Add labels

Your dispatchers and mobile workers may need to see labels on the map. You enable labels by configuring them for feature layers. See Create labels in ArcGIS Online or Create labels in ArcGIS Enterprise for details. For the mobile app, you must configure labels on the layer; make sure you choose Save Layer to save the configuration as a property of the layer and not just as part of the map you are using to enable labels. For the web app, you can configure labels either as part of the map or as part of the layer. If an expression is used, you must configure labels as part of the layer.

If you enable labels on a layer and only want them visible on either the Dispatcher or the Worker map, disable labels on that layer on one of the two maps. To disable a layer, select it in the Contents pane, click More Options More Options, click Manage Labels, and clear the Label Features check box.

Create a map area

In the field, mobile workers often work in areas without a reliable data connection or with no data connection at all. For this reason, all Workforce projects are enabled for offline use. Whenever a mobile worker opens a web map in the Workforce mobile app, the map area defined for the Worker web map is automatically downloaded.

To provide the best offline experience for your mobile workers, create a map area as part of the Worker map.

Note:

Classic projects are not enabled for offline use. To enable Classic projects for offline use, see Migrate Classic projects.

Enable layers for offline use

All layers in the Worker web map must be enabled for offline use to be used in the Workforce mobile app. See Enable the layers and map for offline use in ArcGIS Online or Enable the layers and map for offline use in ArcGIS Enterprise.

Note:

A warning appears under Maps, next to Worker map, if there are one or more layers that are not enabled for offline use.

Create a map area

Creating a map area as part of the Worker map allows you to prepackage an area of the map so mobile workers can download it. Creating map areas speeds up and simplifies the map download process for mobile workers and ensures that they have all the data they need to work without an internet connection. The map area automatically downloads to their device upon opening the web map. If you do not create a map area for the project, the Workforce layers and any sync-enabled reference layers download when the mobile worker opens the web map.

Caution:

While mobile workers can work in a disconnected environment without a map area, they may lose access to their basemap data. It is recommended that you create a map area for each project.

  1. Click the Overview tab of your project.
  2. Under Maps, click Create Offline Map Area.

    The Manage Areas window appears.

    Note:

    When the map area has been created, the Create Offline Map Area button changes to Manage Offline Map Area.

    From here, you can create a map area for your mobile workers in the same way you create a map area in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. For step-by-step instructions, see Create, edit, and manage map areas in ArcGIS Online or Create, edit, and manage map areas in ArcGIS Enterprise.

    Note:

    You can only create one map area for each Workforce project.

Edit the map area

Once you've created a map area, you may want to change its name, shape, level of detail, or the schedule for refreshing feature layer packages (if set).

To edit a map area, complete the following steps:

  1. On the project Overview tab, under Maps, click Manage Offline Map Area.
  2. Click the map area. At the top of the map area pane, click the Options button, and click Edit.
  3. In the Edit Map Area pane, change any of the settings, or change the shape of the map area as needed.
  4. Click Save when you're finished.

Update the map

You may need to update the Worker map or layers based on new requirements or additional information you want mobile workers to have in the field. The following changes require you to re-create map areas and your mobile workers to reload the map:

  • Changing symbology
  • Adding or removing layers
  • Updating layer schemas (including adding and removing fields, as well as updating lists and domains)
  • Updating search capabilities
  • Changing pop-ups
Note:

Unless specified otherwise, these changes don't affect the ability of mobile workers to sync their changes before reloading the map.

To re-create a map area, complete the following steps:

  1. On the project Overview tab, under Maps, click Manage Offline Map Area.
  2. Click the map area. At the top of the map area pane, click the Options button, and click Recreate Area.
  3. In the Recreate Area pane, click Recreate.

    The map area is re-created.

Integrate other Esri apps

You can configure Workforce to open other Esri apps, providing mobile workers with a seamless experience working with Workforce and ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Collector, ArcGIS Explorer, ArcGIS Navigator, and ArcGIS Survey123. You can integrate the other Esri apps that your mobile workers use by completing the following steps:

Note:

Field Maps integration is supported on ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9 and later.

  1. While configuring your project, click the Advanced tab.
  2. Expand App Integration to see the apps that mobile workers can use with Workforce.

    Navigator integration is enabled by default, whereas Field Maps, Collector, Explorer, and Survey123 integration require configuration before being enabled. Navigator doesn't require configuration because it uses the map that is currently open in Navigator to get directions. Field Maps, Collector, and Explorer open the map, and Survey123 opens the survey that the Workforce project or assignment types are configured to work with.

  3. Optionally, add and configure ArcGIS Field Maps.
    1. Click Add next to the product name.

      The Step 1 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Field Maps dialog box appears, displaying the web maps you can configure to work with your project. The web maps displayed are those supported by Field Maps that are shared with a group of which you are a member.

    2. Click the map your mobile workers will use when completing their assignments in this project. For example, if they'll be inspecting hydrants, configure Field Maps to use a map of the hydrants and their inspection reports.

      Ideally, you will share this map with the Workforce project's group to ensure that it's accessible to all users participating in the project.

    3. Click Next.

      The Step 2 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Field Maps dialog box appears, displaying the assignment types you can associate with this map. You can choose one or more assignment types, or you can integrate the map with all assignment types in the project. For example, if your project is only about inspecting hydrants, use that same map for all assignment types. If your project is about hydrant work and includes inspections and maintenance, use that map for the inspection assignments (but not the maintenance assignments).

    4. Select the assignment types or project that the integration will be associated with and click Next.

      The Step 3 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Field Maps dialog box appears, where you can set up if and how Field Maps will use the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location from Workforce as part of a new collection.

      Note:

      The Step 3 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Field Maps dialog box only applies to maps enabled for editing. If you are integrating a read-only map, click Done.

    5. Specify the point layer you'll be collecting in and the fields to use, if any, and click Add Add. Click Done.
      Note:

      Only point layers are supported. Because the information is used to start a new collection, which is in a single layer, an integration can only pass information to a single layer.

      If you're using ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 or earlier, you can only pass the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location fields.

      If you're using ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or later, any field in the Assignments layer can be passed to Field Maps. The following rules apply when integrating fields:

      • The Work Order ID and location fields must be passed to string fields, as they are string fields in Workforce.
      • The GlobalID field can be passed to a string or GUID field.
      • Short integer fields can be passed to any integer field.
      • Long integer fields can be passed to long integer fields.
      • Floating fields can be passed to double fields.
      • All other field types can pass to similar field types (for example, string fields can be passed to string fields).
      • When fields with coded value domains are integrated, the code is passed, not the value.
      • When Workforce key fields with a GUID field type are integrated (for example, Assignment Type, WorkerID, and DispatcherID), the GUID value is passed.

      A green check mark appears next to ArcGIS Field Maps, and the associated assignment types and name of your map appear below the app name. When your mobile worker opens Field Maps through an assignment of one of those types, the map opens and a pin is dropped at the assignment location. If the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location are passed to particular fields, a new collection is started in Field Maps that reflects those values.

  4. Optionally, add and configure ArcGIS Collector.
    1. Click Add next to the product name.

      The Step 1 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Collector dialog box appears, displaying the maps you can configure to work with your project. The maps displayed are those supported by Collector that are shared with a group of which you are a member.

    2. Click the map your mobile workers will use when completing their assignments in this project. For example, if they'll be inspecting hydrants, configure Collector to use a map of the hydrants and their inspection reports.

      To access the map in Collector, you must share it with a group. It's recommended that you share this map with the Workforce project's group to ensure that it's accessible to all users participating in the project.

    3. Click Next.

      The Step 2 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Collector dialog box appears, displaying the assignment types you can associate with this map. You can choose one or more assignment types, or you can integrate the map with all assignment types in the project. For example, if your project is only about inspecting hydrants, use that same map for all assignment types. If your project is about hydrant work and includes inspections and maintenance, use that map for the inspection assignments (but not the maintenance assignments).

    4. Select the assignment types or project that the integration will be associated with and click Next.

      The Step 3 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Collector dialog box appears, where you can set up if and how Collector will use the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location from Workforce as part of a new collection.

    5. Specify the point layer you'll be collecting in and the fields to use, if any, and click Add Add. Click Done.
      Note:

      Only point layers are supported. Because the information is used to start a new collection, which is in a single layer, an integration can only pass information to a single layer.

      If you're using ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 or earlier, you can only pass the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location fields.

      If you're using ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or later, any field in the Assignments layer can be passed to Collector. The following rules apply when integrating fields:

      • The Work Order ID and location fields must be passed to string fields, as they are string fields in Workforce.
      • The GlobalID field can be passed to a string or GUID field.
      • Short integer fields can be passed to any integer field.
      • Long integer fields can be passed to long integer fields.
      • Floating fields can be passed to double fields.
      • All other field types can pass to similar field types (for example, string fields can be passed to string fields).
      • When fields with coded value domains are integrated, the code is passed, not the value.
      • When Workforce key fields with a GUID field type are integrated (for example, Assignment Type, WorkerID, and DispatcherID), the GUID value is passed.

      A green check mark appears next to ArcGIS Collector, and the associated assignment types and name of your map appear below the app name. When your mobile worker opens Collector through an assignment of one of those types, the map opens and a pin is dropped at the assignment location. If the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location are passed to particular fields, a new collection is started in Collector that reflects those values.

  5. Optionally, add and configure ArcGIS Explorer.
    1. Click Add next to the product name.

      The Step 1 of 2: Integrate ArcGIS Explorer dialog box appears, displaying the web maps you can configure to work with your project. The web maps displayed are those created after July 2014 that are supported by Explorer and shared with your organization or a group of which you are a member. Public maps (those shared with everyone) can't be integrated with Workforce.

    2. Click the map your mobile workers will use when completing their assignments in this project. For example, if they'll be maintaining light fixtures and replacing light bulbs, configure Explorer to use a map of the fixtures.

      Ideally, you will share this map with the Workforce project's group to ensure that it's accessible to all users participating in the project.

    3. Click Next.

      The Step 2 of 2: Integrate ArcGIS Explorer dialog box appears, displaying the assignment types you can associate with this map. You can choose one or more assignment types, or you can integrate the map with all assignment types in the project. For example, if your project is only about maintaining light fixtures, use that same map for all assignment types. If your project is about building maintenance and includes light fixtures and landscaping, use that map for the light fixture assignments (but not the landscaping assignments).

    4. Select the assignment types or project that the integration will be associated with and click Done.

      A green check mark appears next to ArcGIS Explorer, and the associated assignment types and name of your map appear below the app name. When your mobile worker opens Explorer through an assignment of one of those types, the map opens and centers on the assignment location.

    ArcGIS Navigator is configured by default and a green check mark appears next to it.

  6. To disable Navigator, click Remove.
  7. Optionally, add and configure ArcGIS Survey123.
    1. Click Add next to the product name.

      The Step 1 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Survey123 dialog box appears, displaying the surveys you can configure to work with your project. The surveys displayed are those supported by Survey123 that are shared with your organization or a group of which you are a member. Public surveys (those shared with everyone) can't be integrated with Workforce.

    2. Click the survey your mobile workers will use when completing their assignments in this project. For example, if they'll be spotting whales, configure Survey123 to use a survey of the whale species seen.

      Ideally, you will share this survey with the Workforce project's group to ensure that it's accessible to all users participating in the project.

    3. Click Next.

      The Step 2 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Survey123 dialog box appears, displaying the assignment types you can associate with this survey. You can choose one or more assignment types, or you can integrate the survey with all assignment types in the project. For example, if your project is only about whales, use that same survey for all assignment types. If your project is about wildlife sightings and the types include various species, use that map for the whale sighting assignments (but not the bird assignments).

    4. Select the assignment types or project that the integration will be associated with and click Next.

      The Step 3 of 3: Integrate ArcGIS Survey123 dialog box appears, where you can set up if and how Survey123 will use the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location from Workforce as answers to questions in a new survey.

    5. Specify the question each value will answer, if any, and click Add Add. Click Done.
      Note:

      Only point layers are supported. Because the information is used to start a new collection, which is in a single layer, an integration can only pass information to a single layer.

      If you're using ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 or earlier, you can only pass the GlobalID, Work Order ID, and location fields.

      If you're using ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or later, any field in the Assignments layer can be passed to Survey123. The following rules apply when integrating fields:

      • The Work Order ID and location fields must be passed to string fields, as they are string fields in Workforce.
      • The GlobalID field can be passed to a string or GUID field.
      • Short integer fields can be passed to any integer field.
      • Long integer fields can be passed to long integer fields.
      • Floating fields can be passed to double fields.
      • All other field types can pass to similar field types (for example, string fields can be passed to string fields).
      • When fields with coded value domains are integrated, the code is passed, not the value.
      • When Workforce key fields with a GUID field type are integrated (for example, Assignment Type, WorkerID, and DispatcherID), the GUID value is passed.

      A green check mark appears next to ArcGIS Survey123, and the associated assignment types and name of your survey appear below the app name. When your mobile worker opens Survey123, the survey opens and a geopoint is created at the assignment location.

Test your project

To test your project to make sure your dispatchers and mobile workers will be successful, do the following:

  • Create example assignments. Make sure the number of assignments created is a good representation of the number of assignments you expect to have active when using the project.
  • Go through the full process with a few dispatchers and mobile workers. You'll want to do a complete test with all participants working as they will when the project is in use. This will allow you to determine whether your project is structured correctly and answer the following questions: Are the types of assignments relevant to both dispatchers and mobile workers? Are the right mobile workers and dispatchers defined?
  • If your project has types of work that are only done by a few mobile workers or a single mobile worker, make sure these types of work are appropriate in your workflow. They may be in some scenarios, but in others, it may be confusing to have these types of work in a project.
  • Verify that the map area successfully downloads to a mobile device and that it contains everything the mobile worker requires.
  • Verify that the Worker map works offline as expected.
  • Verify that your app integrations work as expected.
Tip:

If you find issues, edit your project and retest it. To edit a project, go to My Projects, hover over the project, and click Configure Configure. Options to configure and delete projects you own are available.

With Workforce, your dispatchers and mobile workers have a common view in the back office and in the field, and they can stay organized and report progress while in the field. You'll see overhead decrease and productivity increase as you move more projects into Workforce.

Migrate Classic projects

Projects created prior to the July 2020 release of Workforce are listed under Classic Projects on the Projects page in the Workforce web app. While you can still work with these projects, you cannot enable them for offline use. Complete the following steps to migrate a Classic project to enable it for offline use:

  1. On the Projects page, select the Classic project you want to migrate and click Migrate project.

    The Migrate project window appears.

  2. Provide a name in the New project name text box.

    Note:

    The name must be different than the Classic project.

  3. Select the layers you want to migrate to the new project.

    Workforce automatically migrates the project's assignment types and mobile workers. You can migrate dispatchers, assignment integrations, and web maps by selecting them in the Migrate project window.

    Note:

    You can use the Migrate Workforce Project script to migrate existing assignment data to your new project.

  4. Click Migrate project.

    The migrated project is added to the Projects page and is enabled for offline use.

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In this topic
  1. Create a project in the Workforce web app
  2. Define the types of work
  3. Define roles
  4. Customize the maps
  5. Create a map area
  6. Integrate other Esri apps
  7. Test your project
  8. Migrate Classic projects