Project Template-Specific Task Templates
Customer: Federated Hermes
Use Case Summary
Federated Hermes is a large asset management firm that processes approximately 3,100 due diligence questionnaires (DDQs) annually, with roughly 80% consisting of recurring requests. As part of a major efficiency initiative, the team is actively building out a large library of Project Templates intended to automate recurring DDQ workflows and reduce manual effort.
The team anticipates creating hundreds of project templates over time, each representing a specific client questionnaire, DDQ format, or recurring request type.
Current Limitation
Responsive currently allows organizations to create Task Templates at the project-type level (RFP, Standard RFI, DDQ, etc.), but there is no ability to associate tasks directly with individual Project Templates.
As a result, when a project is created from a Project Template, users can inherit project content and structure, but cannot inherit template-specific workflow instructions, reminders, approvals, signatures, or other operational tasks unique to that template.
Current workarounds include:
- Adding comments within the template
- Maintaining separate process documentation outside Responsive
- Creating generic project-type tasks that apply broadly but lack template-specific context
These workarounds reduce visibility, create inconsistent execution, and make it more difficult to standardize repeatable processes.
Requested Enhancement
Allow users to create and associate tasks directly within Project Templates.
When a new project is created from a Project Template:
- All template-specific tasks should automatically be created within the project
- Tasks should retain their descriptions, instructions, assignees (where applicable), due-date offsets, and completion requirements
- Tasks should be unique to the template rather than inherited from a broader project type
- Users should be able to manage these tasks as part of the Project Template design process
Example Use Cases
Example 1: Client-Specific DDQ Process
A recurring client DDQ requires:
- Legal review prior to submission
- Collection of an executive signature
- Completion of a specific portal upload process
Each time the template is used, these tasks should automatically appear rather than relying on comments or tribal knowledge.
Example 2: Operational Instructions
Certain templates contain known nuances, such as:
- Special formatting requirements
- Required supporting attachments
- Custom export instructions
- Specific stakeholder approvals
These instructions should be represented as actionable tasks rather than passive comments.
Example 3: Template Governance
As Federated Hermes scales to hundreds of templates, template-specific tasks would ensure consistency across team members and reduce dependency on institutional knowledge.
Business Value
- Improves standardization of recurring workflows
- Reduces missed process steps and operational risk
- Supports large-scale template automation initiatives
- Eliminates reliance on comments and external documentation
- Increases value and adoption of Project Templates
- Reduces onboarding time for new team members
- Enables repeatable execution across high-volume DDQ programs
Impact: High
This functionality directly supports one of Federated Hermes’ primary strategic objectives: automating recurring DDQ workflows and reducing manual effort across approximately 3,100 annual DDQ requests. As their template library grows, the lack of template-specific tasks becomes increasingly difficult to manage and introduces risk that critical workflow steps may be overlooked.
