Introduction

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective project management is more critical than ever.
Whether you're managing client projects, internal initiatives, product development, or service delivery, being able to plan, track, and control every aspect of a project efficiently is essential to success.

However, many businesses — especially small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers — find it challenging to implement complex project management tools due to their cost, steep learning curve, or misalignment with their needs.

Enter Dolibarr ERP & CRM, an open-source, modular system that offers powerful yet simple project management and tracking tools.
Dolibarr allows businesses to streamline project workflows, monitor tasks, control budgets, and collaborate more effectively, all from within a unified platform.

In this comprehensive article, we will explore how Dolibarr’s integrated tools simplify project tracking, the features available, how to set up and use them effectively, best practices for project management within Dolibarr, and advanced tips for optimizing your project workflows.

Why Project Tracking Matters

Project tracking ensures that:

• Objectives are achieved within the planned timeline and budget.

• Resources are allocated efficiently.

• Risks and issues are identified early.

• Team members stay aligned with project goals.

• Clients and stakeholders receive timely updates and results.

Without proper tracking:

• Deadlines are missed.

• Costs spiral out of control.

• Team collaboration suffers.

• Client trust is eroded.

• Opportunities for improvement are lost.

Dolibarr’s integrated tools make professional project tracking accessible even for small businesses, without requiring expensive licenses or technical expertise.

Overview of Project Management in Dolibarr

Dolibarr’s Project and Task Management Module is designed to cover the complete project lifecycle:

• Project Creation: Define projects, link to customers, and assign internal teams.

• Task Management: Break down projects into structured tasks and subtasks.

• Progress Monitoring: Track the completion status of each task and project.

• Time Tracking: Record working hours and monitor time spent against estimates.

• Resource Assignment: Allocate users and teams to projects and tasks.

• Budget Management: Link financial elements such as proposals, orders, invoices, and expenses to projects.

• Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards: Visual tools for planning and monitoring.

• Document Management: Attach project-related files and documents.

• Communication and Collaboration: Internal notes and external comments.

• Reporting and Dashboards: Real-time data to evaluate performance and KPIs.

With this toolset, Dolibarr transforms itself into a powerful project management platform while maintaining its signature simplicity.

Setting Up Project Tracking in Dolibarr

1. Activating the Project Module

Before you begin managing projects:

• Go to Home > Setup > Modules/Applications.

• Enable the Projects/Tasks module.

Optional but useful related modules include:

• Timesheets

• Gantt View

• Kanban View

• Resource Planning

These additional modules extend Dolibarr’s project management capabilities.

2. Configuring Basic Settings

Once the module is activated, configure:

• Visibility: Define whether projects are private (restricted access) or public.

• Status Options: Set up different project and task status stages (e.g., Draft, In Progress, Completed, Cancelled).

• Project Categories: Create categories to classify projects by type, department, or client industry.

Proper setup at the beginning ensures better organization and reporting as the number of projects grows.

How to Manage Projects in Dolibarr

1. Creating a New Project

To create a project:

• Navigate to Projects > New Project.

• Fill in essential details:

  • Project name

  • Associated client (if any)

  • Description

  • Start and end dates

  • Budget or estimated hours

  • Project owner (internal user)

You can link a project directly to a sales proposal, order, or invoice, integrating your commercial workflows.

2. Adding Tasks to Projects

Tasks allow you to structure work within a project:

• Go to Project Details > Tasks > Add Task.

• Specify:

  • Task name

  • Parent task (for subtask hierarchies)

  • Estimated duration

  • Responsible user

  • Priority (Low, Medium, High)

Tasks can also have dependencies, ensuring that certain activities cannot start until others are completed.

3. Assigning Resources

Assign internal users or teams to each task:

• Users can be restricted to see only tasks assigned to them.

• Managers can see all project-related activities.

This helps ensure that workloads are balanced and everyone is clear about their responsibilities.

4. Tracking Progress

Track project and task status through:

• Manual updates of percentage completion.

• Recording time spent against each task.

• Updating task statuses (e.g., from "In Progress" to "Completed").

Real-time tracking ensures greater visibility into project health and allows early detection of delays.

5. Managing Budgets and Costs

Link project-related financial elements:

• Proposals and Quotations: Initial project estimates.

• Customer Orders: Formalized project commitments.

• Invoices: Billing for completed milestones or phases.

• Supplier Invoices: Recording project-related expenses.

Dolibarr enables you to associate every cost and revenue to a project, giving clear profitability insights.

Visual Project Tracking in Dolibarr

1. Gantt Charts

Dolibarr provides a Gantt chart view:

• Visualize project timelines.

• See task dependencies and overlaps.

• Adjust start and end dates graphically.

This visual planning tool helps ensure that deadlines are respected and resource scheduling is optimized.

2. Kanban Boards

Tasks can also be viewed in a Kanban format:

• Columns represent task statuses (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).

• Tasks (cards) are moved between columns as they progress.

Kanban is particularly useful for agile project management and offers a clear overview of work-in-progress.

3. Dashboards and Reports

Access project dashboards that summarize:

• Number of ongoing, completed, and delayed projects.

• Time spent per user.

• Budgeted vs actual costs.

You can customize filters to focus on specific customers, departments, or periods.

Time Tracking and Timesheets

1. Recording Working Hours

Users can:

• Record time directly under each task.

• Use a central Timesheet interface to log time daily or weekly.

Recording working hours accurately supports:

• Better project costing.

• More precise client billing (especially for time and material contracts).

• Staff performance evaluations.

2. Time Validation Workflow

Timesheets can be:

• Submitted by users.

• Validated by managers.

• Used to generate payroll and client invoices.

This ensures accountability and billing accuracy.

Collaboration and Document Management

1. Internal Notes and Comments

Within each project and task, users can:

• Leave internal notes (visible only to staff).

• Communicate progress updates.

• Document meeting minutes or client feedback.

This creates a centralized communication thread for every project.

2. File Attachments

Attach relevant documents to projects and tasks:

• Contracts

• Technical specifications

• Design files

• Reports

Keeping documents organized within Dolibarr ensures easy access for all authorized users.

Advanced Features for Enhanced Project Management

1. Project Templates

For recurring project types:

• Create template projects.

• Clone them when starting a new project.

This saves time and ensures consistency across similar projects.

2. Linking Projects to Other Modules

Projects can be linked to:

• CRM Opportunities (Sales Pipelines)

• Helpdesk Tickets (Customer Service)

• Manufacturing Orders (Production Planning)

This cross-module integration enables seamless information flow across departments.

3. External User Access

You can provide restricted access to customers or external partners:

• View project status.

• Approve milestones.

• Download deliverables.

This enhances transparency and customer satisfaction.

Best Practices for Managing Projects in Dolibarr

1. Clearly Define Project Objectives:

   • Ensure all stakeholders are aligned from the beginning.

2. Break Down Projects into Manageable Tasks:

   • Easier tracking, delegation, and monitoring.

3. Use Time Estimates and Budgets:

   • To manage expectations and resources.

4. Encourage Regular Updates:

   • Team members should update task status and hours worked consistently.

5. Leverage Visual Tools:

   • Gantt charts and Kanban boards provide intuitive overviews.

6. Document Everything:

   • Notes and attachments should be used extensively.

7. Monitor KPIs Regularly:

   • Detect deviations early and act accordingly.

Challenges You May Encounter and How to Solve Them

Why Dolibarr is Ideal for Project Management

• Cost-Effective: No high licensing fees.

• Simple yet Powerful: Intuitive for non-technical users.

• Modular and Flexible: Adapt to simple or complex project needs.

• Integrated with CRM, Sales, Accounting: A true all-in-one solution.

• Open Source: Full data ownership and customization potential.

• Active Community Support: Tutorials, extensions, forums.

Dolibarr combines professional-grade project management features with the simplicity needed by SMEs and freelancers.

Conclusion

Managing projects effectively is critical for delivering results, satisfying clients, and growing your business.
Dolibarr ERP & CRM provides an accessible, powerful, and flexible set of tools for simplifying project tracking and management.

By leveraging Dolibarr’s integrated project management features — from tasks to time tracking, budgets to Gantt charts — you can:

• Gain full control over your projects.

• Increase team productivity.

• Improve financial performance.

• Deliver better outcomes to your clients.

Dolibarr empowers businesses to professionalize their project workflows without complexity or prohibitive costs — making it an outstanding choice for modern project management.