Automating Admin and Workflows for Project Owners

Upon completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Restructure existing spreadsheets into "Smart Trackers" thatprevent errors and make reporting easy.
• Automate repetitive admin tasks, such as sending email reminders or copying data from forms to sheets.
• Utilize AI to "read" unstructured text (like vendor emails orsite reports) and extract key data automatically.
• Create a self-updating dashboard that gives Stakeholders areal-time view of project health.
• Deploy a "Digital Assistant" that can answer questions aboutproject status without needing to open a file.

• Project Owners & Directors: Those responsible for the P&Land delivery of projects who need better visibility.
• Operations Managers: Staff managing resources, vendors, orsite logistics.
• PMO Support & Administrators: Staff currently handling manual reporting and data entry.
• Non-Technical Stakeholders: Business unit leaders whooversee project portfolios.

• Basic Spreadsheet Skills: Familiarity with Excel/Google Sheets (e.g., entering data, using filters, basic sums). No coding knowledge is required.
• Process Knowledge: Participants should know their own business processes (e.g., "How do we currently approve avendor invoice?").
• Account Access: Google Workspace, N8N (Free/Trial), and anAI account (ChatGPT/DeepSeek).

Module 1: From "Messy Files" to "Smart Trackers"

• The Problem: Why distinct files for every project leads to chaos and reporting errors.
• The Solution: Using the "Master List" concept. Keeping all Projects in one tab, and all Tasks in another.
• Data Hygiene: Simple rules to ensure your data is clean (e.g.,using Dropdowns instead of typing text, using standard Date formats).
• Practical Activity: "The Cleanup" – Participants take a "messy" sample spreadsheet (mixed dates, typos) and convert it into astructured "Project Master Sheet" using Data Validation tools.

Module 2: Connecting Your Tools (Introduction to Automation)

• The Connector (N8N): Understanding how to link your email, forms, and sheets together.
• Triggers & Actions: Learning the logic of "When this happens, do that." (e.g., When a new Google Form is submitted, Add arow to Google Sheets).
• Notifications: Automating the "nagging." Sending automatic Slack or Email alerts when a deadline is approaching.
• Practical Activity: "The Auto-Notifier" – Building a simple workflow that checks a Google Sheet for deadlines due todayand sends a summary email to the Project Owner automatically.

Module 3: Automating Intake & Approvals

• Standardizing Requests: Using Forms (Google Forms or Typeform) to collect data so you don't have to type it manually.
• The Approval Loop: How to route a request (e.g., "Purchase Request") to a manager and wait for a "Yes/No" click.
• Status Updates: Automatically updating the status in your Master Sheet based on the manager's decision.
• Practical Activity: "The One-Click Approval" – Creating a workflow where a Site Issue Report is submitted via a phone form, and the Manager gets an email with an "Approve Repair" button.

Module 4: AI as Your Admin Assistant

• Beyond Chatbots: Understanding how AI can "read" emails, PDFs, and long reports for you.
• Information Extraction: Using AI to pull specific details (dates, costs, names) out of messy paragraphs.
• Sentiment & Urgency: Teaching AI to flag "Urgent" or "Angry" emails from clients/vendors.
• Practical Activity: "The Inbox Sorter" – Building a workflow that reads incoming project emails, identifies if they are "Complaints" or "Invoices," and logs them into the correct Google Sheet column.

Module 5: The "Chat with Your Data" Bot

• Accessing Information: Why searching through 20 folders is inefficient.
• Building the Brain: Connecting an AI tool to your "Master Sheet" from Day 1.
• Asking Questions: Configuring the system so you can ask natural questions like "Which projects are over budget?" or "What is the status of the Johor site?"
• Practical Activity: "The PMO Bot" – Configuring a simple interface where the Project Owner can ask a question about their portfolio and get an accurate answer based on the Google Sheet data.

 

Module 6: Automated Reporting & Dashboards

• The End of Manual Reports: Stop copy-pasting data into PowerPoint every Friday.
• Real-Time Dashboards: Using Google Sheets capabilities to show simple charts that update automatically.
• The Weekly Digest: Automating a Friday summary email that lists all accomplishments and pending risks.
• Practical Activity: "The Friday Auto-Report" – Setting up a scheduled automation that reads the week's progress and drafts a formatted PDF status report for stakeholders.