Creating a meeting template in Procore is an excellent way to streamline your project meetings, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent communication among your team members. When you invest in setting up a reusable meeting template, you are not only saving time but also reducing the possibility of errors caused by repetitive data entry. In this post, we will walk you through everything you need to know about creating a meeting template in Procore—from setting up the template to adding agenda items, and finally, to using that template across your company's projects.
Procore serves as a comprehensive project management platform designed specifically for construction projects. The Meetings tool within Procore allows organizations to effectively manage every aspect of their meetings, from planning to follow-up. Meeting templates function as pre-configured agendas that users can apply whenever they create new meetings.
These templates ensure consistency across all project meetings and significantly reduce the time spent on meeting preparation. Instead of starting from scratch each time, team members can focus their energy on the actual discussion points and action items. This standardization is particularly valuable for companies managing multiple projects simultaneously.
Meeting templates in Procore contain various customizable fields that help structure your meetings effectively. These include the meeting name, overview, attachments, privacy settings, and categorized agenda items. By utilizing these fields appropriately, you can create templates that serve as the foundation for productive and organized meetings.
Implementing meeting templates in your Procore workflow offers numerous advantages that extend beyond simple time savings. Teams that use well-structured templates often report more productive meetings and better follow-through on action items. The consistency provided by templates also helps new team members quickly understand the meeting format and expectations.
Templates eliminate the need to recreate standard agenda items for recurring meetings such as weekly progress updates or Owner-Architect-Contractor (OAC) meetings. This reduction in repetitive tasks allows project managers and coordinators to allocate their time to more valuable activities. Additionally, having a standardized format ensures that no critical topics are accidentally omitted during busy project phases.
The cross-project standardization enabled by Procore meeting templates is particularly beneficial for larger organizations. When all projects follow similar meeting structures, it becomes easier for executives and managers who oversee multiple projects to quickly understand the status and issues across different teams. This standardization also facilitates better documentation practices, which are crucial for compliance and historical reference.
Meeting templates also contribute to more professional client interactions. When clients attend meetings that are well-organized with clear agendas, it reinforces their confidence in your team's capabilities and attention to detail. This perception of professionalism can positively impact client relationships and potentially lead to future business opportunities.
Before diving into template creation, you need to ensure you have the proper access rights within Procore. Only users with administrator-level permissions at the company level can create and manage meeting templates. This restriction helps maintain quality control over the templates used across the organization.
Administrator access is typically limited to senior project managers, company administrators, or dedicated Procore specialists within your organization. If you don't currently have these permissions, you'll need to coordinate with someone who does to implement your meeting template ideas. This approach ensures that templates maintain a consistent quality standard across the organization.
The system is designed to support various template elements that enhance meeting effectiveness. Understanding these supported fields will help you create comprehensive templates that serve your team's needs:
Meeting Name: This required field identifies the purpose of the meeting
Overview: Provides context about meeting objectives and scope
Attachments: Allows inclusion of relevant documents for reference
Private Meeting Option: Controls visibility of sensitive meeting information
Categories and Items: Organizes agenda topics with appropriate priority levels
When designing your templates, avoid including project-specific information that would limit their applicability. The goal is to create versatile templates that work across all your company's projects while still providing enough structure to guide productive meetings.
Creating an effective meeting template requires thoughtful planning and attention to detail. The process begins with accessing the appropriate administrative tools within Procore. This section will guide you through each step of the template creation process.
Start by logging into your Procore account and navigating to the Company Level Admin tool. From there, locate the Tool Settings section and select the Meetings option. This area contains all the configuration options for meeting templates that will be available across your organization's projects.
Once in the Meetings settings, click the "Create Meeting Template" button to begin building your new template. This action will direct you to the New Meeting Template page where you'll input the foundational information for your template. Take time to consider a descriptive and clear meeting name that indicates the purpose of the meeting.
The following steps will help you build a comprehensive meeting template that serves your team's needs:
Enter a descriptive meeting name that clearly identifies the meeting type.
Decide whether the meeting should be private by checking the appropriate box.
Write a detailed overview that explains the meeting's purpose and objectives.
Attach any standard documents that should be available for all meetings of this type.
Click "Create & Proceed to Agenda" to move to the next phase of template creation.
The agenda forms the backbone of any productive meeting. In Procore, you can organize your agenda into categories and specific items to ensure meetings follow a logical flow. This organization helps keep discussions on track and ensures all necessary topics are covered.
When you first create a template, Procore automatically includes a default category called "1-Uncategorized Items." You should rename this to something more descriptive that aligns with your meeting structure. Common categories include "Opening Business," "Project Updates," or "Action Items Review." These clear labels help attendees understand the meeting flow.
Adding agenda items within each category is straightforward but requires careful consideration. Each item should have a clear title, appropriate priority level, and sufficient description to guide the discussion. You can also attach relevant documents to specific agenda items, providing context and reference materials directly where they're needed.
Consider these essential elements when building your agenda structure:
Clear, descriptive category names that organize related topics
Logical sequencing of categories that follows a natural meeting flow
Specific agenda items with appropriate priority levels
Detailed descriptions that provide context for each discussion point
Relevant attachments that support informed discussion
After creating your basic agenda structure, you'll want to refine the organization to ensure the meeting flows logically. Procore allows you to easily reorder both categories and individual items within those categories. This flexibility helps you create a template that guides meetings in a natural progression from introductory matters to core discussions and concluding items.
Look for the "more" menu icon (≡) next to each category or item to access the reordering functionality. You can click and drag elements to their desired positions, adjusting the sequence until you're satisfied with the flow. This organization is crucial for keeping meetings on track and ensuring that priority items receive appropriate attention before time constraints become an issue.
Once you've finalized the content and organization of your template, click the "Update" button to save your changes. At this point, your template becomes available for use across all projects in your Procore environment. Any user with appropriate permissions can now select this template when creating a new meeting within a project.
Remember that templates should evolve based on feedback and changing project needs. After implementing your template, gather input from meeting participants about its effectiveness and make adjustments as necessary. This continuous improvement approach ensures that your templates remain valuable tools for facilitating productive meetings.
Once your template is created, team members can easily apply it when scheduling new meetings within specific projects. The process is intuitive and helps maintain consistency across all project communications. This implementation phase is where you begin to realize the benefits of your template creation efforts.
To use a template, navigate to the Meetings tool within a specific project and click "Create Meeting." You'll see a dropdown menu or search option that lists all available meeting templates. Select the appropriate template, and Procore will automatically populate the new meeting with all the standard elements from your template, including categories, agenda items, and attachments.
While the template provides the structure, users can still customize individual meetings as needed. They might add project-specific agenda items, adjust priorities based on current circumstances, or attach additional documents relevant to that particular meeting. This flexibility ensures that the template serves as a helpful framework rather than a rigid constraint.
The implementation process works best when accompanied by clear communication about template usage. Consider these approaches to ensure successful adoption:
Provide brief training sessions for team members who will be creating meetings
Create a quick reference guide explaining when to use specific templates
Gather feedback after initial implementation to identify any usability issues
Make incremental improvements based on user experience
Creating truly effective meeting templates requires more than just technical knowledge of Procore's features. The best templates reflect a deep understanding of how meetings function within your organization and what elements contribute to their success. These best practices will help you design templates that genuinely enhance your team's productivity.
Keep your templates simple and focused on the core elements that drive productive meetings. Overly complex templates with too many agenda items can be counterproductive, leading to rushed discussions or meetings that consistently run overtime. Aim for a balance between comprehensiveness and practicality, including only the elements that genuinely add value to the meeting.
Use clear, descriptive language throughout your template. Category names, agenda item titles, and descriptions should immediately convey their purpose without requiring additional explanation. This clarity helps meeting participants prepare effectively and contributes to more focused discussions during the actual meeting.
Consider the following strategies to enhance the effectiveness of your meeting templates:
Design templates with realistic time constraints in mind
Include placeholder items for project-specific updates
Create distinct templates for different meeting types rather than one generic template
Incorporate space for action item assignment and follow-up
Review and refine templates periodically based on team feedback
Meeting templates should never be static documents. As your projects evolve and your organization grows, your meeting templates should adapt accordingly. Establishing a regular review process ensures that your templates remain relevant and continue to serve your team's needs effectively.
Schedule periodic reviews of your meeting templates, perhaps quarterly or semi-annually. During these reviews, assess whether the templates still align with your current project management approaches and organizational priorities. Look for opportunities to streamline or enhance the templates based on feedback from users and observations about meeting effectiveness.
When making updates to templates, communicate the changes to all users who might be affected. Explain the rationale behind the modifications and highlight any new features or sections that have been added. This communication helps ensure smooth adoption of the updated templates and prevents confusion during the transition period.
The evolution of your templates might include:
Adding new categories to address emerging project aspects
Refining agenda item descriptions based on common questions
Incorporating lessons learned from completed projects
Adjusting the template structure to better accommodate time constraints
Integrating new Procore features as they become available
Procore's meeting templates become even more powerful when integrated with other aspects of the platform. This integration creates a seamless workflow that connects meeting discussions with project documentation, task assignments, and follow-up activities. Taking advantage of these connections maximizes the value of your meeting templates.
Link meeting agenda items to relevant project documents stored elsewhere in Procore. This connection provides context for discussions and ensures that all participants have access to the necessary information. For example, an agenda item about schedule delays could link directly to the current project schedule, allowing for immediate reference during the meeting.
Incorporate task assignment capabilities into your meeting templates. By designing agenda items that naturally lead to action items, you create a direct path from discussion to implementation. When action items are assigned during meetings, they can be tracked through Procore's task management features, creating accountability and visibility.
Consider these integration strategies to enhance your meeting templates:
Connect agenda items to relevant RFIs (Request for Information) or submittals
Design templates that facilitate easy creation of meeting minutes
Include sections that prompt updates on previously assigned action items
Create linkages between recurring meetings to track ongoing issues
Well-designed meeting templates contribute significantly to project success by improving communication, accountability, and decision-making processes. When meetings consistently cover all necessary topics in a structured format, teams can address issues promptly and keep projects moving forward efficiently.
Meeting templates help establish a rhythm for project communication. When team members know that certain topics will be addressed at specific intervals, they can prepare accordingly and bring relevant information to the table. This predictability reduces the need for ad hoc discussions and helps maintain focus on project priorities.
The documentation generated from template-based meetings creates a valuable historical record of project decisions and developments. This record serves multiple purposes, from onboarding new team members to resolving disputes about past agreements. The consistency provided by templates makes this documentation more complete and easier to navigate.
Templates also facilitate better cross-functional collaboration by ensuring that all relevant perspectives are included in discussions. By designing templates that prompt input from different project roles—such as design, construction, and client representatives—you create opportunities for integrated problem-solving and more comprehensive decision-making.
Creating effective meeting templates in Procore represents a significant opportunity to enhance your project management processes. The time invested in developing thoughtful, well-structured templates pays dividends through more efficient meetings, better documentation, and improved project outcomes. By following the guidelines outlined in this article, you'll be well-equipped to create templates that serve your organization's specific needs.
Remember that the most effective templates balance structure with flexibility, providing a consistent framework while allowing for customization based on specific project requirements. Regular reviews and refinements ensure that your templates continue to evolve alongside your organization's needs and capabilities. This ongoing attention to template quality demonstrates your commitment to continuous improvement in project management practices.
Take action today by assessing your current meeting processes and identifying opportunities for standardization through Procore templates. Start with one common meeting type, create a template that addresses its specific requirements, and gather feedback from users after implementation. This iterative approach allows you to refine your template design skills while delivering immediate benefits to your project teams. With each template you create, you'll be building a more efficient, consistent, and professional approach to project meetings that will serve your organization for years to come.