monday.com helps teams organize their work, from single tasks to big goals. But what’s the difference between a “project” and a “portfolio” on the platform?

A project is a single, focused task or goal, like a product launch. A portfolio, however, is a collection of multiple projects, giving you a high-level view of everything at once. Knowing when to use each helps you work more effectively.

In this blog, we’ll quickly cover what projects and portfolios mean in monday.com and how to use them to stay on top of your goals.

What is Project in monday.com?

On monday.com, a project is simply a single goal or task that you and your team are working on, like a marketing campaign or a new product launch. Each project lives on a board, where you can break it down into smaller tasks to make it easier to manage.

Projects are organized in a way that helps you focus on details. On each project board, you can create tasks, assign them to team members, set deadlines, and track progress. monday.com offers tools like Gantt charts and timelines to keep everything on track, making it easy to see what’s happening and when.

For example, if you’re planning a product launch, your board might include tasks like “Design marketing materials,” “Run ad campaign,” and “Set up product demo.” Each task can be assigned, updated, and tracked, so the whole team knows the current status.

In short, projects in monday.com help you manage single goals step-by-step, ensuring every part of the process is clear and organized.

What is Portfolio in monday.com?

A portfolio in monday.com is a way to view and manage multiple projects at once. Instead of focusing on individual tasks, a portfolio gives you a high-level view of all your projects, helping you see how they’re progressing and whether they align with bigger goals.

Portfolios are often displayed on dashboards, where you can bring together data from different projects into one place. This view makes it easy to track key metrics, like project deadlines, overall progress, and team workload. For instance, you can see if one team member is overloaded or if a project is falling behind, all without needing to check each project individually.

With monday.com’s portfolio features, you can also use tools like workload views and analytics to monitor resource allocation, track timelines, and quickly spot any issues across multiple projects.

This is especially useful if you’re managing multiple projects across different teams or departments and need an overview of how everything is progressing.

In essence, portfolios help you keep an eye on the big picture, allowing you to track and manage multiple projects efficiently without getting lost in the details of each one.

Key Differences Between Projects and Portfolios in monday.com

While projects and portfolios may sound similar, they serve different purposes in monday.com. Here’s a breakdown of their key differences:

1. Scope and Focus

• A project is focused on a specific, single goal or task. It’s detailed and designed for tracking each step needed to complete that goal.
• A portfolio, on the other hand, covers a broader scope. It’s used to track and manage multiple projects together, providing a big-picture view of progress, resources, and deadlines.

2. Level of Detail

• Projects require detailed tracking, with tasks assigned to specific team members, deadlines, and status updates. You manage each element of the project on its own board.
• Portfolios offer a higher-level view. Instead of tracking individual tasks, you monitor overall project progress and important metrics across multiple projects, making it easier to assess overall performance.

3. Management Tools

• Projects: monday.com offers tools like timelines, Gantt charts, and task dependencies for in-depth project management. These tools help team members stay aligned on each task.
• Portfolios: For portfolios, monday.com provides dashboards, workload views, and reporting tools. These features let managers monitor multiple projects at once, track resource allocation, and make strategic decisions.

4. Usage Scenarios

• Use a project view when you need to focus on completing a specific goal or task. For instance, if you’re organizing a marketing campaign, you can track each task to ensure everything’s completed on time.
• Use a portfolio view when you’re overseeing multiple projects and need to see how they’re all progressing. If you’re managing several campaigns, a portfolio view can help you check deadlines, balance resources, and prioritize projects.

When to Use Project vs. Portfolio Views in monday.com

Knowing when to use project and portfolio views can help you make the most of monday.com’s features and keep your team organized. Here’s how to decide which view works best depending on your needs:

1. Use Project Views for Specific Goals

Project views are ideal when you need to focus on a single, detailed goal. For example, if you’re working on a product launch, the project view lets you break down every step, assign tasks, and track individual deadlines. This view is best for task-level management, ensuring that every part of the project is handled efficiently.

2. Use Portfolio Views for Big-Picture Management

If you’re managing multiple projects at once, a portfolio view is a powerful way to get a high-level overview. This is helpful for leaders overseeing several projects across different teams or departments, as it shows how projects are progressing, which resources are being used, and any potential delays. Portfolio views are great for monitoring timelines and adjusting resources as needed to stay on track.

3. Combine Both Views for Full Project Visibility

By using both project and portfolio views together, you get the best of both worlds. You can dive into task-level details when you need to, while also keeping an eye on overall progress and resource allocation across projects. This combined approach is especially useful for managers who need to balance immediate project needs with long-term goals.

4. Use Project Views for Team-Level Collaboration

When team members need to focus on their tasks, project views offer a collaborative workspace. Team members can communicate directly on tasks, update progress, and keep each other in the loop without needing to jump to other projects.

5. Use Portfolio Views for Stakeholder Updates

Portfolio views are perfect for providing stakeholders with quick, easy-to-read updates. Dashboards and high-level reports allow you to communicate progress, resource needs, and project outcomes without going into task-specific details, making it easier for stakeholders to understand the big picture.

How to create a portfolio board on monday.com

This feature is available on monday work management. It is accessible only on Enterprise plans.

Creating a portfolio board in monday.com allows you to oversee multiple projects from a high-level perspective, ensuring alignment with your organization’s strategic goals. Here’s how to set one up:

1. Add a New Portfolio Board:

• Click the blue “+” icon on the left pane.
• Select “New Portfolio.”
• Name your portfolio and choose its visibility (Main or Private).
• Your new portfolio board will be created.

2. Add Projects to Your Portfolio:

• On the portfolio board, click “Add project.”
• Choose “Create new project” to set up a new project board, or select an existing project from your account.
• Newly created projects are automatically connected to the portfolio, syncing relevant information.

3. Customize Your Portfolio Board:

• Utilize columns like Status, Timeline, and Progress to monitor each project’s state.
• Add widgets such as Gantt charts or Battery Widgets for visual insights into project timelines and progress.

4. Leverage the Portfolio Health Snapshot:

• Access the Portfolio Health Snapshot for an overview of project completion percentages, planned vs. actual timelines, and more.
• This interactive feature allows you to drill down into project details and make updates directly.

Learn more about monday.com portfolio Solution here

Expanding Portfolio Management Without Enterprise: The PPM App Solution

If you’re not on monday.com’s Enterprise plan but need robust portfolio management features, consider using the PPM (Project Portfolio Management) app. This plugin enhances your monday.com experience by offering:

• Unlimited Connected Boards: Manage multiple projects without restrictions, allowing for comprehensive oversight.
• Integrated Gantt Charts: Visualize project timelines and dependencies within a single view, facilitating better planning and tracking.
• Workload Management: Monitor and balance team workloads effectively to ensure optimal resource utilization.

By integrating the PPM app, you can access advanced portfolio management capabilities without the need for an Enterprise subscription. For more information and to get started, visit the PPM for monday.com documentation.

Understanding the difference between projects and portfolios in monday.com helps you manage work more effectively. Projects focus on specific tasks, while portfolios offer a high-level view of multiple projects, aligning with broader goals. Using both together allows you to track details and make strategic decisions.

By setting up boards thoughtfully and following best practices, you can keep everything—from daily tasks to long-term objectives—organized and on track. Start exploring monday.com’s project and portfolio tools to boost team productivity and alignment.