Migrate from Workfront to Microsoft Project

Workfront Projects map directly to Microsoft Project files or Project Online Projects. The project name, planned start, planned completion, status, priority, and description migrate as standard fields. We handle the Portfolio-Program hierarchy by creating an Enterprise Project Type in Microsoft Project for the Portfolio level and using the project name as the Program grouping where no explicit Program object exists in Microsoft Project.

Workfront Portfolios group Programs, and Programs group Projects in a four-level hierarchy. Microsoft Project does not have a Portfolio object; the closest structural equivalent is an Enterprise Project Type in Project Online or a grouping convention in desktop Project. We document the Portfolio-to-grouping mapping as a configuration step and create the Enterprise Project Type before project import begins.

Workfront Programs group related Projects under a Portfolio. Microsoft Project has no native Program object. We map Programs to a Project-level grouping convention (such as a custom Enterprise Project Type field or a naming convention prefix) so that the customer's PMO can filter by program in Microsoft Project views.

Workfront Tasks map to Microsoft Project Tasks with name, duration, planned hours, percent complete, and predecessor relationships preserved. Task constraints in Workfront are not supported in the native export; we resolve predecessor chains during migration to ensure schedule accuracy in the absence of explicit constraint fields.

Workfront Subtasks (child tasks with a parentID reference) map to Microsoft Project Tasks with outline hierarchy preserved. Workfront parent-child task relationships become Microsoft Project outline levels. We flatten deeply nested subtask hierarchies to Microsoft Project's supported outline depth and flag any structures that require summary-task restructuring.

Workfront Assignments on Tasks (assigned to Users or Job Roles with allocation percentage or hours) map to Microsoft Project Task Assignments. We preserve the assigned user's name and the allocation percentage. Job Role assignments (Workfront's role-based staffing model) convert to named resource assignments in Microsoft Project; we document the role-to-resource mapping for the customer's PMO to resolve in the resource sheet.

Workfront Users map to Microsoft Project Resources by matching email or name. Resource type (Material vs. Work) is set based on the Workfront user's primary Job Role billing rate. We extract all Workfront users referenced in task assignments and generate a resource mapping table before migration so the customer can populate the Microsoft Project Resource Sheet.

Adobe explicitly states that custom fields are not transferred by the native Workfront-to-Microsoft Project export. We perform API-based extraction of all custom field values at the Project and Task levels and deliver them as a structured supplemental extract (CSV or JSON). For Project Online destinations, we can configure Enterprise Custom Fields to receive this data. For Microsoft Project Desktop, the extract is delivered as a reference document for manual post-migration entry.

Workfront Documents attached to Projects or Tasks do not migrate through the native export. We extract document metadata (file name, version, linked object, uploader, upload date) via the API and deliver it as a mapping table. The customer stores the actual files in SharePoint or another document management system and links them to the migrated Microsoft Project using the document mapping table we provide.

Workfront Notes are the conversation thread attached to Projects and Tasks where team members leave updates. Adobe's own documentation confirms that Notes do not transfer in the native export. We extract the full note history via the API (author, timestamp, rich text content) and deliver it as a structured supplemental extract associated by Workfront object ID so the customer's admin can attach it to the corresponding Microsoft Project task or project.

Workfront Issues track blockers or change requests logged against a Project or Task. Issues map to Microsoft Project Tasks with a status of Open or Closed and the issue description in the Task Name or a custom field. We preserve the issue's entered-by user, creation date, and resolution date where present. Request Queue intake records that were converted to Issues follow the same mapping path.

Workfront Templates define reusable project structures including tasks, assignments, default custom field values, and approval chains. Microsoft Project has a native Template file format (.mpt). We do not migrate Templates as executable files because the structural differences (approval routing, custom fields, portfolio grouping) require manual rebuilding. We deliver a written template inventory—each template's task structure, default assignments, and custom field defaults—for the customer's PMO to rebuild in Microsoft Project.