How to Create and Manage Projects – ORCA's Knowledge Center

Overview

Projects in ORCA provide a dedicated workspace for managing high-complexity transactions and structural changes. Whether you are navigating a Merger & Acquisition (M&A), a family wealth transfer, or a corporate restructuring, Projects allow you to group related events and visualize their impact on your overall structure.

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Projects are included in the Custom and Enterprise price plans

A Project acts as a "container" for multiple events or transactions. Instead of viewing isolated changes, you can toggle an entire Project on or off to see how a series of events changes your family or corporate map.

Setting Up a New Project

To create a workspace for your transaction:

Open Projects: Click on the Projects button, located in the top bar on the left side of the screen.

Define the Scope:

Name & Abbreviation: Choose a clear name (e.g., "2024 Succession Plan") and a short abbreviation for quick identification in the structure view.

Color Coding: Select a distinct color. All events linked to this project will be visually highlighted with this color in your transaction lists.

Select the Status:

Draft: Use this for work-in-progress scenarios. Draft projects are hidden from your main structure by default, allowing you to model "what-if" scenarios safely.

Active: Once a transaction is finalized or implemented in real life, switch it to Active. These changes are permanently integrated into your live structure.

Adding Events to a Project

There are three ways to link transactions to a specific project:

1. During Event Creation

When using the ORCA Sentence Builder to create a new transaction, look for the "Project" field at the bottom of the setup panel. Assigning it here ensures the event is categorized from the start.

2. Linking Existing Events

If an event is already in ORCA, you can add it to a project by:

Clicking a Connection Line: In the structure view, click the line between two entities to see the transactions. Click the "Projects" field to tag it.

Using the Detail Panel: Open any transaction from the list view and update the Project field.

3. Bulk Management (Events Section)

For large-scale migrations or organization:

Navigate to the Events section in the left pane.

Use the checkboxes to select multiple transactions.

Click the Projects button in the top filter bar to add or remove projects for all selected items at once.

Visualizing Project Impact

The real power of Projects lies in the Structure View:

Toggle Visibility: In the structure sidebar, you will see a list of your Projects. Check or uncheck the boxes to show or hide specific project scenarios.

Comparison: By toggling a "Draft" project, you can instantly see the "Before" and "After" of a complex transaction.

Pro-Tips for Efficient Projects

The "Sandbox" Strategy: Always start complex restructurings in Draft status. This allows you to audit the resulting ownership percentages and structure lines before they become part of your "Active" record.

Color-Coded Workstreams: Use consistent colors for project types (e.g., Red for Divestments, Green for Acquisitions). This makes the transaction history visually intuitive when looking at a long list of events.

Clean Up Abbreviations: Keep abbreviations to 3–4 characters. These appear in small badges next to transactions in the structure view; shorter codes keep the interface clean and readable.

Audit Trail: Even after a project is completed and set to "Active," keep the project tag attached. This creates a permanent digital trail of why those specific transactions occurred, which is invaluable for future tax or legal audits.