Base a template on another template to manage global changes, as well as to specify variations in your standards.
For example, the standard Author-it object templates for linked files, such as linked GIF and linked icon, are all based on the Linked Graphic Directory template, which only specifies the location of the directory containing all your graphic files. When you want to change the location of that directory, you make the change only in the Linked Graphic Directory template, and within seconds Author-it automatically updates that setting in all your file objects.