Configuring Initiative Classifications (Advanced Model)

An initiative classification defines a type of initiative in the Advanced Model hierarchy, and the settings every initiative of that type shares — which dashboards it shows, which items can be created on it, which stage gate process it follows, and which reports and tools it offers. Initiative classifications are created and maintained under Administration > Classifications, and then allowed on the classifications of the level above, to build the hierarchy.

This article covers the Advanced Model, and needs Full Admin, or an Admin Role with Update permission on Classifications. For the Simple Model, see Configuring Project Classifications (Simple Model). For how classifications fit together, see Configuring Advanced Classifications.

Creating an initiative classification

To create an initiative classification:

1. Navigate to Administration > Classifications.

   

2. Click + Classification at the top right.

   

3. Select Initiative as the Object Type. The General Configuration tab opens.

   

4. Configure the settings on each tab, described below. Some tabs can't be configured until the classification has been created.

   

5. Click Create.

   

To edit an existing initiative classification, click Edit next to it in the Initiative Classifications section of the Classifications page, make your changes, and click Save.

Changes to most tabs are staged until you click Create or Save. Turning a toggle off doesn't delete existing data — it only hides that surface. Removing an entry from an Allowed or Available list deletes the data tied to that specific sub-type.

General Configuration tab

• Name and Color — identify the classification across Amplify.
• Description — explains what the classification is for.
• Available Dashboards — the dashboards users can view on these initiatives.
• Landing Page — the page shown first when a link to one of these initiatives is opened.
• Reporting — how values are totaled on these initiatives' dashboards: Lifetime, across the initiative's whole duration, or Annual, for one year. With Annual, also select the Reporting Year for Annual Values.
• Items and features — check the boxes for what's available on these initiatives. Most items follow the same pattern:
  • Enable Local [Item] — lets the item be created directly on these initiatives. Turning it on usually reveals a selector, such as Allowed Benefit Classifications, for choosing which types are allowed.
  • Enable [Item] Register — shows a register of the item, including anything rolled up from the levels below, even where local creation is off.
  • Enable [Item] Ledger — for impacts, costs, and measures, adds a time-phased ledger view.
• Enable Resource Demand — lets these initiatives request resources. Select the resource types they can request from Available Resource Types.
• Enable Resource Capacity Planning — lets these initiatives plan capacity for each resource type. It's usually only enabled on the enterprise's classification. See Configuring Resources (Advanced Model).
• Return on Investment Series — the series used to calculate return on investment (ROI) for these initiatives: Forecast or Baseline.
• Enable Status Reporting Indicators — gives these initiatives status indicators: red, amber, or green ratings of how each side of the initiative is going. Once it's checked, choose which ones from Available Reporting Indicators: Overall, Schedule, Financial, Risk, and Issue. Unchecking it turns them all off.

Enabling Local Measures requires an advanced benefit classification to already be mapped to this classification.

Properties tab

The Properties tab sets which fields these initiatives have — built-in fields, such as External identifier, and custom fields mapped to the classification. For each field, choose whether to Include on Create, which shows it on the form when an initiative is created. Fields not included on create can still be filled in afterwards. To stop using a custom field on this classification, select Remove Mapping… on its row. The tab is available once the classification has been created.

The status indicators turned on with Enable Status Reporting Indicators are listed with the built-in fields, so you can choose whether each is included on create. See General Configuration tab.

For creating custom fields, mapping them, and the settings that belong to the field itself, such as Required, see Custom Fields (Advanced Model).

Stage Gate Process tab

Select Enable Process to include a stage gate process with these initiatives, then select which process to use. Each stage gets its own workflow selector, defaulting to that stage's configured workflow. Choosing a different one overrides it for this classification only, and there's no way back to the default from this screen once you do. For creating processes and their stages, see Configuring the Stage Gate Process.

Baseline tab

The Baseline tab sets how baselines are taken for these initiatives:

• Manual Baselines — lets users take baselines whenever they need to, recorded as editable baselines, non-editable baselines, or both.
• Automatic Baselines — takes a baseline on a recurring schedule, every 2 weeks, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, for every active initiative of the classification.

Whether a user can take or update a baseline also depends on their role's baseline permissions. For each setting, see Configuring Baselines.

Reports tab

• Enable Reports — lets users download reports for these initiatives.
• Reports — check each report that should be available, and the format it downloads in. Report names aren't guaranteed to be unique, so check carefully where two look the same.
• Quick Print Report — the report used by the initiative's print button, with a separate one for the benefit dashboard's. Leaving either empty removes that print button.

For choosing reports and quick print reports step by step, see Configuring Downloadable Reports.

Scenarios tab

Select Enable Scenarios to let these initiatives create scenarios, then choose which initiative classifications can be included in the Scenario Planner from Prioritisation Items. Whether a user can see scenarios also depends on their role.

Initiative Workbook tab

Turn on Enable Initiative Workbook to give these initiatives an Initiative Workbook, and build its layout on the same tab. The tab can't be used until the Stage Gate Process is enabled and the classification has been saved. Turning it off later removes the page, not the underlying data — benefits, costs, RAID items, and tasks are unaffected.

For enabling the Initiative Workbook and building its layout, see Configuring the Initiative Workbook. For using it, see Initiative Workbook.

Status Report tab

The tab sets up status reporting for these initiatives. It can't be configured until the classification has been saved.

• Request Reports — lets these initiatives request status reports from the initiatives beneath them, with an optional Approval Workflow the reports go through.
• Submit Reports — lets these initiatives submit status reports to the level above. The templates the reports use are built on the same tab, and at least one is needed to save.

Both can be turned on together. For turning on status reporting, building templates, and its permissions, see Configuring Status Reporting.

Schedule tab

Turn on Enable Schedule Templates to build reusable sets of tasks and milestones that can be added to the schedules of these initiatives, or applied automatically when one is created. The tab can't be configured until Enable Tasks is turned on and the classification has been saved. For building and applying templates, see Schedule Templates.

Kanban Board tab

Select Enable Kanban to give these initiatives a Task Board, where their tasks are shown as cards in columns. It's unavailable until Enable Tasks is turned on, on the General Configuration tab. Turning the board off asks you to confirm first.

The board starts with four columns: Backlog, To Do, In Progress, and Complete. Columns are the stages tasks move through, from left to right, and every initiative of this classification uses the same ones.

• Add a column — click Add Column. A column named New Column is added before the last column.
• Rename a column — edit its name. Every column needs a name.
• Change a column's color — click the color spot at the right of the column, and choose a new color. The color shows at the top of the column on the board.
• Reorder columns — drag a column by its grip to a new position.
• Delete a column — click its delete button, and confirm. If the column has tasks in it, choose where they go: Move all tasks to the previous column, or Move all tasks to the next column.

The first and last columns mark the start and end of the board, so they can't be moved or deleted. They can still be renamed and recolored.

For using the board, see Board View.

Default classification

One initiative classification is the default. When a user creates a new initiative, the default is preselected on the form, where the level they're creating it on allows that classification. Where it doesn't, the first allowed classification is preselected instead.

The first initiative classification created becomes the default automatically. To make a different one the default, open it for editing and click Make Default, under Default Classification. Only one initiative classification can be the default, so the new default replaces the previous one. Make Default isn't offered for the enterprise or program classifications.

Allowing the classification in the hierarchy

Initiatives of this classification can only be created under a level whose classification allows them. Add this classification to Allowed Initiative Classifications on the General Configuration tab of the classification above it — see Creating a Hierarchy.

Deleting a classification

To delete an initiative classification:

1. Click Edit next to the classification on the Classifications page.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Delete….
4. Amplify lists every initiative of this classification that will be deleted, with a link to each. Check the list before you go on.
5. Confirm.

The classification is removed straight away, so no new initiatives of this type can be created. Its initiatives are then archived and deleted in the background, which can take a few minutes where there are many. Once they're gone, goal totals are recalculated, as the deleted initiatives' benefits no longer contribute to them.

The enterprise, discount rate, and program classifications can't be deleted, and neither can the default classification or the last initiative classification.

For building your hierarchy with these initiatives, see Creating a Hierarchy.