This article is the starting point for setting up Amplify for your organization. It suggests an order to set things up in, and links to the article covering each part of setup, for both models. How people use each feature is covered with the feature itself.
This article covers both the Advanced and Simple Models. Most setup needs administrator access. In the Simple Model, each program is set up by its program administrators.
Before you start
A few settings apply across the whole instance, and are best reviewed first:
- Instance settings — review the Site Settings, then set up the Measurement Units your items will use, and your Status Thresholds.
- Simple Model programs — add each program administrator in Managing Users, and give them Allow this user to create Programs. Then create the program and its reporting groups — see Configuring a Program. Most of the steps below are then done within the program. A program has its own team roles, item types, approval workflows, stage gate process, and notifications — see How instance and program settings fit together.
Setup order
Some settings depend on others — for example, a stage gate process needs its approval workflows first — so working in this order means everything you need is ready when you need it:
- Roles. Give administrators access with Admin Roles. Decide on your Team Types and Team Roles — approval workflows use these roles to choose approvers.
- Workflows. Create your approval workflows. See Approval Workflows and Approval Workflow Types.
- Stage gate process. See Configuring the Stage Gate Process.
- Rating matrix. Set up the ratings your items will use. See Configuring Ratings.
- Risk and other RAID item classifications. See Configuring RAID Item Classifications (Advanced Model) or Configuring RAID Item Classifications (Simple Model).
- Benefit classifications and cost categories. See Configuring Benefit Classifications (Advanced Model) or Configuring Benefit Classifications (Simple Model), and Configuring Cost Categories (Advanced Model) or Configuring Cost Categories (Simple Model). Where you use measures and goals, set up their classifications too — see Configuring Measure Classifications (Advanced Model), and Configuring Goal Classifications (Advanced Model) or Configuring Goal Classifications (Simple Model).
- Initiative classifications. In the Advanced Model, see Configuring Advanced Classifications and Configuring Initiative Classifications (Advanced Model). In the Simple Model, create your project types — each project type chooses the approval workflow for each stage. See Configuring Project Classifications (Simple Model). For what each can hold and offer, see Initiative Items and Initiative Features, or Program Items and Program Features.
- Custom fields. Create the fields your items need, and map each one to the classifications that use it. Fields created in Administration can be used by every program. See Custom Fields (Advanced Model) or Custom Fields (Simple Model).
- Users. Add the people who'll use Amplify. See Managing Users.
- Notifications. Choose which emails are sent, for the organization and for each program. See Notifications.
- Resources. See Configuring Resources (Advanced Model) or Configuring Resources (Simple Model).
- Authentication: single sign-on (optional). To have people sign in through your identity provider, see Single Sign-On. For signing in with a password, see Authentication and Two-Factor Authentication.
Finishing setup
Once the steps above are done:
- Build your hierarchy — in the Advanced Model, see Creating a Hierarchy.
- Turn on the features you'll use — see Feature settings. In the Simple Model, see also Configuring Tasks (Simple Model).
- Add your teams — see Adding Team Members and Managing Shared Teams. In the Simple Model, see also Defining Assignment Rules.
How instance and program settings fit together
Some settings apply across the whole instance, and some are set separately for each Simple Model program:
- Instance only — Site Settings, the Administration Overview, Translations, Theme, Authentication, Measurement Units, Configuring Ratings, Status Thresholds, users, and admin roles apply to both models.
- Separate for each program — a program's team roles, item types, approval workflows, stage gate process, and features are its own. Workflows created in a program can only be used in that program.
- Notifications — a program's emails follow only the program's own Notifications settings, not the organization's. Turning an email off for the organization doesn't turn it off in a program, or the other way around. Welcome and timesheet emails are set for the organization only.
- Shared between them — custom fields created in Administration can be used in any program as shared fields, and shared teams are managed centrally, then added to programs.
- User views — views saved within a program are only offered in that program. See User Views.
Feature settings
These features work across both models, and are set up once your classifications, or your program and project types, are in place:
- Configuring the Initiative Workbook — the page for working through each stage gate.
- Configuring Baselines — taking baselines by hand, on a schedule, or at each stage gate.
- Configuring Status Reporting — requesting and submitting status reports, and their templates.
- Configuring Downloadable Reports — which reports can be downloaded, and the quick print reports.
- Configuring Custom Dashboards — adding dashboards built for your organization.
Integrations and APIs
To bring data into Amplify, or connect it to your other systems, see Importing Data, Connecting a Third-Party Application, and Connecting to Amplify APIs.
Amplify AI
Amplify AI is turned on for your organization by your Customer Success Manager. Once it's on, administrators can help Ask Amplify understand your organization by adding your business context and custom field descriptions — see AI in Amplify. To connect an AI assistant your organization already uses, such as Claude or Microsoft Copilot, see MCP Overview, Configuring MCP Access for Claude, Configuring MCP Access for Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Configuring MCP Access for Microsoft Copilot Studio Agents.
For how Amplify AI handles your data, see AI Data and Privacy.