If you are an Amplify administrator, you can access the Classifications tab from within the Administration menu to create or modify the impact/benefit classification settings.
This article will help you with the following benefit configurations.
- How to add a name and description for the impact classification, set a start and end date, unit and reporting cadence.
- How to prevent end-users from modifying default settings
- How to set up a negative impact or disbenefit
- How to enable cumulative values and benefit weighting
- How to enable the External ID field
- How to enable benefits creation on the Map
- How to enable the usage of custom names for accounting periods
- How to configure benefit plan calculation
- How to enable plan data series for a benefit
- How to enable actual series for a benefit
- How to enable forecast data series for a benefit
- How configure Amplify Index
- How to allow attachments on a benefit profile
- How to remove a benefit classification
Adding a description, setting the start and end date, and the reporting cadence for a benefit classification
If you want to create a new benefit classification, you'll need to select Impact as the object type in the Object Type selection field. This will reveal additional fields to populate with a Save button at the end of the page.
The first few fields on the benefit classification form allow you to define generic properties like the name and colour using which the benefit will be represented across the application, the default description, start and end date, unit, and the frequency at which it is measured.
If you're trying to modify the settings of an existing benefit classification, these fields will be displayed under the General Configuration tab.
Remember, what you enter in these fields will be the default values that the end-user will see on the new benefit form. You can use the padlock icon to allow or prevent modifications to the default values.
Use the following descriptions to fill out the fields.
- Name: You can name your impact as desired
- Color: Use the color picker to choose the color for the impact.
- Description: You can describe the benefit, or add any relevant data sources and policies in this field. What you enter here will appear on the benefit form.
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Start Date: The date that you set in this field will appear as the default start date of any benefit created out of the classification.
End Date: The date that you set here will appear as the default end date of the benefit. - Impact Value Unit: A benefit is ultimately responsible for delivering value. Select the unit in which the benefit value will be measured. The default unit for a benefit will be the primary currency. If a unit defined as 'financial' is selected, this benefit classification will be considered a Financial Benefit Classification which affects the way these benefits are represented on dashboards.
- Reporting Cadence: This field should indicate how frequently the benefit will be measured or appraised. You can set it as monthly, quarterly or yearly (financial year). Benefit Plan tab will display data capture fields depending upon the resolution that you set. Amplify will ensure that there is one value for each period nominated, for the duration of the benefit. It is possible to change the reporting cadence even after data has been entered into the system.
- Include on Standard Dashboards: This toggle allows you to include or exclude benefits using this classification from the standard Amplify dashboards. Turn this option off if the classification is not expected to provide value to initiatives and is not required in summaries.
- Aggregation Method: This option is only available if you have selected a non financial impact value unit. Use this option to switch between the default sum method and average (mean). This impacts the way the classification is displayed on dashboards.
| Creating a non financial benefit with a modified impact value unit or reporting cadence will cause the classification to be excluded from standard dashboards. Amplify recommends leaving these options locked and creating a new classification for any modifications. |
Preventing End-Users from Modifying Default Settings
The configurations defined on the classification settings page will determine how any benefit created from the classification behaves by default.
When you create a new classification, some settings, including negative impact, impact weighting and cumulative flags, will be unlocked by default, which means that they are available for end-users to make changes. However, all the other attributes will be locked for editing.
As an administrator, you have the option to unlock any critical setting to allow the users to modify or overwrite it. You can also revisit the classification settings page after users have added their inputs and lock a particular setting if you want to prevent further modifications to it. Amplify recommends locking all options to prevent inconsistent benefits. Instead, Amplify recommends creating a different classification if different options are required.
To lock or unlock a setting:
- Click on the padlock icon against the setting on the classification form.
A green coloured open lock icon indicates the unlocked state. The pink coloured lock represents the locked state.
Setting up a Disbenefit
If you want the benefit classification to represent disbenefits, you should enable the Negative Impact setting.
Displaying Cumulative Values on the Benefit Profile
By default, the graph on the benefit dashboard will plot individual values. If you want to display a cumulative graph, where each value is accumulated with the previous value, you can enable the Display results cumulatively? setting.
Assign a Weighting for the Benefit
Choose a weighting which will affect the importance of the benefit when calculating performance indicators like the Amplify Index.
All of the above configurable attributes are displayed on the Properties widget of the Benefit Dashboard.
Enabling External ID
By default, Amplify assigns an internal identifier to all objects. But, if you want to identify the benefits with an externally maintained ID that is used in your enterprise, you can do so by enabling this setting. Read more about external IDs here.
Allowing Benefits to be Created using the Map Function
Select the above settings to allow new benefits to be created using the Map.
Using Custom Names for Accounting Periods
The Format Dates Using Accounting Periods setting allows you to create custom translations for accounting period labels on the benefit charts. Read more about creating custom translations here.
Enabling Advanced Benefits
When multiple factors contribute to a Benefit, Amplify can be configured to calculate benefit values using multiple input measures by enabling the Advanced Benefit setting.
Enabling this setting will allow you to create an Advanced Benefit by selecting from contributing measures. See this article for more information.
There is also an optional setting under Advanced Benefits to 'Create Benefit Formula'. This setting allows Admins to pre-define the number of contributing measures and the formula for benefits of this classification. This templated approach will prevent the number of allowed measures and the formula from being changed on individual benefits, although contributing measures can be edited.
It is important to note that changes to Advanced Benefit settings will apply to both new and existing benefits that hold this classification.
Since an Advanced Benefit requires contributing measures and does not automatically create its own corresponding measure, the series settings below are not required if the Advanced Benefits setting is enabled.
Configuring Plan Data Series for the Benefit
The Plan section allows you to configure the benefit plan.
Use the Plan Value field to a default initial plan value that the users will see in the plan entry fields.
- Enable Replace Plan with Actual Values setting if you want the 'plan' series to be replaced with 'actuals' as soon as they are entered.
- If you want to prevent end-users from modifying plan values, enable Prevent modifications to the Plan setting.
Enabling Actual Data Series for the Benefit
- Enable the Record Actuals toggle if you want end-users to capture at least one actual value for each period.
If this setting is off, the benefit will not be measured, as actuals will not be captured for the benefit. If itis kept unlocked(by clicking on the lock button), it will allow the end-users to enable or disable actuals recording for individual benefits that they are working on. Record Actuals widget displays on the owner's Personal dashboard prompting them to record actuals. - The value that you enter in the Upcoming Actuals Reminder field will display on the Measurement tab for the end-user.
- If you want to prevent end-users from modifying actual values, enable Prevent modifications to the Actuals setting.
Enabling Forecast Data Series for the Benefit
The settings in the Forecast section allows you to define how you want to allow end-users to capture benefit forecast.
Amplify allows two ways of forecast recording.
- Manually - Users will be able to see the fields to capture forecast on the Plan tab of the benefit.
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Amplify Forecast - There will be no data entry fields to capture forecast. However, the total forecast value is calculated internally using Plan or Actual values and shown on the Dashboard. The calculation happens based on the following conditions.
- If there are no actuals then Plan equals forecast
- For each month/period, if there is an actual, then the forecast equals the actual for that period
- If all months/periods have an actual, then the forecast is equal to the actual.
Calculations are done in a slightly different way if you enable the Enable Actual affected Forecast setting. Actual values will be identical to Forecast values unless this setting is enabled. This setting causes the forecast values to be calculated by applying a 'performance penalty'. The 'performance penalty' allows for a realistic forecast calculation by taking the variance of the actual value from the planned value into account. It is calculated as Actual - Plan value when there is an actual entry. When you enable the 'Actual affected Forecast' setting, this performance penalty will be applied to the forecast value i.e., the new forecast value is calculated by adding the performance penalty to the previous forecast value.
Further, if Allow Milestone delays to be accounted for in Forecast calculation is configured, delays to linked benefit milestones will affect the forecast of the benefit and its measures.
You can disable forecast calculation completely, by un-checking the Enable Forecast setting on the benefit classification.
- If you want to prevent end-users from modifying forecast values, enable Prevent modifications to the Forecast setting.
- Forecast Limits: Apply lower and upper limits to prevent forecast from exceeding this range. If this section is left blank, it shall be ignored by Amplify.
Amplify Comparison Series
This setting allows you to choose the series with which to compare the benefit plan to determine the Amplify Index. Choose between Baseline or Forecast comparison.
Allowing Attachments
If you want to allow users to upload documents as attachments on to the benefit profile, set the Enable Documents option from the Advanced tab. Remember this option can be enabled only while editing an existing classification, and not while creating a new one.
Deleting the Classification
If the classification is not set as a default classification, you will be able to delete it using the Edit Classification form. If your benefit is a default, you will have to set another one as default as before removing it.