What's New in Release 24.5

24.5 will be released on 27th April 2024

From calculated fields that empower your data analysis to streamlined workflows for initiative owners, we are here to provide practical solutions. So, let’s jump right in and explore what’s new in Release 24.5!

As always, your insights and ideas fuel our progress. So, keep those suggestions coming—we’re all ears! Without further ado, let’s explore what’s cooking in Amplify this month.

Calculated Fields

We’re introducing a powerful new custom field type: Calculated Fields. With this feature, users can create formulas using existing number and select fields. The primary use case is to calculate a priority score for programs or projects based on specific criteria such as strategic alignment, time, budget, and risk. This enhancement is particularly valuable for growth and transformation initiatives.

Key Features

• Flexible Formulas:
  • Users can now create custom calculations by combining existing fields.
  • Whether it’s a weighted score, a risk assessment, or any other derived value, calculated fields empower you to tailor your data analysis.
• Strategic Decision-Making:
  
  • The business case behind this feature is clear: priority scoring. By assigning priority scores to initiatives, PMOs gain the ability to:
    • Rank Order Projects: Understand the relative importance of each project within their program or portfolio.
    • Empower Decision Making: Determine which projects to pause, accelerate, or cease.
    • Resource Allocation: Allocate resources strategically to high-priority projects aligned with program objectives.
• Versatile Mapping:
  • Calculated fields can be mapped to various product areas, including (but not limited to):
    • Initiatives
    • Benefits/Costs
    • RAID Items
    • Tasks

Benefits

• Precision and Context:
  • Custom formulas provide precise insights tailored to your specific needs.
  • Understand the nuances of your data and make informed decisions.
• Efficiency and Consistency:
  
  • Automate complex calculations.
• Strategic Focus:
  • Prioritize initiatives effectively.
  • Focus efforts on managing the most impactful programs and projects.

Where you can use this feature

• Initiatives
• Tasks
• RAID Items
• Benefits
• Costs

Ready to get started? You can learn more about how to configure Calculated Fields under our knowledge base article.

Change Requests

We’re introducing a powerful enhancement to Amplify: the ability to create generic items (a new RAID item type) that can be associated with an initiative and follow a defined workflow.

The driving force behind this feature is to provide our customers with unprecedented flexibility. No longer will you be confined by the predefined fields of existing item types. Whether it’s risk items or other standard fields, you now have the freedom to tailor related initiative items to your specific needs.

Key Features

• Customizable Change Requests:
  • One practical application of this feature is the creation of a ‘Change Request’ item type.
  • Imagine this scenario: After a business case has been agreed upon and approved, Initiative Owners often lack a streamlined process within Amplify to request updates for their projects. This enhancement bridges that gap.
• Streamlined Workflow:
  
  • Here’s how it works:
    • Create a New Change Request
      • Initiative Owners can initiate a change request.
      • Specify criteria such as reason and impact.
    • Evaluation by Defined Roles:
      • The criteria are evaluated by relevant stakeholders.
      • Approvals or rejections trigger notifications.
    • Manual Implementation:
      • If approved, the Initiative Owner (or an agreed-upon person) manually implements the requested change.

Benefits

• Flexibility and Customization:
  • Create related initiative items tailored to your unique requirements.
  • Define which fields are included, ensuring relevance.
• Efficient Approval Process:
  
  • Assign workflows to guide items through approval chains.
  • Stakeholders can approve or reject requests promptly.
• Enhanced Communication:
  • Stakeholders receive timely notifications for change requests.
  • Identify urgent requests and categorize them by area of impact.
• Informed Decision-Making:
  
  • Evaluate requests based on a common set of criteria.
  • Implement changes with detailed notes, capturing actual impact.
• Closure and Accountability:
  • Mark requests as closed once resolved.

Where you can use this feature

• RAID Register

Ready to get started? You can learn more about how to use Change Requests under our knowledge base article.

Status Update Listing Page for Initiative Owners

We’re excited to introduce an enhancement to the Status Reporting feature that will empower Initiative Owners. With this update, we’re paving the way for a future state where Programs can have multiple report periods running concurrently. For instance, you’ll be able to request both weekly and quarterly reports from a single project. Currently, PMOs are limited to having only one active report period open at a time.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Status Report Overview:
  • Initiative Owners now have access to a consolidated list of all active status report requests. 
  • Easily track the status of ongoing reports and view their details.
• Historical Insights:
  • Initiative Owners can now delve into previously submitted reports.
  • This feature allows you to compare project changes between the current period and the previous one.
  • Use it to highlight any issues that arose, share results of corrective actions, and keep stakeholders informed.
• Flexible Submission Order:
  • Initiative Owners have the freedom to choose which reports they submit first.
  • Contextual information, such as due dates, requesting initiatives, and feedback (in case of rejected reports), is provided

Benefits

• Improved Decision-Making:
  • Access to historical reports enables Initiative Owners to make informed decisions based on past project performance.
  • Identify trends, track progress, and take timely corrective actions.
• Efficient Communication:
  • Initiative Owners can now comment on specific changes between report periods.
  • Discuss project updates, challenges, and successes with clarity.
• Empowered Initiative Management:
  • Prioritize report submissions based on urgency and relevance.
  • Gain a holistic view of your initiatives’ status.

Where you can use this feature

• Status Update