Creating Planning Element Types for Event Dates

Event elements contain a single date (start date, end date, or a metric date) and represent a single point in time. For example, your company may be planning to release a new product. The development, testing, and marketing preparation for that product could take months, and be represented using different span elements that end at different times. The Planner needs visibility into the product launch date. Use an event element to represent the launch date (a single point in time) in the views within Innovation Planning.

Note:  Accolade adds a non-gated class with the Planning Show and Planning Create options selected, and its associated model named ACC_Model_<number> for each element type. Process Designers can edit the model as needed. Administrators and Process Designers can also create classes that add element types to Innovation Planning.

To create a planning element type for an event date:

1. From the Planning menu, select Planning Board.

2. Click the planning pad in the upper right corner of the page.

The planning pad element displayed shows the type of element that is created when you drag a planning element from the pad onto the Planning Board, and defaults to the last element type you selected to add to the board. The image above displays the default color and shape, and may be different than what is displayed in your Planning Board.

3. Do one of the following:

• To create an element type - Click in Types list.
• To modify an existing element type - Click next to the element type you want to modify.

4. In the Name field, enter a name, up to 64 characters long, which identifies the planning element type and its purpose.
5. Select Event to indicate that this element represents a single event date.
6. Click in the Color field, select the color for the planning element, and click outside the color panel to close the panel.

Use colors to help group related elements.

7. In the Shape field, select the shape to represent the event date.
8. In the Event Date field, select the date to associate with this element.

An event can represent a start date, an end date, or a date established in a date metric, such as Deadline date. Date metrics must be defined as Available to Planning.

In the Gantt view, event dates display as a single point in time represented with a shape such as , providing a visual indicator as to when an event takes place.

9. (Optional) To add a metric to this type, click in the Metrics field and select an existing metric from the list.

• To add a metric without having to leave Innovation Planning - Click Add New and complete the metric information as described in Creating Metrics, noting that unavailable options are not applicable to metrics created in Innovation Planning.
• To edit an existing metric - Click the metric name to open it for editing.
• To display the metric on the front of the element - Click next to the metric name. Metrics set to display are indicated with a .
• To remove a metric from the element - Click next to the metric to remove.

10. (Optional) To add a financial matrix to the element type, click in the Matrices field and select an existing matrix from the list.

Only matrices with one, and only one, Unique relative date are available to Innovation Planning.

Notes:    Element types created through configuration imports are created as a Span type with the default shape and color. To change these settings, select the element in the Types list and click to open for editing. Innovation Planning and Roadmapping are optional Accolade components that you may not have access to. To implement these solutions, contact Sopheon Customer Support.