Process Model Best Practices

Keep the following set of best practice recommendations in mind when building process models:

• Ensure You Have the Elements You Need to Define a Model - Models contain the structural elements that make up a project. You can modify some aspects of a model after its creation. However, to help ensure a smooth process when defining models, have as many of the components defined as possible before creating the model, for example templates, workflows, quick grids, and metrics.
• Create Duplicate Models to Add or Delete Stages or Gates - After a model is saved and in use in an open or closed project, you can no longer add stages or remove gates in the model. To add or delete stages or gates when there are projects using the model, duplicate the model using the Copy function on the main Models page, then modify the copy and migrate projects to the new model as necessary. You can delete a stage or gate if it is the final object in the process model.

Note:  This also applies to moving a stage or gate within the model.

• Reassign Default Users - When an Administrator deletes a user, Accolade removes the user from any default assignments within process models. When a user is deleted from Accolade, reassign another user to the default assignment so the position within the project is filled.
• Automate Gates Using Metrics in Models - Using metrics and metric conditions that are defined in a model, automate aspects of the project management process such as setting gate dates and gate decisions based on the completion of other project components. See Automating Projects Using Metrics in Process Models for more information on automation options.
• Use Careful Consideration When Defining Models for Migration - For deliverables, activities, gates, and gate documents to map automatically when a Process Manager migrates a project from one model to another, the objects in the model must have identical names (except for initial and final spaces, case, and initial numerals). See Maps for Project Migration Overview for more information about requirements when creating models for migration.
• Know the Effects of Modifying Existing Models - Making changes to an active process model will result in changes to open and/or closed projects that are based on the model. See How Changing Process Models Affects Open and Closed Projects to understand the potential impacts on projects.
• Know What is Not Duplicated in Copied Models - If you duplicate a process model, the project link rules in the source model are not copied to the new model. Redefine the link rules in the new model, as necessary. See Linking Related Projects for more information on project links.
• Know the Effects of Deleting a Model - Deleting a model prevents the creation of any additional projects based on that model; however, existing projects that use the deleted model can continue using the model. Keep the following additional points in mind before deleting a model:
• You can only delete inactive process models.
• Deleting a model also deletes any migration maps that migrate projects to that model.
• If a model has been inserted into one or more Microsoft Project Plan templates, deleting the model when there are no projects using it also deletes the templates from the Template Library. However, if an existing project uses the template, it remains in the Template Library and the projects can continue.

• Make Metrics in Planning Models Available in Accolade - The default [Innovation Planning Default] process model is the default planning model used to generate projects that correspond to planning elements in Accolade Innovation Planning. Process Designers can create additional planning models that correspond to various planning element types. By default, the metrics associated with planning models are not shown or editable within a project's pages. To ensure that metrics are available in the corresponding projects within Process Manager, select Show or Edit for the appropriate project pages when associating metrics to models.