Initiatives Overview

Last modified: November 6, 2024

Introduction

In the Portfolio Management app, the term “Initiative” represents a business objective or strategic goal, and could span across multiple apps. An initiative can be related to multiple apps or just one small part of a big app. For progress tracking, Mendix recommends breaking down an app into smaller initiatives whenever possible.

The Initiatives Overview page gives an overview of all the initiatives in this portfolio.

In the search box on the top, you can search for an initiative by the initiative name.

On the upper-right corner, you can use the drop-down list to change the view. You can export and import Initiatives by clicking the import or export icon. Clicking Filters enables you to filter initiatives and the filters remain applied when you change to a new view. You can create a new initiative by clicking the Create Initiative button.

Creating a New Initiative

To create a new initiative and add details to it, follow the steps below. To check the details of a step, click the link to go to the corresponding section.

  1. Create the initiative.
  2. Add general information.
  3. Link Epics to an initiative.
  4. Add planning information.
  5. Add prioritization information.
  6. Add estimated value.
  7. Add comments.
  8. Save initiative details.

Creating the Initiative

To create a new initiative, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Initiatives Overview page.
  2. Click Create Initiative.
  3. Enter the Initiative Name and the Stage in which the initiative is.
  4. Click Create Initiative. The initiative is created and appears on the Initiatives Overview page. The Edit Initiative side pane opens on the right side of the page where you can add the details of the new initiative.

Now you can proceed to add general information.

Adding General Information

To add general information to your initiative, follow these steps:

  1. In the Edit Initiative side pane, select the status of your initiative: On Track, At Risk, or Off Track.

  2. Enter Percentage Completed if this is an ongoing initiative. You can enter a value between 0–100 to indicate how much of progress has been made for this initiative.

  3. Select Tags for the initiative. You can use tags to classify your initiatives; for example, you can classify them by type. You can select existing tags or create new tags.

  4. Enter the Description of the initiative.

  5. If any existing Mendix apps or any apps in development are related to this initiative, you can link these apps:

    1. In the search box below Link Existing App, search the app. The system displays the first 50 results.

    2. Select the app that you want to link to the initiative. If you like to see more information about a linked app, click the app name after it is linked.

    3. Repeat the two steps above to link more apps if you want to link more than one app.

  6. Set the Owners for the initiative.

  7. Select the Stage, Department, Location, Country, and Use Case for the initiative.

  8. If you want to add attachments, click + to add them. Once an attachment is added, all the users can open and download it.

Now you can proceed to link Epics to your initiative.

Managing Tags

While you are in the process of adding general information, you can manage tags as follows:

In the Edit Initiative side pane, click Manage tags ( ) next to the Tags text box.

The Manage Tags dialog box opens.

To create a new tag, do as follows:

  1. Click Add Tag. A text box appears, with a colored circle indicating the color of the new tag.
  2. In the text box, enter the name for the new tag.
  3. If you want to change the color of the new tag, click the colored circle and select a different color.
  4. Click Save ( ) to save the new tag.

To edit an existing tag, do as follows:

  1. To change the tag name, click the name of the tag. After, the name becomes editable. Edit the name in the text box, and then click outside the text box to save the change.
  2. To change the tag color, click the colored circle and select a different color.

To delete an existing tag, do as follows:

  1. Hover over the row where the tag is listed. A Delete button ( ) appears at the end of the row.
  2. Click Delete. The Confirmation dialog box opens.
  3. Click Delete Tag.

Depending on which project management tool you use, you can link an epic from Mendix Epics or from Jira to an initiative.

Linking an Epic from Mendix Epics

To link an epic from the procedure below:

  1. Make sure the app to which the epics belong is already linked in the Link Existing App field.

    If the epics that you want to link belong to multiple apps, make sure these apps are all linked in the Link Existing App field.

  2. At the bottom of the Epics section, click + Link Epics. The Link Epics dialog window opens.

  3. Select the app to which the epics belong.

  4. Select the epics. You can search by the epic ID or name.

  5. Click Add to link the selected epics to the initiative.

  6. If you need to link epics belonging to other apps to this initiative, repeat the steps from 2 to 5, until you link all the epics.

Once an epic is added, its ID, name, owners, and progress are displayed in this section. Users can go to the epic directly from here if they have rights to the app to which the epic belongs.

Now you can proceed to add planning information.

  1. Make sure that you have linked the Jira project to your portfolio.
  2. At the bottom of the Epics section, click + Add Jira Epics.
  3. Select the Jira project to which the epics belong.
  4. Select the Jira epics. You can search by its full key or summary.
  5. Click Add to link the selected epics to the initiative.
  6. If you need to link epics in other Jira projects to this initiative, repeat the steps from 2 to 5, until you link all the epics. You can link up to a maximum of 20 Jira epics per initiative.

Once an epic is added, you can view the following details of the epics that you linked to the initiative:

  • Project icon – This is the icon of the Jira project that the epic belongs to.
  • Key – This is the key of the added Jira epic. Clicking it takes you to the Jira page of this epic.
  • Summary – This is the summary of the added Jira epic.
  • Assignee – This shows the avatar of the the epic assignee. Hovering over the avatar displays their user name.
  • Progress – This shows the progress of the epic by displaying total and completed Jira stories.
  • Unlink button (⨉) - By clicking ⨉, you can unlink this Jira epic from your initiative.

Now you can proceed to add planning information.

Differences Among Initiatives, Apps, and Epics

An initiative is usually worked upon in several epics. Initiatives are bigger projects that could span across multiple apps, systems, and services, while epics are related to a single app only and bundle user stories together. To learn more about the differences among initiatives, epics, and user stories, check out our learning path and the examples below:

The following figure shows examples of three portfolios. The first portfolio is to add a feature to an app, the second example is a minimal viable product (MVP) of an app, and the last example is to build an integration between two apps.

Adding Planning Information

In the Edit Initiative side pane, click Planning to show all the fields in this section. Set the following dates in this section:

  • Intake Date – the date when the initiative is accepted based on business requirements
  • Start Date – the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation
  • Go-Live date – the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.

Now, you can proceed to add prioritization information.

Adding Prioritization Information

In the Edit Initiative side pane, click Prioritization to show all the fields in this section. Set the values for the fields in this section.

Now you can proceed to add estimated value.

Adding Estimated Value

In the Edit Initiative side pane, click Estimated Value to show all the fields in this section. These fields can solidify your business case and drive internal adoption, and help you map the realized value upon completion. Add information in the following fields in this section:

  • Type of Value – Select the type of the value that is created by the initiative.

  • Frequency – Select whether the value is One-Off or Recurring.

  • Value – Enter the amount of the value in numbers. Use a comma every third digit from the right (for example, 1,000,000)

  • Additional Information – Enter anything that can help clarify how estimated value may impact the overall costs of the initiative.

If the initiative creates more than one type of value, click Add Value to add more value. After you enter all values, the system shows the Sum of Recurring Values and the Sum of One-Off Values.

Now you can proceed to add comments.

Adding Comments

If you want to add a comment, click Comments in the Edit Initiative side pane, and then click Post Comment after you add the comment.

Now you can proceed to save initiative details.

Saving Initiative Details

At the bottom of the Edit Initiative side pane, click Save. Now all the details are saved for the new initiative that you just created.

Changing Your View

To change your view on the Initiatives Overview page, click the drop-down list on the upper-right corner, and then select one of the following views:

Kanban View

In Kanban view, all the initiatives are represented by initiative cards and are categorized in different columns. A column indicates the stage that an initiative is currently in. You can drag an initiative card to a different column to change its stage. You can also drag initiative cards around within a column to change their sequence. Newly created initiatives are placed at the bottom of the column. Clicking an initiative card opens a side pane that shows initiative details.

Each initiative card shows the following information:

  1. Initiative status – This shows the status of your initiative. It can be On Track, At Risk, or Off Track.

  2. Initiative name – This is the name of the initiative.

  3. Tags for the initiative – These tags are used to classify the initiative (tags can be used, for example, to indicate the types of initiatives).

  4. Prioritization score – This shows the prioritization score of the initiative.

  5. More Options ( ) – Clicking this button opens a menu that enables you to edit, archive, or delete the initiative.

  6. Dates icon ( ) – Hovering over this icon shows the following defined dates of the initiative lifecycle:

    • Intake – This shows the date when the initiative is accepted based on business requirements.

    • Start – This shows the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation.

    • Go-Live – This shows the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.

  7. Icon of the linked apps – If there is only one linked app, clicking the icon shows the information about the app. If there are multiple apps or no linked apps, the icon is not clickable.

  8. Avatars of the initiative owners – Hovering over an avatar shows the name of the initiative owner.

List View

In the list view, initiatives are shown in a list. Clicking the header of a column sequences the initiatives using the values in that column.

The list contains the following information:

  • Initiative Name – Clicking this opens a side pane that shows initiative details.

  • Department – This shows the department to which the initiative belongs.

  • Stage – This shows the stage the initiative is currently in.

  • Status – This shows the status of your initiative. It can be On Track, At Risk, or Off Track.

  • Completed – This shows how much progress has been made for this initiative. It is a value between 0–100 and shown as percentage.

  • Intake Date – This shows the date when the initiative is accepted based on business requirements.

  • Start Date – This shows the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation.

  • Go-Live Date – This shows the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.

  • Icon of the linked apps – If there is only one linked app, clicking the icon shows the information about the app. If there are multiple apps or no linked apps, the icon is not clickable.

  • Avatars of the initiative owners – Hovering over an avatar shows the name of the initiative owner.

  • More Options ( ) – Clicking this button opens a menu that enables you to edit, archive, or delete the initiative.

WSJF Prioritization

In the WSJF prioritization view, all the initiatives are sequenced by their WSJF scores by default. Clicking the header of a different column sequences the initiatives using the values in that column.

The list contains the following information:

  • Initiative Name – Clicking this opens a side pane that shows initiative details.

  • Stage – This shows which stage the initiative is currently in.

  • Business Value – This indicates how much business value this initiative will generate. You can select Highest, High, Medium, Low, or Lowest.

  • Time Criticality – This indicates how time-critical this initiative is. You can select Highest, High, Medium, Low, or Lowest.

  • Risk Reduction – This indicates how much this initiative will help mitigate or reduce future risks. You can select Highest, High, Medium, Low, or Lowest.

  • Size – This is the job size of the initiative. You can select XL, L, M, S, or XS.

  • Score – This is the WSJF score of the initiative.

  • Dates ( ) – Hovering over the icon shows the following defined dates of the initiative lifecycle:

    • Intake – This is the date when the initiative is accepted based on business requirements.
    • Start – This is the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation.
    • Go-Live – This shows the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.

  • Icon of the linked apps – If there is only one linked app, clicking the icon shows the information about the app. If there are multiple apps or no linked apps, the icon is not clickable.

  • Avatars of the initiative owners – Hovering over an avatar shows the name of the initiative owner.

  • More Options ( ) – Clicking this button opens a menu that enables you to edit, archive, or delete the initiative.

RICE Prioritization

In the RICE prioritization view, all the initiatives are sequenced by their RICE scores by default. Clicking the header of a different column sequences the initiatives using the values in that column.

The list contains the following information:

  • Initiative Name – Clicking this opens a side pane that shows initiative details.

  • Stage – This shows which stage the initiative is currently in.

  • Reach – This is the estimated number of relevant users that the initiative may affect within a time period. You must enter an integer in this field.

  • Impact – This is the estimated amount of impact that the initiative may have on individual users. You can select Massive, High, Medium, Low, or Minimal.

  • Confidence – This indicates how confident you are about your Impact and Reach estimates. You can select High, Medium, or Low.

  • Effort – This is the estimated total amount of time that the initiative will require from all members of your team: product, design, and development. You must enter an integer in this field.

  • Score – This is the RICE score of the initiative.

  • Dates ( ) – Hovering over the icon shows the following defined dates of the initiative lifecycle:

    • Intake – This is the date when the initiative is accepted based on business requirements.
    • Start – This is the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation.
    • Go-Live – This shows the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.

  • Icon of the linked apps – If there is only one linked app, clicking the icon shows the information about the app. If there are multiple apps or no linked apps, the icon is not clickable.

  • Avatars of the initiative owners – Hovering over an avatar shows the name of the initiative owner.

  • More Options ( ) – Clicking this button opens a menu that enables you to edit, archive, or delete the initiative.

Planning View

The planning view gives you a clear visual representation of initiatives on a timeline to assist you with planning, coordination, and decision-making. Initiatives in this view are sorted by their go-live date. You can see maximum one year back and two years ahead from the current date.

The view contains the following information:

  • Initiative name – Clicking this opens a side pane that shows initiative details.
  • Initiative status – This shows the status of your initiative. It can be On Track, At Risk, or Off Track.
  • Icon of the linked apps – If there is only one linked app, clicking the icon shows the information about the app. If there are multiple apps or no linked apps, the icon is not clickable.
  • Avatars of the initiative owners – Hovering over an avatar shows the name of the initiative owner.
  • Timeline bar – The timeline bar indicates the start date and the go-live date of an initiative. The color shading of the bar reflects how much progress has been made for the initiative. The darker shade indicates the percentage completed, while the lighter shade shows the remaining unfinished portion. (In dark mode, the shading is reversed.) Hovering over the timeline bar shows the following information in a tooltip:
    • Start date – The start date is the date when the first actions are taken to start implementation.
    • Go-Live – The go-live date is the date when the initiative is expected to be delivered or implemented.
    • Completed – This shows how much progress has been made for this initiative.
  • Today indicator (the vertical blue line) – This indicates the date of today.
  • Today – Clicking Today on the lower-right corner brings the view back to today.
  • Weeks, Months, and Quarters – Clicking one of these buttons on the lower-right corner changes the zoom level of the timeline.

Viewing Initiative Details

On the Initiatives Overview page, if you click an initiative, a side pane opens on the right side to show initiative details.

On the upper-right corner of the pane, there is a Copy link ( ) button and More Options ( ) button. Clicking Copy link copies the link to the initiative. Clicking More Options opens a menu that allows you to edit, archive, or delete the initiative.

When you view initiative details, you can only post comments or link epics. You cannot change any other information. To change other information, you need to edit the initiative.

Editing or Deleting an initiative

To edit or delete an initiative, go to the Initiatives Overview page, click More Options ( ) for that initiative, and then select Edit or Delete. Alternatively, you can also click More Options in the side pane where you view initiative details, and then select Edit or Delete.

Archiving an Initiative

When an initiative is finished or the initiative is not relevant for the current time being, you can archive an initiative.

To archive an initiative, perform the following steps:

  1. On the Initiatives Overview page, click More Options ( ) for that initiative, and then select Archive. Alternatively, you can also click More Options in the side pane where you view initiative details, and then select Archive.

  2. In the dialog box that opens, select the reason why the initiative is archived: Completed, Canceled, On Hold, or Other Reason. Also, enter any information that other people should know about this change. Then click Archive.

A pop-up window opens and tells you that the initiative is successfully archived. Once the initiative is archived, you can find it on the Archive page.

Exporting and Importing Initiatives

On the Initiatives Overview page you can import and export initiatives. For details, see Export and Import Initiatives.