About the Demand Plan Process App

The Demand Plan process app enables SBM users to submit plan proposals, which follow a life cycle from concept approval to plan completion. Plans can be submitted from the Demand Plan tab in the SBM User Workspace, from Serena Request Center, or from Serena Demand Center.

The Demand Plan process app is required for using Demand Center.

The Demand Plan process is organized into three phases:

Tip: Use the Planning Dashboard multi-view report in the SBM User Workspace to view plans in each of these stages.

For setup details, refer to Preparing the Demand Plan Process App.

Concept Phase

Participants:
  • Plan submitter
  • Plan analysts
  • Concept approvers

Work Areas: SBM User Workspace or Demand Center

When a plan proposal is submitted, it can follow one of two paths in the process, depending on the plan type:
  • Normal

    Normal plans require concept approval before demand items can be added to the plan.

    When a plan proposal is submitted, an owner is specified for the plan, along with a start date and plan duration. The proposal is assigned to a plan analyst, who is responsible for determining the viability of the plan from a business and financial perspective. The plan analyst can submit the proposal for approval, request more information, reject the proposal, or defer it.

    If the proposed plan is deemed viable, the plan analyst sends it to one or more concept approvers. At this point, the plan owner, budget, and plan portfolio are set. If approved, the proposal moves into the planning phase.

    Concept approvers must sign off on the plan before it is available in Demand Center. Plan owners and demand plan administrators can override this process and approve the plan for another user, move the plan directly to the planning phase, return it to analysis, or assign the plan to another concept approver.

    Note: Plans in the concept phase can be viewed by clicking the Pending Plans tab on the Plans page in Demand Center.
  • Pre-approved

    Pre-approved plans skip the concept approval process and are sent directly to the planning phase.

Planning Phase

Participants:
  • Plan owner
  • Demand analysts
  • Plan reviewers

Primary Work Area: Demand Center

Once a plan is approved, it is moved to the portfolio selected during the concept phase. The plan owner can then analyze individual demand items, add them to the plan, or reject them. Demand analysts can share the tasks of scoring items on business criteria unique to your organization and estimating tasks to determine the work effort and cost. The plan owner is responsible for adding demand items to plans, however.

Once demand items are added to plans, they can be allocated to resource teams. If your demand item application is configured correctly, large demand items can be split into one or more smaller items. For configuration details, refer to Configure Demand Item "Split" Capabilities.

Note: Demand items that are being analyzed or are assigned to a plan that is not yet approved are "paused" in the SBM User Workspace and cannot be transitioned or closed until the plan has been approved. For details, refer to About Demand Item Pausing.

After planning is completed on demand items in a plan, the plan can be submitted to reviewers for approvals or directly to in flight.

Once a plan is in flight, it moves to the monitoring phase.

Monitoring Phase

Participants:
  • Plan owner
  • Plan reviewers
  • Other stakeholders, such as concept reviewers and plan managers

Primary Work Area: SBM User Workspace or Demand Center

During this phase, demand items are "unpaused" and work continues on them outside of Demand Center.

Periodic reviews of the plan occur based on the review frequency set for the plan. The plan owner remains responsible for the plan at this point, and can update it with work notes and review status as needed.

To accommodate changing business priorities, plans can be put on hold when they are in flight or in review. Demand items assigned to the plan are paused, and the capacity for teams assigned to the plan is adjusted to remove the allocations for the demand items assigned to the plan.

You can later reactivate the plan and return it to the Planning state. Demand items are also returned to the planning state and remain paused until planning is complete. Resource estimates are recalculated and added to the plan's capacity.

When the project is completed, the plan may require final approval. Plan owners and demand plan administrators can override this process and sign off on the plan for another reviewer or stakeholder, add or remove stakeholders and reviewers, or move the plan to back to in flight.