When the roles are assigned and the meetings are scheduled, you can then configure the tool. Meisterplan comes pre-configured for Lean PPM, so you can customize the tool to fit your organization's needs in just seven simple steps.

Users with sample data: If you started with sample data, delete it if you haven't already done so.

Users with an empty database: If we have set up your system with an empty database at your request, you should configure standard portfolios and project fields in addition to the seven steps.

Project Phases/Milestones

Customize the preconfigured project phases (under Manage > General Settings) to reflect the progress of projects from planning to execution to completion. How you structure your projects will affect how you work with milestones: If you later add milestones to your projects, they can start or end a project phase.

Stage Gates

A smooth PPM process depends on making explicit and transparent decisions. Stage gates support this goal because they can be used to clearly define which levels a project has already reached before approval. Under Manage > Project Fields, select the project field "Stage Gate" and complete the pre-configuration to set up the following stage gates:

• New
• Seeking Review
• Seeking Approval
• Approved
• Active
• On Hold
• Completed
• Rejected

To learn more about Project Field Configuration, please visit our Help Center.

Project Fields

When it comes to the question of what additional project information is needed to make informed portfolio decisions, less is usually more. It is better to have a small amount of cleanly maintained data than an abundance of incomplete information and outdated fields. Under Manage > Project Fields, you can edit the preconfigured fields and add additional fields. Under Manage > Project Settings, you can define which project fields are displayed where in your projects.

To learn more about Project Fields, please visit our Help Center.

Organization Units (OBS Structure)

With efficient project portfolio management, decisions are made where the most knowledge exists. For dividing the portfolio into sub-portfolios as well as for resource management in general, it is helpful to map the structure of your company or organization in the PPM tool. In the Resource Pool under Organization (OBS), you can edit the preconfigured structure and create your own departments, locations or teams. Read more about the OBS structure in our Help Center.

Roles

For Lean PPM, the resource cost of projects is specified at the role level during the proposal and rough planning phase. It is only in the detailed planning phase, after the resolution of the new portfolio, that individual resources are staffed to the project. In Meisterplan (in the Resource Pool under Roles), you can create roles such as Senior Developer or Junior Advisor. More about using roles in Meisterplan can be found in our Help Center.

Users

In order for all those involved in your project portfolio management process to contribute to an optimal portfolio, each user needs to access Meisterplan with user’s rights suitable to his/her role. Create a user profile for each participant (go to Manage > Users). The access level as well as edit rights determine to which data a user should have write access. The access levels and edit rights for each role are:

Table: Depending on the role of a Meisterplan user, the appropriate access level is chosen.

Learn more about user management in Meisterplan in our Help Center.

(Sub-)Portfolios

The bigger your organization is, the more you gain by dividing the entire portfolio into multiple sub-portfolios. First of all, decentralization reduces the complexity of the PPM process, making it more manageable. In addition, decentralization in the sense of "lean" is efficient because decisions and conflict resolutions can often already take place where the most detailed knowledge is available.

First, edit the preconfigured portfolios (via the Manage Portfolios option in the Portfolio menu on the top left in the header). To do this, configure the usage rights for the standard PPM portfolios (“Pipeline: New”, “Pipeline: Review”, “Planning: Active + Approved + Seeking Approval + On Hold”) so that the corresponding roles can work with them. Simply delete unnecessary preconfigured portfolios.

Depending on the size and structure of your company, you can create the following portfolios with matching filters and give access to the corresponding Meisterplan users (also via Manage Portfolios in the Portfolio menu):

Table: The management of portfolios is decentralized through sub-portfolios.

Learn more about creating and managing portfolios in our Help Center.