How to manage programs in Clarity with custom investments and hierarchies

Amidst the buzz of Agile transformation and ‘new ways of working,’ it’s understandable that companies relying on traditional project and program management practices might feel left behind. But with Clarity, a key component of ValueOps by Broadcom, program management is not just catching up; it’s leaping ahead with unprecedented power and efficiency!

Does Clarity’s modern UI have programs?

Not as a separate object. Broadcom’s guidance is that the Classic program investment isn’t available in the modern UI. Instead, you create a custom investment type for programs and use a hierarchy to bring a program and its child projects together, with schedules, status, and financials rolled up in one place.

When Broadcom introduced the modern UI in 2017, some organizations couldn’t fully embrace it due to the lack of a program management feature. As a result, they continued to rely on the Classic PPM interface, missing out on numerous new features. However, over the years, Broadcom has enhanced the Hierarchy module, offering a comprehensive view of program and child project details that far surpasses the functionality of the Classic program.

So, if there is no Program Object, how is it possible that Program management is better? Two components make this true: Custom Investment Types (CITs) and Hierarchies.

• Custom Investment Types (CITs): This unique feature of Clarity allows you to create custom program types, enabling program management within the modern UI. With a CIT, the functionalities available at the project level (like WBS management, financials, risk management, etc.) become available for your program as well. Linking child projects to the program is simple: just set the “Parent” attribute on the project.

• Hierarchies: This is where the magic happens! To unlock the power of your program, simply create a Hierarchy by defining the relationships between the program and its child projects. Import the program CIT and auto-import the children. Your program structure will then magically appear before your eyes!

With the Hierarchy module, you gain a comprehensive view of your program and all its children projects. You can see a combined Gantt chart of the program and all its children projects in a single view. There are also options to see the program’s schedule in a calendar, board, or list view. (Hot tip: filter this page to show only milestones and you have a quick way to communicate key events during the program’s execution.) You can also show key milestones right on the hierarchy timeline from View Options.

You can see a status summary of all the children projects to get a quick overview of the program’s health. Widgets can give you a quick visual representation of the program’s health without building custom reports!

With Clarity’s modern UI, managing your program’s financials is a breeze. A detailed and roll-up view of the program’s financials is readily available without having to chase down project managers. All program and child project-level financials can be viewed in the financials table and change request pages. Everything you need to manage your program is at your fingertips, empowering you to make informed decisions and drive your program’s success! For an example of funding managed from the top down, see how UCLA manages funding and purchase orders in Clarity.

Keeping the hierarchy current

Hierarchies don’t have to be maintained by hand. Hierarchy managers can schedule recurring imports with filters, so new projects that belong to a program join its hierarchy automatically.

Still running programs in Classic PPM?

If program management has been a factor in your organization’s reluctance to migrate away from Classic PPM, it is time to rethink that decision. Program management has been empowered in Clarity’s modern UI, and a world of usability enhancements are ready and waiting for you! These enhancements include a more intuitive user interface, streamlined workflows, and advanced reporting capabilities.

If you are interested in exploring a modern UI transition, reach out to Virelli today to discuss it! We have helped countless organizations make the move, and they have never looked back! Our services go beyond implementation, including health checks, custom implementations, training, and ongoing managed services.

Frequently asked questions