Back Forward Application Overview landing page

Access

The Application Overview landing page gives you a 360-degree view and complete control of your application profile, which supports the Direct Capture of Objectives (DCO). The profile is a collection of business-related information (sometimes referred to as DCO assets) that describes the cases, specifications, requirements, participants, collaborators, actors, and attachments that are associated with your application.

The goal of creating an application profile is to focus discussions and get the project started in the right direction. Business analysts, lead architects, and other project members collaboratively and iteratively create the application profile. This collaborative effort increases the likelihood of a successful implementation because core business questions are asked and discussed, and then the answers are captured in the profile.

DCO is completely integrated into all aspects of application design and development. This approach lets you capture, update, and document your application profile where and when its needed. The Application Overview landing page helps you transform your objectives into processes that are on target and on time.

For an example that describes how you can use the Application Overview landing page, see the PDN article Managing your application profile from the Application Overview landing page.

To access the page, select Open Overview from the Application menu.

Header and panels

The Application Overview landing page header displays the application name (Short Description field value). Click the name to open the application rule.

Actions button

The Actions button on the landing page header contains the following menu options.

Option

Description

Document Application

Select one of the following:

Application Profile — Generates an application profile document. The system uses the following default values: Application Profile template, Project Name is the current application, Organization Name is the current operator's organization, Project Led By is Client-Self Led , Implementation Methodology is set to the Project Methodology value found on the App Overview landing page, and Document Process Images is selected.

Application Document — Invoke the Application Document Wizard, which creates a formatted Microsoft Word document containing information about the application and implementation assets. Use the wizard to specify the application data content you want to include .
You can also access the wizard from > Application > Tools > Document.

Note: If IE displays security warnings when attempting to open Microsoft Word, add the URL including hostname to Trusted sites (IE tools > Internet options > Security > Trusted Sites) and restart the browser.

Generate Sizing

Starts the Sizing wizard that enables you to create, edit, and attach an Excel spreadsheet of application information helping you to estimate the duration and size of implementation projects. The wizard creates sizing work items that are identified by application, implementation method, and spreadsheet. You can reuse or modify these items for your current or built-on applications.

You can also access the wizard from > Application > Tools > Sizing.

Package Application

Select one of the following:

Advanced — Invoke the Application Packaging wizard to create a Product rule and package into an archive ZIP file, which you can use when moving you application to another system; for example, when migrating applications among development, testing and production environments.
You can also access the wizard from > Application > Distribution > Package.

Basic — Using default wizard values, the system automatically packages the application into an archive file. This option does not create a Product rule.

Lock/Unlock Application

If locked, this application is password protected. This prevents you from editing certain landing page fields such as Description and Business Objectives. The application name on the page header displays a lock .

As a best practice, protect the application in most development environments. To prevent possible conflicts, close the application rule before locking or unlocking it.

To enable protection:

  1. Click Lock Application.
  2. Enter a password in the Enter Password and Confirm Password fields in the modal dialog.
  3. Click OK. The system selects the Require password to update application checkbox on the Application rule's Definition tab and saves the rule.

To disable:

  1. Click Unlock Application
  2. Enter the password in the modal dialog.
  3. Click OK. The system clears the checkbox and saves the rule.

NOTE: Be aware that other users may directly edit the locked Application rule and save the changes by providing the password (without first unlocking the rule).

This landing page contains the following panels:

Application Cases

Displays the short and full descriptions of the top-level case types defined in the current application. Click the short description link to open the case type in the Case Designer landing page. You can modify the full description in the Description field on the case type form's History tab.

Description

Displays a high-level description of this application. For example, the description answers the questions "What purpose does this application provide to our organization?" This value is also used in the Description field value on the application form's History tab. Click Edit to update the description. Click Save when you are finished.

Business Objectives

Displays the expected business outcomes and objectives for this application. Click Edit to add an objective. For each objective, click Add Objective to add a row and enter the information. Click Save when you are finished. The system displays the objectives in the panel. The system also updates the Business Objectives list on the Application rule's Documentation tab.

NOTE: If you delete an objective in this list, it is not deleted on the application rule. Saving the rule again will re-populate this field.

Quick Actions

Provides tools for documenting your application, creating an application sizing spreadsheet, packaging an application for export, or for locking the application rule.

Option

Description

Document Application

Select one of the following:

Application Profile — Generates an application profile document. The system uses the following default values: Application Profile template, Project Name is the current application, Organization Name is the current operator's organization, Project Led By is Client-Self Led , Implementation Methodology is set to the Project Methodology value found on the App Overview landing page, and Document Process Images is selected.

Application Document — Invoke the Document wizard, which creates a formatted Microsoft Word document containing information about the application and implementation assets. Use the wizard to specify the application data content you want to include .
You can also access the wizard from > Application > Tools > Document.

Note: If IE displays security warnings when attempting to open Microsoft Word, add the URL including hostname to Trusted sites (IE tools > Internet options > Security > Trusted Sites) and restart the browser.

Generate Sizing

Starts the Sizing wizard that enables you to create, edit, and attach an Excel spreadsheet of application information helping you to estimate the duration and size of implementation projects. The wizard creates sizing work items that are identified by application, implementation method, and spreadsheet. You can reuse or modify these items for your current or built-on applications.

You can also access the wizard from > Application > Tools > Sizing.

Package Application

Select one of the following:

Advanced — Invoke the Application Packaging wizard to create a Product rule and package into an archive ZIP file, which you can use when moving you application to another system; for example, when migrating applications among development, testing and production environments.
You can also access the wizard from > Application > Distribution > Package.

Basic — Using default wizard values, the system automatically packages the application into an archive file. This option does not create a Product rule.

Lock/Unlock Application

If locked, this application is password protected. This prevents you from editing certain landing page fields such as Description and Business Objectives. The application name on the page header displays a lock .

As a best practice, protect the application in most development environments. To prevent possible conflicts, close the application rule before locking or unlocking it.

To enable protection:

  1. Click Lock Application.
  2. Enter a password in the Enter Password and Confirm Password fields in the modal dialog.
  3. Click OK. The system selects the Require password to update application checkbox on the Application rule's Definition tab and saves the rule.

To disable:

  1. Click Unlock Application
  2. Enter the password in the modal dialog.
  3. Click OK. The system clears the checkbox and saves the rule.

NOTE: Be aware that other users may directly edit the locked Application rule and save the changes by providing the password (without first unlocking the rule).

Details

This area displays a list of information types comprising the profile for the current application. It also displays the count of values for each type. An application profile is a collection of information that identifies specifications, requirements, and other elements for a particular project.

To view or modify the information for each type, select the field label or the count to open a modal dialog or a landing page.

Actors

Select to open a modal dialog that lists the actors that participate in this application’s business process steps, and details about each actor. Actors perform work in the application. Users, external services, or the system itself are examples of actors.

To add, update, or delete actors, put the dialog into edit mode by clicking Edit. After making your changes, click Save to save them.

If the Edit button is inactive, the application is password protected. Click the Unlock Application button and enter the password.

From left to right, the columns are as follows.

Column

Description

Name The name of the actor. For example, an application designed for a new hire onboarding process might include actor names such as HR Staff Member and Hiring Manager.
Type

The type of this actor.

For example, an actor that is a human user that participates in the application's business process would typically be an Operator type, while an actor that is another system providing data to this system would be an External System type.

Count

The estimated number of such actors typically using the application.

(no label) Whether the count represents a total number of accesses over a certain time period, or concurrent accesses
(no label) The time period over which the total number of accesses by this sort of actor is estimated to occur. Options are Minute, Hour, Day, Week, Month, and Year. A selection here is not required for concurrent accesses.
Access Method The method that this sort of actor typically uses to access the application.

Specifications

Select to open the Specifications tab on the Application Profile landing page. See Application Profile landing page for more details.

This tab displays the current or built-on application specifications. Use it to add, copy, or delete, or document them.

Requirements

Select to open the Requirements tab on the Application Profile landing page. See Application Profile landing page for more details.

This tab displays the requirements that have been captured for the current application and the project for which it is being developed. Think of the set of requirements as the inventory of events, conditions, or functions that must be satisfied and tracked in the development project.

Assumptions

Select to open a modal dialog that displays the project assumptions for the development project in which the current application is being developed. Assumptions provide details relating to management of the project, such as division of responsibilities.

To add, update, or delete assumptions, put the dialog into edit mode by clicking Edit. After making your changes, click Save to save them.

If the Edit button is inactive, the application is password protected. Click the Unlock Application button and enter the password.

Participants

Select to open a modal dialog that displays the project's participants and their roles. This list helps to identify the anticipated resources required to implement the project.

To add, update, or delete participants, put the dialog into edit mode by clicking Edit. After making your changes, click Save to save them.

If the Edit button is inactive, the application is password protected. Click the Unlock Application button and enter the password.

The Project Participant dialog has the following fields.

Field

Description

Role Identifies the project role of the participant; for example, Release Manager or User Interface Developer.
Type Identifies whether the participant belongs to the owning organization (Internal) or is a consultant to the project or is otherwise outside the owning organization (External).
FTE Identifies how many full-time equivalents (FTEs) have this role on the development project for the application.
Enablement Plan Identifies the enablement plan required for a person to perform this role in the development project. The enablement plan typically states what training courses someone participating in this project role needs to have to effectively perform the role (such as self-study courses, instructor-led training, and so on).
Responsibility

Describes the responsibilities of the project participant that has the identified role on the project.

When adding or modifying a participant's responsibilities in the Project Participant window, the following rich text edit options are available:

  • Set font, size or style
  • Set font color and background color
  • Format as an ordered or unordered list
  • Perform spell check on text

Attachments

Select to view, delete, update, or attach files to this application. Typically, attachments contain reference materials such as Word files, UML diagrams, PowerPoint presentations, informal sketches, or files from external systems.

To view a list of attachments, select Attachments. Click an attachment name to open it.

To add, view, or delete attachements, click the Edit button to open the Attachments dialog.

If the Edit button is inactive, the application is password protected. Click the Unlock Application button and enter the password.

Collaborators

Select the Collaborators link to open the Access Groups & Users tab on the Application Profile landing page. See Application Structure page , Access Groups & Users tab.

Use this tab to invite people (via email) to collaborate in developing the application. For example, a Lead Business Analyst can invite other business analysts to edit and add specifications and requirements to the in-progress application. They might also invite subject matter experts to review the specifications.

Click Link to open the Invite Collaborators window without having to open the Access Groups & Users tab. See Invite collaborators window — Inviting collaborators.

Project Methodology

Displays the current project methodology for your application. Click Edit to select from a list of all supported methodologies. Click Save when finished; this automatically sets the Project Methodology field on the Application rule.

NOTE:the value you specify here affects the default values used in the Application Profile, Sizing Wizard and Specification form.

PegaPulse

This feature facilitates collaboration and conversation among application developers and users. See Understanding PegaPulse for more information.

Definitions current application, landing page, Direct Capture of Objectives, Organization, solution framework
Related topics About Application rules
About Application Specifications
About Connect CMIS rules

UpTools — Application

Help System home pageHelp Home