Plan Automations Configuration in OnePlan - Guided Workflow

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Direct Answer: How Plan Automations Configuration Works in OnePlan

Plan Automation configuration in OnePlan is a structured process where you define automation behavior by selecting a scope, configuring a trigger, optionally applying filters, and defining one or more actions. The process begins when you open the Automations editor from either a Portfolio Area or an individual plan, which automatically determines the scope. Based on this scope, you configure how and when the automation runs and what outcomes it produces. The process ends when the automation executes automatically in response to defined conditions, helping standardize behavior, enforce governance, and reduce manual effort across plans.

What This Article Covers: Plan Automations Configuration

This article explains the end-to-end process for configuring Plan Automations in OnePlan, including how scope is determined, how automations are structured, and how configuration stages work together.

What you will accomplish
After reading this article, you will understand how to configure a Plan Automation from start to finish — including how scope is determined, how to set a trigger, apply filters, and define actions.

Who This Article Is For: Plan Automations Configuration

This article is intended for:

  • Portfolio Admins and Managers configuring automations across multiple plans
  • Plan Owners or Contributors configuring automations within a single plan
  • Users with Licensed permissions (Basic, Professional, or Enterprise)

This article provides an end-to-end process overview. For detailed step-by-step instructions on specific triggers, filters, and actions, see the linked How-To articles in What to Do Next below.

Plan Automations Configuration at a Glance

  1. Start Automation Configuration — Open the automation editor; scope is set automatically based on where you access it.
  2. Configure Trigger — Define the event that causes the automation to run.
  3. Apply Filters (Optional) — Refine which plans the automation applies to.
  4. Define Actions — Define what happens when the automation runs.
  5. Automation Execution — The system runs the automation automatically when conditions are met.

Step 1: Start Automation Configuration

In the automation setup stage of the Plan Automations configuration process in OnePlan, you open the Automations editor from either a Portfolio Area or an individual plan. This automatically determines the automation scope.

Scope is not manually selected — it is derived entirely from where the automation is created.

Portfolio Area Scope

When the automation is created from a Portfolio Area:

  • The scope is set to All Plans
  • The automation applies to all plans of selected plan types
  • You must select one or more Plan Types
  • Some triggers (such as When an Item Is Created) are only available in this scope

access automations portfolio
all plans scopes

Individual Plan Scope

When the automation is created from within an individual plan:

  • The scope is set to This Plan
  • The automation applies only to the current plan
  • Plan type selection is not required
  • System-level triggers (such as When an Item Is Created) are not available in this scope

access automation in plan
this plan scope

Key concept: In OnePlan, automation scope is determined automatically by where you open the Automations editor. This defines whether the automation applies across multiple plans or only to a single plan. Scope cannot be changed after the automation is created.

Step 2: Configure Trigger

In the trigger configuration stage of the Plan Automations configuration process in OnePlan, you define the event that causes the automation to run.

Each automation can have only one trigger, which defines when the automation executes. Trigger availability depends on the selected scope.

Trigger Availability Reference

Trigger Name Available from Individual Plan Available from Portfolio Area Supported Scope
When an Item Is Created ❌ No ✅ Yes All Plans
When an Item Is Updated ✅ Yes ✅ Yes Single Plan or All Plans
On a Schedule ✅ Yes ✅ Yes Single Plan or All Plans
When a Workflow State Changes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes Single Plan or All Plans

For step-by-step instructions on configuring each trigger, see:

Step 3: Apply Filters

In the filtering stage of the Plan Automations configuration process in OnePlan, you optionally define conditions that limit which plans the automation applies to within the selected scope.

Filters refine which plans the automation runs against, but do not change the overall scope. Filtering is optional — if no filters are applied, the automation runs for all plans within the defined scope.

Step 4: Define Actions

In the action configuration stage of the Plan Automations configuration process in OnePlan, you define what happens when the trigger conditions are met.

Actions determine the outcome of the automation and can include one or more operations executed in sequence.

Available Plan Automation actions include:

  • Approval Task Workflow — Creates an approval task assigned to specified resources or teams
  • Copy or Create Plan — Copies an existing plan or creates a new one based on defined conditions
  • Reorganize Plan — Changes a plan's position within the plan hierarchy
  • Send Notification — Sends a notification to specified users or groups
  • Update Plan — Updates one or more fields on the plan
  • Power Automate — Triggers an external Microsoft Power Automate flow

For step-by-step instructions on configuring each action, see:

Step 5: Automation Execution

In the execution stage of the Plan Automations configuration process in OnePlan, the system automatically evaluates trigger conditions and runs the configured automation when those conditions are met.

During execution, OnePlan:

  1. Detects the trigger event
  2. Evaluates any defined filters
  3. Executes all configured actions in sequence

To review recent automation runs, check run status, or cancel in-progress runs, see How to View and Manage Automation Run History in OnePlan.

Common Variations: Plan Automations Configuration

Variation: Portfolio-Wide Automation

In this variation, you open the Automations editor from a Portfolio Area. The scope is set to All Plans, and you select one or more plan types to define which plans the automation applies to. Use this variation to enforce consistent behavior across your portfolio or standardize lifecycle rules across multiple plan types.

Variation: Single Plan Automation

In this variation, you open the Automations editor from within an individual plan. The scope is set to This Plan automatically. Use this variation when you need plan-specific automation behavior that does not need to apply across the portfolio.

Frequently Asked Questions: Plan Automations Configuration

Q: What determines which plans an automation applies to in OnePlan?
A: In OnePlan, automation scope is automatically determined by where you open the Automations editor. Opening from a Portfolio Area creates an All Plans scope; opening from within an individual plan creates a This Plan scope.

Q: Can I manually choose the automation scope in OnePlan?
A: No. In OnePlan, scope is automatically defined based on your access point and cannot be changed after the automation is created.

Q: Can one Plan Automation have multiple triggers in OnePlan?
A: No. Each Plan Automation in OnePlan can have only one trigger.

Q: Are filters required when configuring a Plan Automation in OnePlan?
A: No. Filters are optional. If no filters are applied, the automation runs for all plans within the defined scope whenever the trigger conditions are met.

What to Do Next: Plan Automations Configuration

Configure triggers:

Configure filters:

Configure actions:

Review and manage automations:

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