Set Up The Benefits Realization Area

This article guides OnePlan administrators through setting up and managing a Benefits Realization Area in OnePlan. It covers recommended configuration for Plan Types, fields, forms, views, dashboards, and process steps to effectively define, track, and realize enterprise-wide benefits linked to strategic objectives and delivery initiatives.

While this guide assumes prior OnePlan administration experience, new administrators can also use it as a reference to understand how the Benefits Realization Area is structured and managed.

This is an extensive guide, so buckle in and let's get configuring!

What you will accomplish
After completing this guide, you will be able to:
- Create and configure a Benefits Realization Area in OnePlan
- Define a Benefit Plan Type with appropriate associations
- Configure lookup fields to support Benefits traceability
- Design Plan Details forms for Benefits
- Create preconfigured views to support performance tracking and reporting
- Build dashboards for executive-level visibility into benefit delivery and realization

Requirements

OnePlan Administrator / Owner permissions

Background

Organizations invest in initiatives expecting measurable returns — financial savings, efficiency gains, improved customer outcomes, and more. Without a structured approach, those benefits often go untracked, unmeasured, or unrealized. OnePlan's Benefits Realization Area provides a centralized location to define benefit types, set targets and performance metrics, and associate benefits with the contributing projects and strategic objectives that drive them.

By bridging the gap between project delivery and realized value, the Benefits Realization Area ensures benefits are monitored, owned, and achieved across the organization — giving leadership the visibility they need to confirm that investments are delivering the outcomes they were intended to produce.

Step 1: Create the Benefits Realization Area

In this step, you will create the Benefits Realization Area and apply the recommended base settings.

To do this, follow the instructions in Create and Manage Areas.

Here are the recommended settings for this Area:

• Name: Benefits Realization
• Description: OnePlan's Benefits Realization Area allows organizations to define benefit types, targets, and performance metrics, and associate them with contributing projects and strategic objectives. This Area bridges the gap between project delivery and realized value, ensuring benefits are monitored, owned, and achieved across the organization.
• Icon Name: Money
• Available Views: List, Board, Roadmap, Dashboard
• Available Controls: Gantt
• Display on left navigation panel: ✔️

Step 2: Create the Benefit Plan Type and Hierarchy

In this step, you will create the Benefit Plan Type that will serve as the foundation for the Benefits Realization Area.

Before you can save your new Area, you must add Plan Types. First, create the Benefit Plan Type, then create a new lookup field (Associated Benefit) so you can add associated Plan Types into the hierarchy.

Why this matters
The Plan Type hierarchy defines how Benefit items relate to delivery plans, portfolios, and other work items. Correct configuration is required for traceability, reporting, and association with other OnePlan Areas.

1. Add the Benefit Plan Type

Follow the instructions in Create and Update Plan Types to create a new parent Plan Type named Benefit.

2. Create a New Associated Benefit Lookup Field

For the recommended Plan Type hierarchy to function properly, you must configure a new multi-lookup field for the Benefit Plan Type, called Associated Benefit. This will allow you to associate other Plan Types to the Benefit Plan Type.

See Configure Lookup Fields for instructions.

Here is the recommended configuration for the Associated Benefit field:

3. Add Associated Plan Types to the Benefits Realization Plan Type Hierarchy

Return to the Benefits Realization Area configuration and add existing Plan Types as children of the Benefit Plan Type (using Associated Benefit as the Parent Relation). Recommended Plan Types to add into the hierarchy include:

• Key Result
• Project
• Epic
• Engagement

See Add Existing Plan Types to a Hierarchy for instructions.

Step 3: Configure the Benefit Plan Details Form

In this step, you will configure the Plan Details form for the Benefit Plan Type.

See Set Up Plan Details Forms for instructions.

The following sections detail the recommended settings for the Benefit Plan Details form.

1. Benefit Process Steps and Available Tabs

First, configure the Benefit Process Steps. See Configure the Plan Details Process Flow for instructions.

The recommended process steps and available tabs are as follows:

2. Benefit Plan Details Fields and Sections

Next, set up the Plan Details form sections and fields. See Set Up Plan Details Forms for detailed instructions on setting up Details forms.

Note
Fields marked as "New field, must be configured" require creation before they can be added to the form. See Add, Edit, or Remove Form Fields for instructions on how to add new fields directly from the Plan Details configuration interface.

Section 1

Section Name: Benefit Information
Section Layout: 2 Equal Columns

Section Fields:

Section 2

Section Name: Benefit Description
Section Layout: 1 Column

Section Fields:

Section 3

Section Name: Benefit Timeline
Section Layout: 3 Equal Columns

Section Fields:

Section 4

Section Name: Benefit Metric
Section Layout: 3 Equal Columns

Section Fields:

Section 5

Section Name: Associated Plans
Section Layout: 1 Column
Section Elements:

This section contains a Child Plans Table Element that you must configure. See Create, Add, Edit, or Remove Form Elements for instructions.

Here is the recommended configuration for the Child Plans table element:

Step 4: Configure the Status Report

In this step, you will configure the Status Report template for the Benefit Plan Type.

See OnePlan Built-In Reporting Dashboards: What They Are and How to Set Them Up for general reporting instructions.

Trend Fields: Unit of Measure, Current Metric, State, Status, Compliance, Budget, Target Number

The recommended Status Report layout is as follows:

Logo Section

• Section Layout: 1 Column
• Show Header: Off
• Align: Right
• Width: 0 | Height: 53
• Image: OnePlan Logo — https://tivitiecdn.blob.core.windows.net/web/wp-includes/images/OnePlanLogoStatusReports.png

Benefit Information

• Section Layout: 2 Columns
• Show Header: Yes

Benefit Timeline

• Section Layout: 3 Columns
• Show Header: Yes

Checking In

• Section Layout: 3 Columns
• Show Header: Yes

Trending

• Section Layout: 3 Columns
• Show Header: No

Set Show Header to No on this section so it visually merges with the Checking In section above it.

Status Narrative

• Section Layout: 1 Column
• Show Header: Yes
• Field: Accomplishments

Step 5: Configure Area List Views

After configuring the Plan Details form for the Benefit Plan Type, set up a set of views for the Benefits Realization Area. These preset views help users review, track, and analyze Benefits without building new views from scratch.

See Add or Remove Columns in Portfolio Areas and Save, Use, and Manage Views in Portfolio Areas for full instructions. Below details the recommended configurations for the Benefits Realization Area views.

Benefit Portfolio Summary (Default)

A comprehensive overview of all Benefits with core classification and ownership attributes.

View Name: Benefit Portfolio Summary
View Columns:

When saving this view, select the Default checkbox so this becomes the primary view for the Area.

Benefit Performance & Realization

Tracks progress against benefit metrics and targets.

View Name: Benefit Performance & Realization
View Columns:

Strategic Benefit Alignment

Connects Benefits to strategic priorities and organizational goals.

View Name: Strategic Benefit Alignment
View Columns:

Benefit Timeline & Readiness

Visualizes benefit timing and realization readiness.

View Name: Benefit Timeline & Readiness
View Columns:

Benefits at Risk

Highlights Benefits that are at risk or off track for prioritized review.

View Name: Benefits at Risk
View Columns:

Filter plans in this view by Status = (2) At Risk OR Status = (3) Off Track to surface Benefits that need attention. See Filter Your Portfolio for full instructions.

Step 6: Configure Area Board Views

Next, set up Board (Kanban) views for visualizing Benefits by stage, lifecycle status, performance, and business unit.

See Configuring the Portfolio Board for full instructions. Below details the recommended configurations for the Benefits Realization Area Board views.

Benefits by Process Step

A pipeline-style view of all Benefits by their lifecycle stage.

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Column: Process Step
• Lanes: Benefit Category
• Card Fields: Benefit Status, Benefit Type, Business Unit, Estimated Start Date, Estimated End, Owner
• Color By: Status
• Totals: Count

Benefit Realization Lifecycle Board (Default)

Shows Benefits grouped by realization status to support lifecycle oversight.

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Column: Benefit Status
• Lanes: Benefit Category
• Card Fields: Benefit Status, Benefit Type, Business Unit, Current Metric, Current Number
• Color By: Status
• Totals: Count

When saving this view, select the Default checkbox so this is the default Board view for the Area.

Benefit Performance Board

Tracks metric progress across all Benefits.

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Column: Benefit Status
• Lanes: None
• Card Fields: Unit of Measure, Current Number, Target Number, Current Metric, Owner
• Color By: Status

Benefits by Business Unit

Provides a departmental breakdown of Benefits and their performance.

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Column: Business Unit
• Lanes: None
• Card Fields: Benefit Category, Priority, Benefit Status, Current Metric
• Color By: Status
• Totals: Count

Step 7: Configure Area Roadmap Views

Configure Roadmap views to visualize Benefits across type, business unit, risk, and strategic alignment.

See Introduction to the Portfolio Roadmap for further details.

Benefits by Type Roadmap (Default)

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Group By: Benefit Type
• Color By: Status

When saving this view, select the Default checkbox so this is the default Roadmap view.

Benefits by Business Unit Roadmap

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Group By: Business Unit
• Color By: Status

Benefits by Risk Level Roadmap

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Group By: Risk Level
• Color By: Status

Benefits by Strategic Alignment Roadmap

• Plan Type: Benefit
• Group By: Benefit Strategic Alignment
• Color By: Status

Step 8: Configure Area Dashboards

The Benefits Realization Area dashboards provide executive-level visibility into benefit performance, delivery progress, and portfolio health.

See OnePlan Built-In Reporting Dashboards: What They Are and How to Set Them Up for full instructions. Below details the recommended configuration for the Benefits Realization Area Dashboards.

(01) Benefit Portfolio Dashboard

Dashboard Settings

• Name: (01) Benefit Portfolio Dashboard
• Slicers: State, Business Unit
• Filters: Plan Type = Benefit

Widgets and Their Settings

Card Widgets

The Card Widgets should be lined up down the left-hand side of the Dashboard.

1. Current Metric Avg.
   • Display Title: ✔️
   • Title: Current Metric Avg.
   • Value: Current Metric
   • Aggregate: Average
   • Display Unit: None
   • Filters: N/A
2. Count of Benefits
   • Display Title: ✔️
   • Title: Count of Benefits
   • Value: (Id)
   • Aggregate: Count
   • Display Unit: None
   • Filters: N/A
3. Benefits Off Track
   • Display Title: ✔️
   • Title: Benefits Off Track
   • Value: (Id)
   • Aggregate: Count
   • Display Unit: None
   • Filters: Status = (3) Off Track

Chart Widgets

The Chart Widgets should be lined up across the middle of the Dashboard.

1. Benefits by Priority
   • Chart Type: Pie
   • Display Title: ✔️
   • Display Legend: ✔️
   • Title: Benefits by Priority
   • Y-Axis: (Id)
   • Aggregate: Count
   • Group By: Priority
   • Labels: Show Values
   • Display Unit: None
   • Filters: N/A
2. Benefits by Business Unit
   • Chart Type: Pie
   • Display Title: ✔️
   • Display Legend: ✔️
   • Title: Benefits by Business Unit
   • Y-Axis: (Id)
   • Aggregate: Count
   • Group By: Business Unit
   • Labels: Show Values
   • Display Unit: None
   • Filters: N/A

Table Widget

The Table Widget should occupy the bottom row of the Dashboard. This table provides a sortable, filterable list of all Benefits included in the dashboard context.

Benefits Table

• Display Title: ✔️
• Display Totals: ✖️
• Title: Benefits
• Columns: Plan Type, Name, State, Status, Business Unit, Process Step, Unit of Measure, Current Number, Current Metric, Target Number, Estimated Start Date, Estimated End
• Group By: N/A
• Sort By: N/A
• Sort Direction: Descending
• Filters: N/A

(02) Benefit Progress Dashboard

Dashboard Settings

• Name: (02) Benefit Progress Dashboard
• Slicers: Business Unit
• Filters: Plan Type = Benefit

Widgets and Their Settings

Chart Widget

Benefit Status

• Chart Type: Bar
• Display Title: ✔️
• Display Legend: ✖️
• Title: Benefit Status
• Y-Axis: Current Metric
• Aggregate: Average
• X-Axis: Name
• Group By: N/A
• Labels: Show Values
• Display Unit: None
• Filters: N/A

Step 9: Configure Plan-Level Insights

In this step, you will configure Insights for the Benefit Plan Type to proactively surface data quality issues and prompt users to keep their Benefit records up to date.

See Configure Plan Insights for full instructions.

Set Category = Plan, then add the following Insights:

Insight 1: Current Metric Check

• Insight Type: Field Value Check
• Trigger Level: Warning
• Match Message: Your Benefit has a Current Metric
• No Result Message: Your Benefit should have a Current Metric
• Filter: Current Metric ≤ 0

Insight 2: Current Number Check

• Insight Type: Field Value Check
• Trigger Level: Warning
• Match Message: Your Benefit has a Current Number
• No Result Message: Your Benefit should have a Current Number
• Filter: Current Number ≤ 0

Insight 3: Target Number Check

• Insight Type: Field Value Check
• Trigger Level: Warning
• Match Message: Your Benefit has a Target Number
• No Result Message: Your Benefit should have a Target Number
• Filter: Target Number ≤ 0

Step 10: Configure the Benefit Visualizer Runway View

In this step, you will configure a Runway view for the Benefit Plan Type to visualize how Benefits connect to the delivery work and strategic objectives that drive them.

You will need to create a Benefit plan to access the Visualizer configuration settings for that Plan Type.

Once you have a Benefit plan, go into the plan and select Reporting > Visualize. Then switch to the Runway view.

See Use the Visualizer Runway View for full instructions.

• View Name: Benefit Runway
• Default: ✔️
• Color By: Status
• Column 1 — System generated based on Plan Type, no configuration required.
  • Name: Benefit
• Column 2
  • Name: Projects / Epics / Engagements
  • Plan Types: Project, Epic, Engagement
  • Lookup Field: Associated Benefit

Conclusion

This concludes the configuration guide for the Benefits Realization Area in OnePlan.

All configurations in this article represent recommended best practices from the OnePlan team. You can tailor fields, views, and visualizations to meet your organization's specific needs, as long as the core hierarchy and lookup relationships are preserved.