Portfolio Optimizer

Overview

Portfolio Optimizer helps you evaluate the Projects and Programs in a single Portfolio and generate a recommended selection based on portfolio targets, objectives, funding constraints, and any additional context you provide when you start the optimization.

You run Portfolio Optimizer from a Portfolio in AdaptiveWork. When the analysis is complete, AdaptiveWork sends the results to the user who started the process by email and also adds the results to the Portfolio as a discussion post.

Before you begin

Make sure to have your account connected with Planview Admin to run the Portfolio Optimizer.

Portfolio Optimizer runs in the context of one Portfolio at a time.

It evaluates only the Projects and Programs that are directly associated with that Portfolio through the Portfolio-Project Link or Portfolio-Program Link.

The feature is available only when the Portfolio contains at least one associated project or program.

A single optimization run can include up to 500 Projects and Programs combined. Projects that are marked as portfolios in the legacy model are not included in the optimization.

Run Portfolio Optimizer

1. Open the Portfolio that you want to optimize.
2. On the Portfolio ribbon, click Optimize.
3. In the Run Optimization window, review the optimization summary, including:
   • the number of linked programs
   • the number of linked projects
   • the portfolio funding budget
   • the number of portfolio objectives
   • the number of portfolio targets
4. Optional: You can add a prompt to provide extra context or constraints that the Optimizer should consider.
5. Click Run Optimization.

What Portfolio Optimizer evaluates

When you start an optimization run, AdaptiveWork sends selected Portfolio , Project, and Program data to the optimization service for analysis.

In the current implementation, the Optimizer uses a defined set of standard Portfolio fields and related Project and Program fields rather than all available Portfolio data.

The data sent includes Portfolio information such as the Portfolio ID, name, funding budget, sub-allocation, and related objectives and targets.

The Optimizer also evaluates linked Program and Project information, including IDs, names, budgeted amounts, funding amounts, funding percentages, and related objectives and targets.

What happens after you run the optimization

After the optimization process finishes, the service returns a recommended list of Projects and Programs for the Portfolio in a pop-up.

The Portfolio Optimizer also communicates that recommendation in a separate email to the user who initiated the portfolio optimization and creates a discussion post on the Portfolio.

This will allow you to retain the information on earlier-run scenarios. 

Important considerations

If a Portfolio contains both a Program and a Project that is part of that same Program, Portfolio Optimizer is designed to avoid double counting.

If the program is selected, the Project is treated as part of that selection and is not recommended separately. If the Program is not selected, the Project can still be evaluated individually.

Portfolio Optimizer does not evaluate Projects or Programs that are not directly associated with the portfolio being optimized.

Summary

Use Portfolio Optimizer when you want AdaptiveWork to analyze the Projects and Programs in a single Portfolio and recommend a selection based on your portfolio data, goals, and constraints.

At this time, you start the process from the Portfolio , and the results are delivered by email and stored on the Portfolio as a discussion post.