Introduction

In project management, uncertainty is a constant companion, and the ability to foresee potential outcomes of different scenarios is invaluable. Enter What-if Analysis: a powerful tool that empowers project managers to explore various hypothetical scenarios within their project pipelines, without disrupting real-time operations. This innovative feature provides a lab mode where managers can experiment with adjustments to milestones, workloads, and resources, all while observing the potential impact on project progress.

What-if allows project managers to change whatever they like in the system for the sake of better decision-making process and analysis without impacting real time progress directly.

Screen #1– What-if-analysis (main functions)

What-If Analysis Simulation Panel

By using the What-If Analysis Simulation Panel, you can create or connect to the desired simulation. You can also access different types of information regarding simulations, such as the simulation name, who created it, how many people are connected to the simulation, when it was created, and when the shutdown will take place. Additionally, you have the possibility to copy the link of the simulation to share it with others and edit the settings of the simulations, view saved and inaccessible simulations, view recent shutdowns and delete simulations.

Screen #2– What-If Panel

Enter What-If Analysis

What-if Analysis is located at the bottom of the menu.

Existing Simulation

1. Click on What-If Analysis Icon to access the What-If Panel.
2. Click on the connect button next to the Simulation.

Launch New Simulation

1. Click on the What-If Analysis button to access the What-If Menu.
2. Click on Launch New.
3. Enter the Name of the Simulation (Required).
4. (Optional) Add users who will have access to the Simulation and specify their permissions:
   • Viewer (can connect, view, and make a copy if the simulation).
   • Editor (in additional to the above, can make changes).
   • Owner (can edit permissions, save and delete the simulation).
5. Enable the setting that allows anyone with a link to be added as a Viewer (Optional).
6. Click The Lunch Button.

Screen #3– Launch New Simulation and Enter What-If Analysis

Simulation Settings

1. Click the What-If icon to access its panel.
2. Click the Gear icon next to the simulation to access its settings, such as simulation name, users access, and simulation availability with link usage.

Screen #8– What-If Simulation Settings 1

Screen #4– What-If Simulation Editing Settings

Delete Simulation

1. Click the What-If icon to access its panel.
2. Click Show Saved
3. Click on Trash icon to delete the Simulation.

Screen #5– Delete Saved Simulation

Main functions

Project Staggering

Project Staggering is a feature integrated with What-if Analysis. It optimizes project timelines and ensure on-time delivery, especially when impending bottlenecks are detected through data analysis within the system.

It helps project managers to proactively handle potential conflicts and allocate resources wisely, leading to improved project outcomes in the end.

You can order your projects by their average Threshold value as a filter for the staggering. As a result, Epicflow will make calculations and suggest a new plan with the adjusted start dates that will contribute to the timely delivery of the chosen projects (or all of them) in the Pipeline.

To proceed with it you need to:

1. Navigate to What-If Mode
2. Click What-If Analysis Icon to access What-If Menu
3. Define Project scope for staggering.
4. Select an appropriate Group/Team
5. Define Threshold value
6. Click Run Button

Screen #6– Stagger Projects

To streamline the process of testing various project scenarios and implementing Project Staggering within the What-if mode, Epicflow introduces a feature that allows users to save and replay their What-If sessions.

This allows you to retain valuable data when navigating away from the What-if mode or enabling Project Staggering. However, with the new functionality, users can save up to four scenarios, preserving their findings for future reference. 

Edit Content of the Simulation

1. Click the What-If Icon to access its Panel.
2. Click the Connect Button next to the appropriate simulation.
3. Click Connect Button.
4. Make the desired changes
5. Save the simulation.

Apply Changes and Close What-If Analysis

This option enables you to apply specific changes from the What-If Analysis to the live environment.

Examples of changes you can apply:

• Adjustments to milestone dates, project start and end dates, and project phases
• Updates to the resource pool, including adding groups and resources
• Modifications to any item within a user or group card

How to apply changes:

1. Make desired changes, such as f.e milestone dates.
2. Click the What-If icon to open the panel.
3. Use the check box list to review and select the changes you wish to apply.
4. (Optional) Use the full-text search to quickly find specific changes if the list is extensive.
5. Click the Apply button to confirm your selection.

Screen #7– Apply changes from the Simulation to real environment,

Save the Simulation

1. Navigate to What-If Mode
2. Create desirable changes in What-If Mode.
3. Click the What-If icon to access What-If Panel.
4. Click Save Button.

Screen #8– Save Simulation

Close What If Analysis

After you conducted the analysis, you can exit What-If session and you’ll see the system in its initial state.

1. Click the What-If Icon to access its menu.
2. Click the Exit Button or Disconnet Button to close What-If Analysis.

Screen #9– Close What-If Mode

Conclusion

What-if analysis is a unique instrument that lets us play different versions and schemes of multi-project management routine if there are problems you’d like to solve, but they take a little bit of experimenting before you actually take any steps further.