Plan View

Overview

When you're starting a new application, aligning your team's vision is critical. You have business users with clear goals, developers ready to execute, and subject matter experts ensuring everything meets expectations. Yet, even with the best intentions, communication gaps can lead to misinterpretations, which may cause project details to be lost or diluted. This is where Appian Composer steps in.

Appian Composer is designed to streamline the application planning process by enabling teams to visually map out requirements, collaborate more effectively, and leverage AI-driven insights to design well-aligned, efficient applications.

At the heart of Appian Composer is the Plan view, where you can collaboratively design, refine, and visualize the application in real time. Rather than relying on lengthy documents or meetings to clarify complex ideas, the Plan view enables everyone to map out the application together. With this shared space, developers clearly see what needs to be built, and business users can confirm that the solution aligns with their objectives.

What sets Appian Composer apart is its integration with AI Copilot, an intelligent assistant that can help you create and refine your application plan. In the Plan view, AI Copilot can translate business needs into Appian concepts, suggest optimizations, and answer questions about your plan. This helps ensure all requirements are captured and the application evolves smoothly.

Key benefits and features

The Plan view of Appian Composer enhances your application development process with these key features:

• Visual clarity: The Plan view provides a structured view of your application's workflow. You can access this view by clicking the Plan tab. It makes it easy to see how each component of your application fits together and allows you to refine your ideas before development begins.
• Unified collaboration: Developers, business users, and subject matter experts can work together using a shared, interactive plan to stay aligned on application functionality and design.
• Centralized resource: The Plan view serves as a living resource, capturing your requirements and the design objects built to achieve those requirements in one place, making it easier for new team members to get up to speed and for the team to maintain a consistent understanding of the application's purpose.
• AI-driven assistance: AI Copilot helps you generate and refine application requirements by suggesting enhancements and translating business needs into Appian concepts, making it easier to accelerate planning and align with business goals.
• Faster development: The Plan view gives developers a clear starting point, reducing setup time and enabling a quicker transition from planning to building.

Explore templates in the Plan view

When you open the Plan tab, you can select from a variety of ready-made plans to jumpstart your app planning process. Ready-made plans are templates designed to fit common business scenarios and serve as a foundation, helping you quickly structure your application plan if you don't want to start from scratch. They can also serve as the framework for applications built in Case Management Studio. After selecting a template, AI Copilot can assist you in refining and expanding your plan.

Available templates:

• HR Onboarding: Streamline the employee onboarding process for new hires.
• Customer Service: Manage banking customer service requests efficiently.
• Enterprise Sales: Track the various stages of the sales lifecycle.

Elements

The following image highlights the elements that make up this view:

#	Element	Available Actions
1	Header bar	Learn more about the header bar.
2	Navigation pane	Learn more about the navigation pane.
3	Plan pane	Manage personas Show or hide AI Copilot
4	Workflow	Manage activities Manage steps Manage actions Connect design objects to actions Fine tune your workflow with drag-and-drop
5	AI Copilot	Generate and refine requirements

Accessing Appian Composer

Before you begin, make sure you have access to Appian Designer.

After you open your application in Appian Designer, you can access Appian Composer by clicking the Plan tab.

Basic concepts

To get the most out of the Plan view, it's helpful to understand a few key terms and concepts. These terms and concepts also correspond to Appian design objects.

The application plan is the centerpiece of the Plan view. It provides a clear, structured model that defines the application's workflow, components, and architecture. By detailing every necessary part of your application, it acts as the essential guide for building and bringing your application to life.

Parts of an application plan

In the Plan view, three key terms are essential: activity, step, and action. These terms help you plan your application's journey from big ideas to specific tasks.

• Activity represents a large piece of functionality in your application.
• Step breaks down the activity into major components.
• Action details the specific tasks or requirements within a step. Action types identify the specific requirements that drive actions.

For those familiar with agile development, these terms align closely with feature, epic, and story.

The following image provides a visual breakdown of how activities, steps, and actions are structured within the Plan view, illustrating the flow from a high-level activity to specific tasks. Your application plan can include an unlimited number of activities, steps, and actions.

Action types

Action types represent the specific requirements that drive the actions in your application. Each action type serves a specific purpose and is mapped to an appropriate Appian concept or design object.

The following table outlines the available action types and provides a brief description of each.

Icon	Term	Description	Appian Concept/Object
	AI Process	Starts an action that utilizes an Appian AI capability.	Appian AI
	Assigned Task	Sends a task to an individual or group for completion.	Tasks
	Automated Process	An automated action that is handled within a process model.	Process Model
	External Integration	Executes an action that connects to a third-party system or service.	Integration Types
	Interface Display	Displays user-facing screens such as dashboards and reports.	Interface Object
	RPA Process	Initiates an action that involves Appian RPA.	Appian RPA
	User Action	A direct interaction by the user with the application, involving actions like entering data or making selections.	Related actions
	User Notification	Delivers notifications via email or custom messaging.	Notifications

Personas

In Appian Composer, a persona represents a user role or group of users with similar responsibilities and permissions within an application. Personas help define who interacts with different parts of the application, ensuring the right users can access and perform the appropriate actions based on their roles.

In Appian Composer, a system persona represents Appian itself. This persona handles system-driven tasks such as workflows, integrations, and system processes, ensuring that routine operations are executed as designed. When you're using AI Copilot, it may automatically create this and other personas for you.

Create a plan

Use the following procedures to create and organize your application plan:

• Start a new application plan
• Add an activity
• Add a step
• Add an action
• Fine-tune your workflow

Start a new application plan

To start a new application plan, click the Plan tab. This opens the Plan view, where you can begin shaping your application. From there, you can

• manually add a new activity,
• manage personas, or
• consult with AI Copilot for suggestions and guidance.

Add an activity

To manually add a new activity:

1. In the Plan view, click ADD ACTIVITY.
   Result: The Add Activity card displays.
2. Enter a clear and concise title for your activity in the Name field.
   Tip: The name should be specific enough to convey the activity's purpose at a glance. Avoid overly general names and ensure it reflects the main function of the activity within your application. For example, instead of "Process," use something like "Customer Onboarding" or "Claim Submission."
   
   
3. (Optional) Enter a description of the activity's purpose or objective in the Goal field.
4. Click the checkmark to save.

Add a step

To manually add a step to an activity:

1. On the activity card, click the ADD dropdown menu.
2. Select Step.
   Result: The Add Step card displays.
3. Enter a clear and concise title for the step in the Name field.
   Tip: The name should be specific enough to convey the step's purpose at a glance. Avoid overly general names and make sure it reflects the key function of the step. For example, instead of "Process Step," use something like "Verify Customer Details" or "Approve Payment."
   
   
4. Click the checkmark to save.

Add an action

To manually add an action:

1. You can add an action in two ways:
   • From the Activity card: Click the ADD dropdown and select Action.
   • From the Step card: Click the ADD ACTION button on the Step card.
     Result: The Add Action card displays.
2. Enter a clear and concise title for the action in the Name field.
3. (Optional) Select the action type in the Type dropdown list.
4. (Optional) Select the persona responsible for the action.
5. Click the checkmark to save.

Fine-tune your workflow with drag and drop

A well-organized layout makes it easier for your team to understand the overall structure and flow of the application. Here are some tips for customizing the application plan's workflow for clarity:

• Arrange related steps and actions together: Arrange related activities together in a way that reflects your application's workflow. This makes it easier to navigate through the plan and ensures that the flow of processes is intuitive.
• Use clear and descriptive names: Ensure that each activity, step, and action has a clear, descriptive name that reflects its function. Avoid generic names—specific labels help users understand the purpose of each element at a glance.
• Rearrange for better flow: You can drag and drop activities, steps, and actions to reorder them in a way that reflects the natural progression of your application's workflow. Arrange steps in the order that users or Appian will follow for better clarity.
• Break down complex processes: If an activity becomes too complex, break it down into smaller, more manageable activities or steps. This avoids overwhelming the plan and makes each part of the process clearer.

Connect design objects to actions

You can associate design objects, such as record types, process models, reports, and interfaces with any action. This ensures that all relevant objects are linked to the correct actions, making it easier for developers to understand how the application is structured. It also simplifies ongoing maintenance by clearly mapping the relationships between design objects and actions for future reference.

To connect a design object to an action:

1. Click the action you want to modify.
   Result: The All Objects screen displays.
2. Select and complete one of the following options.
   • NEW: This option allows you to add a new object to your application. After creating the object, you can return to the Plan view, where the object will automatically be connected to your action.
   • ADD EXISTING OBJECTS: This option lets you connect an existing object from your application to the action. You can add multiple objects at the same time.

Once you're done, the design objects will appear in the object list under the action. You can view details such as their name, description, and last modified date. Use this view to manage the objects associated with the action.

Manage personas

In the Plan view, managing personas allows you to define and customize profiles that interact with your application. Personas represent groups of users, such as customers, administrators, or system roles, and help identify who has access to specific actions within your application.

Click MANAGE PERSONAS in the Plan pane to display the Manage Personas screen. From the Manage Personas screen, you can:

• Add a persona: Click + Add a persona to create a new persona.
• Edit a persona: Modify an existing persona by adjusting the name to better align with the persona's role.
• Delete a persona: Remove a persona by clicking the red X next to the name. Verify removing the persona does not impact your workflow before deleting.

Once you're finished making changes, click SAVE CHANGES to apply your updates, or CANCEL to discard them.

Use AI Copilot in the Plan view

Introduction to AI Copilot

AI Copilot is seamlessly integrated into the Plan view of Appian Composer, acting as a smart assistant that helps simplify and enhance the planning process. As you work within the Plan view, AI Copilot understands your questions and provides real-time assistance. It translates business needs into Appian terms, making it easier for you to understand what's required. It also suggests potential optimizations, ensuring the best solution is implemented from the start.

Whether you're brainstorming features or refining workflows, AI Copilot can help you map ideas quickly, detect potential gaps, and offer recommendations that improve the overall design. This ensures that every part of the application is aligned with business goals from the earliest stages of development.

Key benefits of using AI Copilot in the planning process

• Faster requirement gathering: AI Copilot quickly turns high-level business needs into actionable Appian elements, reducing the time spent interpreting ideas and ensuring clarity.
• Improved collaboration: With AI Copilot's real-time suggestions, all team members can actively contribute to refining the application. Business users get confirmation that their goals are captured correctly, while developers receive clear guidance on implementation.
• Enhanced accuracy: AI Copilot helps avoid misunderstandings by ensuring every requirement is clearly labeled and actionable, reducing the chance of errors later in development.

Understanding AI-generated suggestions and recommendations

As you work within the Plan view, AI Copilot can analyze the requirements provided by your team and generates intelligent suggestions and recommendations if you ask for them. These suggestions can help refine the overall structure of your application by translating business requirements into Appian elements and identifying opportunities for optimization.

AI Copilot's suggestions are designed to:

• Clarify ambiguous requirements: If a business requirement is too vague or open-ended, AI Copilot may suggest ways to refine it for better clarity, ensuring you have actionable details to work with.
• Propose alternative solutions: AI Copilot may recommend alternative approaches based on best practices or industry standards, giving you options to consider that you might not have thought of.
• Highlight potential gaps: If asked, AI Copilot can detect missing pieces in your design, such as incomplete workflows or unaccounted-for personas, helping to ensure that nothing is overlooked during the planning phase.
• Provide technical recommendations: For more complex scenarios, AI Copilot can offer suggestions on the best Appian features or components to use, helping you choose the most efficient and scalable solutions.

You always have the final say, so you can choose to accept, modify, or dismiss AI Copilot's suggestions based on your application's unique needs.

Generate and refine the application plan using AI Copilot

Follow these steps to generate an application plan or refine the existing plan using AI Copilot:

1. Click AI Copilot in the Plan view to open the AI Copilot panel.

2. Enter your requirements: You can manually type your business needs into the chat field or copy and paste them from another source.

3. Once your business needs are entered, click the paper plane button .
   Result: AI Copilot will analyze what you entered and automatically generate a set of activities, steps, and actions based on your business needs.

4. Review the requirements suggested by AI Copilot. You can accept, modify, or further refine these requirements to ensure they align with your application's goals.

How to fine-tune AI Copilot's recommendations

AI Copilot in the Plan view provides powerful, intelligent suggestions, but it's important to remember that these are starting points—not final solutions. To ensure that AI-generated content aligns with your vision and goals, you'll need to refine and adjust it. Here are some tips to help you iterate on AI-generated content effectively:

• Review suggestions with your end goal in mind: Compare AI Copilot's suggestions against your overall objectives. Ensure that each suggestion aligns with the vision you and your team have defined. If a recommendation doesn't quite fit, consider how you can adjust it to better meet your needs, or remove it completely.

• Incorporate feedback from stakeholders: Share AI-generated application plans with key stakeholders, including business users and developers, to gather their input. This collaborative feedback ensures that your application is not only technically feasible but also aligned with business requirements and user expectations.

• Use AI Copilot suggestions as a brainstorming tool: If AI Copilot's suggestions aren't perfect for your current needs, it can still serve as a creative spark. Use the suggestions as a springboard to explore new ideas or solutions that you might not have considered otherwise.

• Test and iterate: Once you've refined your application plan, apply it in small stages, test how it works in practice, and gather feedback. Use this iterative approach to fine-tune the application plan as you progress, ensuring the end result is aligned with both technical feasibility and business vision.

By treating AI Copilot's suggestions as a flexible starting point, and applying these strategies, you can ensure that your final application plan perfectly reflects your team's goals.

Common use cases

Below are examples of how AI Copilot can be used effectively, along with best practices for getting the most out of this assistant.

• Automating repetitive tasks: AI Copilot can identify repetitive tasks within your application that you can automate improving efficiency. For example, you can ask, "What steps in this app can I automate?". AI Copilot will analyze your application and suggest areas for automation, saving you time and streamlining processes.

• Suggesting new features: AI Copilot can help generate ideas for new steps or actions based on your current application plan. Ask, "Can you suggest more actions users might take before the review step?" to quickly brainstorm additional functionality.

• Editing your application plan: Use AI Copilot to refine your application plan. For instance, you can say, "Can you add a review step to the end of the process?", and AI Copilot will update your application plan's workflow and personas accordingly.

• Answering application questions: AI Copilot can quickly respond to questions about your application. For example, you might ask, "What is this application's purpose?" to get instant insights about your plan.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Over-reliance on AI suggestions: Relying too heavily on AI Copilot's recommendations without critically reviewing them can result in application plans that don't fully meet your project's specific needs or goals. Always review AI-generated suggestions and refine them to align with your unique business and technical requirements. Think of AI Copilot as a tool to assist, not replace, your expertise.

• Lack of team communication: Not communicating with your team about AI Copilot's changes or suggestions can lead to confusion or conflicting updates to the application plan. Regularly discuss AI Copilot's suggestions with your team and ensure everyone is aligned on the proposed changes before finalizing them.

• Unclear instructions: Providing vague or unclear instructions to AI Copilot can lead to irrelevant or incorrect suggestions. Be very specific and detailed when asking AI Copilot for help. Clear input leads to more accurate and useful recommendations.

Add an application plan to a package

You can add an application plan to any package when deploying to a new environment. The application plan is automatically included in the application's configuration settings. This means that when you add application configurations to your package, the application plan is added for you too. Learn more about adding application configurations to a package.

Support and resources

If you're new to Appian, it might be helpful to explore some introductory resources before jumping into Appian Composer. The Appian Designer documentation is a good place to start.

Security

The Plan tab in Appian Designer is available to anyone with access to the application, similar to other tabs. However, since only system admins and developers typically have access to Appian Designer, business users can only use the Plan view if they're added to the Designers System Group.

The following table outlines the actions that can be completed for each permission level.

Actions	Administrator	Editor	Viewer	Deny
View workflow and activity details	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Add, edit, delete, and rearrange activity cards	Yes	Yes	No	No
Edit actions	Yes	Yes	No	No
Add and remove objects from actions	Yes	Yes	No	No

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