Invest Analytics

InspiRD app’s Invest tab allows you to analyze and prioritize the R&D portfolio. Invest enables users to strategically optimize the R&D portfolio through targeted investments and resource allocation.

InspiRD implements a balanced portfolio approach to prioritizing R&D. Each strategic priority (e.g. technology vs. product development, new product vs. sustaining, strategic thrust vs. skillset development, etc.) is expressed as portfolio balancing criteria. Potential revenues and NPV can be used as additional criteria for prioritizing near-term investments.

Computes resource needs directly from the roadmap database
Visualizes investment needs across each strategic dimension
Tracks interdependencies and addresses design reuse
Enables what-if scenario analysis to explore decisions
Evaluates long-term impact of each investment decision
Displays historical trends to support decision-making

Click Invest on the tab bar to access it. Contact your administrator if you do not see Invest, as it may have been disabled. To generate analytics in Invest:

Select the type of analytics/graphics desired
Use the filter button to specify projects to be included in analytics. Default is the full portfolio
Click the OK button to display graphs and tables.

Full Invest functionality is described below. Invest view contains:

A toolbar below the tab to perform functions
- X-axis and Y-axis drop-downs
A left graph showing requests for investment or resource for the selected group of projects
A right graph showing actual allocations for the selected group of projects.
A legend is shown to the right of the graphs.
A Resource Allocation Table below the graph providing details of investments / resources for selected year. An architecture tree is shown in the title column. Expanding the tree shows projects within the architecture category that match filter criteria. Expand or collapse projects to drill-down into subprojects. Four columns to the right of the title show:
- Investments expended in the past
- Investments in current period
- Investments remaining for the future
- Total investments over the full project life-cycle

The toolbar under the tabs is used to execute functions in the InspiRD App. These functions are described below. Please hover the cursor over the button to see a tool tip explaining the button function or the reason why a button is disabled.

View Drop-down

This drop down allows selection of the graphical analytical views. Each is described below:

Investment Plan

This view uses bar charts to shows trends in investments time (historical and future). The x-axis is time. Start and end years define the scale. Y-axis shows the sums of investments of counts of projects. The z/stack axis is selected through the type drop-down.

Investment plan can be used to answer questions such as:

What capabilities have investments? Subareas?
How is a particular division or sector investing in an area?
How are the investments changing with time?
What guidance can the leadership provide to improve effectiveness?

Strategic Analysis View

Shows bubble graphs is shown that facilitate detailed strategic analysis. The size of the bubbles indicate the relative amount of investment in the displayed item.

Portfolio Balancing View

Pie charts provide view of the portfolio for a selected year and allow focused analysis for each portfolio dimension:

Are all product-lines receiving right level of support?
Are there concentrations? Are there holes?
Which divisions or locations are investing in which area?
What guidance can the leadership provide to improve effectiveness?

Pipeline View

Pipeline view enables you to optimize the R&D pipeline across phases, maturity levels etc.

How well are capabilities being matured?
Are maturation trends stable across timeline?
Do tech areas or subareas need attention?
How is a particular division investing?
What guidance can the leadership provide to improve effectiveness?

Revenue View

Revenue view is similar to views described above except it sums up revenue forecasts for requested and allocated projects.

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Domain Drop-down

Selecting Product from the domain drop-down shows product project portfolio for the selected year in the resource allocation table
Selecting Technology from the domain drop-down shows technology project portfolio for the selected year in the domain drop down

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Year Drop-down

Use this drop down box to select the year for which you want to make Investment and Resource allocation decisions. This selection determines what values are shown in the Resource Allocation Table.

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Start and End Year Drop-downs

For Investment Plan view, Start Year drop down determines the lower limit for the x-axis of the graphs; and End Year determines the upper limit for the x-axis.

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X and Y Axis Drop-downs

For strategic analysis / bubble chart view, select x and y axis as appropriate.

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Type Drop-down

Select this drop down for the stack axis for bar charts, division axis for pie charts and z-axis for bubble charts.

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Value Drop-down

Select the value to be shown in the graphs. Two choices are Sum of Investments or Count of Projects for the selected year and filter values.

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Cost Multi-select Drop-down

If your organization has opted to track multiple types of costs (such as labor, capital, etc.), this drop down allows you to select what costs are shown in the graphs.

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Resource Multi-select Drop-down

If your organization has opted to plan for different resource / skill-set categories, this drop down allows you to select what resources are shown in the graphs.

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Filter Button

The filter button is used to fine-tune the scope investment calculations to a particular level in the hierarchy or meeting specific criteria. Clicking this button shows the portfolio filter panel with drop down boxes to for filtering. As you make more selections for filter criteria, additional criteria are shown. You can select any level of detail starting from the top.

Please click on the filter button to apply selected filters. Please select cancel to remove filter. Please click the filter button to show / hide filters. The filter button shows a check mark if the filter is set (even if the filter panel is hidden).

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OK Button

Click the OK button to analyze data and draw graphs.

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Edit Button

Select any project and click the edit button to show the standard project edit panel. to make resource allocation decisions. You can change the status of selected project. Graphs will change automatically based on the decision.

Please note all decisions are kept in a temporary database to help you perform what-if analysis. You will need to use the Commit button below to save changes into the master database. Please note that unless saved using the commit button, any changes you have made will be lost when you logout of the InspiRD app.

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Commit Button

Clicking on the commit button will save resource allocation decisions to the main database. Please note that this action cannot be undone.

To access the commit button, click the down arrow next to the edit button.

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Reload Button

Clicking the reload button will reload project portfolio from the database and recalculate investment graphs. Please note that all changes you might have made in the session will be lost. This action cannot be undone.

To access the reload button, click the down arrow next to the edit button.

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Export to Excel button

Click the Export to Excel button to export the Resource Allocation Table to Microsoft Excel.

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Export to PowerPoint button

Click the Export to PowerPoint button to export the graphs to Microsoft PowerPoint.

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