Planning · Planning steps
Overview step
Have Next draft a short overview of the item, refine it section by section, and approve it.
The Overview is usually the first step in a planning workflow. It sets out, in a few short sections, what the item is about: the problem, who it affects, what people are asking for and what Next recommends. Next drafts it from the ideas behind the item and any other context it has been given.
A clear overview gives everyone the same starting point. The Requirements and PRD steps that follow build on it.
Before you start
- Open the item from Planning → Portfolio, and select Overview in the step rail. See Portfolio item.
- Only the item’s owner can generate, edit and approve the overview. Everyone else can read it.
Understanding the step
The overview has one section for each heading in your organisation’s overview template. Sections are numbered in order. Select a section’s header to collapse or expand it.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not written yet | The section is empty. Generate the overview, or write the section by hand. |
| Edited | The section has been changed by hand since Next drafted it. |
| Link icon | How many sources Next drew on for this section. Select it to read them. |
Generate the overview
- Optionally, select Configure in the action bar to choose the agent packs, files and instructions Next uses. See Steer what Next drafts.
- Select Generate draft.
Next writes each section in turn. Sections show a placeholder until they are complete. While it works, the action bar shows what Next is doing and for how long; select the status to see the agent packs’ progress, or the stop button to stop.
If the draft fails, select Try again.
Edit a section
- Select the pencil (Edit this section) on the section. For an empty section, select Write.
- Change the wording in place. A formatting toolbar appears while you edit.
- Select Update, or press ⌘↵, to keep the change. Select Cancel, or press Esc, to discard it.
The section is marked Edited. Its sources now describe the original draft, not your edit.
Check what a section is based on
- Select the link icon on the section.
- Read the cited passages. Select one to expand it, or Search all to search every source.
See Evidence, impact and history.
Approve the overview
When you are happy with the overview:
- Select Approve Overview in the action bar.
- Read the confirmation. Approving locks the overview and starts the next step.
- Select Approve Overview.
What happens next
- The overview becomes read-only. Editing closes once the step is approved.
- The next step in the workflow, usually Requirements, becomes the current step. See Requirements step.
- The item’s score may update to reflect the overview. See The score.
Good to know
- To go back to an earlier draft before approving, use Version history in the action bar. See Compare or restore an earlier version.
- If the overview is no longer useful at all, the owner can restart planning from More actions. This clears every draft. See Restart planning.
- The headings in the overview come from your organisation’s settings, not from the item. Ask your administrator if a heading you need is missing.