P4 Plan

1. Initial Assessment and Planning

• Perforce consultants work with your team to understand your environment, current workflows, and project goals.
• A customized implementation plan is developed based on your requirements and team structure.

2. Setup and Configuration

• Helix Plan is configured to match your processes, including integration with version control systems and other development tools.
• The setup phase ensures optimal performance and seamless workflow integration.

3. Training and Rollout

• Setup and Rollout Session: A full-day session where Perforce configures Helix Plan and prepares your team for use.
• Fundamentals Training: Half-day sessions, often separated by user roles (such as team members, project managers, product owners), to cover essential features and workflows.
• Train-the-Trainer Program: A two-day intensive course for up to 15 power users, enabling them to train additional team members and drive adoption.
• Custom Training: Additional tailored training sessions are available to address unique requirements or advanced use cases.

4. Go-Live and Support

• After setup and training, your team begins using Helix Plan in a live environment.
• Ongoing support and optimization services are available to resolve any issues and ensure continued success.

• Project-Level Settings: Teams can configure sprint lengths, date formats, item prioritization, and default settings for new backlog items (such as user stories or assignments).

• Custom Columns and Fields: You can add custom columns, such as drop-down lists for priorities or custom attributes for backlog items, to match your organization’s workflow.

• Workflow and Pipeline Customization: Workflows and pipelines can be adjusted in real time, allowing you to change processes on the fly as your business evolves.

• Custom Dashboards and Reporting: Dashboards and reports are fully configurable, enabling visualization and tracking of the specific metrics your business needs.

• Role-Based Views: Field-level permissions allow you to tailor what information different users can view or edit, ensuring each role sees only what’s relevant.

• Integration Capabilities: P4 Plan supports integration with other tools like version control systems and issue trackers, and allows for custom integrations to unify your toolchain.

• Scalability and Deployment: The platform supports large-scale deployments (over 10,000 users) and can be hosted on-premises, in private clouds, or as a SaaS solution.

• Custom Attributes: You can define and use custom attributes for deliverables, supporting unique business processes and requirements.

• Batch Updates and Real-Time Edits: The native client supports batch updating and real-time editing, making it easy to adapt processes without downtime.

Setup Fees

• Implementation and Training: Standard setup and training usually take 1–2 days. Basic setup may be included in the license fee, but advanced customization or integration work is often billed separately.

Maintenance and Support Charges

• Annual Maintenance Fees: These typically range from 15% to 25% of the original software license cost per year. Maintenance covers updates, bug fixes, and technical support.

• Support Levels: Standard support is usually included in the maintenance fee, but premium support (such as 24/7 coverage) may incur additional charges.

• Customization Fees: Customizing the software to fit specific workflows or integrating with other business systems can result in extra charges, depending on the complexity and scope of the work.

• Subscription or Licensing: The software is free for small teams (up to five users), but larger teams or enterprise deployments require a paid subscription. Pricing varies based on deployment size and requirements.

• Other Potential Costs: Additional expenses may arise from advanced integrations, premium support tiers, or scaling to a large number of users. These should be discussed with the vendor during the procurement process.

P4 Plan (Helix Plan) offers a well-structured training and support system to help new users quickly become proficient:

• Structured Training Sessions:
  • Fundamentals Training: Delivered in half-day sessions, these cover essential features, workflows, and best practices. Sessions can be tailored by user roles such as team members, project managers, and product owners.
  • Train-the-Trainer Program: A two-day intensive course for power users, equipping them to train others within the company and support wider adoption.
  • Custom Training: Additional sessions can be arranged to address specific workflows or advanced use cases.

  • Flexible Delivery: Training is available both online and in-person, often including hands-on labs and practical exercises.

• Ongoing Support:
  • Standard Support: Includes access to up-to-date documentation, product downloads, release notes, and a community portal for submitting and tracking support requests.
  • Consulting Services: For complex deployments or upgrades, organizations can arrange for direct assistance from a designated consultant.
  • Global Coverage: Support is available across major regions, with options for extended or critical care support for enterprise customers.

P4 Plan employs a range of security measures to ensure data protection:

• Access Controls and Permissions:
  • Role-Based Access: Permissions can be set so users only access what’s relevant to their roles.
  • Principle of Least Privilege: Default permissions are minimized, and superuser privileges are tightly managed and reviewed.

  • Customizable Protections: Administrators can tailor access controls to fit team structures and project needs.

• Network and Data Security:
  • SSL/TLS Encryption: All data transmitted between clients and servers is encrypted using industry-standard protocols, protecting against interception or tampering.
  • Firewall and VPN Support: Servers are typically deployed behind firewalls or within VPNs to restrict unauthorized access.

  • Non-Default Ports and OS Hardening: Security best practices include changing default ports and securing the operating system.

• Authentication and User Management:
  • Strong Password Policies: Enforced through configurable security settings.
  • Disabling Auto-Creation of Users: Prevents unauthorized account creation.

  • Mandatory Password Resets: New users must reset their passwords upon first login.

• Audit and Monitoring:
  • Comprehensive Logging: All key activities are logged, with support for log rotation and retention policies.
  • Audit Trails: Monitoring of failed login attempts, permission changes, and superuser group membership.

  • Visibility Controls: Server version information and user lists are hidden from unauthenticated users.

• Ongoing Security Practices:
  • Regular Reviews: Security settings and access controls are periodically reviewed and updated.
  • Proactive Engagement: Security best practices are updated regularly to address new threats.

• Regular Release Cycle:
  P4 Plan follows a regular update schedule, with new releases, patches, and enhancements provided multiple times per year. Customers are notified of updates and can access release notes for details.

• Update Management:
  • Release Notes and Documentation: Each update is accompanied by detailed notes and documentation to help administrators understand and implement changes.
  • Upgrade Support: Consulting services are available to assist with major upgrades, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption.

  • Community Portal: Users can access downloads, track updates, and submit support cases.

• Best Practices:
  • Testing and Staging: Organizations are encouraged to test updates in a staging environment before deploying to production.
  • Backup and Recovery: Administrators are trained on backup and recovery procedures to protect data during updates.

Data Ownership

• Full Customer Control: Organizations that use P4 Plan (Helix Plan) retain full ownership of their project data. The data generated and managed within the platform belongs to the customer, not the software provider.

• Access and Permissions: Administrators have the ability to define user roles and permissions, ensuring only authorized personnel can access, modify, or export data. This supports compliance with both internal policies and external regulations.

• Data Governance: The platform enables organizations to implement their own data governance policies, including rules for access control, data retention, and compliance.

Data Portability

• Flexible Export Options: P4 Plan offers robust export capabilities, allowing users to export all project data—including users, projects, item lists, and resource allocations—in several formats:
  • XML: For comprehensive data export or migration to other systems.
  • Microsoft Excel (.xlsx): For analysis, reporting, or migration.
  • Tab-Separated Text: For use in other applications or databases.

  • PDF: For sharing reports and timelines.

• Import Capabilities: Data can also be imported from Excel, XML, and Microsoft Project formats, making transitions between tools or restoring data straightforward.

• No Vendor Lock-In: These features ensure organizations can always retrieve and migrate their data as needed, supporting business continuity and compliance with data portability standards.

• Flexible Licensing: P4 Plan’s licensing allows organizations to increase or decrease the number of users or projects as their needs change. This flexibility is managed through subscription or enterprise agreements.

• User-Based Pricing: Small teams (up to five users) may use P4 Plan at no cost. Larger teams or enterprise deployments require a paid subscription, with pricing adjusted according to the number of users and selected features.

• Adjustable Capacity: Organizations can add or remove user licenses, expand to new projects, or reduce usage as needed. Changes can be made through the licensing portal or by contacting the provider’s sales or support team.

• No Data Loss When Scaling Down: Reducing the number of users or projects does not result in data loss. All data remains accessible to authorized users within the limits of the current license.

• Seamless Growth Support: As organizations grow, additional licenses and features can be added easily, ensuring the platform continues to meet evolving requirements.

Renewal Terms

• Automatic Renewal: Contracts for P4 Plan typically include automatic renewal, meaning your subscription will continue into the next term (often annually) unless you provide notice to terminate.

• Notice Period: To avoid automatic renewal, customers must usually give written notice of non-renewal within a specific timeframe—commonly 30 to 90 days before the renewal date. Failing to do so may result in another full contract term.

• Negotiation Window: Renewal is an opportunity to review and renegotiate pricing, user counts, and service levels. Any agreed changes are documented in a new or amended contract.

• Documentation: All renewals and changes should be formally documented and agreed upon by both parties.

Cancellation Terms

• Termination for Convenience: Most contracts allow customers to cancel with advance written notice, typically requiring 10 to 90 days’ notice, depending on the agreement.

• Early Termination Fees: If you cancel before the contract term ends, early termination fees or penalties may apply. These are usually specified in the contract and may include forfeiture of prepaid fees or a percentage of the remaining contract value.

• Data Transition: Upon cancellation, the contract should specify how your data will be handled—whether you can export it, how long it will be retained, and when it will be deleted. Data migration support is often available to help with the transition.

• Cancellation Procedure: The contract will outline the required steps for cancellation, such as how to submit notice and any approvals or forms needed.

• Data Access After Cancellation: Data typically remains accessible to authorized users until the end of the contract or as otherwise specified, ensuring no immediate data loss.

P4 Plan is designed to help organizations meet a variety of industry and regulatory compliance requirements:

• SOC 2: The platform aligns with SOC 2 controls, focusing on security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. This includes strict data retention, disposal, and audit readiness practices.

• GDPR: P4 Plan supports compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, providing controls for personal data access, retention, deletion, and lawful processing.

• ISO 27001: The platform’s information security management practices are mapped to ISO 27001 standards, which require systematic risk management, process monitoring, and documentation.

• ISO 27701: Where applicable, P4 Plan can support privacy information management requirements as an extension of ISO 27001.

• Additional Controls: Features such as role-based access, detailed audit trails, data encryption (both in transit and at rest), and regular security reviews support compliance and data protection.