An Onboarding Plan is an AI-generated, prioritized checklist of Artifacts to collect for an Initiative. Rather than leaving teams to guess which documents are needed for a thorough discovery pass, Catalio’s AI analyzes the Initiative’s context (strategic intent, process domains, application type) and generates a specific list of recommended materials with explanations of why each matters.
The Problem Onboarding Plans Solve
Discovery projects often stall because teams don’t know what to ask for. “Send me your documentation” leads to dumps of irrelevant materials and omission of critical ones. Onboarding Plans solve this by generating a structured, prioritized request list tailored to the specific type of modernization initiative being undertaken.
Plan Lifecycle
Each Initiative has exactly one Onboarding Plan. The Plan follows a three-status lifecycle:
generating → active → complete
generating — The AI is building the plan (this is the initial state when the plan is first created).
active — The plan is ready. Artifacts can be uploaded against the listed items.
complete — All items have been addressed (uploaded and processed).
Onboarding Items
An Onboarding Plan contains one or more Onboarding Items — specific artifact types with AI-generated explanations:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| artifact_type | Type of artifact: process documentation, architecture diagram, etc. |
| description | What specifically to provide (e.g., “Current AP workflow documentation”) |
| ai_explanation | Why this artifact matters for this Initiative |
| priority | Relative priority for collection (lower = higher priority) |
| status | Item processing lifecycle (see below) |
Item Lifecycle
Each Onboarding Item tracks its own status:
pending → uploaded → processing → complete
pending — The item has been defined but the artifact has not yet been uploaded.
uploaded — The artifact file has been uploaded and is queued for AI processing.
processing — The AI extraction pipeline is running on the artifact.
complete — Processing is finished. The artifact’s content has been extracted and may have generated Change Proposals.
What a Typical Onboarding Plan Contains
For a legacy ERP modernization Initiative, a generated plan might include:
| Priority | Artifact Type | AI Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | As-is process documentation | Defines current-state workflows — essential for identifying modernization targets |
| 2 | Data flow diagrams | Maps data dependencies between systems — identifies integration complexity |
| 3 | Current system user guides | Reveals actual functionality vs. intended functionality |
| 4 | Stakeholder interview notes | Captures institutional knowledge not in formal documentation |
| 5 | Regulatory compliance requirements | Identifies mandatory constraints for the new system |
| 6 | Defect/issue log | Surfaces known pain points and recurring problems |
Connecting Plans to Artifact Uploads
When an Artifact is uploaded for an Onboarding Item:
- The Item transitions from
pendingtouploaded - The AI pipeline picks up the artifact and transitions to
processing - When complete, the Item transitions to
complete - The Plan checks whether all Items are complete; if so, it transitions to
complete
Best Practices
Review the generated plan before sharing with stakeholders.
The AI generates the plan based on Initiative metadata. Review it for accuracy and remove items that are clearly irrelevant to your specific context before sending the collection request.
Prioritize items with high strategic impact.
Not all onboarding items are equally important. Focus initial collection energy on priority 1-3 items. Getting key documents processed early accelerates the entire discovery process.
Combine with Discovery Sessions.
For items where documents don’t exist (common with legacy systems where processes were never formally documented), a Discovery Session can substitute — capturing the same knowledge through structured conversation instead of uploaded documents.
Don’t wait for all items before starting review.
Start reviewing Change Proposals as soon as the first artifacts are processed. Waiting for a “complete” plan to begin review adds unnecessary delays.
Use the AI explanation to communicate with stakeholders.
The ai_explanation field on each item provides plain-language justification for why a specific document is needed. Copy these into your collection request email to reduce stakeholder friction.
Relationships at a Glance
| Related Concept | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Initiative | Each Initiative has one Onboarding Plan |
| Artifacts | Items in the Plan represent specific Artifacts to collect |
| Change Proposals | Processed artifacts generate proposals |
| Discovery Sessions | Sessions substitute for missing documentation |
Next Steps
- Upload Artifacts — Fulfill the items in your Onboarding Plan
- Run Discovery Sessions — Capture knowledge that has no written documentation
- Review Change Proposals — Act on AI-extracted content from processed artifacts
Pro Tip: Share the Onboarding Plan with your project sponsor as a “here is what we need from you” document at the kickoff meeting. Having a concrete, AI-justified list of required materials sets clear expectations and accelerates the collection process.
Support
- Documentation: Continue reading about Artifacts and Initiatives
- Email: support@catalio.ai
- Community: Share onboarding strategies with other Catalio users