Continuing product design

As you continue to define and design the product, you continue to make changes to the mind map, visualized product, and generated product.

In the mind map, you make changes, such as corrections or additions, and update the visualized product. If you change the name of a topic, this becomes an addition when you update the visualized product. If you delete a topic from the mind map, it is not deleted when you update the visualized product. You must delete them manually from the visualized product.

Alternatively, you can make changes directly in the visualized product in PolicyCenter. If you wish to keep the mind map updated, you can manually update the mind map to reflect these changes. You can also generate a mind map from a product in PolicyCenter.

Some product details must be entered directly in the visualized product. The details include parts of pricing, minimum and maximum values, usage properties, and default values. You can enter these details in the mind map. However, these are not brought in to the visualized product when you import the mind map.

In the generated product, you can enhance the product using the development tools provided by PolicyCenter, such as Guidewire Studio. You can create underwriting rules, rating, and forms management. You can integrate with other applications, and make other changes to meet your needs. You incorporate changes made to the visualized product by regenerating it and merging changes.

Continue this iterative process until you have captured the product requirements.

When possible, make changes in Advanced Product Designer

When working with an APD managed product, make changes in Advanced Product Designer on the Product Management screens if possible. For example, always add new structural elements, such as clauses, risk objects, or attributes, in Advanced Product Designer rather than adding them in Guidewire Studio or Product Designer. If the mind map is your source of truth, add these elements in the mind map, and update the product with the mind map.

If you add structural elements in Guidewire Studio or Product Designer, you cannot alter them in the visualized product in Advanced Product Designer.

For example, after generating the product, you find that you need an additional Building attribute. In Advanced Product Designer, add that attribute in the visualized product on the Product Management screens, and regenerate the product. You can make this change even if the product is already in production. Do not add the attribute in Product Designer. Unlike attributes defined in the visualized product, it will not be accessible to view or modify in the visualized product on the Product Management screens.

Documenting the product definition

You may wish to keep the mind map as your documentation of the product definition, and update the map with changes you make in the visualized product. Alternately, you can document the product definition elsewhere. Ultimately, the generated product is the implementation of the product definition.