Phase 1
Planning & Design sets the technical foundation
Phase 1 captures the architecture, identity assumptions, forwarding approach, application model, and baseline policy decisions that drive the rest of the deployment.
Design discipline
Phase 1 makes the later configuration predictable
This phase is collaborative and sometimes quiet from the outside. Aiden keeps design decisions, clarification questions, and unresolved assumptions from getting lost.
Architecture and identity
Document licensed products, tenant assumptions, identity provider details, user groups, administrator access, and authentication paths.
Forwarding and access
Define Client Connector behavior, trusted network handling, branch or cloud considerations, app access paths, and connector placement assumptions.
Policy baseline
Draft initial policy structure from Zscaler recommended practices, customer requirements, exception expectations, and future tuning needs.
Canonical milestones
Milestone anchors the customer, partner, and ZTSM can reference consistently
These labels are used as section anchors so customer communications, Aiden reporting, and internal delivery notes stay aligned.
Phase 1
Policy baseline drafted
SecureDynamics drafts the initial policy baseline from the agreed design, licensed products, identity model, forwarding approach, and Zscaler recommended practices.
Meet Aiden
Aiden (Ai-den) keeps every phase moving.
Aiden is our always-on virtual project manager across the deployment methodology. In Phase 1: Planning & Design, Aiden stays part of the workflow and communication layer, tracking Gantt charts, individual and team action items, customer updates, blockers, and value milestones.
- Gantt charts
- Customer updates
- Team actions
- Value milestones
Customer knowledge layer
Customers can learn while the deployment is moving
SecureDynamics gives customers guided access to Zscaler Deployment Advisor GPT, Learn Zscaler GPT, Design Workshop GPT, the Knowledge Base, and, when appropriate, a project access key for deeper custom RAG/MCP-backed deployment insight.
Zscaler Deployment Advisor GPT
Deployment sequencing, readiness validation, configuration questions, and next-step guidance.
Design Workshop GPT
Discovery, requirements capture, architecture workshop notes, and design decision support.
Learn Zscaler GPT
Always-available onboarding knowledge for customer admins, partners, and delivery stakeholders.
SecureDynamics Knowledge Base
Reference material for Zscaler products, SKUs, deployment concepts, and adoption guidance.
Templated customer emails
Phase communications are linked directly from the delivery motion
Each thumbnail opens the live templated email view so partners, ZTSMs, and customers can see the customer-facing message for the relevant phase.
Related pages
Move through the deployment motion without losing context
Next step
Design is where deployment risk becomes visible
A clear Phase 1 baseline gives the customer a shared blueprint and gives Aiden the assumptions needed for downstream reporting.