Introduction

The Enterprise Agile Delivery Forecast is a Jira® add-on. The add-on is typically based on sprints and features and stories. You set claims in time for intended work. The Enterprise Agile Delivery Forecast add-on allows Project Managers to track their Ready steps and Scrum Masters to track their Commitment steps. Above all, it allows planners to monitor what functionality can be expected as well as what kind of resourcing strain exists, for all teams of a department.

Key features

  1. Plan your Jira issues in time, by claiming weeks or sprints and assigning the issues to teams.
  2. Easily find unplanned work or unclaimed teams.
  3. Project managers, analysts, delivery managers and Scrum Masters state their progress via a special workflow.
  4. Track the flow of each claim in the change history.
  5. Track the scope changes in the synchronisation history.
  6. Guarantee that users can only change claims according to their role, using the extended authorization model.

Video

Watch this introduction to the Enterprise Agile Delivery Forecast add-on.

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Better than Excel ®

Using this add-on is better than using Excel :

  1. multi-user :
    • You can change the planning while someone else is also making updates.
    • Your changes are saved as you click, so others can view the up-to-date planning simultaneously.
  2. audit trail : Every change, a user makes, is saved with date, time and username. You can use this audit trail to :
    • easily get up to speed on all the changes made by others, since you last viewed the planning.
    • investigate abnormalities : who marked an impediment? who removed it? when was this claim originally requested?
    • monitor velocity : you can see when a claim moves from one step to the next.
  3. in sync with Jira issues : The add-on is integrated with Jira, so your planning contains the up-to-date issue details; no need for export.
  4. scope change : You can see a list of the issues, which have been removed from your planning.
  5. authorization per step : You can set detailed permissions, e.g. who may request a claim, who may commit, who may view the planning.
  6. standardization : All the departments of your company use the same workflow/statuses. This allows for planners to easily be relocated to a different department. It also allows for project managers to better understand each other.
  7. sharing : A planner can easily get insight into any other department's planning, by viewing their planning via the same add-on.

Get the free Forecast add-on

Forecast is free! Get the Forecast add-on now.

Documentation

A (system) administrator installs the add-on.
After installation, a (system) administrator can configure the add-on.

These are the installation defaults

  • Everyone may view all Forecasts and create new Forecasts and set any type of claim.
  • Each newly created Forecast contains a Remark-field.
  • Each newly created Forecast contains a Teams-field and teams are managed per Forecast.
  • Each newly created Forecast supports 2 levels of issues, e.g. Epics and Features. One level is also possible.
  • Each Forecast shows these issue attributes : type, key, summary, status.
  • Each Forecast shows periods, starting from the upcoming period (past (and current) periods are no longer shown and related data is removed)

This can be configured

  • Show a 'Remark'-attribute for each Forecast, which you're going to create. (yes/no)
  • Show a 'team'-attribute for each Forecast, which you're going to create. (yes/no)
  • Manage teams per Forecast or for all Forecasts.
  • Which users and/or groups can view Forecasts
  • Which users and/or groups can create Forecasts
  • Which users and/or groups can request for a claim. For this, you could create a specific jira autorisation group "jira-Forecast-planners" or "jira-Forecast-projectmanagers"
  • Which users and/or groups can set a claim to In Ready.
  • Which users and/or groups can set a claim to Actual.
  • Which users and/or groups can set a claim to Committed.
Note that a user, with create or claim permissions, also has permission to remove a claim ("no claim") or set a claim to Impediment.
You can configure the teams for all Forecasts (if this option is selected) : add teams, edit teams (rename team name) and delete teams. It is advisable to configure the teams during off-hours, when user activity is low.

License

When your license has expired, you can only view your Forecasts, but no longer modify them. Also, you can no longer install updates. Naturally, you can still uninstall the add-on.

Only the following functions are still possible

  • View all Forecasts ( = all manage Forecasts screens)
  • Open a Forecast (no sync)
  • Change Forecast name
  • Change a remark
  • (view) User change history
  • Configure Forecast (you can only add a second level)
  • Delete a Forecast
  • All filters and show/hide functionality
  • Change permissions (useful for changing view permissions)
  • About

The following functions are no longer possible

  • Create Forecast
  • Create claim
  • Change claim
  • Change / add team assignment
  • Manage teams
  • Manage defaults (as an administrator)

System requirements

The Enterprise Agile Delivery Forecast add-on mainly supports desk- and lap-sized screens.
The Enterprise Agile Delivery Forecast add-on mainly supports the chrome browser.

Cache

This add-on uses cache for optimal performance.
The cache stores some data, to avoid some calls to the database.
When you restore the database, you must reset this cache to make sure the cache is brought in sync with the database.
Disable and enable the Forecast add-on to reset this add-on's cache.
Or you can restart your server.

Steps for creating a new Forecast

  1. Go to the 'Planning'-menu
  2. Choose the 'Create Forecast'-menu item
  3. Choose the period type, to be used, for your planning ( weeks / sprints )
  4. If you choose 'sprint'
    • Provide the number of the next/upcoming sprint, e.g. 3
    • Provide the date of the next/upcoming sprint, e.g. 14-05-2015 (you can use the calendar)
    • Provide the duration of your sprints, e.g. 2 (weeks)
  5. Choose a filter*, to load the first level issues, for your planning
  6. Choose the relation/link type, to load the second level issues, for your planning

You can cancel this last step if you want to plan only same level issues.
For that situation, you can choose a relation later, via Configure.

After you choose a relation, the intended issues are retrieved. Then, when an issue occurs in both the first and the second level, the issue is only shown in the second level. When an issue occurs multiple times in the second level, then the issue is shown multiple times in the second level. This will be under different first-level issues.

Note that the filter determines which issues are shown in the Forecast and in which order.

Note that only authorised members can create a new Forecast.

* you can only choose a filter, which you own/created yourself. Also, make sure that the filter is shared with the other users, who need to work with the Forecast. Here is more information about Jira filters.

Open a Forecast

When you open a Forecast, the filter is synchronised automatically :

  1. The issues are retrieved, using the filter, selected earlier, and the results are shown, instead of the current list of issues
  2. Content (claims, the remark, etc) for issues, which are no longer in the retrieved list, is removed and logged in the Synchronisation history.

Also, content (claims, the remark, etc) for periods, which are in the past, is removed.

The result is, that the Forecast starts from the upcoming period.

Synchronisation is performed, if a filter has been selected for the Forecast.

You can also synchronise your issues by refreshing the page.

To swiftly open a Forecast, a Forecast shows a maximum of 300 issues.

Plan

You can now start/continue planning. Depending on your permissions, you may

  • Create an actual claim for an issue in a certain period
  • Change an existing claim into a request
  • Change an existing claim into an actual claim
  • Change an existing claim into Ready
  • Change an existing claim into a committed claim
  • Change an existing claim into an impediment (after which you can enter a remark)
  • Assign a team to an issue

A claim typically moves through the following workflow :

Request for claim:
The project manager has the intention to work on this functionality in this sprint.
In Ready :
The ready team has made this functionality ready for a DONE team.
Actual claim :
The delivery manager has sufficient resources to work on this functionality in this sprint. A DONE team will be arranged.
Committed :
The DONE team / product owner commits to this claim. The intended work complies to the Definition of Ready, is pokered and is committed to be picked up in this sprint.
Impediment :
An impediment can occur at any step and could therefore be set by anyone. The Remark-field is typically used to explain the problem.

Additional functions

While the planner is working on the Forecast (planning), the planner can also

  • Change the name of the Forecast.
  • Enter/change remarks at any time.
  • Filter the Forecast by clicking on a week/sprint.
    • The first time you click, only issues are shown, which have claims in that week/sprint
    • The second time you click, only issues are shown, which don't have claims in that week/sprint
    • The third time you click, all issues are shown (the filter is removed).
  • View the start date of the week/sprint, by hovering over a week/sprint.
  • View/change the configuration of the Forecast.
    • You can reach this via the 'options'-button
    • You can see the name of the Forecast
    • You can see the owner/administrator(s)
    • You can see which filter is selected
    • You can change the query (if you're the owner)
    • More
  • View the User change history
    • You can reach this via the 'options'-button
    • You can see the following changes : remark, claim, Forecast-name, filter.
    • For each change, you can see username, date, time, issue ID (if applicable), period (if applicable), old value and new value
  • Delete the Forecast
    • You can reach this via the 'options'-button
    • When you choose this, the current Forecast is deleted immediately and you see the list of all Forecasts.
  • View the Team view
    • You can see the claims per team, per period. Teams are listed vertically ; periods are listed horizontally.

Forecast view

The Forecast view consists of

  • Forecast name
  • A button to go to the Forecast view
  • A button to go to the Team view
  • An Options-menu, with the following submenu items:
    • User change history
    • Configuration
    • Delete this forcast
  • A header, with
    • An option to view the synchronisation history
    • An option to expand the first level issues.
    • An option to collapse the first level issues.
    • An option to show/hide the type-field.
    • An option to show/hide the key-field.
    • An option to show/hide the status-field.
    • An option to show/hide the remark-field.
    • An option to scroll to the previous ten periods
    • An option to scroll to the previous period
    • An option to scroll to the next period
    • An option to scroll to the next ten periods
  • A list of issues, combined with a second level list of issues (optional), showing key, summary, status and a Forecast-specific Team-field and a Forecast-specific Remark-field.
  • A set of columns. these can be weeks, always starting from the current week, and then 53 weeks ahead, or these can be sprints, starting from the current sprint and then showing a year's worth of sprints (calculated using the length of your sprint)
  • A raster of claims
  • A total number of issues + Legend of claim workflow steps
  • A standard jira footer - minimal height version

Team view

The Team view consists of

  • A title, including Forecast name
  • A button to go to the Forecast view
  • A button to go to the Team view
  • An Options-menu, with the following submenu items:
    • User change history
    • Configuration
    • Delete this forcast
  • A button to return to the Forecast view
  • A list of teams, each containing:
    • A row of periods
    • Under each period : a list of the related claims
  • A standard jira footer - minimal height version

Claims are shown in the Team view by showing part of the summary of the related issue. Claims are shown in the Team view in the color of the claim's workflow step. When you hover over a claim, you see the related issue's key and full summary.

If the Forecast has a second level, then you only see the claims for the second level issues in the Team view. If the Forecast only has a first level, then you only see the claims for the first level issues in the Team view.

If a second level issue is not assigned to a team (in the Forecast), then the related first level issue's assigned team is used in the Team view. If the first level issue is (also) not assigned to a team (in the Forecast), then no claim is shown in the Team view, for that issue.

When you click on a claim in the Team view, you go to the JIRA View Issue screen of the related issue.

User change history

The User change history consists of

  • A title, including Forecast name
  • A button to go to the Forecast view
  • A button to go to the Team view
  • An Options-menu, with the following submenu items:
    • Configuration
    • Delete this forcast
  • A list of changes, performed by users, containing:
    • The name of the user, who performed the change
    • The date (and time) when the change was performed
    • The field, which was changed, inclusing related issue key and period (if applicable)
    • The value of the field, before the change
    • The value of the field, afer the change
  • A standard jira footer - minimal height version

Synchronisation history

The Synchronisation history consists of a list of issues, which were once in the Forecast, but are no longer in the Forecast, because they no longer apply to the underlying filter. An issue no longer applies to the filter when the issue has been removed or changed and/or the filter (query) has been changed.

Each issue consists of :

  • The key
  • The summary
  • The date and time, when the issue no longer appeared in the Forecast.
You can click on a key to navigate to the issue detail screen. This only works for issues, which still exist.

Forecast configuration

The Forecast configuration consists of :

  • General view
  • Second level view
  • Settings view

General view

Here, you can see the name of the Forecast & the owner/administrator(s). You can also see which filter is selected and you can change the query (if you're the owner).

Second level view

Here, you can see which relation/issue link is selected and used between the first level list and the second level list. If you haven't selected a relation yet, you can selected a relation here. Subsequently, a hierarchy will be created.

Settings view

Here, you can see if your Forecast is based on weeks or on sprints. If your Forecast is based on sprints, you can also see the duration of your sprints. You can also see here, if your Forecast supports the Remarks and the Teams-functionality. If the administrator has checked the Remark and Teams defaults, then each newly created Forecast supports the Remarks and the Teams-functionality.

Teams view

Here, you can manage your teams for this Forecast : add, rename team name or delete. This view is visible if the administrator has selected the option 'Manage teams per Forecast'.

Here are the latest results from our performance tests :

Endurance test

dataload : 300.000+ issues, evenly divided over 300 Jira projects.
users: 150 concurrent users.
duration : 2 hours.

Breakpoint test

Timeout errors occur at 400 concurrent users.

Don't hesitate to contact us for any questions or training requests you might have.

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