Hey Atlassian Community!
We're thrilled to announce the release of Agile Reports and Gadgets version 8.1 from Broken Build - the latest update packed with powerful forecasting capabilities, standalone project reports, and enhanced tracking features that take your Agile analytics to the next level.
β¨ Key Highlights:
Standalone project reports for Velocity, Cycle Time, and Burnup/Burndown charts
Advanced forecast scenarios: velocity percentile and Monte-Carlo simulation
Resource allocation modeling for more realistic forecasts
Enhanced Burndown tracking with remaining work visibility
Daily Burndown availability for all data sources
π Available in: Agile Reports and Gadgets
βοΈ Compatible with: Cloud and Data Center
Whether you're forecasting delivery dates, tracking sprint progress, or analyzing team performance, this release delivers the tools you need to make data-driven decisions with confidence. Let's dive into what's new!
This release brings substantial improvements across our chart portfolio, with a strong focus on forecasting accuracy and accessibility. Here's everything you need to know about the new capabilities.
Your charts, now directly accessible from project navigation
You can now access Velocity, Cycle Time, or Burnup/Burndown charts as standalone reports right from your project page. These reports appear in your project navigation tabs, giving you quick access without navigating to dashboards.
β Why it matters:
Eliminates constant switching between dashboards and projects
Creates a centralized "project workstation" for analytics
Speeds up report configuration and sharing across teams
Provides a consistent reporting structure across multiple projects
π‘ Pro tip: Configure your most-used chart settings once on the project page, save the configuration, and add it as a gadget to your dashboard - all without leaving the project context. Perfect for teams who need consistent reporting across multiple projects.
Better visibility and readability for long-term forecasts
We've resolved a critical usability issue where delivery dates far in the future weren't visible, making charts difficult to use for long-range planning. Now, all forecast data displays properly, and you can switch to compact mode for better readability in the completed work zone.
Additionally, scenario labels no longer overlap - simply hover over each label to read the details clearly. This makes comparing multiple forecast scenarios much more intuitive, especially when you're presenting to stakeholders.
β Why it matters:
Makes long-term planning actually usable for multi-quarter initiatives
Improves stakeholder presentation quality with cleaner visuals
Reduces confusion when analyzing multiple what-if scenarios simultaneously
π‘ Pro tip: When forecasting large initiatives or multi-quarter releases, use compact mode to maintain visibility of both historical and projected data on the same screen. This helps identify trends and anomalies that might affect your delivery timeline.
Forecast based on realistic velocity distributions, not just averages
This new forecast scenario type sorts your past velocities in ascending order and identifies the value below which a chosen percentage (e.g., 85%) of velocities fall. The chart then builds forecasts based on that percentile value.
β Why it matters:
Avoids forecasts skewed by unusually high or low velocity sprints
Delivers realistic commitments based on typical team performance
Particularly valuable for teams with variable velocity patterns
Reduces over-promising to stakeholders by using statistically sound methods
π‘ Pro tip: Use the 70th-85th percentile for confident delivery commitments to stakeholders. This approach accounts for typical velocity variation while avoiding overly pessimistic or optimistic projections based on extreme performance periods.
Probabilistic forecasting powered by 100,000 simulations
Monte Carlo simulation is renowned for reliability across various fields - and forecasting delivery dates is no exception. When you have a specific amount of remaining work, this scenario runs 100,000 simulations of future velocity based on your historical data. Choose a probability threshold (e.g., 85%) to see when the work is most likely to be completed.
β Why it matters:
Offers the most statistically reliable forecast method available
Helps stakeholders understand the range of possible outcomes
Supports risk-informed decision-making about scope and timelines
Industry-proven technique used across multiple domains for accuracy
π‘ Pro tip: Present Monte Carlo results to leadership when you need to set realistic expectations for uncertain initiatives. Show them multiple probability levels (50%, 70%, 85%) to help them understand the range of possible outcomes and make informed decisions about scope or timeline adjustments.
Model partial team allocation for more accurate forecasts
When forecasting Epics, Initiatives, or Releases - which often aren't exclusive to a single team due to competing priorities - you can now control how much of your team's velocity should be allocated to specific work. This allows forecasts to be far more realistic than assuming all resources are fully dedicated to one project.
β Why it matters:
Prevents unrealistic forecasts that assume 100% team dedication
Critical for cross-functional teams juggling multiple projects
Reflects reality in shared service or platform team environments
Helps set achievable expectations with leadership based on actual capacity
π‘ Pro tip: If your team dedicates approximately 60% of capacity to feature work and 40% to maintenance/support, set the allocation coefficient to 60% when forecasting feature initiatives. This prevents overly optimistic forecasts that don't account for competing demands on the team.
Critical visibility for scope-controlled initiatives
Previously, our Burndown chart lacked a remaining work line and reflected only completed work changes. That's now changed - you can track how remaining work evolves over time, which is critically important for finite scopes like Epics, Releases, or Initiatives.
β Why it matters:
Essential for managing finite-scope initiatives like Epics and Releases
Reveals when new work is added faster than existing work completes
Triggers timely scope review conversations before deadlines slip
Provides objective data for scope management discussions with stakeholders
π‘ Pro tip: Watch for the remaining work line trending upward - this indicates scope is being added faster than work is completing. Use this as an early warning system to trigger scope review conversations with product owners before the release is at risk.
Sprint-style daily tracking, now available everywhere
Sprint Burndown is one of the most popular chart types because it tracks work progress daily and quickly spots major deviations from the ideal slope. We've now introduced Daily Burndown for all data sources - track Projects, Kanban boards, Releases, Initiatives, and more on a daily scale with proper weekend handling and ideal lines.
β Why it matters:
Provides a consistent daily tracking methodology across all work types
No more workarounds trying to force Sprint Burndown patterns onto other contexts
Enables proactive daily course corrections for any time-boxed work
Standardizes reporting approach for mixed sprint/kanban environments
π‘ Pro tip: Use Daily Burndown for Release tracking to monitor day-to-day progress against release deadlines. The ideal line helps teams immediately see if they're ahead or behind schedule, enabling proactive course corrections rather than reactive firefighting.
Curious how these features work in real Jira environments? We've created interactive chart examples that let you explore configurations, experiment with settings, and see the charts in action before implementing them in your own projects.
π Dive into examples like these:
Release burndown chart β track progress with forecasting options and resource planning insights
Sprint burndown chart β monitor daily work trends with clear progress lines
Kanban burndown chart β visualize remaining work dynamics for your flow
π‘ Note: We're constantly adding new use cases and examples to the library - keep an eye out as it expands! Each example includes pre-configured settings you can replicate in your own environment.
The Agile Reports and Gadgets 8.1 release brings the forecasting precision, accessibility, and daily tracking capabilities teams have been requesting. From Monte Carlo simulations to resource allocation modeling, from standalone project reports to daily burndowns for any data source - this update saves time, delivers deeper insights, and helps you make confident commitments.
Ready to experience the difference?
π Try Agile Reports and Gadgets on the Atlassian Marketplace β start with a free trial and discover how these advanced analytics can transform your Agile reporting.
Add these powerful gadgets to your dashboards, configure standalone project reports, and start forecasting with confidence. Whether you're tracking sprints, releases, or long-term initiatives, you'll have the visibility and predictive capabilities to stay ahead.
Happy dashboarding, and here's to smarter Agile analytics! π
π Explore interactive chart examples β Visit our Examples library
π¬ Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear how you're using these features! Share your thoughts below or contact our support team with your insights, suggestions, or questions.
Vasyl Krokha _Broken Build_
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