Is it possible to disable automated order by rank in Easy Agile Programs?

[Deleted user]

We use Easy Agile Programs for our PI Planning with Features on a dedicated roadmap project and several team projects for User Stories. Due to the fact that we don't use ranking on the roadmap project but a calculated priority custom field, we have an order of Features which is not reflected in the rank value of Jira.

As Programs uses the rank for the order of Features, we get somehow a wrong priority list on the Increment Roadmap and Team Planning overview.

Is there any possibility to switch off the order by rank or change it to a custom field?

[Brad Woods · Accepted solution]

Hi Andreas,

I'm Brad, a developer at Easy Agile. At the moment we don't support switching off or changing order by rank. This is something that is on our backlog and I have added your vote to it. If / when it becomes available, someone from our team will reach out. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Deleted user]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, Brad! I am definitely looking forward to it, and to drop it here your last updates were really cool, so I am confident in your backlog prioritization. Keep up this great work!

~Andreas

[Alexander Marti]

Hi all, we are now running exactly into this issue. The structure plugin is used to order all items for an increment according to the ranking (SAFe refinement). Alas using easy agile changes the ranking so that the defined ranks in the structure get altered. It should be possible to disconnect the rank.

[Henri Seymour _Easy Agile_]

Hi Alexander, 

Thanks for lettings us know what challenges you're running into using Easy Agile Programs and Structure together.

While Easy Agile Programs currently always uses ORDER BY Rank for Jira Boards that use it, we're gathering insights on alternative ordering. 

I'd like to confirm if you're looking to: 

• re-order issues in Easy Agile Programs, without syncing that rank change back to Jira/Structure? OR 
• always use the rank from Jira/Structure, and enforce that in Easy Agile Programs by not letting users re-order issues in the app? 

We're love to help you work with a "single source of truth", and give you the control you need to make sure your plans are prioritised accurately. 

Henri, Support Engineer @ Easy Agile 

[Alexander Marti]

Hi Henri, thank you for your prompt reply. By using the structure plug-in as single source of truth for the ranking, I prefer the second option. To reflect the rank in Easy Agile and lock the re-ordering for the users in Easy Agile.

Reason: during the refinement meetings, the Features/Enablers on ART level are not ranked by team, but by their business impact/implementation effort.

Positive Effect: Drag/Drop Jira Issues from the Raodmap Backlog would immediately show the priority to the Product Owner.

Thanks, Alex

(p.s. using easy agile in FOITT )

[Henri Seymour _Easy Agile_]

Hi Alexander, 

Thanks for confirming how you rank/prioritise your features! I can see how using the existing rank, and not changing it in Easy Agile Programs, would enable smoother planning. 

I've passed this use case and the integration with Structure on to our product team. The insight from you and Andreas will help inform future iterations of ordering/ranking in the app! 

We'll reach back out here when we next have updates on the topic. 

Henri, Support Engineer @ Easy Agile 

[Alexander Marti]

Hi Henri

Thank you very much. In the meantime we will inform the colleagues to keep track of the priorities whenever they move a Jira Issue in Easy Agile.

Best regards, Alex