Scheduling using duration and dependencies without start/due dates

[Chris Williams]

I'm trying to set up a tentative project management plan that flows from a milestone date early in the project.  For example, a date where funding is achieved.  There are tasks that occur before and after this milestone.

I don't have dedicated start/end dates for tasks, but would like to put in an estimate/duration for tasks and see what the roadmap/timeline/plan looks like.  Is there a recommendation for visualizing something like this?

[Chris Williams]

Thank you for the suggestions thus far.  However, I'm looking at inherit solutions within the Jira environment that would allow me to structure planning this way.  I've realized that advanced roadmaps are only available in a software project (not business project), and am experimenting with this.  Are there any suggestions within the Jira Cloud Premium solution that would provide this type of functionality?  I am deciding on adopting Jira or Basecamp for my project management organization and am trialing both to determine which better suits my organization's needs.

Is there a way in Advanced Roadmaps or Jira (natively) to set the tasks to schedule based on Estimates (d) or duration?  As of right now I'm only seeing the capabilities to schedule based on Start Date and Due Date.

[Jeff Hughes]

Half of all community posts are always sales pitches

[Alex Koxaras -Relational-]

Hi @Chris Williams and welcome to the community.

Maybe an app like this will help you https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1217809/structure-gantt-planning-at-scale?hosting=cloud&tab=overview

It has the ability to add dependencies and milestones. I think that it might suit your needs. Try the evaluation period first.

Let me know if that helps.
alex

[Dave Rosenlund _Trundl_]

Thanks for the additional info., @Chris Williams. I think what all of us (above) are trying to say is, "yes - there is a way."  We are also saying you might be better off using a 3rd-party app to do what you describe ( cuz we've seen this sort of thing before and think it might be easier that way ;) ).

However, if you want to try to do this with Jira alone you can try a few things:

1. Atlassian recently released Jira Work Management (JWM) and it is specifically designed for business teams (vs. technical teams). You may want to have a look. You can use JWM and Jira Software together.
2. If you want to stick with Jira Software, "Jira admins can create projects from any template, including both company-managed or team-managed projects. Any user can create their own team-managed project." In other words, you can create your own templates. Read more here.
3. And Jira Automation can edit a field based on a condition. You'll have to somehow make your milestones a condition.

Meanwhile, the addons listed above and Advanced Roadmaps can help you visualize these things on a Gantt chart of milestones, tasks/issues, and dependencies. 

Hope this helps.

-dave 

[Anna-BigPicture]

Hi @Chris Williams

Scheduling a project based on a task period is a challenge, but some plugins as BigPicture/BigGantt can significantly facilitate this activity by auto-scheduling features to generate the project schedule for you. This way, you can save time and keep hundreds of tasks under control and within deadlines. 

BigPicture gives you the possibility to map Start & End date to task duration (e.g., Original Estimate) and create a plan based on those data, task dependency links, or task period modes. 

I encourage you to get familiar with our White Paper on Backward Planning in BigPicture.

Moreover, I would like to present you with a safe way to plan your project in the “Scenario” mode. The mode lets you explore and compare various plans, schedule alternatives based on changing conditions, and find the best solution. Here you can find a short video tutorial. 

In case of further questions, just tag me. 

[Dave Rosenlund _Trundl_]

@Alex Koxaras -Relational-  is right, @Chris Williams.  Structure.Gantt can definitely help you. (Note that Structure.Gantt is an extension to Structure for Jira, so you'd have to start there.)

Your other alternatives are Advanced Roadmaps (from Atlassian - only available on Jira Cloud Premium), or one of the many Gantt options you can find on the Atlassian Marketplace. 

Full disclosure: I work for the company that makes the Structure product family.

Let us know if you have any further questions,

-dave [ALM Works]