We are trying to use the Jira Advanced Roadmaps (Plan) to track multiple projects and to identify critical path items.
We can't see how to do this.
Hi @Tracy Moffat ,
When you create a plan you can bring in multiple projects into it as issue sources. You should make sure that you've configured the relationships that you want to use to define the critical path in the global dependencies configuration (from the top navigation bar use "Plans" -> "Settings" -> "Advanced Roadmaps Dependencies").
By default only the "blocks" / "is blocked by" relationship is considered a dependency but you can change this as required (multiple relationship types can be considered a dependency).
I would then recommend that you use the "Dependencies" filter from the plan and choose a specific issue that you know is on the critical path and make sure you check the box marked "Include dependency path" (see screenshot)
This will filter the plan to just show issues that are flowing through that issue. This should allow you to understand the critical path and make sure that all of the issues in it are scheduled appropriately.
If you are just interested in understanding the relationship between issues (and aren't so concerned about when they are scheduled) then you can use the "Dependencies Report" tab and also filter for an issue on the critical path. You can then use this to group or roll up to team to understand where inter-team dependencies might be that require the work to get done.
I hope this helps answer the question, please let me know if I've misunderstood the requirement or I need to provide any additional clarifications.
Regards,
Dave
Hi Dave,
So, there really is no way to automatically identify the full critical path using this tool. Users have to go one by one looking at each set of dependencies and manually sort it out and then use the tool.
I've also reviewed some auto-scheduling documentation and it appears that with the newer planning tool that resources and earliest start dates are no longer being considered in auto-scheduling: https://confluence.atlassian.com/advancedroadmapsserver/auto-scheduling-issues-967895245.html
What was the reason for excluding these key items?
Tracy
To answer the last question first... we removed some of the capabilities from the tool when we developed the new interface (originally as Portfolio 3.0 on Server) because we were finding that the complexity of the tool as causing confusing. Whilst the features were powerful and some customers were getting a lot of value from them this wasn't true for all customers. We had a goal to simplify the interface and ensure that attributes assigned to issues in a plan were also visible in the issue details screens throughout the rest of Jira. We also wanted to remove the reliance on the scheduling algorithm for building a roadmap (as this required a lot of information to be defined to get useful output). Making decisions like this is always tricky because it is always likely to be unpopular with some customers - however, the changes were very successful and resulted in us bringing those changes to the Cloud platform and we have seen rapid adoption of the new interface and dramatic reduction in usage of the Live Plans interface. So whilst we acknowledge that some customers still value the capabilities you mention we currently have no immediate plans to reintroduce them.
It would be interesting to understand how you would want the critical path to be automatically identified. I can't see a way of defining this without creating dependencies between issues to actually build the path... but visualising with the tool should be relatively straightforward using the dependency filtering methods I described (on both the Roadmap and Dependency Report tabs). I'd be really keen to learn how you'd like this to be improved and to understand what we would need to add to improve the situation.
Many thanks,
Need the tool to highlight all issues (in a different color - typically RED is standard) that are on the critical path - meaning those activities that push the timeline to the longest path - start to finish.
This tells someone who can read it that if any of those RED issues on the critical path go south the final completion date will be pushed out based on the dependencies set between them.
I can understand why you pulled it out as it's not something most people would care about in a task check off tool. But when you're looking at whole schedules at the enterprise level with hundreds of dependencies and issues it matters a whole lot. It also helps us program managers understand what needs attention as it slips - because the algorithm should be constantly checking for changes and other issues would wind up on the critical path as the time slips.
I also completely agree with @Melissa.Stockbridge. This is absolutely essential for a roadmap tool if used for projects which have always a defined end date which need to be ensured and tracked. As it is further required by ASPICE to know the critical path in a project, it prevents us from using advanced roadmap (and the fact, that it can´t show milestones in a very useful way).
I agree as well with the Critical Path issue. We have many projects using Jira Advanced Roadmaps and this is the main factor that is missing and pushing the teams to use another tool instead. If there is a way we can get this sooner than later that would be great and help get our projects using one tool instead of multiple.
There is no need to add much more on what was already commented above. Simply put, coming from MS Project, I'd like to see the critical path identified automatically as soon I check the option to view it, just like I do in MS Project.
Yes, I basically went back to MS Project or Primavera P6 to be able to do this easily and actually get WYSIWYG reports that are executive level facing. I'm afraid it makes no sense for me to feed data to two beasts.
Hi allExisting customer who as program manager would also like this feature and potentially won't upgrade to Premium as its lacking and will have to invest in a 3rd party PPM tool to accommodate our needs. Can we get an update on timing for this feature?
It is obvious from the responses from Dave that he does not understand what Critical path is. It alos an important legal and contractual document. It is alos obvious that many customers need it and I am surpised it is not to be addedd to thw tools or that some interface with other professional tools such as Oracel Primavera or Asta PowerProject
Posted in here some time ago - FYI i have found the solution - we will be disabling the Software Premium feature in favour of moving to BigPicture, more functionality and an improved financial footprint. Atlassian, you have shot yourselves in the foot with a pricing and features model that is incoherant and isn't proving value to your customers.
is this really an accepted answer not using the software ? isn t anyone at Atlassian monitoring this ?
Who decides that an answer is accepted? I submitted this issue and that response is not acceptable, and I've removed that. Maybe I accepted it out of frustration that a basic feature isn't available?
Any updates on this capability? I also see automatically identifying the critical path as a must-have feature
@Leif, I'm also new and I was hoping to see some updates as well. In my books, not having critical path or completion status bars on the Gantt chart relegates Jira to a low-level capability of project tracking and can't really call itself a project management tool. Maybe I have a lower-level version (it does include Plans), but it also looks like dependencies are set at the global (Plan) level and the only options are to set them as sequential OR concurrent for the entire Plan/Project. What the heck?!?! Someone please tell me I'm wrong!
Yes, it seems as though the product managers don't really know accepted project management best practices work when it comes to critical path method and just plain math they teach in project management 101 classes. There is no weighting either which means you could have 10 issues in a project and one is worth 50% of the work and the other 9 are worth 50%. If you complete the first one Jira shows 10% complete all day. That's great if you are just checking off a Task in MS Office. Not if you're trying to do any kind of real assessment of progress.
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