Jira cycle time: histogram, trend, time in status charts - all in one Cycle Time Chart Gadget

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Cycle time charts in Jira are vital for visualizing data and highlighting hidden productivity issues across Agile teams.

Or, as one of the Broken Build's clients brilliantly put it: “If you work in a factory, work in progress is obvious: you see workers and queues of cars in a factory. You see things piling up and not getting through. But because intellectual work in software development is hidden in systems, you have to make it visible. If you can’t see it, you tolerate it, you ignore it.”

For this, Jira developed its own charts, but they never gave a complete and detailed overview of the cycle time.

“You can’t zoom in or out, you can’t drill down, you can’t really filter by only certain statuses. So, the widgets in Jira are static. They’re not helpful.“ - another client’s words.

These conversations gave us a much-needed push to create a new app—the best, most helpful app for tracking and analyzing cycle time for Agile teams.

And we created a Cycle Time Charts Gadget.

Now, to give you a quick demo and to prove it's a comprehensive tool for cycle time and lead time analysis, we offer you a Cycle Time Charts Checklist: a list of features an ideal cycle time charts app has to include. 

Let's start, shall we?

Cycle time histogram chart

The cycle time histogram chart provides a comprehensive view of your cycle time distribution. It shows how long tasks typically take, helping you identify common timeframes and outliers. Use this to set realistic expectations for task completion and spot areas for improvement.

Time in status chart

This chart breaks down the time spent in each status of your workflow. It's invaluable for pinpointing specific bottlenecks, whether it's in the development, review, or testing stages. Use this insight to streamline your process and reduce unnecessary delays.

Cycle time trend chart

Cycle time trend chart shows how your cycle times change over time. It's perfect for tracking long-term improvements or identifying periods of declining performance. Use it to measure the impact of process changes or to spot recurring patterns in your workflow.

Time in status ratio, absolute, and average per issue charts

Switch the view inside your time in status charts. Monitor how the proportion between selected statuses changes over time with the time in status ratio view. Track how much time specific types of issues spend it particular status with the average time in status chart.

Multiple boards, initiatives, epics, or custom JQL as a data source 

Integrate data from various boards, filter issues with your custom JQL, or use it with Epics, Initiative, or any hierarchy of issues to get a comprehensive view of your projects. This feature ensures you're always working with the whole picture.

Cycle time breakdown 

This powerful feature allows you to slice and dice your data the way you want. Want to compare cycle times across different teams? Or see how different issue types affect duration? With 2-level breakdowns, this feature's got you covered.

Granular work schedule to exclude non-working days

This feature allows you to define your team's work schedule with precision. Set working days, hours, and even account for holidays or team-specific time off. This ensures your cycle time calculations are based on actual working time, providing a more accurate reflection of your team's efficiency.

Break down cycle time to issue list

This feature allows you to see issues behind each specific segment. Use it to drill down into the details of your workflow.

Highlights, Threshold, Targets

These features allow you to quickly assess performance against set benchmarks. Visual cues make it easy to see when cycle times exceed thresholds or meet targets, facilitating faster decision-making.

Estimation filter 

Use this to compare estimation units (like story points) with actual cycle time. It's crucial for refining your planning process and improving estimation accuracy over time.

Filter cycle time by any issue type

Whether you want to focus on bugs, stories, or custom issue types, this feature allows you to tailor your analysis to specific areas of interest.

Cycle time timer

This feature enables precise time tracking, helping you understand exactly where time is being spent in your workflow.

….

And this wraps up the cycle time checklist.

As a bonus, you get:

• Convenient gadget on your Jira dashboard for easy reach.

• Interactive edit mode that adjusts charts as you change the settings.

• Opportunity to get to the finest bits of your workflow by switching between three charts.

Here are some practical use cases to show you

How the Cycle Time Gadget for Jira works

Managing Cycle/Lead Time SLA

Imagine your team needs to hit those Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to maintain client satisfaction. With the Cycle Time Histogram, you can easily see how long tasks are taking. Set target lines to quickly spot any delays and dive deeper using breakdowns by an assignee or issue type to figure out what's holding things up.

Measuring Any Stage Time

For example, your team notices a slowdown in the testing phase. The Time in Status Report is your go-to tool. It breaks down how long tasks stay in each status. As a result, you see that “Ready for Test” stage is where all your issues spend most of the time - this is the bottleneck to be fixed.

Assessing Waiting/Queue Time

Tasks stuck in the backlog? Use the Time in Status Report to check how long tasks are waiting. Filter by priority to see if those high-priority items are getting stuck. This helps you tweak your process and keep things moving smoothly.

Comparing Cycle/Time in Status with Time Spent

Want to make sure your estimates match reality? The Issue List lets you compare cycle times with actual time spent. Filter by issue type to see where your estimates might be off, and use this info to improve future planning.

Comparing Cycle/Time in Status with Story Points

During retrospectives, use the Estimation Filter to match cycle times with story points. Spot any discrepancies and adjust your story point allocations to make your sprint planning more accurate.

Lastly, here's the sneak peek into the Cycle Time Chart Gadget, showing how you can set it up in just 60 sec.

Now that you know how to leverage the Agile Cycle Time Chart Gadget, get ready to transform your project management approach.