Jira Align - Where is it now?

[sherri_nc]

I realize that Jira Align is a rather new add to the Atlassian suite of tools and as such details re implementation and availability are probably still subject to change.  I have been reading a ton of older posts and am just not sure where things are at with Align at the moment.  There are some specifics outlined in the following older post:

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Align-questions/How-do-we-integrate-Jira-Align-and-Jira-Software-Any/qaq-p/1243894

Do the answers given in that post still apply or have things changed significantly?

I am also curious if Jira Align integrates with Slack and Confluence as well.

I am doing a comparison between Aha and Align at the moment and need to select the best option.

Thanks very much

-Sherri

[Paula Hidalgo]

If you are looking for a Portfolio management tool, then Jira Align is a better candidate than Aha.  Aha provides roadmaps but does not connect the roadmaps down to the execution of deliverables in Jira.

The benefit of Jira Align in combination with Jira is the tight connection between top level in Jira Align (Mission-Visions-Values-Long term goals-Themes-Initiatives) and delivery of value in Jira.  You may want to look at this article on Lean portfolio management  to understand the benefits of Jira Align  -> https://www.atlassian.com/agile/agile-at-scale/lean-portfolio-management

Another good reference page is Compare Advanced Roadmaps and Jira Align -> https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/agile-at-scale/portfolio-and-align.  Depending on the size and the complexity, Advanced Roadmaps may provide the solution you need.

[sherri_nc]

Hi Rodrigo and Paula,

Thank you both for your answers.  We are not only looking for a Portfolio Management tool but a Product Management tool and Align seems to be way more development focused than product focused.  Perhaps that is just my perception.  

We looked at Jira Roadmaps and it does not have the feature set that we need.  We are in the position (which I suspect many companies are) of being in that mid level size.  We don't need training wheels but we don't want the blueprints to build the bike either, metaphorically speaking.

It appears that the effort involved to set up Align is non-trivial.  Our folks aren't agile experts but rather agile beginners.  Do our processes have to be at a certain maturity level for Align to be successful?  Align looks like it does some really cool things but I fear we may be getting in over our heads.  I saw the Jet tool and we will run that but I believe that we will not get positive results.  

Can you comment on teams best suited for Align?  Is there a way to configure Align in a sort of "Align Lite" configuration for smaller, less segmented teams?

Thanks

[Rodrigo Cortez]

Hi @sherri_nc ,

With Product Management in mind, you might find this article useful:

• Jira Align for Product Managers 

An excerpt to give you a glimpse:

• (...) Jira Align was engineered to connect enterprise strategy with team work execution. While there are many roles at play in agile at scale, the Product Manager is uniquely positioned at this intersection of strategy and work. They are responsible for balancing priorities, weighing capacity, and of course, addressing the demands of all key stakeholders (including customers). If that sounds overwhelming, that’s because it is.

I would emphasize for you to reach out to Jira Align Enterprise Advocates, they're definitely well equipped to clear out those doubts and are very quicky 

Just Get in Touch -- they'll help you right away.

[Rodrigo Cortez]

I'd suggest viewing Jira Align Product Demos playlist on YouTube.  It covers several portions of the product and can be useful to give you an overview of the product's current abilities.

Anyways, you can also reach out to Atlassian and request a demo.