How to mix Kanban and GANTT

[Curt Pearlman]

Hello community, interested in your feedback. So we have Kanban teams, each focuses on a key area of functionality, each with its own backlog of tickets drawn from various epics. Now, some of those epics are part of larger programs that have required delivery dates. So the overall question in my mind is how to blend Kanban methodology against tickets that sit on a GANTT chart? 

My thought is this. A ticket could contain two pairs of dates within it. It could have a required start/end date pair specified by a project manager, that supports finish-to-start type dependencies, and appears in a GANTT chart. The second date-pair could be a Kanban start/end date which is read-only and calculated by Jira, based on the ticket's position in the backlog and the velocity of the Kanban board. 

The Kanban product manager's job is to monitor those date pairs, and adjust the position of the ticket in the backlog, until the calculated (aka predicted) Kanban dates align with the required GANTT dates. 

In this way, we preserve the benefits of Kanban but get the predictability required of work that has time-sensitive dependencies in a larger epic/program. 

Am I over-thinking this? Are there better ways? Can Jira support the calculation mentioned?

[Scott Theus]

Hi @Curt Pearlman,

An interesting challenge...I'm constantly trying to figure out new ways to integrate Waterfall tools like a Gantt with Agile tools like a Kanban. In the process you described how are you managing the content of the Gantt? It sounds like you may be doing it manually with something like an Office Timeline app outside of Jira. (Of course I may just be projecting...I've been evaluating that as an option for a high level Gannt in program reviews.)

I don't know if Jira can handle the calculations, but my guess is that it cold not be done without an add-on or some sort of code behind a custom field. 

I'm a fan of the Big Picture and Big Gantt add-ons for Jira; the Gantt chart there can be used to show/create internal and interdependent dependencies between projects and adjusts based on changing timelines within the project. It might not get you all the way there, but I've found it very helpful with managing projects within a program.

-Scott

[Curt Pearlman]

Thanks Scott, actually I failed to mention that we recently licensed Big Picture and am very happy with it so far. And it was precisely our use of the GANTT chart in Big Picture that surfaced the challenge of managing GANTT-controlled tickets with Kanban teams. :-)

[Raul Pelaez _TecnoFor - Marketplace Partner_]

Hello!

Now exist a free plugin and open source called Kanban Gantt for Jira (jGantt)

Here a video review by Ravi Sagar https://mraddon.blog/2019/12/20/review-of-kanban-gantt-for-jira-by-ravi-sagar/

Here the plugin in the marketplace: https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1221236/kanban-gantt-for-jira-jgantt?hosting=server&tab=overview

Regards

[Chris Miller]

I have installed Kanban Gantt for Jira (JGantt).  I followed the online instructions and when I click the JGantt plugin, nothing happens.  It does nto move off my Kanban Board or anything.  What could be the issue?  I did ensure the appropriate fields were on the card layout.

[Raul Pelaez _TecnoFor - Marketplace Partner_]

Thanks Christine, we are in contact in the support portal. Usually is a problem of the date format and the user language (not all are accepted), and of course, can be a bug. We continue in the support ticket :)

Best regards

[Chris Miller]

Thank you.  I will keep an eye on the discussion.

[Chris Miller]

Raul, I am using the system dates, Due Date and Created date, I am not using custom fields.

[Raul Pelaez _TecnoFor - Marketplace Partner_]

Hello!

Please let me know:

• Language of your profile in Jira (not all are compatible)
• Date-time format (not all are compatible)

Please take a look to the new documentation (updated last week)
https://mraddon.blog/2019/12/26/kanban-gantt-for-jira-documentation-with-adaptavist-scriptrunner/

Regards and sorry for the inconveniences

[Danielle Brancazio]

@Raul Pelaez _TecnoFor - Marketplace Partner_ Any plans to make Kanban Gantt for Jira available for Jira cloud? 

[Raul Pelaez _TecnoFor - Marketplace Partner_]

Hello @Danielle Brancazio yes, it's in our development roadmap. Probably this year will be the year! We will notice the news and new features here: https://mraddon.blog/

Thanks

[Danielle Brancazio]

@Curt Pearlman I'm struggling with the same problem. I also have BigPicture installed and would love to hear more about how you solved this using BigPicture.