Help with assessment of Jira Portfolio

Lisa Zentz October 2, 2015

Still waiting for answers from Atlassian...can anyone leapfrog?  My note, below, after they responded they don't have traditional sales teams:

 

I reviewed the Portfolio demo videos and have a few questions, in addition to understanding whether I can connect with a Project Director/PMO representative at a current client using Portfolio to better understand the capabilities as a governance tool (explicit vs. implicit capabilities). Would you be able to provide that, or would I just post the request in a forum?

Initial questions, after viewing the demo would appear that data integrity is a critical component for the success of the product feature/functionality, specifically – can we manage projects and the portfolio without MSFT Project? To that point:

1. Is there a limit to the number of teams a team member can be assigned to?

2. Is there a limit to the number of sprints a team can run concurrently and how is that rolled up? Must all sprints be defined and team member time / capacity split among each? Objective: one JIRA project, one organizational team, multiple sprint teams within the organization team

3. What role configurations are included in Portfolio? In other words, who can enter team members and time for capacity planning (can that be restricted, if so, how)?

4. For individual capacity planning, does the tool compare the time available for the team member to the sigma hours estimate and remaining in factoring capacity per individual? Objective: resource optimization

5. For team capacity planning, does the tool roll up 3, to the team(s) level? Objective: resource optimization

6. What type of historical trending reports are available (look back) as well as forecasting reporting at the epic, team, teammate, project level? What data is required to ensure accurate reporting?

7. How are tasks associated with fixed milestones and does the tool notify (or can be configured out of the box) for milestones that appear at risk?

8. Does the tool enable variable work days (e.g. default, I assume, is 8 hours – would like to adjust to 6 hrs – is that possible, if so how?)

9. What is the process for a single team, under one JIRA project, to execute against a scrum and Kanban process simultaneously? In the demo, they were separate options – would like the ability to combine within a sprint.

a. Additionally, if it’s allowed, how are Kanban hour estimates considered in individual team capacity and committed tasks (against sprint, project, epic, portfolio)?

b. What are the “traditional” methods supported, referenced in the demo and where can I find more information on support via Portfolio?

10. How are dependencies across tasks, or predecessors / successors monitored (with JIRA out of the box links)? Is there any alerting (out of the box) or enforcement of those (like MSFT project)?

11. What type of financial reporting is available within Portfolio (e.g. resource costs)? In general, what enhanced reporting does the tool provide to enable impact analysis and decisions at the portfolio level?

12. Does the tool support any DRE, actual to planned reporting (sprint execution, for example – churn is a big issue, as well as completion of committed tasks or fixed date)?

13. Does this tool provide sync capabilities to any non-Atlassian code review/QA systems and, if so, is that integrated (OOTB) into reporting?

Assuming this is designed, in part to support capabilities companies are using in MSFT Project, so do you have a compare contrast data sheet between the two products?

Before I install and embark on a trial, I need to understand the data set up that JIRA must have to support portfolio (e.g. use of epics, projects, jira issue types, issue type schemas, workflows et al. As typical, standards are typically light in JIRA, so what is the minimum viable requirement to ensure Portfolio will function optimally?

 

 

2 answers

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Lisa Zentz October 7, 2015

Thanks so much for your input!  I'm having trouble finding anyone at Atlassian to answer questions and your help is much appreciated.  Is your team still using MSFT Project then, for actual monitor and control (e.g. cost, capacity, dependency, milestone management) and, if so, are you using anything to sync with JIRA?  If not using MSFT Project, are you using another tool for that side of execution management?  thanks!

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Fabrizio Galletti
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October 4, 2015

Hi, considering that portfolio is actually "on development" hi hope something will change.

Right now i try to help you as much as i can.

 

For my point of view msft project and portfolio are completely different, and portfolio is miles away for features, but easier to use connected to JIRA and to make what-if simulation

 

1) Nope, you can assing ea virtual user or a JIRA user to different team

2) They main lack here is that sprint aren't connected to jria srpint. at team level you can define "indipendent sprint"

3) At portfolio level you have 2 permission: edit and view.

When people sync back the information abviusly you need the correctpermission level on JIRA too.

4) Capacity is made with the actual assignation that you made and team capacity. For example if u sey that i've 20 hours a week in one team, it could consider  it if there is something assigned to me as a member or as a team

 

5) depends, only something. main problem for example is that you can't assigne an item to 2 teams, (the one free) but only one or noone

6) hisotry isn't saved. you can save the plan for later and load in another new one.

You can "update the date" to let the plan be uptodate with what you have actually done on JIRA.

There is some strange behaviours as well :/

7) when the tool calculate the "what-if" sitaution every item that doesn't match milestone will be red colored

8) Yes, You can manage:

  • working days
  • team capacity (weekely based)
  • nr of hours /day

9)  it's difficult probably. not an easy and fast answer laugh i will come back if i've time

10) No, you have to build yourself. It's about portfolio simulation or JIRA working ? 

11) anything. you have to export your data.

if you work on "what if analysis" u can only export them

If it's based on JIRA information you can use differetn plugin that can help you, but usually this means: 

  • costs
  • insert another time some informations

 12) there is some reporting, but in my opinion it needs to be improved

 

13) you have to build yourself (as far as i know) or sync back to JIRA than use what actally exists in these integration.

 

14 ? ) nope (i think)

 

15) ouch, that's another big question.

Portfolio is somehow integrated, it can work with every issuetype, but it give you more automatic features if you use with "initiative" "epic" " and story" issue type.

sync now work in a quiet good way, during import you can have some problem, for example he doesn't recognize team, epic initiative association (you have to put it by yourself) and something more, but workign with export , JIRA rest api etc you can build your own "module" that can help you fix these information. Not an integrated solution but can work

 

Hope someone can add more information here smile

Hope it helps. regards.

 

 

 

 

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