Is there a way to use existing issues as the backbone for story mapping in Easy Agile?

[Vasily Prokhorov]

Hello,

We are evaluating Easy Agile for story mapping.

We are currently using Jira Portfolio to maintain a hierarchy and have parent and child issues in two separate projects.

We have disabled the Epic issue type as we use the parent link to show the relationship.

Is there a way to use the issues from the parent project as the backbone for the story map?

[Nick Muldoon · Accepted solution]

Hi @VA,

Reto is spot on - Easy Agile User Story Maps relies on the Epic and Epic Link today.

We do have a feature suggestion / story on the backlog to support a 'Portfolio Story Map' yet I believe the customers requesting that had Initiatives in mind for the backbone and Epics for the issues below each Initiative.

It sounds like your approach is slightly different though. Are you able to share the issue type names and a bit more context around how your group works today and what you desire?

Thanks Vasily.

Regards,
Nick Muldoon
Product Manager, Easy Agile

[Vasily Prokhorov]

Hi @Nick Muldoon,

Thank you for your reply.

We've configured Portfolio for Jira to have the following levels:

1) Strategic Theme (Enterprise Level)

2) Portfolio Epic (Portfolio Level)

3) Capability (Value Stream Level)

4) Feature (Program Level)

5) Story/Defect/Task/etc. (Team Level)

We use parent link to connect each level. We had to disable the Epic / and Epic links as using both parent links and Epic links for a team level issue is not allowed by Portfolio for Jira.

Each hierarchy level corresponds to a separate project. Thus if multiple teams work on the same feature, we have a separate project for the feature and multiple team projects underneath it.

In summary, say I'm trying to create a story map in my team project. I'd like to be able to do either of the following scenarios:

1) Select "Feature" as the issue type for my backbone and specify the source project that can be used to pull existing features from.

2) Specify the source project for my backbone

Thanks again for taking the time to look at this Nick :)

[Vasily Prokhorov]

Hey Nick,

We did some more testing with the plugin.

I'm wondering if it's possible for the plugin to use the Parent Link to connect issues the backbone to the stories and the Summary field for the backbone's name?

[Nick Muldoon]

Thanks Vasily, great context and it expands my current understanding about the 'Portfolio Story Map' to include the use case where it is the same Epic / Feature (Program Level) to Story (Team Level) linking, just using a different Jira link type.

As you're following a SAFe style structure I wonder whether our newest app Easy Agile Programs would be of use.

As for Parent Link - I don't have a timeframe as yet so I have made a note on the story on our backlog to follow up with you via email when we explore a Portfolio hierarchy.

Thank you Vasily, have a great day.

Regards,
Nick

[Reto Gehring _Valiantys_]

Hi Vasily,

EasyAgile Story Map wont work without Epics. What is the reason for disabling Epics/Epic Links? Portfolio fully supports the epic links and the parent link should be rather used for levels above epics, at least that's my opinion.

Reto