Azure DevOps Boards

• web-based project management solution
• Designed for teams to plan, track, and discuss work throughout the entire development lifecycle.
• Support various Agile methodologies, highly customizable and integrates natively with other Azure DevOps services.

Major Components (Hubs)#

Work Items#

A fundamental unit for tracking any activity within a project, such as a bug, task, feature, issue, or epic.

• Allow for measuring time, identifying delays or blockers, and assigning accountability to specific individuals.
• Organizations can tailor work item types, add custom fields, and structure items according to their unique workflow needs.

Work Item Process Based on Project Needs: Azure DevOps supports four main project process templates: Basic, Agile, Scrum, and CMMI. Each provides a distinct set of work items tailored to different methodologies and levels of complexity.

Explanation#

• Portfolio Level: Used for high-level tracking and grouping (e.g., Epics, Features).
• Requirement Level: Represents business requirements or backlog work (e.g., User Story, PBI, Requirement, Issue).
• Task Level: Work broken down into actionable steps (Task).
• Defects/Bugs: Items used to log quality or defect-related work.
• Other Work Items: CMMI adds items for risk, issue tracking, reviews, and testing features, reflecting its process maturity focus.

Process Summary#

Basic: Minimal and straightforward, ideal for teams with simple tracking needs. Contains only Epics, Issues, and Tasks.

Agile: Structured for Agile teams, using familiar terms like User Story and Bug, and supporting hierarchical tracking with Epics and Features.

Scrum: Aligned with Scrum methodology, using terms like Product Backlog Item (PBI) and supporting bugs as backlog items.

CMMI: Designed for enterprise or regulated environments, CMMI includes work items for comprehensive process governance, such as risks, reviews, and detailed requirement management.

Visualize Work - Kanban Boards#

• It provides a default visual Kanban board to help teams visualize and manage work items in a flexible way.
• The board consists of columns typically labeled To-do, Doing, and Done, representing the various states of work items.
• Users can drag and drop work items between these columns, instantly updating the status and progressing work visually.
• The Kanban board supports easy tracking of work-in-progress and encourages smooth workflow management.

Manage Sprints (Iterations) for Time-Bound Work#

• Iterations, also called sprints, are set periods (usually 2–4 weeks) during which teams focus on completing a defined set of tasks.
• Sprints can be planned, where work is assigned and managed within these fixed timeboxes.
• At sprint closure, teams assess progress; completed work is reviewed, and any unfinished items can be carried forward to the next sprint.
• This time-boxed approach facilitates predictability, iterative delivery, and continuous improvement.

Capture Detailed Work Item Information#

When creating a work item, teams input various important details to ensure clarity and completeness:

• Description to explain the work.
• Acceptance criteria that define conditions for completion.
• Current state indicating progress.
• Relevant tags to categorize items.
• Priority (e.g., P1 for highest) for urgency and importance.
• Start and target dates for schedule tracking.
• Assignment to a specific team member.

Additional comments can be added for ongoing communication and collaboration related to that work item.

Child Tasks for Granular Tracking#

• For large or complex work items such as Issues or Product Backlog Items, add child tasks to break down the work into smaller, manageable units.
• This breakdown provides:
  • Clarity on the specific activities needed.
  • Enables single-person accountability, ensuring clear ownership of discrete parts.
• The hierarchy supports comprehensive tracking from high-level goals through to detailed execution steps.

Customize Boards and Cards for Better Visibility#

Styling Rules: Visual styling can be applied to cards on the board, such as coloring cards based on activity type (e.g., green for development) or priority (e.g., red for P1 issues), to quickly highlight key information and priorities. Column Customization:

• Add new columns like “QA Approved” to fit your specific workflow.
• Set WIP (Work In Progress) limits per column to control bottlenecks and flow.
• Columns can also be split into sub-columns such as “Doing” and “Done” for more refined tracking of progress stages. Swimlanes: These horizontal lanes on the board help visually separate and track categories of work that require special attention or expedited handling, such as a dedicated swimlane for “Expedite” items.

Monitor Project Progress with Dashboards and Queries#

Dashboards: Build and customize multiple dashboards using a variety of widgets and charts tailored to team needs, such as:

• Sprint overview
• Capacity planning
• Trend analysis
• Dashboards provide a consolidated, real-time visual snapshot of the project status and team performance. Custom Queries: Define custom queries based on criteria like work item type, assignee, or state to:
• Filter and find specific work items quickly.
• Use these queries to create charts or feed data into dashboards for focused reporting and insight.

Customize Work Item Processes#

Create inherited processes from standard ones, like Scrum or Agile, enabling team-specific customization without affecting the base templates. Through these inherited processes, one can:

• Add custom fields (e.g., “Ticket ID”) to work item forms.
• Modify states and rules tailored to your organizational or project requirements. This flexibility ensures Azure Boards adapt smoothly to diverse workflows and governance needs.

Supported Methodologies#

• Scrum: Sprints, product backlogs, sprint boards, and charts for velocity, capacity, and burndown
• Kanban: Visualize and control work-in-progress using card boards, custom columns, and WIP limits
• Hybrid and Custom Agile: Create custom process flows integrating elements of Scrum, Kanban, or traditional project management

Usage Workflow#

1. Create a Project: Select process templates.
2. Set Up Boards: Each project can have one or several boards tailored by area, team, or product function
3. Add Work Items: Define epics, features, bugs, and tasks; assign them to users and link to code or deliverables
4. Plan Sprints: Organize work into sprints, estimate, and assign tasks using drag-and-drop tools on boards and backlogs
5. Monitor Progress: Use dashboards and analytics tools to review burndown, task completion, and identify bottlenecks
6. Collaborate and Update: Engaged discussions, notes, and real-time updates keep the team aligned on current priorities and blockers
7. Customize and Automate: Adapt board columns, states, and automation rules to streamline repetitive activities, like moving work items as they progress

Core Features#

• Agile Methodologies: Supports Scrum, Kanban, and other Agile practices with visual boards, sprints, and backlog tools
• Customization: Modify processes, work item forms, and board layouts without code
• Dashboards & Reporting: Configurable dashboards show team progress, burndown charts, and trends
• Collaboration: In-line discussion threads, @mentions, real-time updates, and history tracked per work item
• Integration: Seamless links with GitHub, Azure Repos, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Office Excel, and the Azure DevOps REST API
• Marketplace Extensions: Extend the Boards’ capabilities by installing plugins from the Visual Studio Marketplace
• Mobile Access: Stay informed and manage work items from a mobile browser
• Traceability: End-to-end work tracking from requirement to deployment, including branches, pull requests, builds, and releases

Best Practices#

• Define a Clear Structure: Establish columns, swim lanes, and tagging conventions tailored to team needs upon project setup
• Keep Boards Updated: Regularly groom backlogs and update work items; encourage team ownership of board status
• Foster Collaboration: Use @mentions, comments, and dashboard widgets to make sure everyone is informed
• Leverage Automation: Utilize built-in rules or extensions for repetitive workflows and status updates
• Iterate and Improve: Continuously revisit workflows, board structures, and reporting to optimize team productivity