Configure TimeLine according to your management approach

Open the Configuration

In order to get the most of Project TimeLine, you should align it with your management approach.

Configuration can be accessed:

1. in the top right corner;

2. from the three dots next to the project's name;

Start with checking the Global Settings

Select if you want to exclude from the TimeLine the Done Epics, Archived Releases or Releases that already have been released.

Synchronize Epic's start and end from Jira Custom Fields

Does your team use Jira custom fields to plan start/end e.g. start date or due date?

If it does, choose to synchronize these fields to Project TimeLine. In this way, Epics are shown according to the dates set in Jira.

Set Estimation Unit

It is really important to configure the estimation unit that your team uses to measure progress. This is the basis for many KPIs you see on the TimeLine.

Supported units are Story Points, Original Time Estimate and Issue Count. 

Choose how to handle unestimated issues used to calculate Work Done %

How does your team treat unestimated issues in planning? Do they use any default estimates, e.g. a task will take at least 8h and they use defaults before an issue has a real estimate? 

If they use default estimates, new and unestimated issues will appear as “not completed work” (see below where to click for default estimates). Thus, any unestimated issue will automatically get a default estimate that will be calculated in the Work Done progress.

If you do want to use unestimated issues in the Work Done progress calculation, do not click on the box for default estimates (see below). Project TimeLine will show the count of unestimated issues to help you keep in mind that not all work items are estimated.

Here is how to handle unestimated issues configuration:

1. Click the 3 dots/Configure feature of any project. You will be automatically redirected to Estimation and will see all projects listed there.

For each project you have the following configuration options:

1. Check the box if your team logs work hours per issue. Thus, the logged time will be taken into consideration for the calculation of the Work Progress.

2. Select the unit your team uses to estimate: Story Points, Original Time Estimate, Issue Count. Please note that if you select “Issue Count”, you cannot change the default estimate or select issue types.

3. To use default estimates, select the checkbox under the “Use default estimates for Issue Types” column.

4. Enter the number of units your team uses to as default estimates. For example, if you use 4 story points as the default estimate, enter the number 4.

5. From the drop-down menu in the fifth column (“Use default estimates for Issue Type”) choose which Issue Types this default estimate will be applied to (Story, Task, Sub-task, Bug). For example, if you use 4 story points as a default estimate for all Issue Types, select all issue types from the drop-down. Please note that if you select Story Points or Original Time Estimate but you do not choose any Issue Type, your selection will not be saved.

6. To apply the same configuration to all listed projects, mouse over the area to the right of the project line, until the “Apply settings for all” button becomes visible. Click on the button to configure all projects at once.

Define working and non-working days for the team

Are there any non-working days you want to consider when planning?

Define them in the Configuration and this will be taken into consideration when TimeLine calculates the predicted end date.

Choose projects colors and order on TimeLine

Is it easier for you to visually separate Projects/Epics?

Sort the projects and select color for each one to better understand the planned elements.

1. Choose the order and color of Projects.

2. Choose colors of Epics based on Project’s color or Epic’s color.