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Dependencies

Easy Agile Programs allows you to easily visualise dependencies to better understand risks within your agile release train.

Creating Dependencies

Easy Agile Programs allows you to visualise dependencies between:

  • Two features

  • Two user stories

  • A feature and a user story

Creating dependencies between two user stories

Dependencies between two user stories can be created from the Team Planning Board.

First up, add another team/s to your Team Planning View by clicking on the 'Teams' button in the navigation.

The coloured pills in the menu indicate that there are already some dependencies created.

There are three ways to create dependencies between two user stories:

1. Drag & Drop

  • Use this method to create dependencies between teams

  • Click on an issue and drag it on top of an issue in another team to create the dependency

2. Create Dependencies Mode

  • Use this method to create dependencies within your team or with another team

  • Click on the ‘Create Dependencies’ button in the navigation then click on the two issues that you want to create a dependency between

  • Reminder to re-click the ‘Create Dependencies’ button to turn off the mode

Newly created dependencies will be automatically added to the Jira issue. The dependency type will match the one set when creating/editing the Program - by default, Programs use ‘blocks / is blocked by’.

3. Issue linking on the Jira ticket

Dependencies created on the Jira issue will also be shown in Easy Agile Programs if they match the dependency link type specified when the Program was created (The link type can be changed from the Edit Program screen, see below).

Creating dependencies between two features / feature and user story

To create a dependency involving a feature, this must done via issue linking on the Jira ticket. The link type that will be used matches the dependency link type selected when the Program was created. The default is set to ‘blocks / is blocked by'.

For Cloud customers:

From the issue view, use the ‘link issue’ button to create a dependency between two issues.

For Server and Data Centre customers:

You will need to use the ‘edit issue’ button and then create the dependency between two issues.


Visualising Dependencies

Easy Agile Programs will visualise the dependency type set when creating/editing the Program.

With the release of v3.7.0, Easy Agile Programs shows feature level and team level dependencies on the Program Board.

Understanding Dependency Health

  • A black link indicates a dependent issue is external to your current view. This issue could be in another team, increment or program as well as unscheduled issues in your own backlog. Click on the information icon (info) for more details.

  • red line indicates the dependant issue is scheduled in a sprint after the dependancy (critical)

  • An orange line indicates the dependant and dependency are scheduled in the same sprint (at-risk)

  • green line indicates the dependant issue is scheduled in a sprint before its dependency (healthy)

External dependencies on the Team Planning Board

External dependencies can indicate a dependency with an issue external to the current program or increment, but on the Team Planning Board, an external dependency can indicate two additional types of dependencies.

If there are dependencies on the Team Planning Board, this can indicate an:

  1. External dependency with another team in the current increment that is not in your current view. If this is the case, selecting the team(s) with dependent issues from the ‘Teams’ dropdown menu will change the external dependency line:

2. If there are external dependencies on the team planning board, this can also indicate that there is a dependency with an issue in the teams backlog:


Filtering

Dependencies can be toggled on and off to remove unnecessary distractions.

Program Roadmap

Program Board

Team Planning Board

On the Program Board, users can also filter dependencies to only show relevant issues for a more conversation with stakeholders.

Changing the Dependency Link Type Shown

To confirm or change the dependency link type shown, go to the Program Roadmap and click the ‘Edit Program’ button.

From here you can select the most appropriate link type for your team. By default, Easy Agile Programs use ‘blocks / is blocked by’.

You can also change the direction of the dependencies by toggling on or off ‘Flip directions of dependency link type’.


External Dependencies

Team Planning Board and Program Board

Identify risks and dependencies beyond your current view with black dependency lines shown on the Team Planning and Program Board.

The black line will represent dependent issues in another team, increment or program as well as unscheduled issues in your own backlog.

To view more details about the dependency, simply click on the information icon (info) on the dependency line.

Program Roadmap

At the feature level, external dependencies are shown with a dependency icon on the Program Roadmap.

Clicking on the icon, exposes more details about the dependency.

For an improved visualisation, you may wish to create an ‘External Dependencies’ board in Jira with a board filter that pulls in the relevant issues and add this board to your Program.


Deleting Dependencies

Dependencies can be deleted from the Team Planning Board and Program Board (Program Board from version 5.2.0).

Simply hover over the dependency line then click on the information icon (info). A pop-up will display the details of the dependency with the option to delete using the bin icon.

If you make a mistake, you’ll have the option to undo the action from the flag shown on the left hand side of the screen.

Versions prior to 5.2.0

On the Team Planning Board, simply hover over the line until the cross appears. A pop-up will ask you to confirm you wish the delete the dependency before hand.


Visualising impediments flag

From v6.0.0, the Jira impediment flag is visible across all screens of the app.

The impediment flag is currently view only. To add or remove the flag, you will need to go your Jira backlog.

If you’d like to be able to add/remove the flag from within Easy Agile Programs, please reach out to us via support.


FAQs

Can I visualise more than one dependency type?

At this stage, Easy Agile Programs only displays one dependency link type within the app. You can change which dependency type is shown from the ‘Edit Program’ modal on the Program Roadmap.

If you’d like to show more than one dependency type, please reach out to us with an explanation of your use case.

What do the coloured lines mean?

  • A black link indicates a dependent issue is external to your current view. This issue could be in another team, increment or program as well as unscheduled issues in your own backlog. Click on the information icon (info) for more details.

  • red line indicates the dependant issue is scheduled in a sprint after the dependancy (critical)

  • An orange line indicates the dependant and dependency are scheduled in the same sprint (at-risk)

  • green line indicates the dependant issue is scheduled in a sprint before its dependency (healthy)

What is the default dependency link type used when Easy Agile Programs is installed?

When creating a Program, Easy Agile Programs attempts to detect and set your Team to Team Dependency link type as 'blocks/is blocked by' by default. 

How do I change the default dependency link type?

You can change the default dependency link type in the Edit Program modal. Please review the ‘Changing the Dependency Type Shown’ section above for more details.

How can I change the direction of the dependencies in my Program?

You can change the direction of the dependency link type in the Edit Program modal. You can also change the direction of the dependencies by toggling on or off ‘Flip directions of dependency link type’. Please review the ‘Changing the Dependency Type Shown’ section above for more details.

What are the permissions required for users to create dependencies between issues in Easy Agile Programs?

In order for a user to create a dependency in Easy Agile Programs, they must be able to create an issue link in Jira between the two issues. This requires the user to have the Link issues permission in the Project(s) to which the issues belong.

More information on issue linking can be found in this Atlassian doc.

I cannot see some or all of my dependencies, even though I have chosen the correct link type.

It could be that your “linked issues” field has been hidden. Please check your field configuration to ensure that the “Linked Issues” field is not hidden. Ironically having this hidden does not prevent linked issues appearing on the Issue page.

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