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Discover invaluable tips and tricks that will help you extract the utmost value from the Dependency Mapper for Jira app with this step-by-step guide. |
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Dependency Summary Dashboard
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency Summary on the left side menu.
The Dependency Summary view features a series of widgets (that can each be used in a Jira Dashboard!) that display summarised insights related to all dependencies recorded in the provided JQL query. This includes:
Total Dependencies - The number of Issue Links recorded
Total Overdue - The number of Issue Links that aren’t resolved (i.e. both issues are either in a ‘To Do’ or ‘In Progress’ Status Category), and that have a due date before the time the JQL was queried
Oldest Raised - The linked issue with the oldest recorded due date
Next Due - The linked issue with the next closest due date to the time the JQL was queried
Most Received - The Project, Epic, Fix Version or Sprint with the highest number of recorded issue links lodged against them
Most Raised - The Project, Epic, Fix Version or Sprint with the highest number of recorded issue links lodged on other issues
Upcoming Dependencies - A bar chart, split by Project, Epic, Fix Vesion or Sprint, that shows all upcoming issue links based on their due date
When to use it
This summary dashboard focuses on immediate insights for everyday dependency management. A team should be able to look at this and know what is on their short-term horizon, and where their focus should be with regards to dependency management.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of ussydata extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency Board
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency Board on the left side menu.
The Dependency Board chart features a zoomable view of all recorded dependencies arranged in a SAFe-like PI Planning board, with the columns representing the ‘Expected Date’ and the rows (or swim lanes) representing each project that has a recorded dependency. Clicking on an individual dependency will open up that issue in a new tab.
Selecting an issue via the Search function will focus the Dependency Board to center on that issue.
Toggling the Root Cause Analysis tool will overlay a heatmap showing the largest raised, received or total concentration of issue links, depending on the selected ‘Sum of’ dropdown.
When to use it
The Dependency Board is an integral piece of any major planning event (PI Planning, Big Room Planning, Quarterly Planning etc.).
By aligning our work to the dates we expect to complete them, and then connecting them with linkages (or red string, typically, if you run this in a physical setting) we can analyse and understand the sequence of events that need to occur in order for our plan to be successful.
Additionally, by overlaying other data elements like loaded capacity and the root cause analysis function, we can look for critical bottlenecks or high-complexity dependency chains and come up with mitigation strategies before the work has even commenced.
By making this a regular habit, teams that use the Dependency Board often make much smarter decisions about how their delivery practices by visualising the work ahead and engaging other teams frequently.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency List
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency List on the left side menu.
The Dependency List chart features a table displaying all issue links collected by the provided JQL query
Selecting a row will open a new tab with the option to drill into either the Raised or Received issues.
When to use it
Sometimes, we just want a simple list of all the unique dependencies in our Jira board. The Dependency List is exactly that, with configurable columns to allow you to have tailored conversations with your team and external stakeholders.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency Timeline Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency Timeline on the left side menu.
The Dependency Timeline chart features an alternative view for the Dependency Board, grouping together clusters of issues based on their Project, Epic, Fix Version or Sprint, and their due date.
Clicking on a cluster of issues will open up those issues in a new tab.
When to use it
Think of the Dependency Timeline chart as a summarised version of the Dependency Board. Similar issues are clustered together on a timeline to show you highlights of your forward plan.
The bigger nodes show areas where you will likely need additional planning with your teams to define a mitigation strategy to either reduce the number of dependencies, or identify other ways to lower the risk of that particular time in delivery.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Backlog Manager
Note: This is only available on the Cloud version of the Dependency Mapper app |
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This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Backlog Manager on the left side menu.
The Backlog Manager allows users to view their backlog and sprint information, focusing on the dependencies being brought into each container.
Selecting a project from the Backlog Filter dropdown will filter the issues returned by the JQL query pertaining to that project.
When to use it
Although the Backlog view in Jira is critical for managing the creation, order and timing of your issues, it is not possible to view the dependencies linked to each item. The Backlog Manager addresses this by providing a similar interface as the Backlog tab, but also allows users to drill down into their issues to see what dependencies are being loaded into each sprint.
You can also see a summary of the total inbound and outbound dependencies added to each sprint, giving a vital indication of how much risk is being brought in and whether a Scrum Master should be working to manage that risk more effectively.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency Matrix
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Table Chart on the left side menu.
The Dependency Matrix chart features a view of all raised and received dependencies arranged in a table format, with each cell representing the number of dependencies raised between two projects. Clicking on an a cell will open a new tab showing all issues relating to the two projects.
When to use it
The Dependency Matrix can be useful for identifying the dependency ‘hot spots’ within a team of teams. If two particular teams have an abnormally high number of dependencies tagged against each other, it could be an opportunity to rethink how those teams are configured.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Grouped Dependencies Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Grouped Dependencies on the left side menu.
The Team Dependencies chart features a view of all raised and received dependencies arranged in a sankey format, and grouped together in coloured bars. Clicking on a dependency flow will open up all issues relating to both projects in a new tab, whereas clicking on a coloured bar will bring up all issues with dependencies within that project.
When to use it
We can use the Grouped Dependencies chart to analyse where there are abnormally high inbound/outbound dependencies for particular teams, and whether that lines up with their team profile.
For example, an internal service desk would expect a high volume of inbound dependencies, but it would be strange if they had a high number of outbound.
Conversely, a feature team with a high volume of either inbound or outbound dependencies would indicate they are not properly equipped to deliver value independently as was intended.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency Topology Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency Topology on the left side menu.
The Dependency Topology chart features a view of all individual dependencies represented as circular nodes, along with lines representing their dependencies, grouped together based on your option chosen. Hovering on a node will show relevant information regarding that individual issue, whereas hovering on a group will show relevant information regarding to every issue in that group.
When to use it
This Dependency Topology view shows us two things:
The larger nodes indicate they have more dependencies attached to them, so we can identify outliers or otherwise critical dependencies easily here.
The lines between each group can be an analogy for the traffic highways between each town. More lines = more traffic = more complexity
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Dependency Network Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency Network on the left side menu.
The Dependency Network chart features a detailed version of the Dependency Topology chart, that is rather than clustering together issues by their Project, Epic, Fix Version or Sprint, they are bound together by directional issue linkages. Hovering on a node will show relevant information regarding that individual issue.
Toggling the ‘Show Status’ function will overlay a coloured outline on each issue depending on their Status Category of ‘To Do’ ‘In Progress’ or ‘Done’.
When to use it
The other charts focus on the direct relationship between two things i.e. A depends on B, but more often than not the work is more complex than that, and A depends on B, which depends on C, D, E etc.
The Dependency Network view shows the dependency ‘chain’ of those complex relationships, which often forms a spiderweb-like view of the work. The longer the chain, the more planning should be undertaken to effectively manage each subsequent dependency.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Individual Dependencies Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Individual Dependencies on the left side menu.
The Individual Dependencies chart features a draggable, zoomable view of all recorded dependencies arranged in a circle, and grouped together in coloured arcs. Clicking on an individual dependency will open up that issue in a new tab, whereas clicking on a coloured arc will bring up all issues with dependencies within that project.
When to use it
When planning their work in a physical setting, teams would often gather in a huddle prior to the formal breakout sessions and quickly identify where the key connections were, or who needed to represent their team in other sessions.
The Individual Dependencies chart mimics this conversation by positioning each group in a circle and mapping the network of dependencies between each party. This allows users to easily see where the 'traffic' is and focus on groups with the highest amount of linkages.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Time to Resolve Chart
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Time to Resolve Chart on the left side menu.
The Time to Resolve Chart provides a summary of 'how long' it takes to close an issue after a dependency has been raised. This is the difference in timestamps between when the Issue Link was created, and when the issue transitioned to a Status Category of
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The Frequency Chart (PDF) shows how many issues were resolved *at* a specific time.
E.g. There were 10 dependencies that took 1 week to resolve |
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The Cumulative Frequency Chart (CDF) shows how many issues were resolved *by* a specific time
E.g. 40% of dependencies were resolved within 1 week |
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When to use it
Teams who are interested in their delivery performance, or are bound to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) but are still dependent on other teams, would be interested to know how long it takes, on average to resolve a dependency in their space.
By analysing the cumulative time spent to close off each dependency in a system of work, delivery teams can make meaningful commitments to their work knowing they have to take into account the risk of any dependencies not being delivered as part of their commitment.
For example, if all dependencies within a collection of issues were resolved after a month, but the SLA for a ticket is a week from now, the team will know they have to expedite their request in order to safely meet the SLA target.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
View Chart - Dependency CFD
This view can be seen after clicking the ‘Get Data’ button and navigating to Dependency CFDon the left side menu.
The Dependency CFD chart shows the cumulative total number of dependencies for your JQL query over time.
When to use it
Teams are often interested in the stability and predictability of their work, and a key component of that is understanding the net difference between incoming and outgoing work. In short, if the volume of incoming work exceeds the outgoing work, the backlog is not being effectively managed and/or teams are not meeting the expectations of their customers. On the other hand, more outgoing issues than incoming means the team will be starved of work and their delivery pipeline will cease to function. A balance between the two must be met for a stable, predictable system.
The same can be said for the dependencies being managed in a system as well. Too many incoming dependencies will increase the complexity of work exponentially for a team, and must be managed. More outgoing (or resolved) dependencies is the dream state, however, and is the real target for stability.
The Dependency CFD measures the ‘health’ of a system by analysing the net difference between incoming and outgoing work, so users can understand whether they need to intervene to create a stable pipeline of work.
Additional Buttons
Copy Quickshare Link - Generates a string of text that can be shared with others to replicate the chart you’ve created
Summary CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of summarised data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.
Detailed CSV Extract - Generates a CSV file of issue-level data extracted by the Dependency Mapper tool for your own personal use.