Selecting the Data Source is enough to start working with the application.
We explored a lot to adjust the most common wishes to default settings.
So, after the Data Source is selected, the application will show you ready-to-work insights.
Data Source Type
The Cycle Time Chart integrates with your Jira setup, offering several Data Source types to tailor your charts to your team's workflow:
Jira Board: visualize progress using Scrum and/or Kanban boards.
JQL: utilize saved or custom JQL queries for accurate filtering, which is ideal for complex or customized data selection.
Initiatives: track the progress of specific strategic issues, getting new insights and a fresh view of how it is going.
In a Scaled Agile environment, the Jira process needs structuring with complex hierarchies beyond standard offerings. Enterprises adapt by renaming and creating new issue and link types, building an issue architecture above the basic Epic-Story-Sub-task structure.
Adjustments typically involve creating 'boxes' for the Program level and 'boxes of boxes' for the Portfolio level. Medium-sized businesses may use just one level above the Epic.
Commonly, Program Epics are on Level 1, and Initiatives on Level 2 of this hierarchy:
In chart settings, to create a chart for a particular scope, you can select the top-level issue for tracking, set the hierarchy depth, and specify the link type to exclude irrelevant links (e.g., “blocked by”):
To understand how it works, let’s look at the following cases based on the example hierarchy mentioned above:
If you have selected Initiative, depth 2, child of / parent of, then the chart will show you the data from all Stories and Tasks from all Epics linked to all Program Epics linked to Initiative.
If you have selected Program Epic, depth 1, child of / parent of, then the chart will show you the data from all Stories and Tasks from all Epics linked to all Program Epic.
If you have selected Initiative, depth 1, child of / parent of, then the chart will show you nothing because there are no Epics linked to Initiative directly.
If you have selected Program Epic, depth 2, child of / parent of, then the chart will show you nothing because there are no Epics linked to Stories or Tasks linked to Program Epic.
Epics: track higher-level progress by selecting “Epics by list” or “JQL” query.
Data Source Unit
Boards
Select multiple Scrum and/or Kanban boards for a unified view.
Combine Scrum and Kanban boards on a single chart for a comprehensive view.
Add or remove boards as needed.
If you don’t see the needed board in the list, start typing the name, and the search will find it.
JQL
“Saved JQL filter” allows to use any saved Jira filters, ensures consistency and saves time when applying commonly used filters.
“Custom JQL filter” offers maximum flexibility, allowing you to target specific issues or custom fields that align with your project's requirements.
For example, you are the Top Manager of one delivery company, and you want to track the delivered features because it is crucial to see what value has been shipped to customers. You also want to track customer feedback to understand how users are responding to these features and to address any reported issues.
Additionally, you want to monitor upcoming plans because it helps ensure that the team is progressing on the roadmap and prioritizing the right tasks. Finally, you want to track goal alignment by following key initiatives, ensuring that the work being done is driving the company toward its long-term objectives.
This unified JQL query helps you stay on top of all these aspects, providing visibility into what’s been delivered, how customers are reacting, what’s coming next, and how everything aligns with your strategic goals.
Note:
To select the filter, you need to have permissions. Contact your Jira admin for details.
The chart uses your Jira instance filter engine with all supported functions. If you install some filter-extending plugins, it will affect the chart’s JQL filter functionality.
Initiatives
Track the issues related to the Initiatives by “Linked issues” or the “Parent field” method.
Choose between 1 or 2 levels to display parent-child relationships within your initiatives.
Specify the type of linking for issues, ensuring accurate tracking of dependencies and relationships.
Parent field as a method of linking the issues between each other is available for the Jira Premium users. It allows to configure 2-level in-depth Issue Hierarchy to link Initiatives with Epics.
Epics
Select the Epics through a list to see the aggregated data for the related to each other themes.
Use the JQL to focus on key project elements and expand or narrow the wished Epic's scope.
Using the JQL filter for Epics allows users to filter issues based on specific Program Increment values. This makes it easy to focus on work tied to a particular Program Increment, helping users manage and track progress efficiently.
The application does not limit the count of the Data Source units - it is possible to select any number of the Boards, Initiatives, Epics.
However, as the app is using your Jira instance search engine, if you select too many boards or too huge scope (wide JQL query) to be analyzed, the calculation can take a long time before we show the chart. “Too many” is an empirical value and depends on the change logs amount.