Planning Mode: Create and Manage ART PI Objectives
Below are instructions on how to navigate, create and manage ART PI Objectives during the planning phase:
Navigate to the ART PI Objectives Board: Click or select the ART PI Objectives icon/page from either the sidebar or top-center navigation menus.
Ensure the ART PI Objectives are visible by clicking the Show ART Objectives button.
Create a PI Objective
Create a PI Objective: Click the
+icon.Enter a valid Title. Optional, enter a Description (optional) > click the Add button
Manage and define a PI Objective
Continue to define the PI Objective/s using the following functionality:
Link Team PI Objectives or Solution Train or ART-level Backlog Work Items (such as Initiatives/Epics, Features) to the ART PI Objectives via the Link chip on the Objective, or via the string which allows you to drag and drop links between the ART PI Objective and Team PI Objectives.
Add a Business Value (BV) in the BV field
Categorize the PI Objectives as Committed vs. Uncommitted), and rank them using the drag-and-drop action or via the menu items under the horizontal ellipsis button
...Click the Breakdown view to visualize the relationship between the PI Objective and all work items, dependencies and risks planned across the ART.
Breakdown Views
Breakdown views provide various ways to visualize all the planned work, dependencies, risks and Team PI Objectives in a single view. You can also customize the dimensions (Iteration, Team, PI Objectives) on in the graphical explorer options. Try it out. More information is here.
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Execution Mode: Steer and govern the PI via the ART PI Objectives
RAG Status
In Execution Mode, you can set a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) status on a PI Objective.
The RAG status shows the health of the key metric or outcome you want to achieve with this objective (ultimately this will also be represented in the Actual Value field).
The RAG status in this instance is qualitative because the Owner of the PI Objective will use other data (e.g. company or market data) to make a judgement about whether the Objective is healthy, based on wether the expected outcome/value might be achieved as the work moves forward.
Do not confuse the RAG status with the Progress bar (To Do, In Progress, Done). The Progress bar only tracks the linked work items. Work plans are meant to be adaptive and you used both indicators to provide you the information needed to make the hard trade-off decisions during execution. For example:
If you reach the outcome of the objective before all the work is finished, ask yourself and the teams: “Do we still need to complete the remaining work items?”
On the other hand, if all the linked work items are done but the expected outcome has not appeared, the RAG status may stay Red. The work did not produce the value you wanted or something else is blocking the desired outcome or value from being achieved (e.g. maybe the market changed, maybe legal reasons prevent releasing the new features).
You decide how to use the RAG status in your management and stakeholder meetings.
Actual Value (AV)
Actual Value (AV) is entered at the end of the PI during the management stakeholder review session. Be sure to enter an AV, because this value is used in the computation for the Flow Predictability chart in the Metrics tab.
Progress Status Bar
In Execution Mode a Progress bar will display on the Team PI Objectives. The Progress bar allows you to quick understand the progress made on the linked Work Item sticky notes: To Do, In Progress, Done. This can very be helpful during Stakeholder Meetings or Scrum of Scrums (SoS) to ensure the teams are making progress on the work items linked to the highest level Objectives. Useful when you need to make the hard trade-off decisions about what to focus on.
Search and Filter PI Objectives
You can filter the ART PI Objectives board by clicking on an ART PI Objective, and it will filter the Team PI Objectives by highlighting only the linked Team PI Objectives.
Purpose of the ART PI Objectives Board
The ART PI Objectives Board summarize the business and technical goals that the Agile Release Train (ART) intends to achieve in the upcoming Planning Interval (PI).
The ART PI Objectives Board is a visual shared picture of the near-term outcomes the Teams and ART are planning to achieve this PI. Key benefits include:
Creating a common language between business stakeholders and product or dev teams.
Providing vision and focus for this Planning Increment (PI) for the entire ART.
Enables assessment of the ART's business value delivered via the ART Predictability chart (Metrics).
Highlighting each team's contribution to the business value delivered.
When to use the ART PI Objectives Board
During synchronization events, such as Stakeholder Meetings or Scrum of Scrums (SoS) to steer and govern the ARTs execution.
During Inspect & Adapt (I&A) ceremonies to help Business Owners evaluate progress, and build trust through a focus on outcomes over output.