Reports and Charts in Jira - Part 3

A Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) is a visual tool used in Agile project management, particularly in Scrum and Kanban methodologies, to track and visualize the flow of work items through various stages in a project. It provides real-time insights into the status of work items, bottlenecks, and overall project health. Here's how a Cumulative Flow Diagram works and what it includes:

Key Components of a Cumulative Flow Diagram:

Stages or Columns: The CFD typically displays a series of horizontal columns, each representing a specific stage or state of work within the project. For example, in software development, these stages could be "To Do," "In Progress," "Testing," and "Done."

Work Items: The CFD shows the movement of work items (such as user stories, tasks, or features) through these stages. Each work item is represented by a line or a color-coded segment within the columns.

Time Axis: The CFD has a time axis along the bottom, usually showing the project's timeline, with time progressing from left to right.

How a Cumulative Flow Diagram Works:

Each time a work item enters a particular stage, it is added to the corresponding column on the CFD.

As work items progress through the workflow, they move from one stage to another, and this movement is reflected by the growth of the lines or segments within the corresponding columns.

The cumulative flow of work items is represented by the cumulative sum of items within each column at any point in time. This means that each column's height represents the total work items in that stage at a given time.

The CFD's data is updated in real-time as work items transition between stages.

Interpreting a Cumulative Flow Diagram:

A Cumulative Flow Diagram can provide several valuable insights:

Work in Progress (WIP): You can easily see how many work items are in progress at any given time by looking at the height of the "In Progress" column. This helps identify potential bottlenecks or overloading of certain stages.

Work Completion Rate: The slope of the "Done" column can indicate the team's work completion rate. A steeper slope suggests higher throughput.

Stability and Variability: By examining the parallelism and spacing between columns, you can assess the stability of the process and identify any irregularities or disruptions in work.

Cycle Time and Lead Time: By measuring the time it takes for work items to move from one stage to another, you can calculate cycle time and lead time, which are critical metrics for process improvement.

Predictability: A well-maintained CFD allows teams to make predictions about when certain work items or features are likely to be completed based on historical data.

A Cumulative Flow Diagram is a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing the flow of work in a project, making it easier to identify issues, optimize processes, and ensure a smoother and more predictable workflow. It is particularly useful in Kanban-style workflows and Lean project management.

A Control Chart, 

Creating a control chart in Jira can be a bit tricky since Jira itself doesn't provide native support for control charts. However, you can use third-party plugins or integrate with other tools to visualize control charts based on your Jira data.

One popular option is using a tool like eazyBI Reports and Charts for Jira. This plugin allows you to create custom reports, including control charts, by pulling data from Jira and visualizing it in various ways.

Here's a simplified guide to creating a control chart using eazyBI:

EasyBI : 

eazyBI is a solid, interactive, and user-friendly platform for reporting data from Jira. It has the ability to import data from other sources, embed reports, and features a flawless and interactive UI.

Install eazyBI: First, make sure the eazyBI Reports and Charts for Jira plugin is installed on your Jira instance.

Import Data: Configure eazyBI to import the data you need for your control chart. This typically involves defining custom fields or using existing ones to capture the necessary data for your control chart.

Create a New Report: Once the data is imported, go to the eazyBI Reports section in Jira and create a new report.

Select Control Chart Visualization: Choose the control chart visualization option when setting up your report.

Define X and Y-Axis: In the report configuration, define the X-axis (time dimension) and Y-axis (the metric you want to analyze, e.g., cycle time).

Apply Filters: Apply any necessary filters to focus on the specific data you want to analyze in your control chart.

Save and View: Save your report configuration, and view the control chart.

Remember, the exact steps may vary based on the version of eazyBI and the specific fields and data you want to use.

To be Continued...