August 11th, 2020 by inflectra
One of the focus areas in the new release v6.6 of SpiraTeam and SpiraPlan is to improve the support for different agile project management methodologies and approaches. In this article we'll discuss some of the exciting new features that have been added to Spira to better support the popular Kanban agile methodology.
As described in the Kanban methodology section of our website, lean development practices are based on the lean methodologies that have been used successfully in manufacturing processes. Kanban is a lean software development methodology that focuses on just-in-time delivery of functionality and managing the amount of work in progress (WIP).
When used for software development, Kanban uses the stages in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) to represent the different stages in the manufacturing process. The aim is to control and manage the flow of features (represented by Kanban cards) so that the number of features entering the process matches those being completed.
Kanban is an agile methodology that is not necessarily iterative. Processes like Scrum have short iterations which mimic a project lifecycle on a small scale, having a distinct beginning and end for each iteration. Kanban allows the software be developed in one large development cycle. Despite this, Kanban is an example of an agile methodology because it fulfils all twelve of the principles behind the Agile manifesto, because whilst it is not iterative, it is incremental.
Spira has always had Kanban views in the product planning boards, but until now there has been no way to enforce WIP limits on the number of cards in each status.
Work In Progress (WIP) limits set the maximum number of requirements that the product team can efficiently manage at each stage of their Kanban process. Using WIP limits can be a useful way for teams to manage their work, allowing them to get through their work faster. This is done by focusing only tasks that can be done now (in other words, the work that can in-progress at any one time).
This feature, is an optional way of using the Planning Board. To not use the feature at all, leave the fields in each of the columns in the table blank.
To make use of WIP limits you need to:
You can have completely separate multipliers and percentages for releases and sprints. Think of multiplies
Example WIP Limit
- Your sprint has 5 people working on it. So, set the Resources of the sprint to 5.
- The team can handle developing 5 requirements at once. At the same time they can also test 5 requirements at once.
- So on the WIP limits table, you can get to this result in different ways. Here are two:
- set "In Progress" and "Developed" statuses to 50%, and the sprint multiplier to 2.0. This means that the QA team, who takes things that are developed and tests, will have a WIP limit of 5 requirements: 5 (sprint resources) x 100% (of that sprint resource) x 1.0 (multiplier). The same applies to requirements in the status of "In Progress".
- set "In Progress" and "Developed" statuses to 100%, and the sprint multiplier to 1.0. Looking at just the QA team again, they will again have a WIP limit of 5 requirements: 5 (sprint resources) x 100% (of that sprint resource) x 1.0 (multiplier).
When you have WIP limits configured in the Planning Options you will see the new WIP X/Y pill shaped badge in the planning board headers when you choose Group by Status:
This new pill shaped badge is displayed on each relevant status, along with the number of requirement cards in that status for that release/sprint.
Ask an Inflectra expert:
And if you have any questions, please email or call us at +1 (202) 558-6885
SpiraTest combines test management, requirements traceability & bug-tracking
SpiraTeam brings your teams together, managing the entire application lifecycle
SpiraPlan lets you manage your programs and portfolio of projects like never before
Orchestrates your automated regression testing, functional, load and performance
The ultimate test automation platform for web, mobile, and desktop applications
The help desk system, designed specifically for software support teams
Cloud hosted, secure source code management - Git and Subversion
Exploratory testing capture tool that automatically records your testing activity
Let us deal with the IT pain so you don't have to. Or use on-premise if you prefer.
Our customers work in every industry imaginable. From financial services to healthcare and biotech to government and defense and more, we work with our customers to address their specific needs.
Our products do not enforce a methodology on you, instead they let you work your way. Whether you work in agile development, Scrum and XP, Kanban and Lean, Waterfall, hybrid, or Scaled Agile Inflectra can help.
If you want to learn more about application delivery, testing, and more take a look at our whitepapers, videos, background papers, blog, and presentations.
Customers use our tools to help automate repetitive tasks and streamline their business processes using our Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions.
We collaborate with a wide range of teams to bring our customers a range of services (including load testing, training, and consultation), complimentary technologies, and specialized tools for specific industries.
Learn how different organizations have benefited from using Inflectra products to manage their software testing and application develooment.
Outstanding support is the foundation of our company. We make support a priority over all other work. Take a look at our support policy.
Discover great tips, discussions, and technical solutions from fellow customers and Inflectra's technical experts.
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please get in touch with us: over email, phone, or online.
We are constantly creating new videos to help customers learn about our products, including through in depth webinars, all freely available along with a wide selection of presentations.
We provide a number of resources to help customers learn how to get the most out of our products, with free online resources, virtual classrooms, and face to face.
Read about Inflectra, our manifesto, and values. Meet our incredible customers who are building awesome things, and our leadership team that are committed to building a great company.
The Inflectra Blog contains articles on all aspects of the software lifecycle.
In addition we have whitepapers,
background articles, videos and
presentations to help get you started.
Events are a big part of our awesome customer service. They are a chance to learn more about us, our products, and how to level up your skills with our tools.
We partner with educational institutions and individuals all over the world. We are also a great place to work and encourage you to explore joining our team.
Please contact us with your questions, feedback, comments, or suggestions. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.
When you need additional assistance (be it training, consulting, or integration services) our global certified solution provider partner network is ready to help.
At Inflectra, we are fully committed to provide our customers with the very best products and customer service. Check out some of our recent awards.
We want to help developers extend and customize our tools to fit in with their needs. We provide robust APIs, sample code, and open source projects.