Hey Orangescrummers! It’s my pleasure to share the latest feature updates in Orangescrum project management software. We have released the feature “Epic” a collection of Stories that represent larger initiatives. We’re pleased to hear that it’s something you’ve been requesting and finally we have released the features to make your project management work smooth and simple.

The overall idea behind releasing this feature is to create an Epic on a separate page with minimum fields to be stored in the same table as tasks are stored. We will restrict certain functionality with epic-type tasks.

The epic feature is available for only scrum-type projects where the user needs the user access control to create/Edit/View an Epic.

Before deep diving into the feature, let me clarify the basics of Epic.

Epics bridge the gap between strategic initiatives and individual features.  Use EPIC to break work down incrementally — define a bigger project, separate it into key epics, then build out features and requirements in more detail. It’s also more convenient to discuss the product at a high level, for example, with stakeholders with no technical background, by looking at it as a set of epics.

What is an Epic?

An epic is one big piece of feature, a bigger project, an initiative, or just an issue that collects the work of mutual areas.

Otherwise is a collection of Stories that represent larger initiatives. Just like Stories, Epics move through a workflow and can be completed.

One can link all other issues to the epic to keep track of every task that’s related to a project.

In most cases, one can try to cover high-level goals (not detailed solutions) to reflect the (business) value.

The epic helps the team to understand the goal and together can work out how we can get there.

How to create an Epic?

Ideally, the Epic module is used within the agile methodology projects. But here in Orangescrum, users can use the Epic module both for agile projects and Waterfall projects.

To create an Epic either on a waterfall project or an agile project, users need to go to the task listing page.

Once you click the “+” icon, you can find the “Create epic” pop-up.

On the Epic creation form, you need to add

• Epic Title
• Select the Priority
• Epic description
• start date and end date,
• File attachments (Google Drive, One Drive, DropBox)

Once an Epic is created within your project (in both agile and simple projects), users can link or choose the same epic in multiple tasks.

In agile projects, users can link an epic to a task from the backlog page as well.

Epic View in Orangescrum

Once you create an Epic within your project, you can move to the Epic View.

In waterfall projects, Epic view only can be used as a level of the task. There is no specific epic view module available within Orangescrum at the moment.

But for agile projects, Orangescum has a separate Epic view block. Users can find the tasks and stories related to each epic and track the progress respectively.

Once you come to the Epic view panel on the backlog page, you can able to track the:

• Epic progress percentage
• Number of stories
• Number of tasks completed/closed
• Number of tasks in progress

Future enhancements:

This Epic view is one of the primary demands of our customers and we released the 1st module of it. Many more enchantments are in progress to make it more efficient for our global customers.

Future enhancements list:

• Epic View Report
• Epic Detail View
• Single Epic for Different Projects

User Note for Orangescrum Epic View

How do I assign an Epic to a Story?

You can edit individual Stories and assign the desired Epic from the Epic field. You can use the Search option in the Epic dropdown field to quickly find your desired Epic.

You can also assign an epic to a story from the backlog page by clicking on the EPIC label.

What happens when a child tasks epic is changed to another EPIC?

When a child task EPIC is changed then any stories or parent tasks that are associated with the child task will be updated with the new epic label.

What happens when a story associated with an epic is changed to another epic?

When the EPIC of a story is changed then all tasks that are associated with the story will be updated with the new epic label.

What happens when an EPIC is deleted?

If an EPIC is deleted, tasks associated with the epic are delinked.

Conclusion

Hope you already have started using Epic View within Orangescrum! Many already have.

As of now, the Epic view is not the alter point of departure of an agile program, but it can be a viable driver for most agile development projects. Conception stands for how it fits into your agile program. Sign up now to check how Epic is helping to manage your agile projects.

Do not hesitate to revert back with your feedback.

Project management methods are approaches that support a team in streamlining operations and achieving success, whether that success comes in the form of decreased time, increased revenue, or higher customer pleasure.

Widely used Project Management Methods

There are two widely used project management methodologies: Waterfall and Agile.

Although both of them are well-liked in the software industry, there are reasons why they can’t be most effective for various projects.

The major distinction is that while Agile encourages simultaneous work on many project phases, Waterfall is a linear style of working that demands the team to finish each phase of the project before moving on to the next.

With the efficient adoption of project management software, the entire process can be easily handled.

In response to the strict structure of Waterfall, the agile technique was created. It’s a far more flexible type of methodology as a result.

Years may pass until a software development project is finished, and during that period, technology may undergo tremendous change.

Agile Project Management

Agile was created as a flexible approach that accepts absorbing changes of direction even late in the process and considering stakeholders’ comments at all times.

The team uses the methods to work on multiple project phases concurrently, often with short deadlines.

In addition, the team determines the project’s direction rather than a project manager. This can energize the team and increase productivity, more than that it calls for a more independent team.

Advantages:

• Short deadlines promote efficiency and productivity in team collaboration.
• There are a lot of latitudes to experiment with new directions and modify the course of a project.
• The team shares progress and takes input into account because of client-facing and updating.

Limitations:

• It is not an effective strategy for modest development initiatives.
• You need an expert if you want to make important decisions during the conference.
• When compared to other development approaches, the cost of implementing an agile process is slightly higher.
• The project may swiftly veer off course if the project manager is unsure about the targeted results.

Waterfall Project Management

Linear Sequential Life Cycle Model is another name for the approach. According to the sequential Waterfall Model, the project development team only moves on to the next phase of development or testing if the previous step was successful.

Advantages:

• It is one of the simpler models to operate. Each phase includes particular deliverables and a review procedure because of the nature of the process.
• Smaller initiatives with well-defined parameters tend to benefit the most from it.
• Faster project completion.
• Results and processes have been well-documented.
• A simple technique for changing teams.
• Dependency management benefits from using the waterfall model.

Limitations:

• It’s not the best model for a big project.
• It is a less effective strategy if the requirement is not apparent from the start.
• Moving back to make adjustments in the earlier phases is really challenging.
• Following the completion of development, testing begins. Thus, there is a great likelihood that flaws will be discovered later on in the development process, when fixing them will be costly.

Why Agile Method is widely used?

While the benefits of Agile project management are iterative and incremental by nature, which enables teams to change their approach as they go along while still enabling organizations to focus on the crucial issues and avoid ignoring the goods or services they are aiming to provide.

Typically, two-to four-week sprints are in direct contrast to the lengthy, months- or even years-long timeframes of traditional management. This frequently caused the finished product to become outdated before it was ready.

There was an industry standard for software development before Agile. Before any coding had started, a tone of documentation was needed to begin the development of any software product.

The requirements paperwork will be created by business analysts, and the technical department uses it to create its own technical requirement documentation. Coding and testing then take the stage. This waterfall method’s entire procedure takes months or perhaps years.

The product is now developed through a defined process that includes technical structure, lower-level artifacts, and dependent artifacts later, so if the customer requests any changes, the process will take a long time.

Any software can be developed more quickly using agile software development. This methodology is focused on both people and results. Using technologies like Scrum and Extreme Programming, it is flexible and simple to increase the quality.

Here are 10 reasons why PM teams employ this adaptable project management methodology:

• Agile resembles evolution. Every new iteration gives teams a chance to grow.
• Teams can deliver a prototype using agile and make improvements with each cycle.
• Agile encourages frequent group troubleshooting.
• Effective feature and job prioritization is made possible by agile for teams and individuals.
• Based on feedback from stakeholders, teams can quickly correct their course.
• A procedure or solution may be prototyped by team members for the version of the following project.
• Each revision or iteration results in quick feedback for the team.
• Agile gives team members the freedom to think freely and productively.
• Feedback from clients and stakeholders is welcomed as the project advances.
• The team’s production rises thanks to this adaptable process.

Also, read – Why Agile Project Management Is Better Than Waterfall?

Project management software easily manages your projects, every aspect can be at your disposal, keep your stakeholders informed, share files and papers, and communicate with teammates from anywhere.

Agile project management is increasingly preferred over Waterfall today. However, agile project management is advisable for small teams and startups with less number of people involved in projects.

Orangescrum offers features specific to Scrum Project Management such as Epics, Stories, Sprints (tasks & subtasks), Scrum Boards, Sprint reports & Velocity charts along with Kanban Boards, Gantt charts, time log, timesheets, and resource management for the traditional project management. Signup now to experience the best project management software. It’s free for 15 days.

Scrum Masters say that Scrum is lightweight and straightforward in its implementation. It’s not easy to become a scrum master, and it will undoubtedly take time and effort. Embracing a DevOps methodology begins with determining where you are in the implementation process.

To start with Scrum, you will be provided with fundamental principles and practices. When you start using it, real-life difficulties may come back and smack you in the face!

Despite the fact that Scrum was designed to address such issues, it remains just a system in which a major amount of the “how’s” are not stated. It’s a mode of transportation rather than a destination.

Scrum cannot solve every problem, but it can help bring them to light. The true skill of adopting Scrum stems from learning the fundamentals, experiencing many problems, and conquering them as you go.

One thing is certain: Scrum will not let you down. It is supposed to work for you, but it is up to you to guarantee that it does. After learning the essential Scrum roles, procedures, and artifacts, we should address the most typical implementation challenges that companies and teams confront.

Here are the top challenges of Scrum Masters and their possible solutions:

1. Inspect the project’s availability and suitability

Rather than the Waterfall approach, agile project management is appropriate in a dynamic setting where the requirements of product owners might change during the project lifespan (which includes the vast majority of tasks). The organization should determine whether Agile Scrum is appropriate for the given project and whether it is ready for change. It also necessitates continual customer requirements, so customer capability should be assessed.

2. Create a ‘Go-Get-It’ crew

To characterize the plan, the company might develop a team of process evangelists.

At that time, the business can enlist the help of one of the teams to implement Agile. ‘Everyone in the team must be receptive to its functioning,’ should be one of the requirements for initial pilots.

Although initial resistance is normal and healthy, excessive resistance has a negative impact on the entire environment. The project manager should be able to handle the differences in the transformation.

3. When all teams are ready to fly, pilot them

Pilots should be erratic, unsure, and chaotic. People will wonder, “When will the decision to officially embrace Scrum be made?”

Wait until there are no more teams waiting up to roll out the development before making a choice. Get some information about the remaining teams at that point. Agile teams are highly efficient and their transformation is key.

4. Convince the party haters

A few people will feel uneasy, miserable, and terrified. But isn’t that normal?

How many management trends have come before Scrum?

Emphasize the fact that it is common sense. We are not “making progress.”

We’re experimenting with a new technique to see if it’s better than the old one. Some of those people will overcome it, while others will not.

Again the Scrum Master needs to make the environment comfortable for the entire team so that it will ease the process.

5. Be patient during the transition

Fewer teams are more likely to succeed than an all-out unexpected deployment. While implementing agile scrum, teams may encounter some significant challenges.

Many people will require assistance, even if it is merely moral. In good times, there are many more evangelists for failure than advocates for success.

Even those who are uncertain will assume that an early failure is a blow against the agile scrum. Try not to overestimate its importance in the game.

6. Set a high standard with minimal expectations

Setting unreasonable expectations while advocating scrum is easy.

Tell your team members that it’s difficult, and risky, but eventually effective. Orangescrum is an application for scrum masters to try and manage the team, workload, and teams.

7. Make yourself available for assistance from experts

Don’t overlook the external specialists who may help you with specialized methods, training, and so on.

Perhaps they will be most useful in the beginning. They might have seen it a million times before and can ensure you don’t forget or slack off on anything vital.

8. Improve Access to Good Information

There will be a lot of buzz when a Scrum rollout gains traction. There is both good and harmful gossip. “You must release every month,”

“You have the option to release every month!” Begin compiling an entertaining list of the finest Scrum misconceptions and distribute it via email updates. Maintain a steady flow of positive dialogue at team lunches and staff meetings.

9. Locate Your Evangelists

Create a system that incorporates every team and level of the company. Make that they are well-versed in real-world issues and are willing to be open and honest with the scrum masters and others.

A few top executives as champions for the process will be beneficial. They may change the default management mindset to agile scrum with their persona and competent oration. But be careful not to get them too enthusiastic.

Additional Challenges for Scrum Masters:

1. Analyze the Outcomes continuously and early

Scrum is about making things transparent to some extent. So, evaluate the outcomes and experiences from a variety of perspectives. Make everything public, good, terrible, and ugly.

2. Determine what is Scrum and what is not.

Everyone can help to enhance Agile Scrum. It is critical to establish and adhere to standards from the start. If that isn’t scrum, don’t allow others to call it that. Maintain Scrum’s excellent name!

Remember that Scrum is about people, and people can be chaotic. As a result, it will never be flawless. Idealists will be let down. Competitors will always have shells. Just keep asking whether it’s better than expected.

Finally, examine the thought

Organizations that investigate the complicated area but do not utilize Agile Teams fall behind those that do. Agile project management has various competitive advantages that traditional command-and-control management does not. Attempt not to give up! It’s difficult, but it’s worthwhile despite the difficulties. Accept Scrum, face your obstacles, and best of luck on your agile path!

Learn more about Orangescrum and how it makes agile project management easy.

How to be a Successful Scrum Master with Orangescrum?

Forbes calls agile as “The World’s most popular innovation engine” back in 2015 and a few years following, agile project management methodology has grown as the most successful project management methodology in the system.

These days 2Million+ firms are performing agile methodology and producing brilliant returns as well. That is not a shock.

As per the Pulse of Profession report, “75% of agile organizations achieve their business goals. In addition to this, 65% agile projects met their deadline and 67% inside the budget”.

When you link these numbers with separate project management methodologies, then you can realize notice a huge difference in project success rates, which speaks volumes about the impact agile methodology, has made on the project management landscape.

The biggest obstacle in implementing agile in large-scale enterprises is scalability. The bigger the company size, the more difficult is to scale agile according to your needs.

So, what is the solution to this problem? Read on to find out.

What Experts Had To Say

Harish Grama, Vice President of rational product development and customer support at IBM provides a formula to resolve this issue.

According to him, “there are three key elements to successfully scaling and implementing agile in large enterprises”.

1. Process
2. Tools
3. Discipline

According to Jeff Sutherland, co-inventor of Scrum-Agile framework and CEO of Scrum Inc, “Big companies have bigger problems so they cannot afford to have sloppy practices.”

Robert Holler, CEO of VersionOne Inc, “a vendor for project management tools agrees to the notion that implementing agile in a large organization is exponentially more difficult”.

He said, “You have to treat Agile transformation as a change management process”.

On the other hand, Theresa Lanowitz, Founder of Voke Inc “warns large organizations and tells them to first assess whether agile is the right fit for them or not before implementing it”.

1. Have a Clear Vision

It is important to have a clear vision about what your want to achieve with agile implementation in order to scale it according to your business needs.

Without a clear vision, you will struggle to implement agile and benefit from it. This might also lead to a rift between different departments in your organization.

For instance, a sales representative will ask the project manager about the product vision so they can tell clients in which direction the product might be heading.

If the project manager cannot answer the question, it will create problems not only affecting sales but also dent relationships between departments.

2. Involve Your Teams in Planning

With the trend of cross-functional teams gaining ground in the corporate world, you can use it to your advantage by involving them in the planning phase.

You never know a person from a particular department has a great suggestion that might make a huge difference.

By involving team members in planning, it will foster trust because they think that their suggestions are being valued.

More importantly, they can give you a different take on things, a fresh perspective you might have never thought about.

3. Take the Hybrid Approach

When you compare a large-sized enterprise with a small business, you will realize that the agile practices both use and the challenges both faces are the same.

The difference comes in magnitude and scale. The same problem a small business faces will also be a problem for a large-scale enterprise but it would be much bigger and more complex for large enterprises.

In order to successfully scale agile to fit in your business, you need to use a hybrid approach.

All you have to do is to stretch the same agile practices used by small businesses over a large scale and you will succeed.

For example, “if you have a team comprising of more team members and some of the team members are located in different parts of the world, you cannot use whiteboards and sticky notes as a small business with a team sitting together in a single room”.

Just replace those tools with advanced communication tools, which help you convey your message to remote team members.
Taking a hybrid approach to agile scalability will provide you with an opportunity to explore the best of both worlds.

How Orangescrum Doing

As straight forward this may sound, implementation isn’t that easy.

Head over to any job posting sites and go over a few Scrum Master, Agile Coach job descriptions.

You will see how cumbersome and contradicting requirements are listed there.

No one is to blame. But it explains all too clear how unaware organizations are about their own real needs.

It isn’t a bad thing. Rather a great area to start fixes with.

On the other hand, the market you are in and the way your company functions may not be very conducive to agile practices and may make an attempt irrelevant from the word go.

Hence, obtaining & maintaining absolute engagement at all levels across the organization is key to the agile methodology adoption.

Conclusion

Before implementing and scaling agile, you need to identify whether it is the right fit for your organization or not.

Have a clear vision and objective you want to achieve with it. Involve your team in the planning phase, plan by focusing on essentials in mind. Use a mix and match approach to fit agile according to your business requirements.

Do not forget to assess the impact of these changes on key stakeholders such as customers and your team. At the end of the day, this is what will determine the outcome of your efforts.