Advanced Roadmaps - Create Feature type UNDER Epic

[Arjun Pandey]

We're trying to create a hierarchy as follows:

1. Initiative

2. Epic

3. Feature

4. Story

I'm not sure if it's the interface or it's not possible, but how can we add a custom hierarchy UNDER Epic? 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

Plain Jira's hierarchy is

Issue (Story) -> Sub-task

If you add Software, it gives you 

Epic -> Issue (Story) -> Sub-task

Advanced Roadmaps (nee Portfolio) adds themes and initiatives above that.  Jira Align gives you a hierarchy right the way up through SAFe (and other agile at scale frameworks).  Then there are non-Atlassian apps you can add that will do some more layers - Big-Picture and Easy Agile for example allow for more layers, aimed at going above the Epic level.

But Structure is the only app that lets you extend Jira Software and insert between the layers.

Note that through all of that, there's a bit of a problem - Jira Software says "Epic" at one layer, but that layer is called "Feature" throughout most of the rest of the world, using Epic as the layer above (even Jira Align says "Jira-Epic" should be named "Feature").  Atlassian have something on the roadmap to fix this (like being able to rename the Epic issue type properly so it fits)

[Arjun Pandey]

Thanks @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- 

Very helpful, esp, for alternative options.  Thanks!

[Luqman Jamil]

@Arjun Pandey  did you solve this or you changed the hierarchy?  We also want to follow the same but i want to understand that what approach dd you take to solve this? Thank you in advance

[Rahul_RVS]

Hi @Arjun Pandey 

We have built a plugin specifically for this need and lot more.

You can use Issue Links to create levels below Epics and to visualize and track this hierarchy progress, you can try out our plugin Agile Tools.

Agile Tools - Epic Tree, Links Tree and Time in Status 

Key features of Links Hierarchy:

• Hierarchy upto 10 levels deep
• Progress % on "remaining estimate" or "original estimates"
• Edit Issue summary, time estimates, story points and assignee on the tree with real time updates in the progress
• Rolled up percentage completion at all levels
• Ability to add/remove the columns on the report

You get multiple other features as below in the same app

• More than 8 types of Time in Status Reports. Excel Export available for all status reports.
• Epic Hierarchy / Sum Up (Standard Jira Hierarchy Epic -> Story -> SubTask)
• Portfolio/Advanced roadmaps Hierarchy. Levels above Epic
  
• Worklogs Report
• Timesheet Entry screen
• Dashboard gadgets for all the reports

[Danny Morales]

Hi wondering if you can direct me on how to actually create feature under epic. I've looked through basic documentation and can't find anything.

[Rahul_RVS]

Hi @Danny Morales 

You can use Issue Links to create your own hierarchy. On the Epic Issue screen, click on "Link Issue" and you can link a "Feature" Issue type of any issue type to that Epic.

And on "Links Hierarchy" page in our app, you can view the hierarchy based on your issue links.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

Rahul

[Rhys Diab _Agile Docs_]

Hi @Arjun Pandey 

As mentioned above, Jira's default issue hierarchy is Epic -> Story -> Sub-task. If you upgrade to Jira Cloud Premium you can create an issue type above Epics such as an Initiative. But you can't create issue types below Epics at this time.

We created a plugin called Agile Docs which lets your create issue types both above and below Epics.

So you could create an Initiative -> Epic -> Feature -> Story hierarchy. It would look like the screenshot below.

There are other plugins which have similar functionality you can find by searching "hierarchy" in the Atlassian Marketplace.

[John Funk]

Hi Arjun,

See this article on guidance for adding Initiative to the hierarchy for Advanced Roadmaps. 

https://confluence.atlassian.com/advancedroadmapscloud/configure-your-instance-998650924.html

[Arjun Pandey]

Hello John,

No problems creating initiative above EPIC - we're trying to create Feature Under Epic.

Do custom hierarchies only allow for things above EPIC?

[John Funk]

Sorry - I missed that. No that is not possible unless you create Feature as a regular issue type and Story as a Sub-task type. You cannot have two regular issue types have a parent-child relationship.