how to view a roadmap or timeline for multiple projects that don't use epics

[ian]

Is there a tool/method that provides a timeline/roadmap view of multiple projects when those projects don't include Epics?

The project plan template looks ideal, but it uses initiatives that require Epics in the source projects.

We were looking at the 'Project Management' template as it seems simpler to implement than the Kanban software project template. But it doesn't include Epics as an issue type. Meaning that these projects can't be connected to initiatives in a project plan.

Is there another way to visualise a timeline of all projects? I can't seem to find one.

Perhaps we can add the Epic issue type to the Project Management template? But then I suspect we may as well use the full Kanban 'software project' template and modify the board to suit our project workflow.

For context, we are a small IT team that are already using Jira Service Management for our company service requests, alerting etc. but are looking for something to manage projects that don't really fit the service management model/platform. We've created an "Epic" issue type in JSM by cloning a Change Management template but not convinced that is the best approach.

[Yuliia Hushcha {Reliex} · Accepted solution]

Hi @ian 

I can suggest you ActivityTimeline plugin which could be a great solution to view a timeline for multiple projects that don't use epics. 

Within ActivityTimeline, you can access planning timelines through a comprehensive Planning Dashboard. This dashboard features User/Team Timelines and a list of Jira projects containing all associated tasks. It offers the flexibility to switch between different teams and modify the planning scope according to specific requirements. Moreover, the seamless synchronization between ActivityTimeline and Jira ensures that any updates made on either platform are automatically reflected in the other, promoting real-time data consistency.

Additionally, ActivityTimeline offers internal custom events such as vacations, days-off and sick leaves, and more, which are not present in Jira. These custom events prove to be highly beneficial for holiday management and workload planning purposes.
 
The app makes it simple to keep track of multiple projects using Special Filters. With timesheet timelines, you can easily keep tabs on how much time you spend on specific tasks and projects.



Feel free to schedule free demo session and we will show you how we can can help you. 

[Mary from Planyway · Accepted solution]

Hi @ian 

To address your need for a timeline/roadmap view of multiple projects in Jira, especially when these projects do not include Epics, I recommend considering Planyway for Jira. This tool offers a comprehensive solution that can meet your requirements without needing to restructure your existing project templates or add Epics.

Planyway integrates seamlessly with Jira and does not require the use of Epics to create a coherent timeline. This means you can continue using your preferred project templates, such as the 'Project Management' template, without needing to add Epics.

[Michał Kowalewski_SolDevelo]

Hi @ian 

You can consider the Team Planner - Resource Planning and Capacity Planning app, which was developed by SolDevelo, the company I'm working for.

The application allows you to create multiple plans. When creating a plan, you can specify which project it should belong to, but you can still add tasks from different projects to it. 

The plan is in the form of a clear and easy-to-navigate calendar.

On the plan you can add your team members, assign tasks, filter tasks, specify the goal of the plan or add days off for a particular user.

What's more, you can also specify capacity by displaying such estimations like Original Estimate value or Story Points.

I will be happy to meet you and answer your questions you may have. Feel free to book a demo or ask the question.

Kind regards,
Michał
SolDevelo Team 

[ian]

Thanks for the info Maria and Yuliia. I'll keep those in mind but we've decided for the moment to use the one Jira project to manage our projects as we are a small team, and the projects are generally not very big. Each project will effectively be an Epic. And we'll use the Top Level Planning tool for tying selected Epics into our parts of the company business plan.

[ian]

Just discovered similar question here: How do I view all projects with associated timelin... (atlassian.com)

I suspect that nothing has really changed in the past 2 years but will leave this open in case someone knows something I don't.