GeekyMukesh

Introduction

In the world of software development, effective project management is crucial to delivering high-quality products on time. Azure Boards, part of the Azure DevOps suite, offers a powerful platform for managing your development projects using Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban. In this blog, we will explore the various features of Azure Boards, dive into key concepts, and provide hands-on guidance to help you get started.

What is Azure Boards?

Azure Boards is a robust project management tool designed to help teams plan, track, and discuss work across their projects. With its flexible work item tracking, customizable dashboards, and integration with other Azure DevOps services, Azure Boards empowers teams to adopt Agile practices effectively.

Understanding Azure Boards

Azure Boards provides a robust platform for managing project tasks and workflows. Specifically, It supports both Scrum and Kanban methodologies, allowing teams to choose the approach that best fits their project needs.

Scrum is ideal for projects that require structured sprints, while on the other hand, Kanban offers flexibility by visualizing work in progress.

Furthermore, for an introduction to agile methodologies, refer to my post on Getting Started with Azure DevOps.

Key Features of Azure Boards

1. Work Items:
   • Work items are the building blocks of Azure Boards. In particular, They represent tasks, bugs, user stories, features, and epics. Teams can create custom work item types to fit their specific needs.
   • Custom Processes: Azure Boards allows you to create custom processes tailored to your team’s needs. This feature can be particularly useful when you want to implement specific workflows.
   • Each work item can include details such as descriptions, assignments, priority, and status, making it easier to track progress.
   • Querying Work Items: Utilize queries to filter and manage work items effectively. Consequently, queries can help you track specific issues or progress on user stories.
2. Scrum and Kanban Support:
   • Azure Boards supports both Scrum and Kanban methodologies. Scrum teams can manage sprints, backlog items, and burndown charts, while Kanban teams can visualize work in progress using boards that display work items in different stages.
   • Teams can switch between these methodologies based on project requirements.
     • Deep Dive into Scrum and Kanban
       • When it comes to tracking progress, both Scrum and Kanban boards are essential:
       • Scrum Boards: These are ideal for teams that work in sprints. You can create a sprint backlog and monitor progress during the sprint cycle.
       • On the other hand, Kanban Boards are perfect for continuous delivery environments. These boards allow for visual management of tasks and limit work in progress.
3. Customizable Dashboards:
   • Dashboards in Azure Boards allow teams to visualize key metrics and track project progress. You can customize dashboards with various widgets, such as pie charts, status indicators, and query results.
   • Dashboards help stakeholders stay informed about project health and team performance.
4. Queries and Filters:
   • Azure Boards provides powerful querying capabilities that allow users to filter and retrieve work items based on specific criteria. This helps teams focus on relevant work items and prioritize tasks effectively.
5. Integration with Azure DevOps:
   • Azure Boards seamlessly integrates with other Azure DevOps services, such as Azure Repos and Azure Pipelines. This integration allows teams to link code changes, builds, and releases to work items, creating a comprehensive development lifecycle.

Understanding Azure Board Processes

Azure Boards uses different processes to define the structure and behavior of work items. The three main processes include:

1. Agile:
   • The Agile process is suitable for teams that follow Agile methodologies. It includes work item types such as epics, features, user stories, tasks, and bugs, allowing for a flexible and iterative approach.
2. Scrum:
   • The Scrum process is designed for teams following the Scrum framework. It emphasizes roles, ceremonies, and artifacts associated with Scrum, such as sprints, backlogs, and burndown charts.
3. CMMI:
   • The CMMI process is intended for teams requiring a more structured approach to project management. It includes additional work item types and workflow states, making it suitable for larger organizations.

Deep Dive into Work Items

Work items in Azure Boards are categorized based on their hierarchy. Here’s a breakdown of the key types:

• Epics: Large features or initiatives that span multiple sprints or releases.
• Features: Specific functionalities or capabilities that contribute to an epic.
• User Stories: End-user requirements that describe what the user wants to achieve.
• Tasks: Specific actions or work required to complete a user story or feature.
• Bugs: Issues or defects identified in the product that need fixing.

Creating and Managing Work Items

1. To create a new work item:
   • Navigate to the Azure Boards section of your project.
   • Click on the “New Work Item” button and select the type you want to create (e.g., User Story, Bug).
   • Fill in the necessary details and save the work item.
2. You can update work items by clicking on them to open the details view, where you can edit fields, add comments, and change status.

Hands-On: Using Azure Boards

In this hands-on exercise, you will create and manage an Azure Board for an educational course platform project. This project will cover various aspects, including work item creation, board configuration, sprint planning, and integration with Azure Pipelines.

Step 1: Create a New Azure DevOps Project

1. Sign in to Azure DevOps:
   • Navigate to Azure DevOps.
   • Sign in with your Microsoft account or organization credentials.
2. Create a New Project:
   • Click on the “New Project” button on the dashboard.
   • Project Name: Enter “Educational Course Platform”.
   • Description: (Optional) Enter a brief description of your project.
   • Visibility: Choose between Public or Private.
   • Click “Create”.

Step 2: Define Your Work Item Types

1. Navigate to Boards:
   • On the left sidebar, click on “Boards” and then “Work Items”.
2. Create Epics:
   • Click on “New Work Item” and select “Epic”.
   • Title: Enter “User Management”.
   • Description: Provide details about user management functionalities (e.g., user registration, login).
   • Click “Save & Close”.
   • Repeat this process to create other Epics, such as “Course Management” and “Payment Processing”.
3. Create Features:
   • Click on the Epic you just created to open it.
   • Under the Related Work section, click “Add link” and select “New item” to create a Feature.
   • Title: Enter “User Registration”.
   • Click “Save & Close”.
4. Create User Stories:
   • Within the Feature, click “Add link” and select “New item” to create a User Story.
   • Title: Enter “As a user, I want to register using my email”.
   • Acceptance Criteria: Outline what needs to be met for the story to be complete.
   • Click “Save & Close”.

Step 3: Set Up a Kanban Board

1. Access the Kanban Board:
   • In the left sidebar, navigate to “Boards” and click on “Boards” again.
2. Configure Columns:
   • Click on the gear icon (⚙️) in the top right corner to configure columns.
   • Add or modify columns such as To Do, In Progress, and Done.
   • Click “Save” after making your changes.
3. Visualize Work Items:
   • Drag and drop user stories from the To Do column to In Progress when you start working on them.
   • Once complete, move them to the Done column.

Step 4: Plan Your Sprints

1. Navigate to Sprints:
   • Click on “Sprints” in the left sidebar under Boards.
2. Create a New Sprint:
   • Click on “New Sprint”.
   • Sprint Name: Enter “Sprint 1”.
   • Start Date: Select the start date (e.g., today).
   • End Date: Set a duration (e.g., 2 weeks).
   • Click “Create”.
3. Assign Work Items to Sprint:
   • Click on “Backlogs” to view all work items.
   • Drag user stories into the newly created sprint.
4. Conduct Sprint Planning:
   • Schedule a sprint planning meeting with your team.
   • Discuss the work items to be completed in the sprint and finalize the assignment of tasks.

Step 5: Use Queries for Progress Tracking

1. Create a Query:
   • Navigate to “Boards” and select “Queries”.
   • Click on “New Query”.
   • Set filters (e.g., Work Item Type = User Story AND State = In Progress).
   • Click “Run Query” to see the filtered results.
   • Save the query with a descriptive name (e.g., “In Progress User Stories”).
2. Generate Reports:
   • Use saved queries to generate reports for sprint reviews.
   • Customize reports to include work items completed, remaining tasks, and overall team performance.

Step 6: Integrate with Azure Pipelines

1. Set Up Azure Pipelines:
   • Navigate to “Pipelines” in the left sidebar.
   • Click “Create Pipeline”.
   • Follow the wizard to select your repository (e.g., Azure Repos or GitHub) and configure your CI/CD pipeline.
2. Link Work Items to Commits:
   • When making commits in your code repository, reference the work item ID (e.g., “Fixes #123”) in your commit message.
   • This will link the commit to the corresponding work item in Azure Boards.
3. Monitor Pipeline Runs:
   • Once your pipeline is set up, monitor the runs for each deployment.
   • Check for any failed builds or deployments and link them back to work items for resolution.

Step 7: Customize Dashboards for Visibility

1. Create a Dashboard:
   • Click on “Dashboards” in the left sidebar.
   • Click on “New Dashboard” and give it a name (e.g., “Project Overview”).
   • Choose the layout and click “Create”.
2. Add Widgets:
   • Click on “Add Widget” to customize your dashboard.
   • Add widgets like Sprint Burndown, Query Results, and Work Item Chart.
   • Configure each widget to display relevant data for your team’s needs.
3. Share the Dashboard:
   • Share the dashboard with your team members for collaborative visibility on project progress.