“Solution flow metrics” dashboard template

This dashboard provides you with data that lets you analyze and measure the flow of value through a solution, which contains multiple child programs. Flow metrics help you assess how efficient teams inside your solution are at delivering value (capability and feature work items) and meeting outcomes (solution and program objectives). You can also use the metrics to help you identify bottlenecks and areas for process improvement.

Controls on the dashboard

Use the following controls to configure the dashboard:

Solution	“Dropdown” control that: contributes to populate the options in the Program increments and Flow item types controls filters all charts for the solution your work items are associated with
Program increments	“Dropdown” control that: contributes to populate the options in the Flow item types control filters all charts for data relating to specific program increments that your work items are planned for
Flow item types	“Dropdown” control to filter all charts (except for the Business results and Key results charts) for specific types of work you want to report on Flow items are Jira Align capabilities or features with a Type field set to one of the following options: Architectural: Work that represents improvements and refactoring of development architecture. Business: Work that represents new value to the business. Debt: Work that represents technical debt, such as code refactoring. Defect: Work that represents fixes for quality problems that affect users. Enabler: Work that represents technical requirements for providing additional value. For example, building out more architectural runway for new technology. Non Functional: Work that represents documentation, process improvements, and other efforts that do not result in functional features or code. Supporting: Work that represents efforts that must be taken on outside of new value delivery, such as production support and maintenance. Risk: Work that represents security, privacy, or compliance. Not set: Work that has not yet been classified as one of the choices above. This category does not include items with an empty Type field.

Solution

“Dropdown” control that:

contributes to populate the options in the Program increments and Flow item types controls
filters all charts for the solution your work items are associated with

Program increments

“Dropdown” control that:

contributes to populate the options in the Flow item types control
filters all charts for data relating to specific program increments that your work items are planned for

Flow item types

“Dropdown” control to filter all charts (except for the Business results and Key results charts) for specific types of work you want to report on

Flow items are Jira Align capabilities or features with a Type field set to one of the following options:

Architectural: Work that represents improvements and refactoring of development architecture.
Business: Work that represents new value to the business.
Debt: Work that represents technical debt, such as code refactoring.
Defect: Work that represents fixes for quality problems that affect users.
Enabler: Work that represents technical requirements for providing additional value. For example, building out more architectural runway for new technology.
Non Functional: Work that represents documentation, process improvements, and other efforts that do not result in functional features or code.
Supporting: Work that represents efforts that must be taken on outside of new value delivery, such as production support and maintenance.
Risk: Work that represents security, privacy, or compliance.
Not set: Work that has not yet been classified as one of the choices above. This category does not include items with an empty Type field.

Charts on the dashboard

Quick overview

The quick overview section has two child sections within it, each displaying flow metrics at different levels:

Solution metrics
Program metrics

Solution metrics

The solution metrics section displays data for capabilities and solution objectives.

Cycle time

Displays the average cycle time for capabilities in the selected filters. Cycle time represents the time to market for work, and is measured from when work begins until work completes.

Calculated as: (accepted date) - (in progress date)

Throughput

Displays the count of completed capabilities in the selected filters. Throughput represents the number of flow items delivered by the solution.

Work in progress

Displays the count of capabilities that are in progress in the current program increment. “Work in progress” represents the number of flow items that are in an active state.

Business results

Displays the count of completed solution objectives in the selected filters. “Business results” represents the number of objectives successfully achieved during the specified program increments.

Key results

Displays the average score from key results associated with completed solution objectives in the selected filters.

Program metrics

The program metrics section displays data for features and program objectives.

Cycle time

Displays the average cycle time for features in the selected filters. Cycle time represents the time to market for work, and is measured from when work begins until work completes. Cycle time for a feature includes waiting (blocked) working time.

For each feature, cycle time is calculated as: (accepted date) - (in progress date)

When in progress date is null, dev complete date is used: (accepted date) - (dev complete date)
When in progress date and dev complete date are null, test complete date is used: (accepted date) - (test complete date)

Efficiency

Displays the average efficiency across features in the selected filters. Efficiency is a metric that indicates if there is waste or bottlenecks in a value stream. Efficiency is measured as a ratio of active time worked on a flow item versus the total cycle time. A feature is inactive or waiting when the Blocked field is checked.

For each feature, efficiency is calculated as: ((number of days elapsed between accepted and in progress status) - (number of days blocked)) / (number of days elapsed between accepted and in progress status)

When in progress date is null, dev complete date is used
When in progress date and dev complete date are null, test complete date is used

Throughput

Displays the count of completed features in the selected filters. Throughput represents the number of flow items delivered by programs in the solution.

Work in progress

Displays the count of features that are in progress in the current program increment. “Work in progress” is a metric that measures the number of flow items that are in an active or waiting state.

A feature is considered in progress when its State field is set to In Progress, Dev Complete, or Test Complete.

Business results

Displays the count of completed program objectives in the selected filters. “Business results” represents the number of program objectives successfully achieved during the specified program increments.

Key results

Displays the average score from key results associated with completed program objectives in the selected filters.

Flow metrics analysis

Displays eight charts that explain how cycle time, throughput, efficiency, and work distribution have changed during multiple program increments.

Cycle time charts provide visibility into whether cycle time is increasing or decreasing over time, and the distribution across programs. Increasing cycle time may be an indication of a bottleneck or inefficiency within a program.

Throughput charts provide insight into if throughput is increasing, consistent, or decreasing over time, and show how delivery is distributed across programs, flow item types, and time periods. Throughput that trends lower over time indicates a potential bottleneck or issues within the portfolio that are slowing down delivery.

Solution cycle time trend

Displays the average cycle time for capabilities in the selected filters.

Solution throughput

Displays the number of completed capabilities, by flow item type, in each month that work was accepted. Note that if no work items are accepted within a certain month, that month will not display on the chart.

Program cycle time trend

Displays the average cycle time for features in the selected filters, for each program increment.

Program throughput

Displays the number of completed features, by flow item type, in each of the selected program increments. Note that if no work items are accepted within a certain month, that month will not display on the chart.

Program cycle time heat map

Displays the average cycle time for each combination of program and program increment from the selected filters. The chart can help you find where cycle time may be increasing for a specific program or time period.

Program throughput heat map

Displays the number of completed features for each combination of program and program increment from the selected filters.

Program flow efficiency trend

Displays the average efficiency, a percentage ratio, over multiple program increments. A higher percentage indicates that features spend less time waiting (blocked status).

Line chart titled "Program efficiency trend".

Program work distribution

Displays the count of each flow item type in each of the selected program increments. The chart can help highlight imbalances across the types of work planned during program increments. For example, if more time is spent working on defect and debt features, less capacity and time is available to deliver business features.

Business results and flow insights

Displays tables that provide details on solution objectives, capability cycle time, and program flow metrics within the selected filters.

Business results: solution objectives

Displays details on completed solution objectives, key result scores, and associated capabilities. The table provides you with the connection between the value delivered and the measurement of business outcomes.

Capability cycle time

Displays details from the capabilities that the cycle time average and charts on the dashboard are based on. The table provides insight into each capability’s cycle time, in-progress and accepted dates, and parent epic. The table is intended to help you pinpoint epics with excessive cycle time.

Program flow metrics

Displays summaries of each flow metric, broken down by program. Each row will display a program’s average cycle time, total throughput, average efficiency, number of items in progress, count of completed program objectives, and average key result score.

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