Using scenarios
To use scenarios, make sure you've already enabled scenarios in your plan. Once enabled, you can create as many scenarios as you need, and make as many changes as you want for each scenario. Any unsaved changes are individually specific to each scenario.
Scenarios let you experiment with how work is scheduled across different versions of your plan. With multiple scenarios in place, it's easier to assess the impact of unplanned risks on the ability of your teams to deliver work on time.
Sample plan, with configured scenarios available
Planning work with scenarios
When you've already created multiple scenarios in your plan, you can switch from one scenario to another to experiment with various changes.
Let's say, you have Scenario A, with your standard team velocity. However, you're aware that there's a chance something will come up that can reduce your team's velocity. This may be cause by additional work, or perhaps you need to pull out a few people from the planned work. Whatever the cause, you can create Scenario B, where your team velocity is reduced. With Scenarios A and B in place, you can then switch between these, and assess the impact of velocity risks on your teams' delivery.
Sample plan, with scenarios configured
To plan work with multiple scenarios:
- In your plan, click the Scenario drop-down.
- From the list of available scenarios, select the scenario that you want to use.
- In the selected scenario, make the necessary changes. Note that any changes you make will only apply to the selected scenario.
- From the list of available scenarios, select another scenario that you want to use, and then make the necessary changes.
- As long as necessary, keep making the necessary changes across the available scenarios.
- With all the changes made in the scenarios, select the scenario is the most realistic for your team.
In the roadmap view of your plan, above the timeline section, click Review changes. The 'Review changes' dialog will display, with all changes selected by default.
While reviewing your changes, perform the following as needed:
- To view multiple changes, expand the corresponding item in the 'What changed' column.
- With all the checkboxes already selected by default, clear the ones for the changes you do not want to save in Jira. While these changes won't be saved in Jira, these will still exist in your Portfolio plan.
- Select the checkboxes of the changes you want to save in Jira, then click Save selected changes in Jira.
- To discard any changes, select the checkboxes of these changes, then click Discard selected changes. These changes will then be discarded from your plan, and the values will revert to the ones currently saved in Jira.