TFS add-on for the easier Scrum management

For a long time the Xplicity team, developing multiple projects for Login VSI, Login AM, Agiboo, IDM and many others, was using a combination of Pivotal Tracker and Team Foundation Server to track the progress of implemented tasks during the sprints.

THE PROBLEM

However, it wasn’t always the most convenient solution to quickly check the progress for a product manager or a client. Of course, if you want lots of in-depth details you can see them in a view like this:

But what if a product manager or team lead only wants to know, at one quick glance without too much details, where the team is with the implementation by task? At that point, the team decided to try out Team Foundation Server (TFS). It seemed to have all the necessary things when you open the dashboard page:

However, the team discovered that the system is still not sufficient enough as a tool to highlight all the essential information in one quick overview. Also, it doesn’t always draw a sprint progress (burndown) chart or compiles other useful data in one overview.

THE SOLUTION

For that reason, the team now is working on an add-on for TFS. At the moment the prototype looks like this:

This system will allow you to:

  1. Compare actual progress with ideal trend;
  2. Immediately see closed, active and resolved tasks (they are highlighted in different colors to get for a quick overview);
  3. See status of the builds;
  4. Help to ensure delivering tasks on time;
  5. Suggest the time-saving solution to assess the processes;
  6. Help to plan easier future tasks.

FORESEEN OPPORTUNITIES

More to come in the near future:

  • Sprint planning tools:
  • Task/story management;
  • Task prioritizing;
  • Backlog management;
  • Iteration management.
  • Code review indication;
  • Improved burnup chart;
  • Analytics;
  • Desktop notifications;
  • Etc.

Does the primary version of Tfs Tracker seem to be incomplete for you too? Would you like to have an excellent tool for being able to check the status update in 10 seconds? We believe that all genius solutions lie in simplicity. That‘s why we put all complex content into one simple picture.

We plan to make this tool downloadable from the www.xplicity.com website in the near future. Do you feel that this tool is what you are looking for in your in your development process? Let us know! hello@xplicity.com