Capture agile release train data

The license package Lean Portfolio Management is required to work with agile release trains. The use case Agile Implementation must be activated.

Agile release trains have program increments that timebox the release and each program increment has iterations that describe the specific measurable steps that need to be taken to achieve the goals. Your enterprise can specify multiple agile release trains.

In the navigation panel, go to Agile Architecture > Agile Release Trains and click the root node of the Agile Release Trains explorer. Go to Overview > Agile Release Trains.​ Per default, the data workbench displays only a set of basic attributes. You can add more columns to capture other attributes directly in the data workbench or you can navigate to an agile release train's content area and define it in more detail there. Click to learn about how to use data workbenches.

Try to capture as much information as possible about the agile release train because complete data considerably improves the results of business questions and other analytics.

Once an agile release train is in the repository, you can define more details about it in the Agile Release Trains data workbench . Or specify and analyze the agile release train in detail in its content area . In the data workbench, click the Navigate button for a agile release train to open its content area > Overview page. All mandatory fields must be defined to create the agile release train and save it.

Per default, the data workbench displays a limited set of basic attributes. You can add more columns via the Structure column to capture other attributes directly in the data workbench.

Define the agile release train's basic data. All mandatory fields must be defined to create the agile release train and save it.

A role represents a functional responsibility that a user or organization has for the agile release train. Assigning users and organizations to roles is critical to understanding responsibility for assets in the IT and is required to answer the business question Who is responsible for our assets?

Responsibilities are based on preconfigured role types. Your company may also configure custom role types via the Portfolio Admin user profile. Depending on the role type, a specified user and/or a specified organization may fulfill the responsibility for the agile release train. A user assigned responsibility via a role has read-only permissions to the agile release train. To change data about the agile release train, they must also be specified as an authorized user or member of an authorized user group.

Roles can be assigned to an agile release train in the Agile Release Trains data workbench or the agile release train content area via Overview > Responsibilities. A person can have one of the following roles or a custom role added by your company:

To specify responsibilities for the agile release train:

  1. Click in the relevant role field to open the selector.
  2. Expand the ORGANIZATION or USER sections in the selector and select the person or organization fulfilling the role.
  3. Click OK to save the role definition and close the selector.

The first step in realizing an agile release train is to specify program increments (PIs) that serve as timeboxes for feature development.

In the navigation panel, go to Agile Architecture > Agile Release Trains and click the root node of the Agile Release Trains explorer. Go to Overview > Program Increments.​ Or go to the agile release train content area via Overview > Program Increments.

Click the New plus sign button > Create Program Increment. Specify the program increment's basic attributes. All mandatory fields must be defined to create the program increment and save it. In the Program Increments view, click the Navigate  Navigate button next to a program increment to open its content area and specify the program increment's attributes.

Go to the agile release train's content area > Execution > PI Planning. You can review and align the planning of the program increments for the agile release train and create new program increments.

  • The timeline covers the agile release train's planned start date to the planned end date. The vertical blue line shows the current date.
  • The view shows the time schedule of the selected agile release train AgileReleaseTrain , its program increments  ProgramIncrement , and their defined iterations  Iteration. The colored bars show the start and end dates of the agile release train, program increments, and iterations.

Create a new program increment. Click the agile release train  AgileReleaseTrain in the Gantt chart >  New plus sign button > Create Subordinate. Specify the basic attributes including the start and end date of the program increment in the editor and click OK.

Create a new iteration. Click the program increment  ProgramIncrement that you want to create the iteration for >  New plus sign button > Create Subordinate. Specify the basic attributes including the start and end date of the iteration in the editor and click OK.

Go to the agile release train's content area > Execution > Feature Kanban. The columns display the program increments (PIs) defined for the agile release train. The cards in the lane display the features assigned to the program increments.

Move a feature to a different program increment. Drag-and drop a feature to a different program increment.

Add a feature to a program increment. Click the lane for the program increment in the Kanban >  Add_Reference add feature button. Select the feature to add in the selector and click OK.

You can create milestones for the agile release train in order to track and manage the progress of the agile release trains.

Go to the agile release train's content area > Execution > ART Event Planning.

Add milestones to the agile release train.

  1. Click New > Create Ad-Hoc Milestone.
  2. Specify a caption and colors for the milestone. If the milestone is in the past and has been completed, check Completed. Click OK to add the milestone to the agile release train.

Change a milestone's target date.

  1. Select a milestone and click the Edit button.
  2. Change the Target Date field and click OK.
  3. The ART Event Planning view will show the original target date in the Original Target Date column and the new target date in the Target Date column. If the date has been changed several times, the most recently changed target date will be displayed in the Previous Target Date column.

Set a milestone to complete.

  1. Select a milestone and click the Edit button.
  2. Set a checkmark for the Completed field and click OK.
  3. The ART Event Planning view will show Yes in the Completed column.

The assets that are impacted by an agile release train make up its solution scope. You can specify any application, business capability, business process, component, information flow, or organization as an asset that is impacted by the agile release train.

  1. Go to the agile release train's content area > Solution Scope > Affected Architecture.
  2. Click New > and select the relevant option to add the architecture impacted by the agile release train.

    Information flows specified for applications that have been added to the agile release train's architecture scope will not be automatically added to the agile release train. You must explicitly add the relevant information flows to the agile release train in the Affected Architecture view.

  3. Select the relevant assets and click OK.
  4. To document the planned changes to one or more architecture elements assigned to the agile release train's scope, click the ThreeDots_Black 3-dots button >  EditSingle  Edit. Provide a comment about the change and set the Change Category to describe the how the asset will be changed by the agile release train:
    • New: The asset will be introduced in the scope of the agile release train.
    • Updating: The asset will be significantly updated in the scope of the agile release train.
    • Changing: The asset will be changed to some degree in the scope of the agile release train.
    • Retiring: The asset will be retired in the scope of the agile release train.

Go to the agile release train's content area > Overview > Portfolio Alignment. The Portfolio Alignment report provides a clear visual representation of how the agile release train translates strategy into real business impact, connecting epics through the solution scope to the value streams they ultimately serve. It shows not just why work is prioritized, but how it is executed and where its outcomes materialize across the organization, creating a direct line of sight from intent to value.

By linking epics to specific applications and components, the report reveals how each epic is realized in practice and which parts of the solution are involved. This exposes the technical footprint of the work and highlights the systems that must be coordinated to deliver it. The connection from the applications and components in the solution scope to value streams shows where business value is created and which areas of the organization benefit.

The report makes it easy to see whether an epic drives focused outcomes or broadly influences multiple value streams. At the same time, the density of connections reflects delivery complexity: a wider network signals greater coordination effort and risk, while a tighter set of links points to more targeted, streamlined execution.

To understand the overall agile structure, go to Agile Architecture > Agile Release Trains and click the root node of the Agile Release Trains explorer. Click the Execution page in the content area to view the time schedule of all agile release trains.

Get a clear overview of the agile delivery roadmap, track key milestones sand ensure alignment with your agile timeline to stay on schedule for successful delivery. Review and align the planning of the program increments for the agile release train and understand the lifecycles of the applications and components assigned to the solution scope.

  • The timeline shows all agile release trains AgileReleaseTrain , their program increments  ProgramIncrement and their defined iterations  Iteration.
  • The timeline also shows developmental values streams as well as applications Application and components  Component that make up the solution scope of the agile release train.
  • The colored bars show the start and end dates of the agile release train, program increments, iterations, developmental value streams, applications and components.
  • The vertical blue line shows the current date.

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