Create & Manage Release & Sprint

This document provides instructions on how to create a new release and sprint in SimplifyQA.

Creating a New Release

1. Access the Release Creation Page:

   • Navigate to the Releases section from the left menu.

   • Click the "Create" button.

   • Select 'Release' option from the dropdown.

1. Enter Release Details:

• Name: Provide a clear and concise name for the release.

• Owner: Select the project owner responsible for the release.

• Projects: Associate the release with the relevant projects.

• Planned Start Date: Set the planned start date for the release.

• Planned End Date: Set the planned end date for the release.

• Estimated Effort: Estimate the total effort required for the release (in hours or story points).

• Description: Provide a brief description of the release's goals and objectives.

1. Save the Release:

• Click the "Create" button to save the new release.

• Click the 'Save & Create Sprint' to save the new release and create sprint.

Creating a New Sprint

1. Sprint Creation Page:

   • Navigate to the Sprints section from the left menu.

   • Click the "Create Sprint" button.

2. Enter Sprint Details:

   • Name: Provide a clear and concise name for the sprint.

   • Owner: Select the project owner responsible for the sprint.

   • Start Date: Set the start date for the sprint.

   • End Date: Set the end date for the sprint.

   • Release: Select the release to which the sprint belongs.

   • Description: Provide a brief description of the sprint's goals and objectives.

1. Save the Sprint:

• Click the "Create" button to save the new sprint.

Plan your Sprint

Once a release and sprint have been created, start planning the work for your team.

To add stories, tasks and defects to your sprint:

• Navigate to sprint plan.

• Drag and drop the items in the designated sprint

Note: Create and plan sprints for the future to align with the product roadmap.

Start the Sprint

• Navigate to the Sprint: Open the specific sprint you want to start.

• Start the Sprint: Click on the "Start Sprint" button. This action officially initiates the sprint.
• Check Sprint Details: Verify the sprint details and the tasks, defects or user stories assigned to it.

• Confirm: Click on 'Confirm' to start the sprint.

Sprint states in SimplifyQA

You come across 2 different sprint states in SimplifyQA:

1. New

2. In-progress

3. Completed

• New: A newly created sprint that has not yet begun and means that

  • No work has started.

  • The sprint backlog is being defined or refined.

  • The team is preparing for the sprint planning meeting.

  • What are the next steps to start the sprint?

    • Define the sprint goal.

    • Select backlog items to be included in the sprint.

    • Break down tasks and estimate effort.

    • Assign tasks to team members.

• In-Progress: A sprint that is currently underway & active and means that

  • The sprint planning meeting has been completed.

  • The team is actively working on tasks and user stories.

  • Daily stand-ups are conducted to track progress and address issues.

  • Regular reviews and retrospectives are scheduled.

  • What actions need to be taken to ensure the sprint is goal is achieved?

    • Daily stand-ups to track progress and address impediments.

    • Work on assigned tasks and user stories.

    • Collaborate with team members to resolve issues.

    • Conduct regular code reviews and testing.

• Completed: A sprint that has been finished and all its tasks have been completed and means that

  • The sprint review and retrospective meetings have been conducted.

  • The team has delivered the planned work.

  • The sprint backlog has been updated to reflect the completed work.

  • The team is ready to start the next sprint.

  • Before closing the sprint, you need to ensure,

    • Conduct a sprint review to demonstrate completed work.

    • Hold a retrospective meeting to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement.

    • Update the product backlog with completed and remaining items.

    • Prepare for the next sprint planning meeting.

Close the Sprint

• Navigate to the Sprint: Open the specific sprint you want to close.

• Close the Sprint: Click on the "Close Sprint" button. This action officially close the sprint.

• Verify Sprint Completion: Ensure all tasks and user stories within the sprint are marked as "completed." Review the sprint backlog to confirm that all planned work has been finished.

• Confirm: Click on 'Confirm' to close the sprint.

Additional Tips

• Break Down Work into Tasks: Within each sprint, create tasks to break down the work into smaller, manageable chunks.

• Estimate Task Effort: Assign estimated effort (in hours or story points) to each task which gives you visibility on the capacity of the team.

• Assign Tasks to Team Members: Assign tasks to the appropriate team members, ensure to tag multiple teams if there are stories which requires cross functional team to be involved.

• Track Sprint Progress: Monitor the progress of each sprint and make adjustments as needed.

• Review and Reflect: After each sprint, conduct a retrospective meeting to review what went well, what didn't, and what can be improved in future sprints.