ProductGo Basics #4: How to use Portfolio Board

Building effective product strategies requires overseeing multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they align with broader organizational goals. The Portfolio Board feature in ProductGo provides a solution by enabling teams to visualize and manage work across several projects or products on a single board, streamlining the planning and tracking processes.

What is the Portfolio Board?

The Portfolio Board in ProductGo offers a high-level view of multiple projects or programs, visually representing them as a cohesive portfolio. This approach allows teams to track progress, manage risks, and confirm alignment with organizational strategy.

The Portfolio Board’s primary purpose is to provide an overview of all projects within a portfolio, empowering managers to make data-driven decisions on resource allocation and work prioritization. It also serves as a communication tool, providing stakeholders with a clear snapshot of the portfolio’s health and progress.

Key Features

ProductGo’s Portfolio Board is designed to enhance project management through several key features:

• Customizable Templates: Choose between 2 or 3-level templates to suit your project’s complexity.
• Theme and Color Customization: Personalize the board’s appearance by changing themes and issue colors for better visual distinction.
• Multi-Project Support: Manage and track work across multiple projects from a single board, providing a holistic view of your portfolio.
• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easily move issues or tasks between projects or within the board to streamline planning and prioritization.
• Enhanced User Interface: Benefit from a modern, intuitive UI that improves performance and user experience.

These features collectively facilitate efficient planning, tracking, and management of multiple projects within Jira

Why Roadmapping is Essential in Product Development

The Portfolio Board brings multiple advantages, especially in complex product development environments:

• Strategic Alignment: Ensures product initiatives align with the company’s larger strategic objectives.
• Resource Optimization: Enables better distribution of resources across projects, preventing bottlenecks and enhancing productivity.
• Risk Management: Provides a centralized view for assessing and mitigating risks across projects.
• Informed Decision-Making: Supports project selection, prioritization, and continuation based on real-time data.
• Performance Monitoring: Tracks project outcomes and progress, allowing teams to implement timely adjustments.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Fosters knowledge sharing and teamwork across various functional teams.
• Governance and Control: Establishes consistency and high standards in product development.

Getting Started with ProductGo’s Portfolio Board

ProductGo is an agile product management tool built for the Jira platform, assisting teams in building products effectively. It offers various tools, including Story Maps, Roadmaps, and Portfolio Boards, to facilitate team collaboration, progress tracking, and stakeholder communication.

Seamless Integration: ProductGo operates within Jira, enabling users to create and manage Story Maps, Roadmaps, and Portfolio Boards without leaving the Jira environment.

Steps to Set Up a Portfolio Board in ProductGo

Step 1: Access the Portfolio Board Feature

Navigate to the Portfolio Board through the following path in ProductGo:

• Go to Apps → ProductGo → Portfolios tab.

Step 2: Create a New Portfolio Board

Click Create to set up a new Portfolio Board and complete the following:

• Select a Template: Choose a 2 or 3-level template for your board.
• Set Data: Define the details of your board, including which projects to include.
• Set Permissions: Assign access to specific team members from Jira.

After setting up, the Portfolio Board will appear under the Portfolios tab.

Step 3: Join the Portfolio Board

To access the newly created board, click on its title in the Portfolios tab.

Step 4: Define Goals, Epics, and Stories

Organize work by adding Goals, Epics, and Stories:

• Create Cards: Add cards for each item with detailed information.
• Drag and Drop: Use the Issues button to drag and drop issues directly into the relevant sections.

Step 5: Add Swimlanes

To further organize work, add Swimlanes:

• Click Add new swimlane row and enter the required details.

Step 6: Customize the Board

Personalize the board by changing card colors, modifying themes, and adapting other visual elements to fit your team’s preferences.

Best Practices for Using the Portfolio Board

To maximize the effectiveness of the Portfolio Board, consider the following best practices:

1. Align with Business Goals: Ensure that all projects and tasks on the board are directly linked to the organization’s strategic objectives.
2. Regular Updates: Keep the board current by frequently updating statuses, adding new tasks, and removing completed items.
3. Clear Communication: Use the board as a communication tool to keep all stakeholders informed about progress and changes.
4. Prioritize Effectively: Regularly assess and prioritize tasks to focus on high-impact activities.
5. Monitor Dependencies: Identify and manage dependencies between tasks to prevent bottlenecks.

Need Help?

We’re here to make sure you succeed with ProductGo:

• Check out our detailed documentation
• Watch our quick-start video guides
• Email our support team at atlassian@devsamurai.com
• Create a support ticket for specific questions

Ready to make product management easier? Try ProductGo free for 30 days and see the difference it can make for your team.

Summary

The Portfolio Board feature is an invaluable tool for teams looking to improve their planning, tracking, and communication across multiple projects. By integrating with Jira, the Portfolio Board consolidates various work streams, helping teams manage complex portfolios more efficiently. This feature empowers teams to prioritize work, align resources with strategic objectives, and maintain clear communication with stakeholders throughout the product development lifecycle.