Business Roadmaps provide a high-level visual representation of your Features, Epics, Initiatives or any other issue type.
Roadmaps are included in Kendis' 'Org Views' package. If you haven’t explored Org Views yet, you can request a trial to get started.
Roadmaps offer an excellent way to visualize when items are scheduled to start and their intended end dates. With easy drag-and-drop functionality, you can quickly move items across different time periods, such as shifting them from Q1 2025 to Q3 2025. This makes it simple to create roadmaps that align everyone on the same page, eliminating the need for offline representations in Excel or PowerPoint.
Create Roadmap
Steps to Create Your First Roadmap in Kendis for Azure DevOps Items
1. Select Items
The first step in creating a roadmap is deciding what content you want to include. You can either:
Start with an empty roadmap and manually add items one by one
Create a filter in your "Backlog" within the Collection and use it to automatically populate your roadmap visualization.
2. Create a New Filter
Filters help streamline the process by preselecting the items you want to include in your roadmap. Follow these steps to create a filter:
Focus your Backlog on the correct hierarchy level (e.g., Features) if your setup includes multiple levels.
Click on Filters in the interface.
Select your criteria, then click Update and save the filter.
3. Build Your Roadmap
Once your filter is ready, proceed to create the roadmap:
Go to the Roadmaps View and click Create New Roadmap.
Enter a name for your roadmap.
Select the appropriate hierarchy level, such as Initiatives, Epics, or another level relevant to your use case.
Select the filter you created to populate the roadmap.
Roadmap View
Roadmap has 2 sections Planned and Unplanned Items. Planned items have "Start" and "End Dates" and if these dates are missed for any of the items they are placed under "Unplanned Items" section.
The roadmap is divided into two sections: Planned Items and Unplanned Items.
Planned Items: These are items with defined "Start" and "End Dates." Planned items are displayed on the main view, with each item visually spanning the timeline based on its start and end dates.
Unplanned Items: Items without "Start" or "End Dates" are automatically placed in this section until scheduled. This section is collapsed by default and located on the right-hand side.
Roadmap Sections
When a roadmap is created, it initially contains a single section named after your filter. You can create additional sections by right-clicking or clicking the + icon. For instance, in this example, two extra sections were added.
To move planned items between sections, right-click on an item to access a menu displaying available milestones and section names.
Unplanned Items
Items without defined Start and End Dates are placed in the Unplanned Items section. You can either drag an item into the relevant section to schedule it or right-click on the item, select the Plan Items option, and set the dates.
Once scheduled, the item will automatically move to the first section.
Zoom Options
The default zoom level is set to "Quarterly," focusing on the current quarter when you open the roadmap. You can scroll left and right to view items that are outside the visible timeframe.
You can also switch the zoom level to:
Yearly
Quarterly
Monthly
Weekly
Custom
Pressing Zoom + - icons automatically set to this option
Milestones
You can create new milestones or attach existing ones to your roadmap. Milestones and phases are displayed as the first swimlane in the roadmap.
For easier planning, you can right-click on any item and attach it to a milestone. To view milestone details and linked items, simply click on the milestone icon.
Visualize Roadmap by Groups
Groups in Kendis are a powerful feature that allows you to automatically organize relevant items based on different criteria. They are available in multiple areas and provide a structured way to analyze and present data.
Default Group By Options
Parent
PI Board (Kendis Program Board)
Batches
Teams (Kendis Teams)
Sprints (Sprints created under Program Board)
Solution Boards
Status
Project
Area Path
Iteration Path
Additional Options
All selected Fields configured
FAQs
Question: If I have set dates for my Features, Epics,or other issue types in Azure DevOps, will they automatically be pulled into Kendis and used for the roadmap?
Answer: Yes, as long as you have correctly configured the Start and End dates in your project at Kendis, this data will be pulled into Kendis. If you don't see the dates in Kendis, verify that you have selected correct fields.
Question: If I change dates on the roadmap, will it update in Azure DevOps?
Answer: Yes, provided the Start and End date fields are mapped correctly, the changes made in Kendis will sync back to Azure DevOps. If the date fields are not mapped correctly, the changes will remain in Kendis only.
Question: Can I create multiple roadmaps?
Answer: Yes, you can create as many roadmaps as needed, tailored to your specific requirements.
Question: How can I track the progress of my roadmap?
Answer: You can use the Kendis Timeline View for this purpose. It offers detailed insights into the completion progress of items and their child items, providing better drill-down capabilities.
Question: We have set up Iteration Paths with dates. Can those be used for visualizing the roadmap instead of Start and End Dates?
Answer: This is currently not supported but may be available in the near future.