Azure DevOps Dashboard Velocity by Work Items Types

Question

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask but figured I could start here. I have an Azure DevOps dashboard that I want to add a velocity tile to. The existing velocity tile only allows for selecting a backlog or a single work item type. I want to track velocity for a set of work items types (e.g. user story, research, and sustaining), not just a single work item type or an entire backlog. Is this something that can be done? Thank you!

Answer 1

Hi Cameron Waterman,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Azure DevOps doesn't natively support tracking velocity by multiple work item types in a single velocity chart.

However, there are a few workarounds you can consider

1. Custom Queries and Widgets:

• Create a Query: Create a query that filters work items by the desired types (e.g., User Story, Research, Sustaining) and time periods.
• Add a Chart Widget: Use the "Query Results" or "Chart for Work Items" widget on your dashboard. Customize it to display counts or effort (ex: storypoints, efforts) grouped by iteration

2. Analytics Views and Power BI:

• Leverage Azure DevOps Analytics Views to create a more detailed report
• Import the data into Power BI, where you can slice and dice the work items data by types and iterations, and create a velocity chart.

3. Custom Extensions:

• Use an extension like Marketplace Velocity or similar, which may offer more flexibility for tracking across multiple work item types. Develop a custom widget if you have advanced requirements and resources.

4. Use Backlog Levels Strategically:

• If your organization uses Portfolio Backlogs, you can organize work items under an Epic or Feature level backlog that encompasses the selected work item types.
• This allows you to use the existing velocity widget on those backlogs while indirectly tracking the types you're interested in.

5. Combination of Queries and Manual Calculation:

• Export work item query results and manually calculate velocity outside Azure DevOps (less ideal but feasible for short-term needs).

Additional Considerations:

• Customization Limits: Azure DevOps' native dashboard widgets have limited customization.
• Automation: Automate data extraction and visualization using Azure DevOps APIs if manual efforts become repetitive.

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