Displaying and Aggregating Estimates for BigPicture Basic Tasks

Displaying and Aggregating Estimates for BigPicture Basic Tasks

FAQ: Displaying and Aggregating Estimates for BigPicture Basic Tasks

Summary

This article addresses how to display and aggregate Original Estimate and Remaining Estimate values for Basic Tasks in BigPicture. It clarifies the distinction between native Jira fields and BigPicture built-in fields, ensuring that workload data is correctly reflected in overviews and reports.

Use Case: Aggregating Estimates for BigPicture Basic Tasks

Problem / Context

Users often need an aggregated view of the workload represented by BigPicture Tasks. While standard Jira issues allow for easy summing of "Original Estimate" values in tables and reports, users may find that these values do not appear or aggregate for tasks created directly within BigPicture.

Cause

Basic Tasks exist only within BigPicture and are not linked to any Jira Project. Consequently, they do not possess native Jira fields. When a user attempts to use the standard Jira "Original Estimate" field for aggregation, the system finds no values for Basic Tasks because those values are stored in BigPicture-specific fields.

Solution / Workaround

To display and aggregate estimates for Basic Tasks, you must use the BigPicture built-in fields rather than the standard Jira fields.

  1. Field Selection: In your column views (Gantt, Scope, or Overview), ensure you have selected the Original Estimate (built-in BigPicture field) and Remaining Estimate (built-in BigPicture field).

  2. Hierarchical Aggregation: Use the Gantt module or Scope module for hierarchical roll-ups. These modules support parent-level aggregation of built-in estimate fields.

  3. Configuration: Verify your Box configuration > Task > Field Mapping to ensure that estimates are correctly mapped if you are syncing with external tools, though for Basic Tasks, the built-in fields are the primary data source.

Related Documentation

For more details on managing and configuring Basic Tasks, please refer to the official documentation: