PlanPrism User & Setup Guide

This guide will help you set up PlanPrism, connect it to your Jira instance, and use it for effective sprint planning.

1. Introduction

PlanPrism integrates with Jira to help you plan sprints with confidence, using range-based estimation and confidence metrics.

2. Prerequisites

  • Access to a Jira Cloud instance (admin rights recommended)
  • PlanPrism account or invitation
  • Custom field permissions in Jira

3. Logging In

  • Go to the PlanPrism login page.
  • Click “Login with Jira” on the welcome screen.
  • Authorize access and select your Jira site.

4. Authorizing PlanPrism with Jira

  • You will be redirected to Atlassian to grant PlanPrism access to your Jira account.
  • Select the appropriate Jira site and grant the requested permissions.

5. First-Time Configuration

  • After authentication, you will be prompted to configure PlanPrism.
  • Enter your Jira instance URL, Original Estimate Field ID, and Confidence Ratio Field ID.
  • Set team capacity and default values as needed.

6. Navigating the Dashboard

  • The main dashboard provides project, sprint, and issue selectors.
  • Use the sidebar and menus to access configuration and user settings.

7. Managing Sprints and Issues

  • View and select sprints from your Jira projects.
  • Drag-and-drop to reorder issues within a sprint.
  • Change issue status (e.g., In Progress, Done).
  • Edit issue details such as estimate and confidence.

8. Using the Confidence Slider

  • Adjust the “Desired Confidence” slider to set your team’s risk tolerance.
  • The cutline and sprint metrics update in real time as you adjust confidence.

9. Tips & Best Practices

  • Use ranges to communicate uncertainty in estimates.
  • Refine low-confidence tasks before committing to a sprint.
  • Regularly review and adjust team capacity and defaults.

10. Troubleshooting & FAQ

Troubleshooting

  • Issues not appearing? Check Jira field configuration and permissions.
  • Problems with login? Reauthorize PlanPrism in Jira.
  • If you can’t see your projects or issues, check field IDs and permissions.
  • For OAuth errors, verify callback URLs and client credentials.

FAQ

  • Q: What permissions does PlanPrism need?
    • A: Read/write access to issues, projects, and custom fields in Jira.
  • Q: Can I use PlanPrism with multiple Jira instances?
    • A: Not currently, but support is planned.

Understanding the Confidence Ratio

PlanPrism uses a sophisticated capacity-aware confidence ratio to help you make informed sprint planning decisions. This method takes into account your team’s actual capacity, not just the estimates.

How It Works

The confidence ratio is calculated using three key inputs:

  • Total Optimistic Estimate: The sum of all optimistic estimates for issues above the cutline
  • Total Pessimistic Estimate: The sum of all pessimistic estimates for issues above the cutline
  • Team Capacity: Your team’s available hours for the sprint

The Formula

If your capacity ≥ total pessimistic estimate:

  • Confidence = 100% (you’re guaranteed to complete the work)

If your capacity ≤ total optimistic estimate:

  • Confidence = 0% (you cannot complete the work)

If your capacity is between optimistic and pessimistic:

  • Confidence = (capacity - optimistic) ÷ (pessimistic - optimistic) × 100%

Example

Let’s say you have three issues above the cutline:

  • Issue A: 8 hours original, 80% confidence → 6.4h optimistic, 10h pessimistic
  • Issue B: 12 hours original, 60% confidence → 7.2h optimistic, 20h pessimistic
  • Issue C: 6 hours original, 90% confidence → 5.4h optimistic, 6.7h pessimistic

Totals: 19 hours optimistic, 36.7 hours pessimistic
Team Capacity: 32 hours

Since 32 is between 19 and 36.7: Confidence = (32 - 19) ÷ (36.7 - 19) × 100% = 73.4%

This means you have a 73.4% chance of completing all the work with your current capacity.

What This Tells You

  • High confidence (80%+): You’re likely to complete all the work
  • Medium confidence (50-80%): You have a reasonable chance, but consider removing one issue
  • Low confidence (below 50%): You’re unlikely to complete all the work; remove some issues

The confidence ratio updates in real-time as you move the cutline, helping you find the optimal balance between ambition and achievability.

11. Walkthrough Screenshots

Login to PlanPrism Login to PlanPrism with your Jira account.

Authorize PlanPrism in Atlassian Authorize PlanPrism to access your Atlassian Jira account.

Authentication Successful Authentication successful – continue to the application.

Configuration Screen Configure your Jira connection and sprint defaults in PlanPrism.

PlanPrism Dashboard PlanPrism sprint planning dashboard: visualize capacity, confidence, and manage sprint issues.