Seamlessly import Epics and Features from Azure DevOps as Meisterplan projects, keep them up to date, and view task details directly in the Information Panel. This article explains how to connect Azure DevOps, how to import and link Epics and Features, and what data can be imported.

• General
  • Prerequisites
  • Required User Rights
• Importing Projects from Azure DevOps
  • Result
  • Import Logic
• Linking Meisterplan Projects with Azure DevOps Epics or Features
  • Result
• Azure DevOps Link Settings
  • Match Resources and Teams or Roles
• Viewing Azure DevOps Data in Meisterplan
  • Visualizing Tasks in Meisterplan
  • Comparing Data on the Project Level
  • Comparing Data Across the Portfolio

General

The first time you import Epics or Features from Azure DevOps, a link is automatically created for the Azure DevOps project that contains those Epics or Features. The next time you import items from Azure DevOps, you can either select an existing link or create a new link for a different Azure DevOps project.

Prerequisites

• The Extended Integration Hub in the left sidebar under Integrations > Connected Tools > General Settings is enabled.
• There is an Automation User with the necessary user rights.

Required User Rights

Your user group must have the following rights:

• Under Manage > User Groups > Integrations > Connected Tools > Project & Task Management Tools at least 
  • the option Use to import projects from tools already connected and see task details.
  • the option Configure to connect further tools.
• Under Manage > User Groups > Integrations > Import & Export the Import Data right.

Importing Projects from Azure DevOps

1. In the Portfolio Designer, the List view, or the Board view, click Add in the toolbar and select Import Projects > Azure DevOps.
2. Select Link Details:
   1. If this is the first time connecting Azure DevOps to your Meisterplan system, you need to: 
      1. Sign in with your Microsoft account and then select the Azure DevOps organization you want to use.
      2. Select the Azure DevOps project that contains the Epics or Features you want to import.
   2. If there already is an Azure DevOps link, you must:
      1. Select the link you want to use:
         
      2. Or create a new link and select the Azure DevOps project and a name for the link.
3. Click Continue in the top right.
4. Select the Epics and Features from the Azure DevOps project that you want to import as Meisterplan projects:
   
5. If there is still sample data in your Meisterplan, you can decide whether to delete or keep it.
6. Click Import.

Result

• A link to Azure DevOps is created in Meisterplan, unless the link already exists.
• The selected Epics and Features from Azure DevOps are imported as Meisterplan projects and linked to their corresponding Azure DevOps counterparts.

Import Logic

When importing selected Epics and Features, along with their associated tasks and effort data, from Azure DevOps into Meisterplan, the following occurs:

Task Identification

The tasks of an imported Epic or Feature are loaded from the Requirement Backlog Level of the process associated with the Azure DevOps project.

Depending on the process used, different work item types can be assigned to the Requirement Backlog Level. During import, Meisterplan considers the child work items of a selected Epic or Feature whose type is assigned to this level.

Work items from the Iteration Backlog Level are not imported as tasks.

Effort Calculation

The process type (Basic, Agile, Scrum, CCMI) associated with the Azure DevOps project determines which default effort field is used for imported tasks.

Depending on the process, fields such as Story Points, Size, or Effort may be used. You can define the velocity (= story points per person day) in the corresponding detail view in the Resource Pool. This value is used for the conversion in the Information Panel, allowing Azure DevOps effort values to be compared with Meisterplan allocations.

Resource Assignment and Import

People assigned to the imported tasks in Azure DevOps are allocated to the newly imported Meisterplan projects:

• They are either matched to an existing resource in Meisterplan based on the email address, or
• If no matching resource is found, they are added as new resources to the Resource Pool (this requires that the Add Missing Resources to Meisterplan option is enabled and that the automation user has the Edit Resource Pool and Absences right).

Team and Role Assignment

For team and role assignment, Meisterplan uses the Azure DevOps Area Path field. If the value does not contain a forward slash (/), the entire value is used. If it contains one or more forward slashes, Meisterplan uses the first entry after the first forward slash.

Meisterplan first checks whether a team with that name exists. If no matching team is found, Meisterplan checks whether a role with that name exists. Only existing teams and roles are assigned.

Determining the Start and Finish Date of the Meisterplan Project

The start and finish date of the Meisterplan project are calculated as follows (in this order):

1. If the selected Epic/Feature in Azure DevOps has a start and finish date, these are used.
2. If project dates are not available, or if task dates fall outside of the project dates, the earliest start date and the latest finish date of the tasks in the Azure DevOps project are used.
3. If no project, task, or sprint dates are available, the Meisterplan project starts on the day of import and ends one month later.

Importing Tasks as Allocation Segments

• Tasks from Azure DevOps are imported into Meisterplan as flexible allocation segments per resource.
• These segments can be viewed in the Portfolio Designer with the Flexible allocation mode.
• The start and finish dates of the flexible segments correspond to the start and finish dates of the respective tasks.
• Overlapping segments are automatically summed up.
• Partially overlapping segments are split into multiple segments so that overlapping time periods are correctly aggregated.

Handling Incomplete Tasks

• Tasks without an assigned person or team in Azure DevOps are not imported because they cannot be matched to a resource in Meisterplan.
• Tasks without dates are added before the finish date of the project:
  • if there is a gap between the project finish date and the end of the last task, or
  • if there is no gap, the project finish date is extended by one month and the tasks are added there.
• Tasks without effort are imported with an allocation of 0.

Linking Meisterplan Projects with Azure DevOps Epics or Features

To link an existing project in Meisterplan with its Azure DevOps counterpart, select the project in a view such as the Portfolio Designer or List, and open the Task Insights in the Information Panel:

Select Azure DevOps and follow the steps described under Importing Projects above.

Result

The Meisterplan project will be linked to its Azure DevOps counterparts.

Azure DevOps Link Settings

In the left sidebar under Integrations > Connected Tools > Project & Task Management Tools ( or > Azure DevOps), you can open the link settings for Azure DevOps links. Hover over the respective row and click the pen icon at the end of the row.

Under General, you can edit the link name and view the space that is configured in the link.

Match Resources and Teams or Roles

Use the options in this section to compare Azure DevOps data with Meisterplan on the team, role, or resource level.

Assign Teams and Roles

Enable the Match Meisterplan Teams or Roles to Azure DevOps Teams in the "Area Field" option to map Azure DevOps teams to existing Meisterplan teams or roles.

For information about the assignment logic, see Import Logic above.

Assign Resources

Enable the Match Meisterplan Resources to Assignees in Azure DevOps option to map people from Azure DevOps to existing resources in Meisterplan based on their email address.

Control Automatic Resource Creation

In the settings, you can decide if new resources are automatically added in Meisterplan when they cannot be matched to an existing resource in Meisterplan. Select the Add resources to Meisterplan if they do not already exist checkbox to enable automatic resource creation.

When the checkbox for Add resources to Meisterplan if they do not already exist is activated, new resources are automatically added to the Resource Pool. If you uncheck the box, new resources will not be created automatically and must be added manually if needed.

Viewing Azure DevOps Data in Meisterplan

When a Meisterplan project is linked to its Azure DevOps counterpart, you can view and compare task effort from Azure DevOps with planned allocations in Meisterplan.

Visualizing Tasks in Meisterplan

In the project details of a connected project, you can see the tasks from Azure DevOps on a timeline, grouped by task date. This helps you stay up to date on what is planned in Azure DevOps and keep an eye on dependencies within the project. Learn more in the article Project Details - Task Timeline.

Comparing Data on the Project Level

You can find a detailed comparison of allocations and effort in the Information Panel of each connected project. In addition, you can see which tasks have been completed and which are still open. Learn more in the article Comparing Azure DevOps Effort in the Information Panel.

Comparing Data Across the Portfolio

You can compare Azure DevOps data across all projects by using specific fields, colors or filters in views such as the List or the Portfolio Designer. Find out more about this in the article Comparing Azure DevOps Effort in Different Views.

Learn how to configure the threshold for the allocation deviation in the article Connect Tools via the Extended Integration Hub.