Use the Team Feature

The Team feature allows you to set up multiple teams, work on a single project or release, and plan and track work by team.

Who configures teams

Different roles interact with the Team feature:

• Administrators: Create teams, configure team processes, and manage team settings
• Scrum Masters: Assign work to teams, track team progress, and facilitate team process improvements
• Product Owners: Allocate backlog items to teams during planning and monitor team backlogs
• Team Members: View team assignments and work on team-specific items

Permission requirement: Creating and configuring teams requires Project Admin or System Admin role. Assigning work to teams typically requires Product Owner or Project Admin role.

Edition availability

This feature is available in Catalyst, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.

Team feature capabilities

• Set up multiple teams: Create and manage multiple teams within a project or release
• Assign work: Allocate backlog items and work items to specific teams
• Track progress: Monitor team performance through dedicated reports and views
• Manage team process: Define custom workflows and status values for each team
• View team backlog: Filter and display work items assigned to each team

Getting started with teams

To work effectively with teams:

1. Add team members: Members are implicitly added when assigned to team work items.
2. Assign work: Allocate backlog items to teams during planning.
3. View team information: Access team members, backlog items, and performance reports.

Add Members to a Team

Members are not directly assigned to a team. Instead, they are automatically added when assigned to work items that belong to the team.

Permission requirement: To assign members to team work items, you need write access to the project and the ability to edit work item assignments. Team Members and higher roles can typically assign work.

How team membership works

Members become part of a team through work item assignment. This approach provides flexibility, allowing members to help multiple teams without the overhead of managing formal team membership.

Scenario 1: Direct team assignment

1. A story is assigned to a team
2. A member is assigned to the backlog item
3. The member becomes part of the team

Scenario 2: Sprint assignment

1. A story is assigned to a sprint or iteration
2. The backlog item is assigned to a team
3. A member is assigned to the backlog item
4. The member becomes part of the team

Benefits of automatic membership

• Flexibility: Members can work across multiple teams without formal membership changes
• Low overhead: No need to manage team rosters separately
• Automatic tracking: Team membership reflects actual work assignments
• Easy transitions: Members can move between teams naturally as work shifts

Troubleshooting team membership

Why don't I see a member listed on a team?

Team membership is automatic based on work assignments:

• No work assigned: The member must be assigned to at least one backlog item that belongs to the team. Without work item assignments, they won't appear as team members.
• Work assigned to different team: Check that the backlog item is assigned to the correct team. If the item is assigned to Team A but you're viewing Team B, the member won't appear.
• Sprint not linked to team: If work is assigned to a sprint, ensure that sprint is associated with the team. Sprints without team assignments don't create team membership.
• Use team filter: View team members through Sprint > Member Planning and apply the Teams filter to see current team members.

How do I manually add someone to a team?

You cannot directly add members to teams:

• Assign work instead: The only way to add members is by assigning them to work items that belong to the team.
• Automatic system: This design is intentional—team membership reflects actual work allocation, not static rosters.
• Create placeholder work: If you need someone on the team for planning purposes, create a placeholder story assigned to the team and assign them to it.

Why does a member appear on multiple teams?

This is normal and intentional:

• Cross-team work: Members working on backlog items from multiple teams will appear as members of all those teams.
• Flexibility by design: Agility allows fluid team membership to support members helping across multiple teams without administrative overhead.
• Not an error: This behavior supports matrix organizations and cross-functional collaboration patterns.

Assign Work to a Team

Permission requirement: To assign work to teams, you need modify access to the backlog items and team scheduling permissions. Scrum masters and product owners typically have these permissions.

In Agile, backlog is assigned to the team, not to individual team members. Work assignment typically occurs during strategic planning and sprint planning.

Assign work during strategic planning

1. Click the hamburger menu > Release > Team Scheduling
2. Click on a backlog item to open the details view
3. Select the team from the Team field
4. Click Save

Assign work during sprint planning

During Detail Planning (Sprint Planning > Detail Planning), members are assigned to work items from the team's backlog. This implicitly assigns them to the team.

Team assignment workflow

1. Strategic planning: Assign backlog items to teams on the Team Scheduling page
2. Sprint planning: Assign specific members to team work items
3. Execution: Members work on items assigned to their team
4. Tracking: Monitor team progress through team-specific views and reports

Troubleshooting work assignment

Why can't I see the Team field on a backlog item?

The Team field requires proper permissions and context:

• Insufficient permissions: You need modify access to the backlog item. Contact your administrator to verify your project role.
• Wrong view: The Team field may not be visible in your current grid view. Click Customize and add the Team field to display columns.
• Item type restriction: Some item types may not support team assignment. Verify you're working with stories, defects, or tasks.

Why doesn't my team appear in the Team dropdown?

Teams must be created before they can be selected:

• Team not created: Administrators must create teams through Admin > Teams before they appear in dropdowns. Request team creation if needed.
• Wrong project: Teams are project-specific. Ensure you're working in a project where the team exists.
• Name mismatch: Search for variations of the team name. The team may be named differently than expected.
• Refresh needed: Try refreshing your browser. Newly created teams may not appear until after a page refresh.

Why doesn't assigned work show up in team backlog?

Verify both team and sprint assignments:

• Team not assigned: Open the backlog item and verify the Team field is populated with the correct team name.
• Sprint association: If the item is assigned to a sprint, ensure that sprint is associated with the team in the sprint configuration.
• Context Navigator: Check your Project Navigator (Context Navigator) selection. You may be viewing a different project or planning level.
• Filters active: Clear any filters on the Team Scheduling or backlog view that might hide the assigned work.

Can I assign work to multiple teams?

Work items typically belong to one team at a time:

• Single team assignment: Most backlog items should be assigned to one primary team for clear ownership and accountability.
• Split work instead: If multiple teams need to work on the same feature, consider splitting the item into separate stories for each team.
• Dependencies: Use dependencies or relationships to link related work across teams rather than assigning one item to multiple teams.

View Team Information

Who views team information: Scrum masters and product owners regularly view team data for sprint planning and progress tracking. Portfolio managers use team information for capacity planning. Admins access team data for configuration and reporting.

Access comprehensive team information through filters and grids throughout Digital.ai Agility, including team members, backlog items, and performance reports.

Team filter functionality

The Team filter appears in multiple views for accessing team-specific data:

Location	Functionality
Backlog grids	Filter backlog items by team assignment
Member Planning	View team members and their assigned work
Member Tracking	Track team member progress on work items
Sprint grids	See team assignments within sprints
Team Scheduling	View team capacity and workload
Reports	Access team-specific metrics and analytics

View team members

View all members who are currently part of a team based on their work item assignments.

1. Click the hamburger menu > Sprint > Member Planning or Member Tracking
2. Select the team from the Teams filter dropdown
3. The grid displays all members assigned to work items for the selected team

Team membership is automatic—members appear when they have active assignments on team backlog items.

View team backlog

View and filter all backlog items assigned to a specific team.

1. Click the hamburger menu > Sprint > Member Planning or Member Tracking
2. Select the team from the Teams filter dropdown
3. The grid displays all backlog items assigned to the selected team

Team backlog filter behavior

The Teams filter shows only backlog items where:

• The backlog item is directly assigned to the team, OR
• The backlog item is assigned to a sprint/iteration that belongs to the team

This filter helps you focus on work that's actively being managed by the team, excluding items that may be assigned to team members but not officially part of the team's workload.

View team reports

Access team-specific reports to measure team performance and workflow effectiveness.

Available team reports

Digital.ai Agility provides specialized reports for teams:

• Cycle Time Report: Measure how long backlog items stay in each workflow status
• Cumulative Flow Report: Visualize work distribution across status values over time
• Team Velocity: Track story points or work items completed per iteration
• Team Capacity: View planned vs. actual capacity utilization
• Burndown Charts: Monitor progress toward sprint or iteration goals

Access team reports

1. Click the hamburger menu > Reports > Team Reports
2. Select the team from the dropdown filter
3. Choose the desired report type
4. Configure date ranges and filtering options as needed

Team reports use the team's defined process status values when Team Process Management is enabled.

Troubleshooting team information

Why don't I see all team members in the member list?

Team membership reflects current work assignments:

• No active assignments: Members only appear when they have active backlog items assigned to the team. Members who completed all their work are removed from the list.
• Sprint-specific filter: If you're filtering by sprint, only members with work in that specific sprint appear. Remove sprint filters to see all team members across all sprints.
• Team filter not applied: Ensure you've selected the correct team from the Teams filter dropdown. Without a team filter, you may see members from all teams.
• Automatic membership: Remember that team membership is automatic based on work assignments, not manually maintained rosters.

Why are some backlog items missing from team backlog view?

The Teams filter has specific inclusion rules:

• Direct team assignment: Items must be directly assigned to the team OR assigned to a sprint that belongs to the team.
• Sprint not linked: If an item is assigned to a sprint but that sprint isn't associated with the team, the item won't appear in team views.
• Context Navigator: Verify your Context Navigator (Project Navigator) includes the correct project. Items in other projects won't appear.
• Closed items excluded: By default, closed or completed items may be hidden. Check "Include Closed Planning Levels" or filter settings.

Why don't team reports show data?

Reports require specific configurations:

• No team data: The team must have work items assigned and status changes recorded. New teams without historical data will have empty reports.
• Team Process Management: Some reports require Team Process Management to be enabled. Check with your administrator about feature availability.
• Date range: Verify the report date range includes periods when the team had active work. Adjust date filters to capture relevant timeframes.
• Permission restrictions: You may not have access to certain reports. Contact your administrator to verify report permissions.

Why does the team filter show unexpected results?

Understand filter behavior:

• Sprint association matters: Items assigned to sprints only appear for teams that own those sprints. Verify sprint-to-team associations in sprint configuration.
• Inherited assignments: Child items may inherit team assignments from parents. Check parent item team assignments if children appear unexpectedly.
• Multiple assignment paths: Items can become part of team backlog through direct assignment OR sprint assignment. Both paths are valid.

Team process management

Teams can define and manage their own process independently while providing cross-team visibility. For more information, see Team Process Management.

Related Topics

• Team Process Management - Define team workflows
• Teams Feature Administration - Administrative setup and configuration