SoftwarePlant is now BigPicture! Learn more

What’s new in BigPicture?

Find out what’s new in your favourite management application.

Migration to Cloud with JCMA

Migrate BigPicture or BigGantt to Cloud using Jira Cloud Migration Assistant

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Migrating your work management data and settings from the on-prem environment to the Cloud has become, quick, easy, and secure. That’s thanks to BigPicture’s and BigGantt’s compatibility with Atlassian’s Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA).

Read documentation

Related features

  • Integrate BigPicture with multiple Jira Cloud instances

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Sequential indexes of structure items

Easily figure out where each work item is located in the initiative structure

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When working on large-scale initiatives (e.g. projects with many deliverables and tasks), sometimes figuring out where specific items belong in the initiative structures might be challenging. Thanks to the sequential index field available in column views, you can automatically generate a numerical structure of every initiative and, in no time, figure out where each and every work item belongs – just as if you were browsing a table of contents or a conspectus.

Related features

  • See how deeply each individual task is nested in your task structure

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Undo button in the Board module

Easily take a step back

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Thanks to the “undo” button in the Board module, you can quickly reverse some of the most common actions, such as moving an item from backlog to the board or changing its location. When you change something by mistake, you can easily take a step back – without wasting time on recreating the previous configuration of the edited item.

Related features

  • Reverse changes easily

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Live sync & update of Scope items

Work on an always up-to-date Scope that syncs and updates tasks in real-time

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Task-featuring fields in the columns of the Scope module get refreshed automatically in cadences defined by the admin. Consequently, you don’t need to refresh your browser window to ensure the data you are looking at is up-to-date. In addition, all the changes made to fields in Jira or other task management tools connected to BigPicture get instantly reflected in the table. On top of that, whenever fields such as Start Date or End Date get modified, the system automatically reschedules them in line with the scheduling rules.

Advanced filtering of portfolio items

Find portfolio items in no time thanks to conditional filtering

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Thanks to the new filtering mechanism in the Overview module, you can easily narrow down the displayed items to such that meet your conditional criteria. Moreover, the filter dynamically adapts to the columns you have in your portfolio view and the types of data presented in those columns, which makes setting the filtering conditions truly effort-free.

New field: Outline level

See how deeply each individual task is nested in your task structure

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We are adding a new field – “Outline level”. It includes information on how deeply a task is enrooted in your WBS tree. As a result, you can understand the context more easily and spot potential errors in a blink of an eye. If you manage multi-level initiatives with many hierarchically arranged work items, this improvement will likely save you a lot of time

Configuration wizard on the first launch of the app

Start using the system more easily, whatever your role in the organization

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The initial configuration of BigPicture or BigGantt is becoming much easier. No matter if you are a Jira admin or a regular business user of the app, the system will guide you through the first steps based on your role and permissions.

Creating milestones instead of converting basic tasks into milestones

Save time on your milestone-based planning by creating new milestones right when adding items to your initiatives

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Milestone-based planning is becoming more time-efficient and intuitive. Now, instead of creating a basic task and then converting it into a milestone, you can create a milestone right away.

Filtered-out dependencies visible in the Infobar panel

Check hidden and cross-portfolio dependencies in no time without changing your view settings

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Sometimes, dependency networks reach way beyond a single initiative. In some cases, you filter out tasks that actually affect those you are working on. Now, when working in the Gantt module, you can display all the tasks that are connected to the ones on your chart in the Infobar panel marked in accordance with the reason for them not being visible.

Editing task status right in its “details” dialog

Update status fields of your work items right in the “details” dialog

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You can edit status fields of your work items in the “details” dialog that pops up when you click on a taskbar. This seemingly small UX tweak can save you a lot of time if you use Gantt, Resources, and Calendar modules not only for planning but also coordination of ongoing work. 

Color-coded dependency counters and easy link preview

Spot potential issues with broken or conflicting dependencies in a blink of an eye

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Spotting potential issues with inter-task dependencies has never been easier. Now, you can do so even when your dependencies are hidden (collapsed). Broken or conflicting dependencies are immediately visible thanks to color-coding of dependency counters. On top of that, you can preview the hidden dependency arrows by simply clicking on the counter.  

Enabling/disabling task grouping per level right in the column view

Group/ungroup Gantt items based on their level in WBS hierarchy right in the column view

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If you want to group Gantt items at a certain level of your WBS or switch off grouping for a given level, you can do so by checking/unchecking the right box in the column view. This enhancement makes browsing and analysing large-scale initiatives more intuitive and might save you a lot of time.

Hiding greyed-out items in the Overview module

Navigate your portfolio with greater clarity by hiding irrelevant parent-level items in the filtering results

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Contextually irrelevant portfolio itemssuch as parent-level items related to the items that meet search criteriacan be easily hidden from the view, ensuring greater clarity. It makes browsing a large portfolio of initiatives way easier.

Previewing hidden dependencies

Click on the dependency counter to get a sneak peek of all the hidden dependencies

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You can preview collapsed dependencies between items on the Gantt chart by clicking on the dependency counter. This will let you easily tell if the links between tasks are correct without changing the dependency viewing mode.

Inactive swimlane warning

Easily ensure that all your risk items are synced with Jira

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As the risk matrix is becoming easier to customize, ensuring that all your risk items are properly linked with respective Jira issues is becoming more important than ever. Now, if some of the swimlanes of your risk matrix are not synced with Jira, you won’t be able to drag and drop tasks in those swimlanes and will get notified about it instantly.

Drag & drop customization of the Risk matrix

Map and manage risks your way

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Every manager has their own way of mapping risks, and for every organization, a slightly different approach is more adequate. Now, you can configure all the columns and rows of your risk matrix by simply dragging and dropping the labels in the Risks module’s configuration panel.

"Move to top/bottom" keyboard shortcuts

Jump between the top and bottom of your chart and likewise move tasks in no time

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Thanks to the new keyboard shortcuts, you can jump and move tasks to the top (cmd/ctrl+shift+↑) or bottom (cmd/ctrl+shift+↓) of your chart in a blink of an eye. No more “endless” scrolling!

Out-of-sight tasks featured in the dependency dialog

See all incoming and outgoing dependencies regardless of filtering or cross-initiative connections

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Task filtering is the best way to ensure the clarity of a complex chart. But sometimes, the items you want to see are connected with filtered-out items that are not visible on the chart or with items that are part of another initiative. Now, even if the related items are hidden due to a filter or live elsewhere in the portfolio, you can see all such connections right in the dependency dialog.

Drag & drop timeline navigation

Move your Gantt timelines like they were tangible objects

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Navigating vast timelines is becoming truly intuitive. Press your primary mouse/touchpad button to “grab” the chart and move it freely till you find a view that works best for you. If you are using a touchpad, you can even move along horizontal and vertical axes simultaneously, which significantly enhances the overall experience.

Allocation insights in Gantt module's resource managemnt panel

Monitor resource allocation on Gantt in a more knowledgeable way

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Numbers on color-coded cells of the Gantt module’s Resources panel have always been an enigma to new users. In fact, checking why a resource was overloaded required visiting the Resources panel. Now, you can display details such as effort mode, total workload and remaining capacity of a resource right in the Resources panel of the Gantt module.

Contextual access to Scope Definition

Access the Scope Definition screen in contextually relevant places

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Scope Definition screen – the one where you specify what range of tasks is included in an initiative – is becoming more accessible. Now, you can open it in all those places where defining an initiative’s scope is necessary, like an empty project. Consequently, you can easily preview your Scope Definition settings and adjust them incrementally.

Setting date ranges with period pickers

Set time ranges of your projects and other initiatives in just three clicks!

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Why click five or more times when you can get the same result in just three clicks? When you create or edit a project or whatever other items you use for organizing work in the Overview module or in other modules without children items, you can set their time ranges by just marking them on the compact calendar grid – the period picker.

In-line editing of the Assignee field in the Resources module

Reassign tasks directly in the Resources module

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While managing resources, sometimes you may notice that some of them are overallocated and even see what particular tasks they are burdened with. Thanks to this UX improvement, you can reassign tasks right in the “workload details” window – without the risk of accidentally editing dates.

Greying-out irrelevant dependencies on Gantt

Navigate dependency networks with greater clarity

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While working on projects with a vast dependency network, you need to know how every single task is connected with other items. Thanks to this smart UI tweak, whenever you mark a specific task on Gantt, all dependencies that are irrelevant to that task get greyed out – giving you a neat and clear view of the situation.

In-line editing of task duration on Gantt

Conduct duration-based planning more easily

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In most cases, telling how long a task will take is necessary to define the actual start and end date. That’s why duration-based planning in BigPicture is becoming more intuitive and time-efficient. You can edit the task duration field right on the Gantt chart (in the task-list columns).

New report: Capacity per period

Smartly report on resource capacity using the new enterprise report type

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Extend your reporting dashboard with resource capacity data. You can report on the capacity of specific users, teams, or skills… and be sure the data is always accurate.

Cross-portfolio resource allocation monitoring

Monitor resource allocation across your entire portfolio

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Spotting over and under-allocation of resources is becoming way easier, even if you run massive portfolios of initiatives. Now, you can display workloads and the capacity of individuals and teams across the portfolio – right in the Resources module.

Synchronization of BigPicture teams with Jira groups

Keep your BigPicture teams up-to-date… automatically

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Keeping your BigPicture teams up-to-date is becoming truly seamless as you can sync the teams with relevant Jira groups and get them updated automatically.

In-line editing of individual resources

Assign tasks to individual resources directly in BigPicture/BigGantt columns and task-detail cards

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Now, adding an individual resource as a task assignee as well as editing the assignee field in the task description can be done in-line – right in the columns of BigPicture/BigGantt modules.

Bulk-moving tasks on Gantt

On Gantt, move multiple tasks at once

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This UI improvement is here to save you a lot of time when editing your Gantt charts. You can move multiple items at once, and they will all get updated in line with the system’s scheduling rules. Fewer repetitive actions – more time for actual management.

Hiding greyed-out items in Gantt and Board modules

Manage tasks on Gantt and Board modules with greater clarity

Whether you manage agile initiatives in the Board module or classic projects on Gantt, you can now achieve a neat, informative view by hiding all irrelevant (filter-based greyed-out) items.

Undo option in the Gantt module

Reverse changes easily

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Now, the date and date range changes you apply by dragging and dropping or resizing items on your Gantt chart can be easily reversed by clicking the “Undo” button. The button gets activated whenever you carry out an action that can be reversed. Convenient, isn’t it?

Change log in the Gantt module

See and understand the history of changes made to your Gantt charts

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Coordinating complex initiatives is becoming way easier. Now, you can track every change in every work item’s dates and date ranges and immediately understand the situation. The log is available in the Gantt module, but it reflects date changes made in other modules of BigPicture too.

New report: Plan delays

Automatically list all overdue work items across your entire portfolio or a single initiative

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Spotting all the work items that are behind the baseline and including them in your reports takes no time with the new enterprise report type – Plan delay. You simply add it to your Reports module and get an always up-to-date table of the overdue items you need to handle to keep all the initiatives on track.

Integrating BigPicture with multiple instances of Jira Cloud

Integrate BigPicture with multiple Jira Cloud instances

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In enterprise environments having multiple Jira instances within an organization is equally common and challenging from the management perspective. Now, you can connect and manage multiple instances of Jira Cloud right in your “master” Jira Cloud instance – and see the full big picture.

Custom Overview columns

Define custom columns relevant to your portfolio and business case

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Every business case is unique and so are the metrics and indicators you might want to attach and track. Now, you can easily do so by adding your own custom columns based on strings, numbers, dates or estimations.

Hiding greyed-out Scope items

Manage your backlog or WBS with a greater clarity

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Be it backlog prioritization or WBS planning that you are working on in the Scope module, you can achieve a neat, informative view by hiding all irrelevant (filter-based greyed-out) items.

Creating tasks from the Board module's backlog items

Create new tasks based on your Board backlog items in seconds

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Working with the Board module is becoming even easier. Now, you can save time during your planning sessions by in-line creating new tasks just by pulling them from the module’s backlog.

Synchronizing Board timeboxes with Jira boards or manual setting

Sync Board module timeboxes with those used on your Jira boards

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Get the timeboxes your teams are using in Jira automatically synced with your BigPicture Board module.

Planning of half-day absences

Be more accurate – include half-day absences in your work plans

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If your organization’s policy allows for half-day absences, now you can reflect those accurately in BigPicture and plan work more accurately.

Adding absences by a single (right)click

Register absences in no time

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Managing resources is getting even easier. Now, adding an absence in the Resources module takes just a single (right)click.

Story-point effort mode in the Gantt resource panel

Plan and track resource allocation in story points… on a Gantt chart!

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If you want to use Gantt as an agile roadmapping tool or for timelining hybrid initiatives, you can now display the estimated and actual work effort expressed in story points right in the resource panel.

Highlight task search results

See your task search results as part of a bigger picture

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Searching for specific tasks in Gantt and Scope modules is becoming more accessible and intuitive. The items you search for are now highlighted and displayed in the context of other structure items so that you can see them as part of a bigger picture. In addition, if a task is hidden deep in a structure, the tree expands automatically.

Drag & drop editing of the Overview structure

Structure and restructure your portfolio by simply dragging and dropping items

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Arrange and rearrange your portfolios and initiatives by simply dragging and dropping items across the Overview module. The items will end up exactly where you place them. Everything will be instantly reflected in Jira.

Customizability of Overview column views

Display only the data you need and want to see at the portfolio level

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Configure what columns of your Overview module to show. And save your preferred views for future use – to easily access the big picture view of your business.

Contextual quick help across modules

Get instant help thanks to the contextual in-app documentation bits

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Sometimes, immediate access to the relevant parts of product documentation can save you hours. Now, you get instant contextual access to relevant documents right in the app.

Enterprise-grade templates (Box types) available to all BigPicture users

Save time by setting up new initiatives with predefined templates

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One of the hottest enterprise features is making it into the standard version of Bigpicture. Now, our gallery of preset initiative templates (Box types) is available to all BigPicture users!

Easy-start wizard for new users of the app

Start using BigPicture or BigGantt just by selecting what you want to do

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Are you new to BigPicture/BigGantt? No worries! You’ll set your first initiative by just selecting what you want to plan, track, manage, and report on. The system will help you easily import all relevant Jira projects.

Related features

  • Access the field mapping view right on your first admin launch of the app

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  • Access BigPicture directly from your Jira projects

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  • Manage scope of your initiatives more easily and in full sync with Jira

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Field mapping screen on the first admin launch of the app

Access the field mapping view right on your first admin launch of the app

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Tasked with configuring BigPicture or BigGantt? First, you need to map Jira fields onto the system… and now the field mapping screen will pop up immediately on your first admin launch of the app.

New report: Velocity bar chart

Visualize your velocity and sprint plans versus progress in the form of a neat bar chart

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You can visualize how your velocity and sprint plans relate to actual work progress. The neat bar chart will allow you to spot anomalies and areas requiring attention in no time.

New report: Milestones & Markers table

Show all milestones and markers associated with a selected initiative

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Thanks to this new report type, you can display all milestones and markers associated with a given initiative in one place. It comes in handy when you need to include a summary of key deadlines and events in your report.

Aggregating values at the portfolio level

Display aggregated values of key work item indicators at the portfolio level

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Overview columns such as Status, Budget, Actual Cost, and Estimated Cost can be aggregated by: status category, status category in percentage, or status in percentage, so you can get the big picture of work progress and overall health of your initiatives at a glance.

Drag & drop editing of Quick Filters order

Make your favorite Quick Filters even handier

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You can arrange the order in which your Quick Filters are displayed on the list by simply dragging and dropping them there. Find your most often-used filters without scrolling and searching.

In-line editing of team capacity

Update team capacity whenever you need to – right in the Board module

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The capacity of your teams might change along the way. Now, you can in-line edit team capacity directly in the Board module and get the updated values automatically synced with all relevant contexts.

Visualization of work ratio on progress bars

Visualize work ratio in the form of progress bars, not just percentage values

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Work execution tracking has become yet more intuitive. You can tell if your initiatives are on track just by a glance at the status bars.

In-line editing of status fields

Edit status fields of your work items right in the columns

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Now, you can update the status fields of your work items (e.g. tasks) by in-line editing them right in BigPicture/BigGantt. All the status updates are synced with Jira automatically.

Converting basic tasks into Jira issues

Convert basic tasks into Jira issues in just a few clicks

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Convert your BigPicture/BigGantt “basic tasks” into Jira issues in just a few clicks. Turn your “draft” plans into the actual ones in no time.

Full synchronization of structure builders with Jira

Manage scope of your initiatives more easily and in full sync with Jira

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All your work item structures built and modified in BigPicture sync with Jira automatically. You can edit your scope structures at any time and see those changes in Jira immediately.

Accessing BigPicture/BigGantt from Jira Projects

Access BigPicture directly from your Jira projects

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BigPicture/BigGantt is now embedded in Jira projects and accessible directly from the project menu bar. You can view your Jira projects in BigPicture/BigGantt without even opening the app.