Cycles, divisions & initiatives

A cycle is a dated window of work in the issue tracker, and an issue joins it through its Cycle property. Each cycle is one of the project's milestones, so a cycle you create in the tracker also appears on Flow's Milestones screen, and every milestone shows up in the tracker as a cycle.

To create one, choose Cycles under the project's key in the tracker, then New cycle. Only the Name is required, and Ends sets the cycle's end date. Choose Create cycle.

The tabs sort cycles by their end date:

• Active: the cycle that ends next, today or later, opened straight away. When no cycle has an end date ahead, the first cycle without one.
• Upcoming: the dated cycles after the active one, then any without an end date.
• Completed: cycles whose end date has passed, most recent first.

Each cycle in a list shows its end date, how many of its issues are closed and its percentage. Click one to open it.

An open cycle shows its progress at the top. The chart plots Completed issues against Scope (all of the cycle's issues) from the day the cycle was created to its end date. Beside the chart, Scope counts the cycle's issues, Started the ones In Progress or In Review, Completed the closed ones, and Points adds up their estimates.

The ring and percentage show the share of the cycle's issues that are closed (Done, Canceled or Duplicate). The issues are listed underneath, grouped by status, and the + beside a group creates an issue that's already in the cycle.

Cycles can't be renamed or deleted in the tracker. Edit or delete them as milestones in Flow, as the Milestones & goals guide describes.

A division is a section of the project with its own summary, target date and health, and an issue joins it through its Division property. Each division is one of the project's objectives, so divisions also appear on Flow's Objectives screen, and every objective shows up in the issue tracker as a division.

To create one, choose Divisions in the tracker's sidebar, then New division. Only the Name is required. Summary and Target date are optional. Choose Create division. A new division starts with Backlog health.

The list shows each division's health, progress and target date, and a target date that has passed is highlighted. A division's progress is its own progress when one is set in Objectives, and otherwise the share of its issues that are closed.

A division's health is Backlog, On track, At risk or Completed. Click the health pill, in the list or on the division itself, to move it to the next one. After Completed it goes back to Backlog. Each change saves straight away. Flow's Objectives screen shows the same values as Not Started, On Track, At Risk and Completed.

Click a division to open it. The top shows its summary, health, lead, target date and how many of its issues are closed. The issues are listed underneath, grouped by status, and the + beside a group creates an issue that's already in the division.

The lead is the objective's owner. Divisions can't be renamed or deleted in the tracker: change them, and set the owner, as objectives in Flow. The Milestones & goals guide covers objectives.

Initiatives, in the issue tracker's sidebar, is the project's roadmap: every division and cycle as a bar on a month-by-month timeline, listed by start date. Choose 3m, 6m (the default) or 12m to set how many months it covers, starting with last month. A line marks today.

• A division's bar runs from its start date, or the day it was created, to its target date.
• A cycle's bar runs from the day it was created to its end date.
• Without an end date, a bar runs for 30 days.

The filled part of each bar shows its progress. A bar is highlighted when its end date has passed and it hasn't reached 100%. Click a name on the left to open that division or cycle.