What is an Outcome?

An Outcome represents a specific task assigned to a team for delivery, allowing for the assignment of an effort estimate. Typically, there is a many-to-one relationship between outcomes and an initiative, where the initiative serves as the overarching delivery goal to which the outcomes relates to.

Where to find Outcomes?

The Outcome detail page is the place to view and manage all information connected with an outcome. The outcome detail page can be accessed by selecting an outcome in the outcomes list, or by clicking on an outcome under an initiative in one of the Portfolio Management views.

View and manage basic information

You can view and update basic information of an outcome on the outcome detail page. Key information associated with the outcome can be found at the top of the page. This will include the outcome name, the name of the initiative that the outcome is linked to, description, type, team and owner. Other information is organised in the tabs below this. Click on a tab to view the detailed information.

You can configure custom fields for an outcome in the Configurations. These custom fields are shown, organised by their respective section, on the Information Tab.

Dependencies

Some outcomes are contingent upon the completion of preceding outcomes. To oversee this relationship, you can add dependencies on an outcome. This will effectively help you track which outcomes will be impacted by the completion status of another outcome. For a wholistic view on outcomes with dependencies, toggle to the Outcome Planning page and enable the Dependencies overlay.

You can find more information on dependencies in the Overlay section in the Outcome Planning information page.

Estimates

The Estimates tool helps you allocate the effort required by a team for work associated with an outcome. Within a team, you can allocate estimates to the different work required to complete the outcome, represented by ‘Skills’. The effort estimate for a skill within an outcome will be divided automatically based on the outcome's assigned time period.

To account for teams having varying capacities and skills, you will need to configure these factors at a team by team level before allocating estimates on an outcome. Find more information on how to configure your teams capacity in the teams information page.

Estimates assigned to outcomes become specifically useful in the Outcome Planning page where you can view and manage the capacities of teams against work scheduled per period group. You can find more information on how to view and manage the capacities of teams in the Capacity Overview section in the Outcome Planning information page.

Outcomes in APM & LPM

Outcomes in lean portfolio management (LPM) are typically configured as features, with initiatives being configured as epics (to match the standard SAFe issue hierarchy). Remember that Kiplot concepts are all renamable as part of the terminology feature which is managed as part of configuration.

Agile portfolio management (i.e. an agile approach to portfolio management that is less strict about adherence to SAFe) would typically refer to an outcome as an Epic. The epic would typically roll up to an initiative (i.e. in this case, adhering to the out of the box Kiplot terminology).