Managing agile projects with PRPC and the Project Management Framework (PMF) is based on iterative development accomplished in very short cycles. Keeping user stories and epics in your Project Management Framework closely aligned with specifications in your PRPC system ensures that team members are working with objectives that are current and correct, no matter how quickly your project progresses.

This article describes how to manage   PRPC specifications with PMF user stories and epics using Designer Studio features.   

About synchronization modes

PMF integration enables you to  synchronize the creation and updates of specifications and PMF items in either of two modes:

Automatic synchronization —  When you create a specification in PRPC, the system automatically creates a linked user story in the PMF system. Likewise, when you create a user story, PMF creates a linked specification. By way of the SOAP connection, saved updates in one system automatically update their linked items. This synchronization mode defines a one-to-one relationship between a specification and a user story. From the PMF system, you can also set up auto-synchronization between epics and specifications.

Manual synchronization — When you create a specification in PRPC, you use a pop-up dialog to    create a user story or epic in the PMF system. Likewise, a control in Epic or User Story forms allows you to create and link the PMF item to a specification on the PRPC system. Like auto synchronization, updates are automatic. You can define one-to-many relationships between specifications and user stories or epics. For instance, you can create multiple users stories for a single specification. 

How to set up your application for synchronization

In this example, you will set up automatic synchronization for your current application, MRP Insurance. This application does not yet have a PFM product associated with it, which you will create. 

Do the following:

1. Open the the Application form by selecting Open Application from the   Application menu. On the Documentation tab, verify that Scrum in the Project methodology field  in the DCO Settings area is selected.​
   
   
2. Select Designer Studio> System > Settings > Project Management  to open the Application Settings landing page.
   
   
    
3. Select the Auto Sync checkbox on the row containing the MRPInsurance(01.01.01) application.
4. Click the Add Product icon  to create a new product.The Add product to PMF dialog appears. By default, the Product name is the application name (record ID MRPInsurance). The Description text is copied from the Description field on the Application form's History tab.
   
    
5. Update the Product field value to MRP Insurance. This name is used for labeling the the product, release, and backlog items in PMF.
6. Click Submit. The system creates a new product using the next available product number. In this example, the associated product is PRD-2316.
   
    
   
   The system saves your settings and creates the links automatically. You do not have to save the page.
    
7. To verify and discover the backlog and release associated with the product, open PMF and search for PRD-2316. The item shows a link to the new release RLS-2331.
    
   
   The system also creates a new backlog BL-2906.
   
    

Test auto-synchronization

To test the connection, do the following:

1. In PRPC, open your application and go to the Cases Explorer.
2. Select the Claim Request case type to open it in the Stages & Processes tab on the Case Designer landing page.
   
    
    
3. Click the Configure process detail link to open the stage in Process Outline view
   
    
    
4. Select the Verify policy status shape in the process outline tree.This opens the shapes properties tab.
   
5.  In the text area beneath the Step Name field, enter a specification description.
   
   
    
6. Click the Save button in the Case Designer header, which creates the specification.
7. Click the Back to Stages button to exit the Process Outline view.
8. Open the Application Profile Specifications tab (Designer Studio > Application > Profile > Specifications). Note that the new specification appears on the list.
   
    
9. Open PMF and open the associated product's backlog BL-2906.
   
   
   The new specification appears as user story US-38296 in the backlog.
10. 
    
    
     

Updating version 6.x specifications for auto-synchronization

If you have a large number of specifications that were created in version 6.x and add linked user stories in batch mode,  do the following:

1. On the System Settings > Project Management tab, clear the Auto Synch checkbox in the current application.
2. Go to the Specification tab on the Application Profile landing page (Designer Studio > Application > Profile > Specifications).
3. Display the specifications for which you want to create user stories. Use the filtering options to control the results on the list. 
4. Select Actions > Bulk Actions > PMF Actions > Create User Stories.
5. Select the Backlog ID in which you want to create the stories.
6. Click Submit.
7. Return to the Project Management tab and select the Auto Synch checkbox to enable auto-synchronization.

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