Create and manage agile projects

Release version: Zurich

Updated July 31, 2025

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Summary of Create and manage agile projects

This guide outlines the essential tasks for ServiceNow customers to create and manage agile projects effectively within the Zurich release. It covers setting up development groups, creating and managing sprints, handling projects and their phases, planning sprints, and integrating testing processes depending on the Test Management version activated.

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Set Up and Manage Agile Groups

Define an Agile group: Navigate to Agile Development > Create Agile Group and click New to establish a team.
Add group members: Use the Group members related list on the Group form and click Edit to include members.
Set group capacity: Access Agile Development > Groups, select the group, and specify capacity in points to manage workload.

Create and Manage Sprints

Create sprints: Use the Create Sprints related link on the Group form for multiple sprints or the Sprints related list for individual sprints.
View sprints: Access the Sprints related list on the Group form to monitor sprint details.

Project Creation and Access

Create a project: Navigate via Project > Projects > Create New, or use Project Workspace and click New Project.
Open existing projects: Use Project Workspace through the Project form or select from the workspace header’s project list.

Manage Project Phases

Add agile or test phases: Click the Add phase icon in the project workbench and select Agile or Test phase types, requiring respective applications installed.
Assign groups and sprints to phases: Edit the Agile phase to assign groups and select start/end sprints for structured planning.
Create and refine stories: Add new stories within the agile phase, manage stories individually or across projects, and utilize Agile Planning & Tracking for backlog management.
Add milestones: Use the Add phase icon and select Milestone to track key project events.

Sprint Planning

Start sprint planning: Navigate to Agile Development > Groups, open a group, and access Sprint Planning.
Add stories to sprints: Within Sprint Planning, create and assign stories to specific sprints, facilitating detailed sprint workload management.

Testing Process Integration

Testing varies based on the Test Management version activated:

Test Management 1.0:
- Create test plans and add test cases.
- Assign test cases to testers and notify them to begin testing.
- Testers perform tests via Self-Service portals and submit results.
- Monitor progress and finalize with test plan sign-off.
Test Management 2.0:
- Create test execution suites and add tests.
- Assign tests that are in the Ready state to testers.
- Testers run tests from the assigned tests list and submit results.

Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

By following these structured tasks, you can efficiently create, manage, and track agile projects within ServiceNow, ensuring clear visibility of project phases, sprint progress, and integration of testing activities. This enables improved collaboration, capacity planning, and delivery oversight aligned with agile best practices.

An overview of the tasks involved in creating an agile project.

The following tables, arranged by task group, list the tasks involved in creating an agile project.

Table 1. Set up a development group
Task	How do I do this?
Define an Agile group	Navigate to Agile Development > Create Agile Group and click New.
Add group members	Navigate to the Group members related list on the Group form and click Edit.
Decide the capacity of a group	Navigate to Agile Development > Groups, select the desired group, and enter a number in the Group capacity (points) field.

Table 2. Create sprints
Task	How do I do this?
Create a sprint	Use the Create Sprints related link on the Group form to create multiple sprints or use the Sprints related list to create individual sprints.
View the created sprints	Use the Sprints related list on the Group form.

Table 3. Create a new project
Task	How do I do this?
Create a project	Navigate to Project > Projects > Create New. Navigate to Project > Projects > Project Workspace and click New Project.

Table 4. Open an existing project
Task	How do I do this?
Open an existing project	Click the Project Workspace related link on the Project form. Navigate to Project > Projects > Project Workspace and select the project from the Select Projects choice list in the workspace header.

Table 5. Add phases to a project from the project workbench
Task	How do I do this?
Create an agile phase for a project	Click the Add phase icon () and select Agile from the Phase Type choice list. Note: This option appears only when both the Project Portfolio Management and Agile Development 2.0 applications are installed.
Create a test phase for a project	Click the Add phase icon () and select Test from the Phase Type choice list. Note: This option appears only when both the Project Portfolio Management and Test Management 2.0 applications are installed.

Table 6. Add details to a project phase from the project workbench
Task	How do I do this?
View phase details in list view or VTB	Click the List or VTB button in the project workbench header.
Assign a group to an agile phase	Edit the Agile phase and select a group in the Group field.
Select sprints for an agile phase	Edit the Agile phase, ensure that a group has been assigned, and select a Start Sprint and End Sprint.
Create stories for an agile phase	Click the Agile phase in the project workbench and click New in the detail view header.
Refine stories for one project	Click the Manage Stories button to open the Manage Stories dialog box. Note: You can also use the Agile Planning & Tracking related link on the Project form to view your backlog, assign stories to the projects, or create new stories for the project.
Refine stories across multiple projects	Click the Manage Stories related link on Group form.
Assign a group to an agile phase	Click the Agile phase edit icon and select the group from the Group choice list.

Table 7. Add milestones to a project from the project workbench
Task	How do I do this?
Add milestones to a project	Click the Add phase icon () and then click Milestone at the top of the Add Phase pop-up window.

Table 8. Plan sprints
Task	How do I do this?
Start sprint planning	Navigate to Agile Development > Groups, open the desired group, and click the Sprint Planning related link.
Add stories to the sprint	Navigate to Agile Development > Groups, open the desired group, click the Sprint Planning related link, and click Create story.

Table 9. Testing process ( Only when Test Management 1.0 is activated)
Task	How do I do this?
Create a test plan	Navigate to Test Management > Test Execution > Test Plans > New.
Add test cases to a test plan	Click the Add Test Cases from Test Suite related link on the Test Plan form.
Assign test cases to testers	Select a user in the Assigned to field on the Test Case form.
Notify testers to start testing	Click the Notify testers to start testing related link on the Test Plan form.
Tester performs tests and submits results	Navigate to Self-Service > My Tests or Self-Service > My Assessments.
Monitor the testing progress	The Test Plans list, Test Plan form, and Test Case form all display results for test cases and individual tests.
Testing sign-off	Click the Sign-off Test Plan related link on Test Plan form.

Table 10. Testing process (Only when Test Management 2.0 is activated)
Task	How do I do this?
Create a test execution suite	Navigate to Test Management 2.0 > Test Execution Suites, and click New.
Add tests to a test execution suite	Open a test execution suite, and click Add tests. From the Tests list, select the required tests and click Add to Execution Suite.
Assign tests to testers	Open a test execution suite. In the Test execution assignments related list, assign tests to testers. Note: Only the tests in the Ready state can be assigned.
Tester performs tests and submits results	Navigate to Test Management 2.0 > Tests Assigned to me. Select the required tests and click Run.