How to display Actual Start Date and Actual End Date [in addition to Target Start Dt and End dt]
Asked by Vijay Reddy:

Dear Team

In Jira Advanced Roadmaps, I am able to see "**Target Start Date** " and "**Target End Date**" columns by default.

I am wondering how to show "**Actual Start Date** " and "**Actual End Date"** columns ....

![jira roadmaps.PNG](/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/207524iF2FD03D8DC92B967/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "jira roadmaps.PNG")


Answers:
author: Mark Segall
body: Hi [@Vijay Reddy](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4985866) and welcome to the community!

In the **Fields** drop down there's a link for **Manage Custom Fields**.

![2022-07-22_14-03-19.jpg](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/207525i56EA28FFB8E0F6C1/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "2022-07-22_14-03-19.jpg")

This will take you to a page where you can add additional fields that can be displayed on your roadmap, including Actual Start/End

comments: author: Vijay Reddy
body: Hi [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4667637)

Thank you so much for your VERY PROMPT response!!!

One quick related Question please :)

If we are using Jira Advanced Roadmaps to manage 'agile' projects using Scrum,... ideally.... the Start Date and End Dates should be Start and End dates of Sprints:

For example, let's consider a large "Theme" or "Feature" that span multiple Sprints (of 1 week each):

* Sprint 5 (Start Date: July 6, 2022; End Date: July 12, 2022)
* Sprint 6 (Start Date: July 13, 2022; End Date: July 12, 2022)
* Sprint 7 (Start Date: July 20, 2022; End Date: July 26, 2022)

Start date and End Dates \[for both Planned / Target dates and Actual Dates\] would be Sprint dates.

* Target Start Date: Sprint 5 Start Date (7/6/22)
* Target End Date: Sprint 6 End date (7/12/22)
* Actual Start Date: Sprint 6 Start Date (7/13/22)
* Actual End Date: Sprint 7 End Date (7/26/22)

Is my understanding correct?

Thanks a lot again for your prompt responses!


author: Mark Segall
body: Yes - When you add issues to sprint, they are automatically reflected on the roadmap. You should only need to manually manage the desired length of the epic and above. You'll get warnings in your roadmap if your stories begin prior to their epic or if they are slated to end after the epic end date as well.


author: Vijay Reddy
body: Hi [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637) , Thank you so much! This is very helpful.

So... in order to 'see' Actual Start Date and Actual End Date in Jira Advanced Roadmaps, we need to add "Custom Fields" like "Actual Start Date" and "Actual End Date" at "each hierarchy level" \[like: Story or Task, Epic, Feature (one level higher than Epic) and Theme (1 level higher than Feature)\]?

And "manually" enter these values? or is there way to automatically "associate" these custom dates to Jira Software native fields?

For example, if a Story is 'planned' for a given Sprint during Sprint Planning....

- the Target Start Date for the Story is automatically shown as the Sprint Start Date and Target End Date for the Story is automatically shown as the Sprint End Date?

-At the end of the Sprint when the Story is COMPLETED / Moved to DONE state, the 'Actual' Start Date is automatically shown as the Sprint Start Date and Actual End for the Story is automatically shown as the Sprint End Date?

- when at least one Story within a higher level item \[Epic, Feature, or Theme\] is "planned" for a Sprint, is the "Actual Start Date" of such higher level item is automatically set for the Sprint Start Date?

- when all Stories of a given 'parent' item \[higher level backlog item\] are COMPLETED then the Actual End Date of the Parent Item is set to the End Date of the Sprint in which the Story was actually COMPLETED?

Looking for any guidance on adding TWO custom Fields (Actual Start Date and Actual End Date) at each level of the Backlog Hierarchy (Theme, Feature, Epic, and Story or Task) and set the field mapping / configuration to update the Actual Dates automatically based on the 'Completion' of Stories or Tasks within a Sprint.

Any help is greatly appreciated!


author: Mark Segall
body: I don't believe Actual Start/End Dates are ever populated automatically, but Target Start/End are always populated as long as the sprint has a start/end date configured. The idea is that you're maintaining the roadmap on a regular basis and looking out for the automated warning indicators that will crop up. If you want to treat Target Start/End as a baseline and use Actual Start/End for actuals, you could do something with automation:

++**RULE #1: Actual Start**++

* TRIGGER: Issue Transitioned from To Do to In Progress
* ACTION: Edit Issue (Actual Start)
  * {{now}}

++**RULE #2: Actual End**++

* TRIGGER: Issue Transitioned to Done
* ACTION: Edit Issue (Actual End)
  * {{now}}


author: Vijay Reddy
body: Hi [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637)

Thank you so much for your helpful response!

Let me try this!

Best

Vijay


author: Buket d?lger
body: Hi [@Mark Segall](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4666637) ,

Thank you so much for response!

I just need the "Actual End" field and I guess it comes from the "Advanced Roadmap" plugin. I am not using this plugin actively and my project is not in roadmap, will it be a problem if I use this field in my project?


author: Julia Schneider
body: This is not an answer, it is just a reply.

Hi Mark,

when I follow your instructions I get to the manage custom field selection but the fields actual start and end cannot be selcted, it says they are not supported. The fields are used in the projects and were added to the issue screen of company managed projects. What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance!


Tags: advanced-roadmaps