Project portfolio management in Jira is powerful, but it can be even more effective with the right add-ons. For teams that need visibility into project schedules, resources, and actual delivery performance, BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker from SPK partner Appfire bring unmatched clarity. By combining portfolio-level planning with accurate time tracking, organizations gain a single, integrated view of work progress, capacity, and financial impact, all without leaving Jira.
What are BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker?
BigPicture
BigPicture is a flexible project portfolio management (PPM) solution built for Jira. It allows teams to:
- Build portfolio hierarchies that reflect Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid structures.
- Create powerful Gantt charts to plan, schedule, and model critical paths.
- Manage resources and workloads across multiple projects, spotting imbalances and ensuring work is distributed effectively.
With BigPicture, organizations can turn flat lists of Jira issues into meaningful project structures, complete with milestones, dependencies, and timelines.
7pace Timetracker
7pace Timetracker is Jira-native time tracking that’s easy and intuitive. Teams can:
- Track time directly on issues, via calendars, or through drag-and-drop timesheets.
- Sync with Google and Outlook calendars for seamless logging.
- Use custom fields to capture context like billable vs. non-billable hours, CapEx vs. OpEx, or activity types.
- Generate reports, export data, or leverage the Reporting API for deeper analysis.
It provides a single source of truth for time data, ensuring accurate billing, compliance, and project cost tracking.
How BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker Integrate with Jira
The real power emerges when BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker are combined inside Jira:
- Time Data in Gantt Charts: Logged hours from 7pace flow directly into BigPicture’s Gantt view. These charts allow teams to compare baseline estimates, actuals, and remaining work in real time.
- Capacity Planning: Resource availability and workloads in BigPicture are enriched with actual time data from 7pace, helping managers make informed decisions about staffing and scheduling.
- Financial Tracking: Billable vs. non-billable hours, project costs, and budget burn rates are visible within portfolio structures. This is critical for services teams and finance-driven organizations.
- Single Integrated View: No more switching between external tools. Everything, including plans, resources, capacity, and time, is accessible inside Jira.
The Value of BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker
For end-user organizations, the benefits are immediate:
- Clarity on performance: Teams can quickly identify and correct deviations between plans and actuals.
- Improved forecasting: Live time data feeds better predictions for future projects.
- Simplified financial oversight: Teams can track billable vs. non-billable time at the project level.
- Capacity alignment: Resource management is informed by actual logged hours.
All of this comes together in one view inside Jira, strengthening collaboration and eliminating the inefficiencies of scattered tools.
Mastering Project Portfolios with BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker
Mastering project portfolios in Jira requires a connected view of plans, resources, and actual work. By integrating BigPicture and 7pace Timetracker, organizations unlock true portfolio intelligence. Teams can compare estimates to actuals, optimize capacity, and simplify invoicing, all while staying inside Jira. This integration not only boosts operational efficiency but also builds confidence with executives and clients by tying time, cost, and delivery together. For services organizations, especially, it’s a game-changer in project and financial oversight. If you would like to get started with these Appfire add-ons, contact our team of experts.
