Azure DevOps: Change Project Process from Scrum to Basic

Question

I want to change an Azure DevOps project's Process from Scrum to Basic.

I read that:

1. Previously it was not possible to change between System Project Processes (eg. Scrum->Basic) in Azure Devops. Rather, it was only possible to switch between System & Inherited Processes of the same parent System Process.
2. But that it is now possible to switch between all Processes.

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Documented Process A

According to this web page, I should be able to:

Organization Settings -> Boards -> Process -> Projects -> Scrum -> Select "..." next to the Scrum Project -> Select "Basic" -> Save

However, this is what happens instead:

Organization Settings -> Boards -> Process -> Projects -> Scrum -> There is no "..." next to any Projects

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Documented Process B

Whilst I could not find the "Change process" option above, I could find the option mentioned on this web page:

Organization Settings -> Boards -> Process -> Processes -> Select "..." next to the Basic Process -> "Change team projects to use Basic"

So I wonder whether this has replaced the the Documented Process A above OR whether it is in addition to it?

However, when I tried this I just get an error:

There are currently no projects available to change to the Basic process.

AND this web page states that

Only those projects created from the Agile process or one that inherits from Agile appear under the Available projects column.

Which seems like it is referring to the days when we could not switch between System Processes.

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Other checks

I don't think this is related to permissions because I have "Basic" access, am the Project Administrator and I am also in the "Project Collection Administrators" group, which the documentation says gives me the permissions required to change a project's Process.

I have no Work Items either.

I have tried with combinations of System Project processes and inherited Project Processes. No change, still can't move to any Process based upon Basic.

The referenced web page's example is for Basic-to-Agile. I couldn't find any documented examples of the reverse: Agile->Basic, Scrum->Basic, etc. So I am wondering if this just doesn't work yet with Basic as the target?

I have submitted a Microsoft Support request without response so I am reaching out here.

Moron

Answer 1

This worked for me:

1. First create an inherited process under Basic, say BasicEx, with all the same Work Item Types as under Scrum (this meant I had to add Bug, Feature, Impediment, Product Backlog Item), and first move to this process.
2. Then delete all the 4 manually created Work Item types (which will delete all associated work items, so if you want to preserve them, change them to Issue type first).
3. Then move the project to use the Basic process.
4. Then finally delete the BasicEx process.

Wende

Heavily underrated comment. Basically the only way to go from more sophisticated process(say Agile) to more simple one (Basic) – Bingo

Answer 2

There's no any limit about change one process to another. It seemed the method you tried was incorrect.

For example, here I has an project under Scrum process. Located to Scrum--> choose Projects-->then choose the ... icon for the project you want to change-->select Change process.

And then, you will see the selection about choosing process, choose one process that you want to change and save it:

Now, open the process which you chosen change just now and you will see the change has been succeed now.

You can refer this similar change way from Change a project process from Scrum to Agile

Formula

Is it possible to do this using Python rest api? – Unplumbed

Answer 3

There is another way which may not be feasible for everyone - deleting the work items that are not supported in the target process.

For example - CMMI does not support User Stories, so you have to delete any user stories permanently. This means deleting them and also making sure they are not stuck in the Recycle Bin.

Once you only have supported work items you should be able to switch to the chosen process.

Homerhomere

Answer 4

Currently Azure DevOps supports change from inherited process template to another inherited template (with the same base process), and change only the following ways:

• From Scrum to Agile.

• From Agile to Scrum.

• From Basic to Agile.

This is the reason you don't success to change from Scrum to Basic.

More information you can find here.

Passim