Strategic Portfolio Management: Align Strategy with Execution

What Is Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)?

Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) is the process of selecting, managing, and aligning an organisations projects and initiatives with its overarching strategic objectives. It ensures that resources are directed toward the highest-value work, helps prioritise initiatives based on business impact, and provides visibility into progress and performance. SPM enables more informed decision-making and greater organisational agility.

How the Atlassian Apps Support Strategic Portfolio Management?

Atlassian enables effective Strategic Portfolio Management by linking high-level business goals and ideas with day-to-day execution through a suite of integrated apps. Atlassian's key offerings - Jira, Plans, Product Discovery, and Confluence - help organisations define strategic goals, align them with portfolios of work, and track progress in real time.

The process typically begins with leadership documenting strategic goals and ideas in Jira Product Discovery. Once an idea is assessed and approved for delivery, it can be broken down into features or initiatives, that teams further refine into epics and, when ready, into tasks and stories. All of these levels are planned and visualised using Plans in Jira Premium. Plans helps build realistic timelines, assess team capacity, and highlight dependencies or risks before they impact delivery.

Dashbboards, reports, and the various Plans views provide continuous insight into progress, enabling time adjustments when priorities shift.

At an Enterprise level, Jira Align can be used to provide visibility and alignment across the company, connecting strategic initiatives directly with team-level work tracked in Jira Software. This ensures that agile delivery contributes meaningfully to broader business outcomes.

Getting Started: Best Practices

Implementing SPM using Atlassian apps is an evolving process that enables organisations to unlock real value. Depending on your needs, the following Atlassian or Marketplace apps may be used in conjunction with Jira and Product Discovery:

Plans

Plans is included with Jira Premium Cloud or Data Center. This offers a great Strategic Management solution at no additional cost. Some key features and benefits of Plans are:

• Estimate using story points or time tracking
• Share visualisations and timelines
• Supports program board and calendar views
• Team-level capacity planning

Limitations of Plans: No critical path, baselines, or cross-plan resource views

Structure & Structure.Gantt

Structure and Structure.Gantt are available via the Atlassian Marketplace for an additional cost. This product can be useful if you need some of the more traditional project management tools. Key features include:

• Gantt chart functionality with flexible slicing and structuring
• Supports team and individual resourcing
• Multiple baselines and duration estimates
• Resource levelling (Data Center only)
• Sandboxes for visualisation and scenario testing (Data Center only)

BigPicture / BigPicture Enterprise

BigPicture & BigPicture Enterprise are also available to purchase via the Atlassian Marketplace. These offer more comprehensive options again than the previous planning tools. Key features include:

• Comprehensive planning across risks, dependencies, and timelines
• Includes Big Gantt, Program Boards, Risk Modules, Roadmaps, and more
• Cross-plan resource views
• Skills and resource levelling
• Multi-tool integration
• Visualisation export (BigTemplate add-on required)

Jira Align – Atlassian's Flagship SPM Tool

Jira Align is the gold standard for scaling your agile practice. With everything in one place, the gap between strategy and execution is removed. Key features and benefits include:

• Maps your company Mission, Vision and Goals down to OKRs and team-level execution seamlessly
• Roadmaps, resource allocation and financial tracking all in one place
• Dependency and risk management
• Supports full-scale portfolio, program, and team alignment

Need Help Choosing the Right Approach?

Adopting Strategic Portfolio Management requires selecting the right tools for your organisation’s scale and goals. For a detailed walkthrough and expert recommendations, watch the full video here.

For tailored advice or assistance in selecting the right tools for your oranisation, contact our team today.