Time in State for Calculating Azure DevOps Work Item States

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Time in State by SaaSJet helps you control the time Work Item spent in the workflow at each state. Find problem areas and positive dynamics by chart report and monitor time spent at the Work Item panel.

Take time tracking in Azure DevOps to a new level - ensure that your team stays on track and delivers quality results faster. Time in State supports all custom states and Azure DevOps processes, such as Basic, Agile, Scrum, CMMI.

🚀 What is Time in State?

Time in State is your all-in-one tool for analyzing workflow in Azure DevOps. It enables you to:

1. Detailed Time Reports

• Time in State – Analyze how long work items stay in each stage of the Azure DevOps workflow.
• Average Time – Understand the average duration in each state to improve planning.
• State Count – See how many times a work item transitions through specific workflow states.
• Transition Count – Track transitions between states to detect bottlenecks and process inefficiencies.

2. SLA Goals for Time in State

• Set time-based SLA goals for workflow states.
• Get visual alerts when items approach or exceed their SLA limits, helping prevent workflow delays.

3. Customizable Columns

• Select which workflow states to include in your report.
• Add or remove columns to instantly adjust metrics.
• Focus only on the most relevant data for your team.

4. Data Visualization

• Create Pie, Bar, and Area charts for clear workflow insights.
• Use visuals in reports, presentations, and stand-ups to support process improvements.

5. Export to Excel

• Export data for extended analysis.
• Calculate Cycle Time, Lead Time, and other key performance metrics.

Use Case: Track Work Item Time in Each Stage During a Sprint

John, a project manager, needs to track how long each user story spends in various workflow stages — from development to testing to production — throughout a sprint.

Steps to gain insights with Time in State:

1. Open Boards in your Azure DevOps sprint project.
2. Select a report — choose from Time in State, Average Time, State Count, or Transition Count (available in grid or chart format).
3. Use Time in State to measure time spent in each stage, and run Query to retrieve relevant work items.
4. Set the Work Item range and Time range for accurate calculation.
5. Enable Smart View for a clear, structured layout.
6. Apply your team’s working calendar to exclude non-working hours.
7. Customize Columns to display only the data that matters.
8. Export the report to analyze cycle time, lead time, and SLA performance.

Result

John receives a clear report showing how long each user story stayed in every stage during the sprint. This enables better sprint planning, highlights workflow bottlenecks, and helps prevent delivery delays.

Related Use Cases:

• How to calculate Work Item age in Azure DevOps
• Tracking Cycle Time in Azure DevOps
• Monitoring individual assignees’ Work Items

Support & Security You Can Count On

🛠 Support — First response time ≤ 4 hours For assistance, visit our Support Center or contact us at support@saasjet.com

🔒 SOC 2 Type II Compliant — Built with security and transparency in mind

🛡 We don’t store your confidential data — All data stays within your Azure DevOps environment

Need help getting started? Our team can assist with onboarding, configuration, and best practices tailored to your process. 👉 Book a personalized onboarding call

Resources & Next Steps

📘 Explore our Docs — Step-by-step guides to configure and use Time in State efficiently

🎓 Get Started Guide — Practical instructions to onboard your team

💻 Book a Demo — Personalized walkthrough tailored to your use case

Feature requests

We love to hear from you! Is there a feature you’ve been waiting for? Send us a Feature Request in our support center.

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