Shortcut Manual

Laatst bijgewerkt: 4 Mar 2025

Shortcut Manual – how do we use Shortcut?

We use Shortcut as a tool for managing our project. As a client, you work within a single workspace, even if we manage more than one website for you. We use the teams feature to create different environments within the same workspace.
The most important part of Shortcut is the Kanban board, where user stories are placed and moved. These user stories indicate what will be developed, in what order, and their current status. Additional information can also be documented within this same workspace.
Below, you’ll find an explanation of the workflow for sprints and the workflow for bug reports.

1. Sprints

Broadly speaking, Shortcut consists of the following components. When we start a new sprint, we often follow this order as well.

Objectives & Roadmap
Epics
User stories
Iterations
Documents

Objectives & Roadmap

We start at the top level by mapping out the ambitions for the website or app for the rest of the year. The goals can be set up as an Objective together with the PM or the PO. It is most convenient to choose the “Tactical” version for this because Epics can be linked to it. Once dates and a team are attached, this goal becomes visually visible in the Roadmap section. This gives you a visual overview of when the goals are scheduled.

How: Click on the arrow in the large blue button at the top left, here you can select ‘Create Objective’. Then fill in the correct name, description, dates, teams, and owner. Select “Tactical” under Types.

Who: You as the client together with the PM or PO of Eagerly

Epics

From the Objectives, you can directly create Epics. An epic is a collection of User Stories that represents larger initiatives. Epics move through a workflow like user stories and can be completed. Epics can be used to capture a larger, substantive theme (e.g., “search engine integration”), or to capture an update with various changes (e.g., “update Q2 – 2024”).

How: You can do this from creating an Objective by clicking on Create Epic. Another way is by clicking on the arrow in the blue button at the top left. There, select Create Epic. Then fill in the title, description, team, owner, and the related objective.

Who: You as the client set up the epics yourself

User stories

Once the epics are set up, user stories can be linked to them. The PM/PO of Eagerly translates the epics into associated user stories with a time estimate together with a developer. These user stories are placed in the Backlog. We use our template to set up a new user story so it is clear what information should be added to the card.

How: Click on the arrow in the blue button at the top left and click on the arrow next to Create Story, select the correct Team, and then the corresponding template.

Who: The PM/PO together with one or two developers from Eagerly

Iterations

If it is a larger sprint or multiple sprints, the planning of the User Stories is determined using Iterations in a sprint planning meeting. The capacity or hours of the sprint are predetermined, and in this session, it is decided which user stories are prioritized and picked up in this iteration. The PM creates the iteration and links it to the discussed user stories. An iteration thus shows in which timeframe or period the tasks will be picked up.

Who: The PM or PO of Eagerly

Documents

Documents can be used to support pitching ideas or documenting meeting notes. For example, the briefing and debrief can be placed as a document in the workspace. The PM has already set up the Collections (folders). When starting new ideas, you can use an existing template to pitch your ideas and use them for a meeting.

How: Navigate to the Docs tab in your left toolbar. From here you can select a template or create a new blank document. Make sure to add the document to the correct collection by linking it at the top of your document (below the title). A document can also be linked to an epic or user story by clicking on the two arrows on the right side of your screen and then adding the correct Relationship.

Who: Both you as a client and the PM or PO of Eagerly

2. Smaller requests

We prefer to work in sprints so that our developers only need to start the project once and can easily work through different tasks. The more tasks are bundled, the more efficient and thus cost-effective the work will be. However, it can happen that smaller requests arise. What do we do with them?

New features

Smaller new features can also be added as a user story in the backlog. Note that you use the template “New Feature – Template” so it is clear what information needs to be added.

How: Click on the arrow in the blue button at the top left and click on the arrow next to Create Story, select the correct Team, and then the corresponding template.

Who: You as the client

Bugs

Bugs are guaranteed within 2 scenario’s: A. when a feature doesn’t work anymore and it did work with the final delivery (within 3 months after the pre-delivery), or B. after a WP & plugins update where something got broken.

You can use the “Bug report” template for this and fill in all the requested information. The user story should be linked to the epic “Support”. This way we keep an overview of the bug reports.

How: Click on the arrow in the blue button at the top left and click on the arrow next to Create Story, select the correct Team, and then the corresponding template. Please note, it is very important that you link “Support” under the “Teams” section in the user story!