Introduction
When managing large or complex projects, it’s essential to structure work in a way that makes it easy to track progress, manage dependencies, and deliver value incrementally. This is where the concept of an Epic becomes crucial. Understanding what is an Epic in Project Management helps teams plan strategically, stay aligned on priorities, and maintain a clear connection between big-picture goals and individual tasks.
In Agile and hybrid project management methodologies, an Epic represents a significant body of work that can be broken down into smaller, manageable pieces — typically known as User Stories or Tasks. These smaller items help define the specific requirements needed to complete the overall Epic. By learning what is an Epic in Project Management, project managers and teams can improve visibility, communication, and efficiency across multiple phases of a project.
What is an Epic in Project Management?
At its core, an Epic in Project Management is a large deliverable or objective that encompasses multiple smaller tasks or user stories. It represents a collection of related work that contributes toward a key business outcome or milestone. When you explore what is an Epic in Project Management, think of it as a high-level goal — something too large to complete in a single sprint but achievable through several iterations of smaller, related work items.
For example, if a software development team is building a new customer portal, an Epic might be titled “Customer Account Management.” This Epic could include user stories such as create user login, update profile details, and view billing history. Together, these smaller stories form the full functionality of the Epic.
In Mission Control, Epics can be managed using the Epic Board, which provides users with a visual overview of their project’s structure. This allows teams to group Actions under Epics, even if they belong to different milestones — a capability that ensures full visibility of cross-functional workstreams.
Why are Epics Important in Project Management?
Understanding what is an Epic in Project Management is essential because it serves as the bridge between strategic objectives and operational execution. Epics help teams organise large volumes of work into manageable segments, ensuring that priorities remain aligned with overall business goals.
Epics also provide a communication tool for stakeholders, enabling everyone — from executives to delivery teams — to understand the scope and intent of major initiatives. When project managers use Epics, they can track progress at a higher level, ensuring that dependencies, risks, and outcomes are transparent throughout the project lifecycle.
In Mission Control, for example, Epics can span multiple sprints or milestones, giving users a consolidated view of all related Actions. This structured approach ensures better planning and accountability across teams, making it easier to measure performance, allocate resources, and track the value being delivered.
Breaking Down an Epic into User Stories and Actions
When exploring what is an Epic in Project Management, it’s vital to understand how Epics are broken down into smaller, actionable components. This process typically follows an Agile hierarchy:
- Epic – The overarching objective or major deliverable.
- User Story – A functional goal from the end-user’s perspective that supports the Epic.
- Task / Action – The specific piece of work that must be completed to fulfill the User Story.
This breakdown ensures that each Epic is supported by clear, actionable steps. For example, an Epic titled “Launch New Mobile App” might contain User Stories like Develop Login Screen, Integrate Payment Gateway, and Create Push Notifications. Each User Story, in turn, will include detailed Actions such as design UI, write authentication code, or test payment flow.
By following this structure, project managers can more accurately estimate effort, assign responsibilities, and track progress toward the larger goal — all while maintaining alignment with the overall project vision.
Benefits of Managing Epics in Project Management Tools
When teams understand what is an Epic in Project Management, they can leverage advanced project management tools like Mission Control on Salesforce to improve collaboration and control. Managing Epics within a single, integrated environment ensures that all dependencies, user stories, and tasks are visible and measurable.
Some key benefits include:
- Improved visibility: Teams can see how individual Actions contribute to a larger business outcome.
- Enhanced prioritisation: Managers can focus on the most valuable Epics first, aligning delivery with strategic goals.
- Simplified reporting: Summary views across multiple Milestones and Sprints allow stakeholders to understand progress in real-time.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Different departments can work on related Actions under the same Epic, avoiding duplication and confusion.
Mission Control’s Epic Board provides an intuitive way to visualise and manage Epics, User Stories, and Actions — making it ideal for Agile teams looking to track multi-sprint initiatives effectively.
How to Use Epics in Mission Control
Within Mission Control, Epics can be created and managed directly within the Project Overview. Each Epic groups related Actions together, providing a unified view across multiple milestones or sprints. Users can easily view all work associated with a particular Epic, check progress, and track which Actions are in progress, completed, or blocked.
By incorporating Epics into your project workflow, you can align your planning processes with Agile best practices. This ensures consistency in how work is structured, estimated, and delivered. When you truly understand what is an Epic in Project Management, you can unlock higher efficiency and greater transparency throughout every project phase.
Conclusion
In summary, understanding what is an Epic in Project Management helps teams bridge the gap between strategic objectives and tactical execution. Epics provide structure, context, and focus — allowing project managers to guide their teams toward successful delivery.
By leveraging Mission Control’s Epic Board on Salesforce, teams can efficiently manage their Epics, User Stories, and Actions in one centralised location. This not only simplifies complex project structures but also enhances collaboration, visibility, and accountability.
Ultimately, learning what is an Epic in Project Management empowers organisations to take a more structured approach to delivery, ensuring every Action contributes meaningfully to the broader project goals.
Mission Control is a comprehensive Salesforce Project Management software application. Make sure you check out our other Project Management Best Practices.
