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reviewer1334121 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Delivery manager at a insurance company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Scalable at the project-level but hard to manage entirely
Pros and Cons
  • "It's is a very stable solution."
  • "The usability of TFS is not that great."

What is our primary use case?

We mainly use it for source control.

In the past, I've used it throughout the whole CI/CD. I've worked with Scrum and Agile methodologies. From the user story, from the product backlog to the CI/CD and deployment. I've used it for everything — the whole nine yards.

At my previous company, there were a lot of employees using this solution; it was the only system that was being used. 

What needs improvement?

Currently, there are a lot of products for managing the product backlog. The usability of TFS is not that great.

Integration from an agile perspective could be improved. Jira is far better in this regard.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using TFS for over a decade.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's is a very stable solution but when compared with Jira, Jira has taken over. The question should be: how agile is TFS? From this perspective, TFS is lacking — the ease of usability is less.

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TFS
October 2024
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

TFS is not that scalable compared to Jira. It's scalable at the story level and at the project level but in the grand scheme of things, it's hard to manage it from an entire product perspective. 

How are customer service and support?

It depends on what kind of program your company has. Personally, we didn't have to deal with Microsoft tech support very often relating to TFS. 

How was the initial setup?

It depends on which point you start. From my experience, problems occur when you already have a development and then you adopt the agile method and try to work it into your source code.

What about the implementation team?

Our IT team handles deployment and all maintenance-related issues.

What other advice do I have?

It depends on what methodology. You can use it for the entire software development process, from the user story to the code and the integration and deployment — the whole nine yards. That's something to be taken care of and set up diligently.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give TFS a rating of seven.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user1138779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good dashboards and Kanban board helps with announcements and collaboration
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the Kanban board. It is very useful in terms of seeing who is working on what and what the current status of work is."
  • "In the next release, I would like them to include integration for various projects, similar to what JIRA has, and they could create this feature on the dashboard."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case of this solution is version control.

We use it for ticketing protecting particular items, we use the dashboard, and we use the Kanban board where you can put work items.

The deployment model that we are using is on-premises.

What is most valuable?

I really like the dashboards in this solution. They are good for the team, where you can provide announcements and you can organize it the way you want.

I like the Kanban board. It is very useful in terms of seeing who is working on what and what the current status of work is.

I know that they want to discontinue the version control feature, but I like it because for simple applications, it works.

What needs improvement?

In the next release, I would like them to include integration for various projects, similar to what JIRA has, and they could create this feature on the dashboard. 

If they could create a feature to allow us to see the dashboards with all of the products, it would be useful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is pretty stable. I have not experienced any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable and it is simple. 

From my experience, we have loaded a lot of work and we have several branches.

We have perhaps one hundred users, but in my team specifically, we have eight users who are engineers, testers, and a few managers.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have not contacted technical support because issues are handled by the team internally.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have not used any other solutions previously. This has been the first one with version control.

What about the implementation team?

We have an internal team that handled the implementation of this solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I am currently evaluating JIRA. The management is considering moving everything to JIRA.

What other advice do I have?

This solution is simple to learn. It's straightforward and you don't need a lot of time to learn the functionalities.

I would recommend this solution.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
TFS
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about TFS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Gireesh Subramonian - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Director at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Leaderboard
The tool is efficiently managing teams by giving management information, but more options could be provided from the perspective of requirements management
Pros and Cons
  • "From the project management perspective, the tool is efficiently managing teams by giving management information, such as reports, graphs, velocity, capacity, etc."
  • "More options could be provided from the perspective of requirements management, which would help product owners to use the tool effectively."

What is our primary use case?

We have used TFS as part of our SAFe Agile Implementation.  Major uses of it were:

  • Project management
  • Backlog management
  • Issue tracking
  • Source code management.

How has it helped my organization?

TFS was the first system of its type to be implemented in the organization, which helped in managing requirements and multiple teams effectively under a SAFe Agile environment.

What is most valuable?

  • Requirements
  • Backlog management
  • Project management

Each tool has the option to prioritize requirements in a backlog pool, assigning them to particular teams and particular iterations. The system has also helped in managing requirements with options to attach supporting documents. 

From the project management perspective, the tool is efficiently managing teams by giving management information, such as reports, graphs, velocity, capacity, etc.

What needs improvement?

More options could be provided from the perspective of requirements management, which would help product owners to use the tool effectively.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user303018 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Development Leader at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Version change was quick and very smooth, but its usage needs to be more simple and interactive.

What is most valuable?

TFS itself is a platform for collaborative development. All the features in it are essential for successful development projects, especially version control, defects tracking, SCRUM tools etc.

How has it helped my organization?

TFS SCRUM adoption in our organization was very smooth.

What needs improvement?

Scrum Board implementation and Backlog viewer require some improvements in order to make its usage simpler and interactive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used TFS since 2007, and the 2013 version since it was released.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Back in 2007 we used Source Safe Control. When we realized that we needed a generic platform which would combine task and defects tracking with version controlling, we moved to TFS.

How was the initial setup?

I was not involved in the original setup, but the version change was quick and very smooth.

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house IT department deployed it who are very experienced.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Microsoft Gold Partners
PeerSpot user
reviewer1663731 - PeerSpot reviewer
Process Manager at a marketing services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
A stable, scalable and easily installable enterprise wide solution
Pros and Cons
  • "I feel that the test plan and test tools are more manageable in TFS."
  • "The execution of test cases could stand improvement."

What is our primary use case?

As the solution is cloud-based, we always use the latest version. 

We use it comprehensively for client career management. We can use it to read test cases and link cases. Everything is done in TFS.

What is most valuable?

I feel that the test plan and test tools are more manageable in TFS.

What needs improvement?

In the TFS tool, we, essentially, made the test cases and test tools. The execution of test cases could stand improvement. They have provided many ways to manage the execution, but they can streamline it to one or two ways. People do not wish to try all the alternative methods.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using TFS for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

When it comes to stability, the entire process is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have no issues with the scalability. It is fine. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I have do not recall occasion to contact TFS technical support. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I cannot state for certain if we were previously using a different solution, as I would have to know to which year you refer. Again, we have been using TFS for three years. 

How was the initial setup?

Installation is totally fine. I have no issues with it. I do not recall how long it took. 

What about the implementation team?

Installation can be done with the help of the technical team. We are talking about the same team, consisting of around four people and a single manager. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay for the license yearly.

What other advice do I have?

They're slowly migrating the solution to DevOps at the moment.

I would recommend the solution to others. 

I suggest that those looking for enterprise wide solutions can go with TFS whereas, if they are short on team members, they can try the alternative. Smaller teams can try Jira, as well. 

I rate TFS as a seven to eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Agile Coach at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Good reporting, stable, and priced competitively
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the backlog."
  • "The program and portfolio planning facility can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

At my previous company, I was using TFS for managing projects and code.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the backlog.

The reporting has improved over time, with the addition of Power BI reports.

What needs improvement?

There are a lot of places that Microsoft can improve this product, as well as their support.

The program and portfolio planning facility can be improved. As it is now, you can't do portfolio program planning functionality across multiple project Areas (vs. Team areas within a project area) because you cannot link items across projects. Reporting can be done using Power BI, but real time connections are difficult.  You can use connectors and external integrations but you cannot do it with the tool. It needs to be better. 

It is difficult to customize.

For how long have I used the solution?

I had been using Team Foundation Server for between four and five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is absolutely a stable platform. It is highly available and follows on the environment.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is possible to scale, albeit tricky. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is a challenge. It is a pain to get anything from Microsoft done. For example, working on patches and queries is slow. There was a lot of functionality that we wanted to embed that we had trouble with.

They changed the entire application lifecycle management suite, so it was a challenge to understand and navigate through how things would be done.

It is not a buggy product, but for new functionality, it is really a challenge. Especially in cloud-based deployments, it is even more challenging.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was using TFS at my previous company and my current organization uses JIRA. I would say that TFS is the more scalable of the two. With JIRA, you really need connectors and things like that. You have to have external addons to make it more scalable.

In terms of usability, JIRA might provide a better user experience but from an organizational and stability point of view, TFS wins hands-down.

Price-wise, TFS is better than JIRA.

How was the initial setup?

Out of the box, the initial setup is easy. However, it is difficult to customize, especially if it is on a cloud. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

TFS is more competitively priced than some other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to anybody who is implementing this solution is to use as much as possible, out of the box. Customizing it is difficult. It may not necessarily fit everything perfectly and it can be tricky to scale, but not impossible. There are definitely challenges scaling it. That said, the tool from Microsoft does allow you to do things very differently but try to do it in a standard way first.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Developer
Real User
With the build server, I can quickly and easily generate binaries for testing and production environments

What is most valuable?

Integration with Visual Studio (VS): I have used other software management solutions with VS, but TFS is the best at the moment. It offers easy integration with servers and full functionality.

How has it helped my organization?

Another very good feature of TFS is the build server. With it, I can quickly and easily generate binaries for testing and production environments.

What needs improvement?

  • Local branching
  • Move folders using drag & drop
  • Better resolve for merging the conflicts tool.

For how long have I used the solution?

Around eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No. Nothing which I have noticed.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No, but I have never worked in a big company with many developers or projects.

How are customer service and technical support?

I can't rate. I have never used technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Microsoft SourceSafe, but is unreliable and slow. These issues are enough for anyone decide to change to another software management tool. As we are a Microsoft partner, we naturally switched to TFS and are happy with this solution so far.

How was the initial setup?

Very simple and straightforward, which makes for a very good, first impression.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is the negative side of TFS; the price is expensive. Microsoft offers VSTS for free if you have a very small company and don't mind to keep your code in the cloud. But if this isn't the case, you have to pay too much for licenses (in the cloud or out of it), especially if your company just needs to track the changes in your code.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No, because we are a Microsoft Partner.

What other advice do I have?

Use the free version of VSTS first, to just to have an idea of what it is. It's even possible to build binaries online.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: We are a Microsoft Partner.
PeerSpot user
Software Architect with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
allows us to enhance and continuously improve our ability to deliver quality software to our clients

What is most valuable?

  • TFS is full software application lifecycle management tool, where you can use it to create DevOps enabled teams.
  • It has the capability to track requirements to release, and the ability to enable automation into software delivery and the testing process, which is the main reason TFS is so powerful.
  • It is a flexible tool which can be adopted to our own way of work, that allows us to enhance and continuously improve our ability to deliver great and quality software to our clients.
  • Being a Microsoft product, it supports lot of other platforms with version control and builds systems, which is another value addition.

How has it helped my organization?

Test automation capabilities enhanced the testing processes in the software delivery, which allowed us to create more quality software in a shorter time. The capability to deliver rapidly with ever changing technology demands could be easily supported with the work process enhancements we have done based on TFS's capabilities.

What needs improvement?

Third party integrations could be improved to make it more flexible and easy to use with other platforms.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used TFS for eight years since TFS version 2008.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No.

How are customer service and technical support?

Superb. Microsoft support and the community support are always great.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

No, we didn't use a different solution. TFS has been the solution from the beginning.

How was the initial setup?

It was a well-documented, smooth installation process. Nothing complex.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

If you do not want to have the burden of maintenance, go for Visual Studio Team Services (TFS in cloud) which is cheaper, flexible, and is always getting the latest features first.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

JIRA.

What other advice do I have?

Just go for it. Whether you develop on Microsoft platforms or otherwise, you will find it useful and enhancing to the way you work.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free TFS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free TFS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.