How to Sync Azure DevOps Work Items with Asana Tasks with Automated 2-Way Updates
Here’s everything you need to know about turning Azure DevOps work items into Asana tasks and vice versa through automation. It starts with Unito – a simple, no-code sync platform that lets you sync data between apps and tools seamlessly while you work. If you’re new to Unito you can read more about this Azure DevOps Asana integration here.
All you need to do is set up a Unito flow between Azure DevOps and Asana to enable automated updates. A flow represents the connection made by Unito users between their tools. Each Unito flow includes:
- A connection between apps or tools (in this case, Azure DevOps and Asana),
- A flow direction that tells Unito where to create and sync your data,
- Rules to pick which work items and tasks to sync, and
- Field mappings that let you customize the exact information you want synced between Azure DevOps and Asana.
Once those steps are complete, you simply set it and forget it – as you work in Asana or Azure DevOps, your manual activity will create new work items (or tasks) automatically based on your rules.
Why sync Azure DevOps work items to Asana tasks?
This integration comes with a host of benefits, notably the simplification of work for non-technical teams who may not be familiar with the Azure DevOps interface. All Unito integrations are designed to help you eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and boost efficiency. In this case, by empowering Agile teams to focus on delivering high-quality software iteratively and incrementally from their tool of choice.
Sync technical and non-technical teams between Asana and Azure DevOps
If you have software developers or engineers working in Azure DevOps who need to collaborate with other teams in Asana, this is an easy way to facilitate that process. You can choose which work items to sync with tasks so you don’t have to pick every single project the team has on their plate. This could be useful for sharing status updates, assigning one-off tasks related to a project, and so on.
Agile methodology
This integration also brings immense value to teams practicing the Agile methodology in Azure DevOps for project management. Teams can seamlessly connect Asana tasks to their development and deployment platform, creating a unified ecosystem for Agile project execution.
In this use case, Unito helps ensure alignment between project plans and development tasks regardless of where that work takes place.
Enhanced oversight and visibility in real-time
As is the case with any Unito integration, connecting Azure DevOps and Asana with real-time updates allows you to share visibility on task progress to or from anywhere. In this case, if your stakeholders are more comfortable in Asana, you can send updates from Azure DevOps without needing to perform any extra work.
The Benefits of Integration
The benefits of integrating Azure DevOps with Asana are vast, regardless of whether you’re a small business owner or part of a large enterprise. Unito allows you to effortlessly map data fields between the two apps, eliminating the need for manual data entry and decreasing the risk of mistakes.
Watch this Azure DevOps Asana sync in action
Setting up this Azure DevOps Asana integration
You may want to create a new Asana project before starting to act as a workspace for anything you want to sync to or from Azure DevOps.
In Azure DevOps, go to your Organization Settings and select policies. Then make sure that Third-party application access via OAuth is turned on. Without this setting on, you won’t be able to connect Azure DevOps to Unito.
Step by step instructions to sync Azure DevOps work items to Asana tasks
Time needed: 10 minutes
Here’s how to sync Asana tasks to Azure DevOps work items in Unito.
- Sign up and log in to the Unito platform.
The first step is to create your Unito account and access the Unito dashboard.
- Connect Asana and Azure DevOps to Unito
Here’s a guide to connecting to Unito if you need assistance. You can also perform this step as you create a new flow.
– Select +Create a flow, then Start here.
– On the next screen, click +Add a tool to this flow and select Asana and Azure DevOps on the left and right (the order doesn’t matter).
– Next, choose the accounts and projects in both Azure DevOps and Asana that you’ll be working in.
– Connect your Asana and Azure DevOps accounts.
- Set a flow direction between Azure DevOps and Asana
In this step you tell Unito where to create new tasks or work items automatically based on your manual activity.
If you set a one-way flow from ADO to Asana, new work items you create (that match your rules) will appear as synced Asana tasks.
Read more about flow direction in Unito.
- Pick rules to filter work items and tasks from syncing
Rules let you set criteria (such as status, creation date, etc.) to determine which tasks or work items sync with Unito. This is useful for filtering out less relevant data.
Read more about setting up rules in Unito.
- Choose which fields to sync between Azure DevOps and Asana
Pick auto-map to start with a pre-built template that can be edited. This step allows you to link fields between Asana tasks and Azure DevOps work items.
You can link specific categories of tags between your tools, make sure the titles are synced, description to description, etc. You can even sync custom fields!
Read more about choosing fields in Unito.
- Test your flow, then sync historical work items
Click launch and try creating a work item (or task if your setup is different from our guide).
If all goes as planned, return to your rules and click the trash bin icon beside the creation date condition. This allows Unito to sync all historical work items between your two projects that match the rest of your rules.
What’s next after connecting Azure DevOps and Asana with Unito?
Read more about Unito’s integrations for Asana and Azure DevOps to better understand their capabilities and limitations.
Duplicate this flow to suit other use cases you may have in mind.
Now that you’ve got the hang of Unito, you can try something more complex, such as uniting technical and non-technical teams by syncing Asana to Jira, GitHub or Bitbucket.
- Connect Azure DevOps to Jira, or a database such as Airtable.
Discover even more integrations for Asana and Azure DevOps
If you’re happy with your integration, you can start connecting Asana or Azure DevOps to other tools we support. Unito offers in-depth integrations popular apps and tools including: Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Airtable, Jira, GitHub and more.
Once you’ve created your first flow, you can duplicate it so you don’t need to start from scratch next time.
Unlock New Levels of Collaboration
By harnessing Unito’s 2-way integration for Azure DevOps and Asana, you can help your teams stay agile and efficient. Once you get the hang of your first flow, you can try out more comprehensive use cases. Consider setting up a master project that oversees and distributes work to multiple destinations. Here’s what a master project looks like in Trello.