Jira is a project management tool that helps teams plan, track, and discuss work. One important aspect of using Jira is the ability to create and prioritize issues. An issue in Jira represents a piece of work that needs to be done, such as a bug to fix or a new feature to implement. In this article, I will show you, how to plan and track work in Jira.
What you find in this article:
- Create an issue in Jira
- Setting up your Jira project: Defining project components and configurations
- Creating issues in Jira: Types of issues, fields, and tags
- Prioritizing issues in Jira: Using the priority field and issue ranking
- Assigning issues in Jira: Best practices for allocating work to team members
- Managing issues in Jira: Updating status, progress, and resolution
- Advanced issue management in Jira: Using Agile tools and custom fields
- Tips and best practices for creating and prioritizing issues in Jira
Create an issue in Jira
Creating a new issue in Jira is very simple.
First, you need to navigate to the project in which you want to create the issue.
When you move to the right project dashboard, click the “Create” button in the top-right corner of the screen.
Select the type of issue you want to create (e.g., bug, task, etc.). The type of issue available depends on the project configuration. In one project, you will be able to create multiple issues like bugs, tasks, epics, etc., but another project could have different issue types.
Enter a summary and description of the issue. Be sure to include as much detail as possible to help others understand the issue. Also, you can see that in description appears some custom descriptions. Usually, administrators help you just write useful questions or point to fill in descriptions, which makes further work faster.
Assign the issue to a specific person or team. In the project setting, there is a place, to set the default person for each kind of issue. But when you know that this issue should be addressed to someone else, you can do it using this field.
You can prioritize it by setting its priority level. Jira allows you to set an issue’s priority on a scale from “Low” to “Highest.” You can set this priority when you create an issue or change it at any time.
It’s important to prioritize issues in Jira so that your team knows which tasks to work on first. By setting an issue’s priority, you can ensure that the most critical work is addressed in a timely manner.
Set a due date for the issue. You can set specific dates to solve the problem you set or achieve a goal that you describe. And this is a field where you can do this.
Please add any additional details or attachments to the issue. When you have extra files, you can add them to the issue.
In addition to these fields, you can also use tags (also known as labels) to categorize and organize issues in Jira. Tags are simple text labels that you can apply to issues to help you filter and group them. For example, you might use tags to indicate the type of work represented by an issue (e.g., “bug,” “enhancement,” etc.), or to indicate the area of the codebase that an issue relates to (e.g., “frontend,” “backend,” etc.). By using tags, you can make it easier to find and group related issues in Jira.
Setting up your Jira project: Defining project components and configurations
It’s highly possible, that you have different fields on issue creating screen. Why is that?
The answer is very simple: you are able to configure the issue field as you want. Of course, you need to have admin permission in Jira. When you have it, you can configure each project as you like or as the team wants.
Setting up a Jira project involves defining the components and configurations that will be used to manage and track work in the project. Here are some steps to follow when setting up a Jira project:
- Determine the scope of the project: Decide what work will be included in the project and what will be excluded. This will help you define the components and configurations needed to manage the project.
- Define project components: Jira allows you to define components to represent different areas of work within the project. For example, you might define components for different parts of the codebase or for different types of tasks.
- Set up issue types: Issue types are used to classify different types of work in Jira. Common issue types include bugs, tasks, and stories. You can customize the issue types used in your project to suit the needs of your team.
- Configure workflow: A workflow is a series of steps an issue goes through from creation to completion. You can configure the workflow for your project to reflect your team’s process for managing and completing work.
To set up a new workflow, you need to select “Automation” from the left menu and then click “Create rule” or choose one from Liberty. Using automation in a project is very helpful and speeds up the whole project’s progress. You don’t need to switch tasks between team members, send an email, or do other things each time something is done. Jira can do it for you.
- Set up project roles: Project roles define the permissions and responsibilities of team members in the project. You can set up project roles in Jira to reflect the roles and responsibilities of your team members.
- Create a project key: A project key is a unique identifier that is used to identify issues within a project. You can create a project key by selecting a combination of letters and numbers that will be used to prefix all issues in the project.
Configure project settings: Jira provides several settings that you can use to customize your project’s behavior. You can configure settings such as the default assignee for new issues, the default resolution for closed issues, and the default notification scheme for the project.
By defining the components and configurations needed for your project in Jira, you can ensure that your team has the tools and processes to manage and track work effectively.
Creating issues in Jira: Types of issues, fields, and tags
In Jira, an issue represents a piece of work that needs to be done, such as a bug to fix or a new feature to implement. There are several different types of issues that you can create in Jira, including:
- Bugs: Issues that represent problems or defects in the code or functionality of a project.
- Tasks: Issues represent work that must be done to complete a project, such as writing documentation or refactoring code.
- Stories: Issues that represent a piece of functionality or business value that needs to be delivered as part of a project.
- Epics: Issues that represent large pieces of work that are broken down into smaller issues (e.g., stories or tasks).
- Other: Custom issue types that you can define to suit the needs of your project.
Prioritizing issues in Jira: Using the priority field and issue ranking
In Jira, you can prioritize issues by setting their priority level. Priority levels allow you to indicate the relative importance of an issue, with higher priorities indicating more important work. Jira provides a default set of priority levels that you can use, ranging from “Low” to “Highest.”
In addition to setting the priority level of an issue, you can also use issue ranking to prioritize issues in Jira. Issue ranking allows you to specify the relative order in which issues should be worked on, with higher-ranked issues being more important.
Click the “Rank” button to save your changes.
By prioritizing issues in Jira, you can ensure that your team is focusing on the most important work first. This can help you deliver value to your customers and stakeholders more efficiently and effectively.
Assigning issues in Jira: Best practices for allocating work to team members
In Jira, you can assign issues to specific team members to indicate who is responsible for working on the issue. Here are some best practices for assigning issues in Jira:
- Assign issues to the appropriate team members: Be sure to assign issues to the team members who have the skills and expertise to complete the work.
- Consider workload and capacity: When assigning issues, consider each team member’s workload and capacity. Try to balance the workload evenly across the team to avoid overloading one person.
- Use the “Assignee” field: In Jira, the “Assignee” field specifies who is responsible for working on an issue. Be sure to set the assignee for each issue to ensure everyone knows who is responsible for what work.
- Communicate with team members: When assigning issues, be sure to communicate with team members to ensure that they have the necessary information and resources to complete the work.
- Use the “Watcher” field: The “Watcher” field in Jira allows you to add other team members as watchers on an issue. This can be useful for keeping team members informed about the progress of an issue, even if they are not directly responsible for working on it.
Managing issues in Jira: Updating status, progress, and resolution
In Jira, it’s important to keep track of the status, progress, and resolution of issues to ensure that work is being completed in a timely and efficient manner. Here are some tips for managing issues in Jira:
- Update the status of an issue: The status of an issue reflects its current state in the workflow. Be sure to update the status of an issue as it moves through the workflow to keep track of its progress.
- Use the “Progress” field: The “Progress” field in Jira allows you to track the percentage of work completed on an issue. Be sure to update this field as you make progress to help others see how far along you are.
- Use the “Resolution” field: The “Resolution” field in Jira is used to indicate how an issue was resolved. Be sure to set the resolution of an issue when it is closed to help others understand how the issue was addressed.
- Use the “Comment” field: The “Comment” field in Jira allows you to add notes and updates about an issue. Be sure to use this field to communicate with your team about the progress and resolution of an issue.
By keeping track of the status, progress, and resolution of issues in Jira, you can ensure that your team is making progress on the work that needs to be done and that everyone is aware of the status of each issue.
Advanced issue management in Jira: Using Agile tools and custom fields
In addition to the basic features of Jira, there are several advanced tools and features that you can use to manage issues more effectively. Here are some tips for advanced issue management in Jira:
- Use Agile tools: Jira offers several tools for managing work in an Agile environment, such as Scrum and Kanban boards. These tools allow you to visualize the flow of work and track the progress of issues in real time.
- Customize fields: Jira allows you to customize the fields used to track issues. You can create custom fields to capture additional information about issues or modify the values available for existing fields. This can be helpful for tracking information specific to your team or project.
- Use issue links: Issue links allow you to link related issues together in Jira. This can be helpful for tracking dependencies or relationships between issues.
- Use issue watchers: The “Watcher” field in Jira allows you to add other team members as watchers on an issue. This can be useful for keeping team members informed about the progress of an issue, even if they are not directly responsible for working on it.
Tips and best practices for creating and prioritizing issues in Jira
Here are some tips and best practices for creating and prioritizing issues in Jira:
- Provide clear and concise summaries: A good summary should clearly and concisely describe the work that needs to be done. Be sure to use clear and descriptive language to help others understand the issue quickly.
- Include as much detail as possible: The description field is a good place to provide additional context and information about the issue. Be sure to include as much detail as possible to help others understand the issue and what needs to be done.
- Assign issues to the appropriate team members: Be sure to assign issues to the team members who have the skills and expertise to complete the work. This will help ensure that work is allocated effectively and efficiently.
- Set clear due dates: Setting a due date for an issue can ensure that the work is completed on time. Be sure to set realistic due dates that allow sufficient time for the work to be completed.
- Use tags to organize and categorize issues: Tags (also known as labels) can be used to categorize and organize issues in Jira. Be sure to use tags to make it easier to find and group related issues.
- Prioritize issues appropriately: Set an issue’s priority appropriately to indicate its relative importance. Higher-priority issues should be addressed before lower-priority ones.
If you are interested in effective management of project submissions, then I invite you to read this article: Effective Communication of Project Issues: A Practical Guide
