Groups usually select Jira as an answer for challenge monitoring, however the software program also can function a normal undertaking administration platform that will help you plan, monitor, and handle your agile software program improvement tasks — with out having to do a lot additional work or set up any extra software program.
The truth is, Jira features a pre-built template that provides a easy workflow that will help you coordinate assets and monitor duties related to a undertaking. We’ll use this template as a part of a step-by-step information on how one can get began with Jira for undertaking administration.
What’s Jira?
Jira is software program that was initially designed for builders and engineers, but it surely has developed right into a full-service undertaking administration platform that may assist any group or division coordinate duties. Jira additionally connects seamlessly with different Atlassian merchandise corresponding to Trello and Confluence, and it connects with many third-party instruments as effectively.
One clarifying word earlier than we dive in: This how-to information will concentrate on how one can use Jira for undertaking administration, not Jira Service Administration (previously Jira Service Desk). Jira Service Administration gives extra instruments for service groups, corresponding to a customer-facing portal that enables them to submit assist requests. Whereas the software program names are related, and there may be some overlap in options, these are two separate merchandise that aren’t interchangeable.
Who’s Jira for?
Resulting from its concentrate on challenge monitoring, Jira was initially created as a instrument for software program improvement groups, and it actually shines on this space when in comparison with different general-purpose undertaking administration software program. Nevertheless, Jira can be utilized by groups of every kind, and it gives templates for advertising and marketing, design, gross sales, operations, human assets, authorized, finance, and extra.
SEE: A Full Information to Software program Improvement Mission Administration
Methods to use Jira for undertaking administration
Step 1: Select a Jira undertaking administration template
When you can construct a undertaking in Jira from scratch, you’ll save your self lots of work by selecting and customizing one in every of their pre-existing templates. First, head on over to Jira’s template library and browse the templates which can be designed to your group (we’ll be utilizing the undertaking administration template for the needs of this information).
- When you discover a template that you just like, hit the massive blue “Use template” button on the correct hand facet of your display screen.
- A pop-up will ask you to both choose an current Jira web site or create a brand new one.
- Make your choice, then hit the blue “Create page” button.
- Jira will open in a brand new tab and ask you to offer your undertaking a reputation.
- Sort it in, then click on the blue “Create project” button.
Step 2: Invite your teammates to Jira
Assuming this isn’t a solo undertaking, you’ll want to ask your teammates to be able to begin undertaking monitoring in Jira. Even when your teammates don’t have an Atlassian account already, you may nonetheless add them on to your undertaking by clicking the spherical grey “Add people” button (which seems like a plus signal subsequent to an individual icon).
Sort of their emails, or add them straight out of your linked Google, Microsoft, or Slack accounts. Then choose whether or not every individual can be an Admin, Member, or Viewer; which position they’re given will decide their permissions and entry. When you’ve obtained the roles set to your liking, hit the blue “Add” button.
Step 3: Configure your Jira undertaking
Now that you just’ve obtained your undertaking template arrange and invited all of your teammates, it’s time to really configure your undertaking administration in Jira. On the prime of the undertaking window, you’ll see a horizontal bar that lists a number of undertaking view choices: Abstract, Board, Record, Calendar, Timeline, and so forth.
To shortly add duties, choose the Record view and hit the “Create” button. When you’ve entered all of the duties, scroll right down to assign every activity to a group member and set a due date. If the duty isn’t presently being labored on, you may go away the group task and due date fields clean to point that it’s a part of the backlog.
If you wish to customise your undertaking much more, replace every activity’s standing, give it a class, set the precedence, and add a label. These extra {qualifications} make it straightforward to filter your duties to see solely particular ones, which can be extraordinarily useful down the road as you add extra of them. You may also create subtasks beneath a mother or father activity, which retains complicated tasks organized.
Step 4: Monitor your progress
As your group proceeds together with your undertaking work, guarantee that everyone seems to be updating and checking off duties as they’re accomplished. If you’re new to utilizing undertaking administration with Jira, it might take a while and observe to get used to managing your workflows in a brand new system, so be affected person and recurrently examine in together with your group.
Happily, Jira gives a number of options that allow groups to watch how they’re doing. The Abstract tab of every undertaking acts as a dashboard that summarizes the important thing metrics of every undertaking. Among the widgets embody a pie chart displaying in progress duties vs. accomplished duties, a bar chart that breaks down duties by precedence, and a group workload chart that exhibits how a lot work every individual has been assigned.
Jira additionally gives a local time monitoring function, so you may see how a lot time is being spent on every activity. In the event you want extra capabilities than Jira’s native time monitoring function, you may also choose a third-party time monitoring instrument from the Atlassian market.
Step 5: Full your undertaking in Jira
As soon as your group has lastly checked off all of your duties and accomplished the undertaking, it’s time to shut it out. There are two methods to do that in Jira—learn solely and archive. In the event you nonetheless need folks to find a way learn the undertaking and duplicate it, set the permissions to learn solely. If you wish to fully retire the undertaking, use the archive perform to take away it from lively use.
Key options and advantages of Jira for undertaking administration
Template library
Jira gives dozens of templates that make it straightforward to create a brand new undertaking and begin setting it up proper out of the field. These templates are tailor-made to completely different groups’ wants in addition to completely different undertaking administration methodologies.
Among the methodologies supported by Jira templates embody:
- Agile undertaking administration.
- Scrum undertaking administration.
- Kanban undertaking administration.
- Lean undertaking administration.
- Waterfall undertaking administration.
Staff collaboration instruments
There are a number of methods to collaborate together with your group in Jira. You’ll be able to tag one another in feedback on duties and react to them with emojis to point out that you just’ve learn them. You may also combine Jira with fashionable work communication instruments, corresponding to Slack, so that you could hold utilizing acquainted platforms whereas ensuring Jira stays up to date.
Automation
All that point spent updating activity statuses actually provides up. To scale back pointless repetitive work, Jira gives automations to maintain issues shifting with out customers lifting a finger. Some examples of automations embody auto-assigning work, syncing mother or father and little one duties, and cloning points. Jira gives a variety of pre-built automation templates to select from, and you may also create your individual from scratch as effectively.
Reporting and analytics
Staff-managed tasks in Jira get entry to 4 varieties of stories: the burnup report, the cumulative circulate diagram, the speed report, and the spring burndown chart. Jira additionally embeds metrics in every undertaking so that you could monitor your progress with out having to click on over to a separate reporting module. Extra metrics additionally seem within the widgets on the Abstract tab of every undertaking.
FAQ
Is Jira appropriate for undertaking administration?
Sure, Jira was designed as a undertaking administration resolution for software program improvement groups, however it may be utilized by many various kinds of groups as effectively. If you’re searching for an easier undertaking administration software program with a decrease studying curve, we additionally advocate testing Trello, one other Atlassian software program that focuses on kanban boards for undertaking administration.
Methods to use Jira to trace undertaking progress?
Jira embeds metrics straight within the undertaking views so that you could monitor your undertaking progress because the work is accomplished. The deployment frequency and cycle time insights make it attainable to optimize your workflows as you go. When you’ve accomplished a couple of tasks in Jira, it’s going to additionally be capable to undertaking insights and analytics from the backlog that will help you enhance future tasks. Jira additionally gives a local time monitoring function, or you may allow a third-party time monitoring.
Can Jira do Gantt charts?
Jira gives two barely completely different Gantt chart choices, referred to as Timeline and Roadmaps. Timeline shows a Gantt chart for a single undertaking or group. Roadmaps show Gantt charts for your complete group, permitting for extra long-term strategic planning.
How do I take advantage of Jira as a undertaking supervisor?
In terms of utilizing Jira for undertaking managers, first create an Atlassian account and select a template to make use of in Jira. Then invite your teammates to your undertaking and configure the undertaking knowledge. Monitor your progress as you go, then archive the undertaking or change it to read-only as soon as all of the duties are accomplished.