Optimizing JIRA for yourself is, customizing JIRA and making it like your own application.
This blog in our series on Jira will cover JIRA best practices. (Read the first post here.) Starting on optimizing JIRA with some best practices on JIRA Issues.
Optimizing JIRA – Issues Best Practice
Straightaway, we start in JIRA by creating “Issues.” Though there are no set rules to create it, these strategies might make your work easier.
1. Short & Clear Summaries:
The summary is the title of an issue. For every new issue you create, summaries are required.
4-7 words – Crisp – Precise.
A few suggested formats:
- Tasks – “<ACTION> <ACTIVITY/THING>”
–> “Build new homepage”
- Stories – “As a <Persona>, I want <THING>”
–> “As a user, I want a back button on the homepage.”
- Bugs – “<Feature> should do <X> but does <Y>”
–> “Menu button should show Menu but gives error”
2. Multiple Issues with Roadmap/Backlog:
When planning new initiatives from start to finish, we can create a sequence of new issues from a single view.
- Create multiple issues from the Roadmap –
Select “Create Issue”
See Also5 Phases of GTD WorkflowType in Summary
Save changes by selecting “Review Changes” at the top-right of the screen.
- Create multiple issues from the Backlog-
Scroll to the bottom of the Backlog
Select “Create Issue”
Type in Summary
3. Flag Important Issues:
To bring awareness to the team about any issue that requires escalation, Flag can be used.
- An issue in danger of missing its delivery date
- An issue that is blocked by another task or problem
Note: When a flag is added, a small flag icon (🚩) & the issue card turns yellow.
4. Email Notification:
By default, JIRA sends a lot of notifications over email. Though it seems overloaded at times, it keeps you connected. Changing notification settings is possible in JIRA.
5. Comments for Communication:
Comments should be your go-to feature in JIRA.
The best practice is to use Comments to communicate progress, ask questions, find resources, ask for opinions, great ideas, and request feedback or @mention teammates.
When used consistently, comments create a source of truth. The team has an entire history of an issue’s progress through the workflow.
JIRA requires consistency; eventually, it becomes a part of your daily work life when you see the results!!
Check out the previous post in this series on – JIRA – Novice to Pro – Perficient Blogs
