Books

Jira Strategy Admin WorkbookJira Strategy Admin Workbook TranslationsThe Ultimate Guide to Jira MigrationsEffective Jira AdministrationBattling Jira Custom Field BloatBetter Form Design in Jira

Jira Strategy Admin Workbook

JIRA Strategy Admin Workbook

The Jira Strategy Admin Workbook will save you time, money and frustration. This book is different – it’s not documentation.  It’s recommendations from years of cleaning up horrible Jira configurations! It’s about what you should do, what you shouldn’t do, and why.

Read more or buy now

Jira Strategy Admin Workbook Translations

Get the admin workbook in additional languages.

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The Ultimate Guide to Jira Migrations: How to migrate from Jira Server to Data Center or Cloud

Rachel Wright teamed up with Atlassian Solution Partner Botron Atlassian Apps to create this 180 page master resource to answer all your migration questions and provide a comprehensive plan to follow.

Download from Botron

Effective Jira Administration

This 64 page book from ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright helps you bring the benefits of Jira to more teams in your organization.   The book includes tips for governance, administration, maintenance, best practices, and more.

Buy now

Battling Jira Custom Field Bloat

How many custom fields do you have? For most of us the answer is, “Too many!” ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright collaborated again to produce this 35 page book to help you audit, delete, reduce, and manage your Jira custom fields.

Buy now

Better Form Design in Jira

The latest ThinkTilt and Rachel Wright collaboration. This 57 page book helps you convert paper forms to Jira, choose the right field types, and create efficient forms and screens in Jira and Jira Service Management.

Buy now

繁體中文翻譯

這些翻譯的奇妙翻譯,編輯和審閱者是:

鐘冠智 Kerwin
現任Atlassian 大中華區負責人
前CSDN Atlassian Agile DevOps諮詢顧問
大中華區首位ACP-100認證專家
Atlassian 中文社群發起人

數位轉型的時代——「每家公司都是IT公司」大勢所趨,敏捷DevOps成為轉動這一齒輪最重要的推手。尤其,Atlassian被喻為「敏捷DevOps界的愛馬仕」,其明星產品Jira在這波浪潮中紅遍大江南北。台積電、聯發科、鴻海、滴滴出行、華為、中石油、百度、中國移動,乃至美國航天局NASA、Spotfy——全球500強企業中,超過80%公司成功使用Jira實現他們的敏捷DevOps轉型。

2018年年初,中國Jira社區一成立,年底立馬突破1000人,無論是敏捷教練,DevOps專家,還有各家Jira管理員和用戶們,紛紛投入探討落地實施研究,Jira之火在中國市場不斷延燒。而Jira之所以能穩坐敏捷DevOps工具鏈寶座,絕對歸功於強大的開放兼容性,它可以和各家開源與商用軟件接口,包括Gitlab,Jenkins,Azure DevOps,Sonarqube等,形成龐大的生態圈。

另我驚訝的是,儘管Jira在Agile DevOps扮演舉足輕重的地位,至今中國市場上仍然沒有任何一本關於Jira的中文專書。

回想起北京2018年第一次的社群大會,當時社區發起人之一的馬亮和我說,「有這麼多優秀的Jira老師和用戶,為何沒有一本正式的書籍?鐘老師要不咱們來翻譯看看。」 我馬上想到之前在準備ACP-100證照讀到的優質好書《Jira Admin Stragtegy Workbook》。

本書作者Rachel Wright是全球第一批考取ACP-100認證的Jira專家,擁有多年實務經驗,協助許多公司將Jira落地實施。在眾多的外文Jira相關書籍中,我特別挑選本書作為中文版第一本Jira專書,系因作者寫作思路清晰,把許多坑毫無隱藏地揭露給所有讀者。作為多年的Jira專家的我,看了這樣無私的分享,真心覺得相見恨晚——「那些年我們跳過的坑」:field地獄,複雜資料庫,失控的workflow等等,在該書中都提出了良好的建議。很多事情如果能夠提前一步知道該有多好,預防勝於治療,非常推薦大家一定要閱讀本書。

我特別將本書推薦給三種讀者,第一,資深Jira管理員,它山之石可以攻玉,通過看到別的人的經驗來學習,避免自己許多跳坑的過程。第二,希望考取ACP-100的團隊,這個考試非常重視對於Jira的熟悉度和管理經驗,只看手冊的人很難具備這些知識,本書豐富的經驗分享,非常適合備考的朋友們。第三,新入行的Jira管理員或是有興趣研究的用戶,本書深入淺出的介紹,會讓各位很快地瞭解這樣強大的工具如何實際落地。

非常感謝作者Rachel的信任,也感謝來自Jira社群的共同譯者-黃俊耀參與本次Sample書繁體版的投入。謝謝各位小夥伴們的投入,才造就這本翻譯書問世,期待之後繼續一起投入貢獻Jira社群。最後,非常感謝我的太太之穎照顧剛出生的兒子天夏,一路陪伴著我,讓我充滿動力持續向前;更感謝我所認識的上帝,將一切榮耀頌贊都歸給祢。


黃俊耀 Daniel
現任職某外商遊戲公司資深QA
ACE leader, Taipei
Microsoft MVP Reconnect

使用 Atlassian 產品已經有四年多的時間,Jira的開放性與多樣變化讓我們能夠運用合理的資源,快速地將不同團隊使用的工具,從需求到開發測試,以及後續問題追蹤並進行整合分析。正是這樣的魅力,讓我對Jira愛不釋手。

隨著團隊的需求成長,在學習的過程中讓我驚訝的是,相較於國外的參考資訊,中文的工具書顯得十分稀有。2019年的五月我參加了在上海舉辦的Atlassian企業日,在因緣際會下認識了Atlassian中文社群的發起人Kerwin,在與當日講師及其他業界同好交流DevOps和Jira使用經驗後,對於因中文化而蓬勃發展的用戶社群及豐富的參考案例感到無比興奮,更燃起了想將更多繁體中文內容推廣給本地Jira使用者及社群的念頭。

這次感謝Kerwin的牽線而能有機會翻譯《Jira Strategy Admin Workbook》樣書,也希望能夠讓更多繁體中文使用者深入認識Jira。這本書不僅能幫助資深管理者在面對系統時,能提早發現潛在的問題,從而將危機消弭於無形;深入淺出的說明也適合新手Jira管理員作為入門參考手冊,透過作者Rachel Wright的親身經驗迅速提升自身功力。

Jira不一定是最敏捷的管理工具,但這本書絕對能幫助你迅速上手展開全面性的部署。


Translations
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繁體中文

Traditional Chinese

Jira策略管理實戰手冊: 為系統管理員提供設定、清理和維護Jira的範本

作者:  Rachel Wright
譯者:Kerwin Chung & Daniel Huang

此實戰手冊包含:

  • 152條建議- 幫助您設置、清理和維護Jira,
  • 50個工作表,以及其他相關範本、片段程式码和范例- 幫助您建立和簡化主要workflow,
  • 33個需避免的反面真實案例,
  • 每個管理區域的最佳實踐和注意事項,
  • 我作為管理員犯下的十大錯誤,以及 •其他地方無法提供的內容。

此實戰手冊向您展現:

  • 精心策劃並得以實施的執行項目,
  • workflow管理的簡單方法,
  • 如何審計及清理系統,
  • 維護和擴展Jira的方法,
  • 如何新建可重複的流程,以及 •如何遠離“Jira沼澤”。

譯者

關於翻譯,編輯和審稿人

示例章節

下載樣本

简体中文

Simplified Chinese

Jira策略管理实战手册: 为应用程序管理员提供配置、清理和维护Jira的模板

作者:雷切尔赖特
译者:Kerwin Chung

此实战手册包含:

  • 152条建议- 帮助您设置、清理和维护Jira,
  • 50个工作表,以及其他相关模板、代码片段和示例- 帮助您建立和简化主要工作
  • 33个需避免的反面真实案例,
  • 每个管理区域的最佳实践和注意事项,
  • 我作为管理员犯下的十大错误,以及
  • 其他地方无法提供的内容。

此实战手册向您展现:

  • 精心策划并得以实施的行动项,
  • 工作流管理的简单方法,
  • 如何审计及清理应用程序,
  • 维护和扩展Jira的方法,
  • 如何创建可重复的流程,以及
  • 如何远离“Jira沼泽”。

前言

数字化转型的时代——“每家公司都是IT公司”大势所趋,敏捷DevOps成为转动这一齿轮最重要的推手。尤其,Atlassian被喻为”敏捷DevOps界的爱马仕”,其明星产品Jira在这波浪潮中红遍大江南北。滴滴出行、华为、中石油、百度、中国移动,乃至美国航天局NASA、谷歌——全球500强企业中,超过200家公司成功使用Jira实现他们的敏捷DevOps转型。

2018年年初,中国Jira社区一成立,年底立马突破1000人,无论是敏捷教练,DevOps专家,还有各家Jira管理员和用户们,纷纷投入探讨落地实施研究,Jira之火在中国市场不断延烧。而Jira之所以能稳坐敏捷DevOps工具链宝座,绝对归功于强大的开放兼容性,它可以和各家开源与商用软件接口,包括Gitlab,Jenkins,Azure DevOps,Sonarqube等,形成庞大的生态圈。

另我惊讶的是,尽管Jira在Agile DevOps扮演举足轻重的地位,至今中国市场上仍然沒有任何一本关于Jira的中文专书。

回想起北京2018年第一次的社区大会,当时社区发起人之一的马亮和我说,“有这么多优秀的Jira老师和用户,为何没有一本正式的书籍?钟老师要不咱们来翻译看看。” 我马上想到之前在准备ACP-100证照读到的优质好书《Jira Admin Stragtegy Workbook》。

本书作者Rachel Wright是全球第一批考取ACP-100认证的Jira专家,拥有多年实务经验,协助许多公司将Jira落地实施。在众多的外文Jira相关书籍中,我特别挑选本书作为中国第一本Jira专书,系因作者写作思路清晰,把许多坑毫无隐藏地揭露给所有读者。作为多年的Jira专家的我,看了这样无私的分享,真心觉得相见恨晚——“那些年我们跳过的坑”:字段地狱,复杂数据库,失控的工作流等等,在该书中都提出了良好的建议。很多事情如果能够提前一步知道该有多好,预防胜于治疗,非常推荐大家一定要阅读本书。

我特别将本书推荐给三种读者,第一,资深Jira管理员,它山之石可以攻玉,通過看到別的人的经验来学习,避免自己许多跳坑的过程。第二,希望考取ACP-100的团队,这个考试非常重视对于Jira的熟悉度和管理经验,只看手册的人很难具备这些知识,本书丰富的经验分享,非常适合备考的朋友们。第三,新入行的Jira管理员或是有兴趣研究的用户,本书深入浅出的介绍,会让各位很快地了解这样强大的工具如何实际落地。

非常感谢作者Rachel的信任,也感谢来自Jira社区的共同译者:关群,周琦,马亮,闫锦维,刘旭东,马畅。谢谢各位小伙伴们的投入,才造就这本翻译书问世,期待之后继续一起投入贡献Jira社区。最后,非常感谢我的太太之颖照顾刚出生的儿子天夏,一路陪伴著我,让我充满动力持续向前;更感谢我所认识的上帝,将一切荣耀颂赞都归给祢。

钟冠智 Kerwin
现任Atlassian 大中华区负责人
前CSDN Atlassian Agile DevOps谘询顾问
大中华区首位ACP-100认证专家
Atlassian 中文社区发起人

中文翻译

关于翻译,编辑和审稿人

Included Materials (English)

Download the worksheets, templates, and companion materials using the coupon code in your book’s “Worksheets, Templates & Companion Materials” section.  The following are downloadable after your book purchase:

  1. Atlassian Summit Notes
  2. Determine Jira Permissions
  3. Jira Add User Instruction Based on Issue ID
  4. Jira Annual Report
  5. Jira Application Administrator Responsibilities
  6. Jira Application Comparison
  7. Jira Automated Testing
  8. Jira Bulk Import
  9. Jira Change Select List Formatting
  10. Jira Clean Instance
  11. Jira Conditional Announcement Banner
  12. Jira Custom Workflow Documentation
  13. Jira Database Queries
  14. Jira Detailed Upgrade Plan
  15. Jira Genie and Jira Gerbil Character Users
  16. Jira HTML Links
  17. Jira Incident Log
  18. Jira Issue Creation via Email Instructions
  19. Jira Issue Security Worksheets
  20. Jira Menu and Transition Buttons Graphic
  21. Jira Monitoring
  22. Jira New Custom Field Requests
  23. Jira New Project Configuration Checklist
  24. Jira New Project Request
  25. Jira New User Communication and Checklist
  26. Jira New User Request
  27. Jira Notification Scheme
  28. Jira Permission Scheme Worksheets
  29. Jira Plugin and Add-on Vetting Procedure
  30. Jira Plugin Tracking
  31. Jira Project Status
  32. Jira Project Wording
  33. Jira Recommendations and Tips
  34. Jira REST API and Database Users
  35. Jira Rollback Plan
  36. Jira Scheduled Maintenance
  37. Jira Scheme Wording
  38. Jira Security Policy Considerations
  39. Jira Standard Capabilities
  40. Jira Standard Regression Testing
  41. Jira Status Update Email Notification Instructions
  42. Jira Support and Emergency Escalation
  43. Jira System Stats
  44. Jira Upgrade Wording
  45. Jira Use and Future Predictions
  46. Jira Users Wording
  47. Jira Workflow XML
  48. New Jira Features
  49. Sample Jira Support Project Set Up
  50. Top Jira Support Measurements

Download the files individually or a few at a time as you need them. You can also download them all at once, in one .zip file. See download instructions.

Jira策略管理实战手册

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Translations

简体中文 (Simplified Chinese)
繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese)

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Jira User Best Practices

As organizations continue to adopt digital technology, more and more teams are leveraging Jira to track their work. Here are some do’s and don’ts for Jira users.

Do

Here are some best practices and good habits:

Create Jira issues

Create a Jira issue any time you need to track a task. Jira can handle many millions of issues, so don’t worry about filing too many. Also, you can’t really break anything in Jira, so don’t be afraid to use it! The only thing your administrator can’t undo is deletion of data.

Break up large tasks into smaller ones

If you’re working on something big, create multiple issues to break it up into small, manageable chunks. For example, if the task is to make a cake, break that up into different sub-tasks for ingredient shopping, for mixing and baking the ingredients, and for icing the cake after it’s cooled. Ask your Jira Administrator about issue hierarchy in your application.

Breaking up work is also the way to assign multiple people to similar tasks.

Transition issues as you work

Transition issues forward in the workflow as you work on them in real-time. It’s your responsibility to make sure an issue’s current status mirrors reality.

Keep issue details accurate

Keep all issue details and fields up to date. It’s important to complete as many fields as possible and update them as soon as information changes. It’s OK if additional details become available after an issue is created. Add it to Jira right away so everyone has the best information.

Accurate information helps others find issues and generate reports. When an issue is complete, its information should serve as a legal and historical record of what was done.

Take action on issues assigned to you

If an issue is assigned to you, it means you need to take action! Look at the status to see what to do and look in the comments field for any notes left for you.

Fix incorrect assignments

If an issue is assigned to the wrong person simply change the assignee. Unassigned or incorrectly assigned issues create unnecessary delays.

Record action details

When you’ve completed an issue, add a comment explaining what you did, where or how you did it, and anything else others should know right now or in the future.

In the example, a typo on the company website was reported.

I fixed the typo and then added a comment showing I corrected the spelling of the word “customer”, that the change occurred in the first paragraph on the page, and the page I changed was named “terms.html”. 

Now anyone who needs to verify my change knows exactly what to look for and where.  This is just good record keeping.

Log time

When you’ve completed an issue, log how much time it took to complete.  Get into this good habit, even if your organization doesn’t require it.

Logging work is NOT about how good or fast you are!  It’s about planning, prioritization, allocation of resources, and improving estimation for future similar tasks.

For example, if my estimate is 1 hour and I’ve logged 3 hours so far, this could signal there are other factors making this task take longer than expected. Maybe the code is super complex, maybe I could some help clearing road blocks, or maybe I simply mis-estimated.  In the real world, these things happen all the time!  Jira just gives you a way to show it.

A final thought on time logging:

Do you submit a time card or a report of what you’re working on?  Jira can handle both those things for you.  No need for extra manual work!  Ask your Jira Administrator about progress reporting and time logging in your Jira application.

Don’t

Now let’s cover a few things not to do:

Delete issues

If you don’t need an issue, it’s smarter to simply close it rather than delete it.  Use the “Resolution” field to indicate no work is needed because it’s invalid, can’t be reproduced, is a duplicate, or won’t be fixed.

Report an issue and walk away

If you create an issue, you should follow it through to completion, be ready to verify the resolution, and be available to answer questions.  If you create an issue and walk away, it might not be addressed any time soon.

Enter sensitive information

Don’t enter sensitive information into Jira or other applications.  This is sometimes referred to as PII (personally identifiable information) or SPI (sensitive personal information).

Sensitive information includes passwords, personal data (social security numbers and mother’s maiden names), health information (like which health insurance plan an employee has) employment information (like citizen status or salary), and any proprietary or confidential personal or company information.

Contact your Jira Administrator, Security, Legal, and Compliance teams for any company-specific policies.

Also read: 9 Tips for Getting Action in Jira

Jira Server vs Jira Cloud Interface Comparison

Are you migrating from Jira Server to Jira Cloud (or vice versa)? The user interfaces are similar, but there are some differences to prepare for.

In early 2020 Atlassian started incrementally delivering a new navigation experience for Jira Cloud. The return of the horizontal navigation makes the application look similar to Server, but there are still UI differences to be aware of.

Continue reading “Jira Server vs Jira Cloud Interface Comparison”

Tips for Creating Good Jira Forms and Screens

Now that you know why good form design is important and how to ask good questions, here are some quick ways to improve Jira screens and Jira Service Desk request forms.

Jira

Use these easy field tips in Jira.

1. Limit fields on the Create screen

When you create a project, Jira automatically creates screens and schemes for it. A “Kanban Default Issue Screen” includes 14 fields! By the time you’ve added additional custom fields, screens are often long and cumbersome. Just because info is needed, doesn’t mean it’s needed at the same time the issue is created. Group your fields into the following categories:

  • information needed immediately (Ex: Description and Requested date),
  • information needed later in the workflow (Ex: Estimate and Due date),
  • and information needed before an issue is completed (Ex: Time tracking and Root Cause).
Fields for a Simple Create Screen

Only show fields in the first category on the “Create” screen. Fewer fields make issues easier to create, especially for non-technical users.

Also only ask for information the creator can immediately provide. For example, if the creator isn’t the person who calculates the estimate or determines the release date, omit those fields. You can collect that information, during a scheduling process, later in the workflow.

If you have “Edit” and “View” screens, include all the relevant fields, so info is easy to update at any time. Usually these actions can share the same screen but sometimes they are different.  Example:  A field has a value but editing it is not desired.  In this case, the “View” screen shows the field but the “Edit” screen does not.  As a reminder, for Jira Cloud Next-gen projects, there’s just one screen per project or per issue type and no distinction between the create, edit, and view operations.  

2. Use tabs to group similar fields

If there are many fields, use the “tabs” feature to group them. In the screenshot, all user picker fields are together in the “People” tab and all date and version fields are in the “Internal” tab.

Two Custom Tabs on a Screen

3. Collect additional information during the workflow

Determine when in the workflow other fields should be completed. For example, fields like “Assignee”, “Due date”, and “Original Estimate” should be filled before an issue reaches the “In Progress” status. Use a workflow transition screen, and validators, to require entry. If you’re using ProForma, you can create separate forms to collect information at different times in the workflow.

4. Order fields strategically

List fields in the order the user is likely to supply the information. Place more important fields at the top.

Always place the “Priority” field before a “Requested” date field.  It may help set realistic expectations to ask for the importance before the date.

5. Order fields consistently

Use a consistent field order for all issue types and projects. Users expect and appreciate a standard.

6. Only create fields that are reported on

Don’t show unnecessary fields, collect information you won’t use, or create custom fields that aren’t queried. Instead, use the standard “Description” and “Comment” fields and train users what information to provide.

7. Utilize best practices and standard web form conventions

When creating screens, be aware of the web and application standard conventions that users expect. Here are some tips for effective and useful web forms.

  • Don’t ask too many questions
    Only ask for information you’ll use.  For example, if you plan to respond to issues via email, only ask for an email address (not an email address, a phone number, and a mailing address.)  If you already have the reporter’s email address on file, don’t ask them to type it. Short web forms are more likely to be completed.  Users dislike providing many ways for you to contact (aka spam, annoy) them.
  • Ask specific questions
    Use field descriptions to ask the user for specific information or to provide formatting instructions.  Asking a specific question gives you better information than a blank or “Enter your message here” description.  Examples: “What software do you need installed?” or “What is the expected result of the defect?” 
  • If a field has validation requirements, tell the user exactly what to enter
    Give clear and easy to understand directions.  Don’t wait for a user to enter data incorrectly before providing them with formatting instructions.  For example, tell the user to enter their phone number in the format: ###-###-#### rather than provide the vague error “Please enter a valid phone number.
  • Confirm successful submissions
    After a user clicks the submit button, there should be a confirmation that the message was received or an error message if there were any problems. Jira handles this functionality by default.
  • Post and adhere to your privacy policy
    Any time you collect user information, you should have an easily accessible privacy statement that addresses what you collect, how you use it, and under what circumstances, if any, you disclose it.  If completing a form means you’ll add their email address to your newsletter system, for example, that needs to be clear.  This is important for public instances and when you use Jira for customer support.
  • Consider your audience
    As with everything web related, create forms with the end user and their specific goals in mind.  You may need separate forms for existing customers, new prospects, or different situations.  Don’t try to serve all users and all conditions with the same form.

Jira Service Desk

With Jira Service Desk, you have a different audience to consider.  In Jira, the create form should be as short as possible.  But in Jira Service Desk, it’s important to collect all the important details up front, to avoid multiple rounds of follow-up questions.  This is especially important when working with external customers in different time zones.

Use the Jira tips above and these additional tips for JSD.

1. Use “Introduction text” to provide portal instructions

Enter a custom message to help users understand support options and share additional help resources. The intro message is especially important when there are multiple Service Desk portals. Intro message space is available in addition to the temporary announcement banner. (Both are pictured below.) Visit Project Settings > Portal settings to enter introduction text.

Sample Portal Introduction Message

2. Use the “Description” field to help users select the correct form

Add a short description for each request form, so users can determine the best selection for their request.

Sample Form Description

Always provide a selection for “all other requests”. In the screenshot above, there’s a generic form titled “Get IT help.”

3. Use the “Help and instructions” field to set request expectations

Enter custom instructions for each request form so users know what information is needed and how long it usually takes to receive a response. In the screenshot below, the user can expect help within 2 hours for this type of support request.

Sample Request Message

4. Customize field labels and add field descriptions

In JSD you can customize a Jira field’s label. For example, I often change the default “Summary” label to the more descriptive “Summarize the problem.”

Similarly, you can also customize field descriptions. Use the Jira field description for Jira users and tailor language in the Portal to that audience.

Custom Field Labels and Descriptions

5. Group forms by request type

In my former role as a web developer, I always considered a user’s capacity for processing information. Too many form choices can overwhelm a user. If you have more than 5 request forms, use the JSD “groups” feature to categorize the list.

Five Sample Form Categories

6. Use unique form icons

Each request form has an icon. Make each unique and choose icons that visually communicate what each request form is for. If you can’t find the right icon, you can make your own. Atlassian recommends a 20px grid with 24px padding. Read more

Finally, and most importantly, make it easy, intuitive, and painless to complete Jira screens and Jira Service Desk request forms.  The process should be simple for all users.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES:

Jira Cloud Navigation Comparison

Update: A new navigation for Jira Cloud is here!  The experience was fully delivered to all new and existing applications in June 2020. As of September 2020, the old navigation is no longer available for users to switch back to.

Atlassian is returning to Jira’s navigation roots by replacing the left sidebar menu with a top nav bar. Former Jira Server users will find the design very familiar.

Users are likely to adopt these changes quickly. My colleague, Chris Lutz, who has previously only used the vertical navigation, said the new look is really easy to get used to. He likes that his primary dashboard is easier to find and says “the new experience much more intuitive”.

Here’s a “before and after” comparison so you’re prepared when the change comes to your application.

Continue reading “Jira Cloud Navigation Comparison”

Efficient Jira Screens and Jira Service Desk Request Forms

When I became a Jira administrator, the most confusing part of project administration was how screens, screen schemes, and issue type screen schemes worked together. Huh? All I wanted to do was to change a few fields around and instead, I found myself lost in a confusing combination of settings that didn’t make any sense to me. Shouldn’t it be easier? Once I understood the relationship however, I saw how powerful these settings are when they work together. Let’s start out with some simple definitions.

Screens

Screens define which fields are present and their display order. Jira Server and Jira Cloud “Classic” projects have four types of screens. They are:

  1. Create: A screen for creating a new issue
    • This screen collects the initial information from the Reporter. It often contains just a few of the most important and required fields.
  2. Edit: A screen for editing an existing issue
    • This screen contains all the fields a user is able to complete or update.
  3. View: A screen for viewing an issue’s details
    • This screen contains all the fields a user is able to view.
    • Note: Jira Server and Jira Cloud “Classic” projects only display fields that have data. For example, if the “Due Date” field is empty, you won’t see it on an issue’s view screen.
  4. Transition: A screen that is displayed during a workflow transition
    • This screen is often used to collect or update data at different points in an issue’s lifecycle. For example, the “Resolution” field value is collected before an issue reaches its final workflow status.
    • Tip: Distinguish your transition screens from other screens by naming them with a “(T)”. Example screen name: Assignment (T). See screenshot.
Image: A transition screen’s name is signified with “(T)”

You can have one screen, or one set of screens, for all issues in your project. Or you can have different screens for each issue type. We’ll talk more about that in the “Issue Type Screen Scheme” section below.

Jira Cloud “Next-gen” projects work differently however. There’s just one screen per project or per issue type and no distinction between the create, edit, and view operations. “Next-gen” projects treat empty fields differently as well. An empty field displays with the word “None” below it, as pictured.

Image: The “Start Date” field is empty, but displayed in a Jira Cloud “Next-gen” project

Fields and Ordering

In all versions of Jira, screens display both standard and custom fields.
Some fields can be ordered as desired by rearranging them on the admin view of the screen.  Other fields are automatically placed and grouped together. For example, all user-picker fields (“Assignee”, “Reporter”, etc) appear together on the right side of an issue’s screen. All date fields (“Due Date”, “Created Date”, “Updated Date”) also appear together on the right.

Screen Schemes

Jira Server and Jira Cloud “Classic” projects have Screen Schemes.
Remember the “create”, “edit”, and “view” operations above? This scheme associates one or more screens with an operation.

In this simple example, there’s one screen for each operation.

Image: The “Epic Screen Scheme” uses the screen called “Epic: Create, Edit and View” for all operations

In this more complex example, there is one screen for the “create” operation and another screen for the “edit” and “view” operations.

Image: The “Bug Screen Scheme” used the “Bug: Create” screen for the create operation and the “Bug: Edit and View” screen for the other operations.

A Screen Scheme can have as little as one screen shared by all operations or as many as three screens, with one screen for each operation.

Why Multiple Screens?

I recommend starting with one screen shared by the “create”, “edit”, and “view” operations in your project. If that screen becomes cluttered with too many fields, or if information needs to be collected during different stages of the workflow, then consider using multiple screens.

Issue Type Screen Schemes

Jira Server and Jira Cloud “classic” projects also have one final setting called an Issue Type Screen Scheme. This scheme associates screens with different issue types. Just like you can have different screens for different operations, you can have one set of screens for your Bugs, one set for your Stories, and another set for your Tasks.

This Issue Type Screen Scheme has two Screen Schemes. The Bug issue type uses the “Bug Screen Scheme” which has two screens. The Epic issue type uses the “Epic Screen Scheme” which has one screen.

Image: The Bug issue type has three bug-specific screens. The Epic issue type has only one epic-specific screen.

Tying it Together

Screens, Screen Schemes, and Issue Type Screen Schemes work together to power your project. Atlassian explains this relationship in this diagram.

It look me a long time to understand these concepts. I recommend you re-read this article and experiment in your own Jira test environment, until the relationship between these settings is clear.

Jira Service Desk Request Forms

If you have Jira Service Desk, there’s another type of “screen” to be aware of. When Service Desk Agents login to Jira, they see the typical Jira screens described above. When Service Desk Customers login to the Customer Portal however, they see request forms.

Request forms provide a simpler and streamlined issue view, which is great for less technical audiences. Customers need no Jira knowledge to use the portal to submit their request.

In the example below, the left image shows a default Jira create screen, which contains 21 fields. The right image shows a default Jira Service Desk change request form, which contains only 10 fields. Which one looks easier to complete?

Image: A Jira change request create screen (left) and a Jira Service Desk change request form (right)

Best Practices

Make your screens and schemes as easy, efficient, and reusable as possible. Here are some recommendations:

As With all Forms

  • Don’t collect data you won’t query on or actually use
  • List fields in the order a user would likely supply the information
  • Order fields consistently between issues types in a project and between projects. Users expect and appreciate a standard.
    • Example: The “Summary” field is always first, the “Description” field is always second, etc.

For Jira Server and Jira Cloud “Classic” Projects

  • Use a single screen for all operations (“create”, “edit”, “view”) until there’s a real need for additional screens.
    • Consider additional screens when there are too many fields or if information needs to be collected during different stages of the workflow.
  • On the “create” screen:
    • Only include the most important and required fields. Too many fields overwhelm users. Too many fields also impacts loading and performance.
    • Only include fields relevant to the Reporter. For example, if a business team member is reporting a Bug, they can’t provide an effort estimate and won’t know which code version is impacted. Don’t show the “Story Points”, “Original Estimate” or “Affects Version” fields. Instead, add these fields to your “edit” and “view” screens. You can also prompt a development team member for that information, later in the workflow, using a “transition” screen.
  • Create a single screen and a single screen scheme, for all issue types, until more are needed.
    • Example: You want the custom fields “Steps to Reproduce” and “Expected Result” on a Bug’s “create” screen, but not on a Story’s “create” screen.
    • Example: Create one standard for all development projects and another standard for support projects, not one custom configuration per Jira project.
  • Create generic screens and schemes so they can be shared between projects.

Other articles in this series:

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