Jira Overview and Agile Methodology

Introduction to Jira

• What is Jira?
  • A project management and issue tracking tool.
  • Name derives from "Gojira," the Japanese name for Godzilla.

Project Management Methodologies

• Different ways to organize projects:
  • Waterfall
  • Six Sigma
  • Prince 2
• Companies often choose tools based on their organizational methodologies.
• Default use of Jira:
  • Assumes Agile methodology.
  • Other methodologies can be implemented with apps/plugins.

Overview of Agile Methodology

• What is Agile?
  • Methodology for software development emphasizing:
    • Adaptive planning
    • Early delivery
    • Continuous improvement
    • Flexible response to change
• Agile Board:
  • Organized into columns reflecting project status (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done).
• Primary Agile Workflows:
  • Scrum:
    • Defined sprints (e.g., 2 weeks) where teams plan and execute work.
  • Kanban:
    • Continuous workflow, no fixed time boxes.

Key Agile Terms

• User Stories:
  • Describe features from the user's perspective using a specific format:
    • "As a [user], I want [goal] so that [reason]."
• Epics:
  • Large user stories that can be broken down into smaller stories for better tracking.

Jira Terminology

• Issues:
  • Containers for tracking work (e.g., tasks, bugs).
  • Composed of fields (description, assignee, due date).
• Projects:
  • Collections of issues.
  • Not necessarily created for every project at work.

User Interface in Jira

1. Your Work Area:
   • Summary of assigned tasks, recent projects, and viewed issues.
2. Navigation:
   • Access to projects, filters, dashboards, and user settings.
3. Creating Issues:
   • Issues can be created directly from the board or using the Create button.

Types of Projects in Jira

Team-Managed Projects

• Introduced in 2018, renamed in 2021.
• Characteristics:
  • No Jira admin permissions required to create.
  • Custom entities live within the project.

Company-Managed Projects

• Require Jira admin permissions to create.
• Custom entities can be shared across multiple projects.

Creating Team-Managed Projects

• Simple creation process through the Projects dropdown.
• Choose a project template (Kanban, Scrum, etc.).

Navigating Team-Managed Projects

• Default view is the Agile board.
• Issues can be dragged and dropped through columns representing status.

Creating and Customizing Issues

• Issues can be created via keyboard shortcuts and customized for fields.
• Custom issue types can be added to enhance project tracking.

Overview of Company-Managed Projects

• Similar creation process as team-managed projects.
• Key difference: Requires admin permissions.

Reports and Backlogs in Company-Managed Projects

• Access reports for sprint progress and backlog.
• Backlogs allow planning for future sprints based on issues.

Conclusion

• Understanding Agile methodology is critical to effectively using Jira.
• Jira offers flexibility in managing projects through various methodologies and customization options.