1. 1!

2. Mastering JIRA Workflows!
Best Practices, Tips & Tricks!
Christina Bang!
Atlassian Sales Engineer!
2!

3. Agenda!
1. Power of Workflow!
2. Terminology!
3. Dive In!
• Concepts!
• Default workflow!
• Build your own: where to start, examples!
4. Advanced and Super Advanced!
• Using and creating plugins!
• Common Transitions!
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4. PDF Guide!
My own cheat-sheet!
I created ʻcopy-and-pasteʼ text for emails!
Do things in order, or else:!
DOWNLOAD HERE:!
atlss.in/workflowguide!
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5. Power of Workflow!
My favorite feature!!
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6. Workflow: best feature of JIRA!!
Purchase Orders!
> $5,000: Office Manager!
> $10,000: Senior Manager!
1. Automate a process!
2. Enforce a process!
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7. Workflow: best feature of JIRA!!
Thank youʼs!
3. Replace a form!
4. Route information!
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8. Workflow: best feature of JIRA!!
5. Audit trail!
Who did what, when!
Permanent Record!
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9. Workflow: best feature of JIRA!!
6. Any business process!
Resume tracking!
Changes to website!
Action items!
Idea gathering!
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10. Dive In!
Concepts!
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11. Push vs Pull!
• Push process!
• Hand-off!
• Ownership!
• Pull process!
• Unassigned!
• Issues-in-waiting!
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12. Open vs Restricted!
Open Open
In progress In progress
Resolved Resolved
Reopened Closed Reopened Closed
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13. Issue basics!
Issues always have a state!
• Open, Closed, Verified, Ordered!
• ʻStatusʼ is for search & reporting!
Done or not done?!
• Does it have a Resolution?!
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14. Terminology!
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15. Do you speak JIRA?!
Workflow has:! Open
Start Progress
1. Statuses for Search! In progress
Resolve Issue
Start
2. Transitions you will Click! Progress
Resolved
Close Issue
Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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16. Do you speak JIRA?!
Transition Conditions !
Open
• Restrictions ! Start Progress
• Before the action, wonʼt see it!
In progress
Resolve Issue
Start
Progress
Resolved
Close Issue
Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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17. Do you speak JIRA?!
Transition Validators !
Open
• Check points ! Start Progress
• After the action, warning message!
In progress
Resolve Issue
Start
Progress
Resolved
Close Issue
Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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18. Do you speak JIRA?!
Transition Post-Functions !
Open
• Auto actions ! Start Progress
• Users donʼt have to know!
In progress
Resolve Issue
Example: ! Start
ʻEscalate Issueʼ will automatically! Progress
Resolved
• Assign to team lead! Close Issue
• Update the priority!
Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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19. What else workflow touches!
• Screens!
• Fields!
• Permissions!
• Roles!
• Notifications!
• Resolutions!
• Canned reports & filters!
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20. Schemes save you time!
Saved configurations!
• Write once, apply to many!
• Allow more flexibility!
• Structure new projects on-the-fly!
• Granular control!
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21. Resolutions Matter!
ReOpen IssueField flips it ON!
Resolution clears Resolution!
ʻUnresolvedʼ = field has no value!
OPEN issues are allowed to have Resolutions!
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22. Dive In!
Default Workflow!
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23. Default workflow breakdown!
• Software development!
Open
• Simple at first glance! Start Progress
• Open like Atlassian!
In progress
• Powerful + flexible = complex!!
Resolve Issue
• Push process! Start
Progress Resolved
• Notifications, ownership!
Close Issue
• Resolved = done!
• Closed = delivered! Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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24. Conditions, Validators, Post-Functions!
Start Progress Transition
Built into default transitions!
Affect notifications, Resolutions!
Depend on !
• Permissions !
• User roles!
Only the assignee can execute this transition
The Resolution field will be cleared
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25. Dive In!
Build your own!
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26. Where to Start?!
Modify the default Build from scratch
• Push process (ownership) • Pull process (queue)
• Software dev process • Don’t want the default system
dependencies
• Using default permissions,
roles
• Built in notifications
K.I.S.S.
• Very different process from
default
• Few steps (2)
• Simple changes
• Many steps (7+)
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27. Before you build!
• VISUALIZE open or restricted; push or pull!
• IDENTIFY things to add/edit!
• Issue types!
• Fields!
• Screens!
• Statuses!
• Resolutions!
• PLAN transitions carefully!
• TEST when done!
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28. Example 1: Add an Approval Step!
Open
VISUALIZE
Start Progress
IDENTIFY
• Statuses: Waiting for Approval, Approved!
PLAN
In progress TEST
• Resolution: Approved!
Send for Approval
• Field: Reason for Approval!
Waiting for
approval
• Screen: Approve screen! Start Progress
Approve Issue
• Users: add group ʻManagersʼ!
Approved
• Conditions: Approve (restricted to Managers)! Close Issue
Reopened Closed
Reopen Issue
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29. Example 2: Build from scratch!
1. Anybody internal can enter an idea!
2. Track both ideas & active work!
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30. Blog tracking!
Open
VISUALIZE
• Statuses! Start Progress IDENTIFY
• Draft waiting for review! PLAN
In progress TEST
• Publish date scheduled! Draft Complete
• Published!
Draft waiting for
• Resolution: Published! review
Schedule Blog
• Issue Type: Blog Entry! Close as not
• Field = Target Publish Date! published Publish Date
Scheduled Publish
• Field = Blog Category!
• Condition: category owner!
Closed – not
Published
published
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31. With any workflow!
• Visualize so you can do things in order!
• Most annoying JIRA ʻgotchaʼ - follow the cheat-sheet!
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32. Advanced!
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33. Workflow Plugins!
Plugin Cool Stuff
JIRA Suite Utilities Compare number condition $<PO<$$
Mandatory field on transition
Copy value from another field
JIRA Toolkit Participants field for notifications
Time since last comment
Misc Workflow Extensions Previous status (request clarification)
Comment required validator
Set issue security based on user role
Workflow Designer Visualize while you build
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34. Super Advanced!
Workflow Blackbelts!!
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35. Common Transitions!
• ʻGotchaʼ for new JIRA workflow
admins!
• Add or change a step, modify
transitions!
• Confusing to keep track!
• Allows more granular control!
• Can edit in XML!
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36. Build your own plugins!
• Skeletons and Guides: atlss.in/jirahub !
• Use existing as examples: plugins.atlassian.com!
• JIRA Development Forum: atlss.in/jiraforum !
• AtlasBar & Charlie Lounge!
• Atlassian Partners: atlassian.com/partners!
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37. Take-aways!
1. Keep it simple!
2. Visualize before you click!
3. Issues are defined by!
• Resolution !
• Status!
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38. Thank you!
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39. Resources for any workflow!
Videos: atlss.in/jiravids !
Quick Start Guide: atlss.in/jiraquick !
Workflow Docs: atlss.in/jiraworkflow !
Plugins: plugins.atlassian.com!
PDF Workflow Guide: atlss.in/workflowguide!
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