Using Jira for Project Management: A Comprehensive Guide
Many teams opt for Jira as their primary tool for issue tracking, but it can actually be leveraged as a comprehensive project management platform for planning, tracking, and managing agile software development projects—all without significant additional setup or the need for extra software.
Jira offers a variety of pre-built templates that come equipped with straightforward workflows to help you coordinate resources and monitor tasks linked to your project. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to get started with Jira for project management using one of these templates.
What is Jira?
Originally developed for developers and engineers, Jira has morphed into a versatile project management platform suitable for various teams and departments. It also integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Trello and Confluence, as well as numerous third-party applications.
Before we proceed, it’s important to note that this guide will focus specifically on utilizing Jira for project management and not on Jira Service Management (formerly known as Jira Service Desk). While both software share similar names and some overlapping features, they serve different purposes and are not interchangeable.
Who Can Benefit from Jira?
While initially designed for software development teams due to its focus on issue tracking, Jira is useful for diverse teams across multiple sectors. It offers tailored templates for various domains, including marketing, design, sales, operations, human resources, legal, finance, and more.
How to Use Jira for Project Management
Step 1: Select a Project Management Template
Instead of starting from scratch, save time by choosing and customizing one of Jira’s existing templates. Visit Jira’s template library to explore options tailored for your team (this guide will use the project management template).
Once you find a template you like, click the large blue “Use template” button on the right side of the screen. A pop-up will prompt you to either select an existing Jira site or create a new one. Make your selection, then click the blue “Create page” button. Jira will then open in a new tab for you to name your project. Enter a name for your project and click the blue “Create project” button.
Step 2: Invite Team Members
If you’re collaborating with others, invite your teammates to share in the project tracking. Even if they don’t have an Atlassian account, you can add them by clicking the circular gray “Add people” button (the icon resembles a person with a plus sign). Enter their email addresses or select them from your connected Google, Microsoft, or Slack accounts. Assign each person a role—Admin, Member, or Viewer—based on their permissions. Once roles are properly assigned, click the blue “Add” button.
Step 3: Configure Your Project
With your template set and teammates invited, the next step is to configure your project management setup in Jira. At the top of the project view, you will find options for various display modes: Summary, Board, List, Calendar, and Timeline.
To quickly add tasks, select the List view and click the “Create” button. After entering the tasks, scroll to assign each one to a team member and set due dates. If a task is not currently being addressed, leave the team assignment and due dates blank to indicate that it is in the backlog.
For further customization, update the status of each task, assign a category, set its priority, and apply labels. These additional details will help you filter tasks easily as the project progresses. You can also create subtasks under a main task for better organization of complex projects.
Step 4: Monitor Progress
As your team advances in the project, ensure that everyone is actively checking off completed tasks. It may take some time to adjust to managing workflows in Jira, so be patient and maintain regular communication with your team.
Jira provides several features to help teams monitor their progress. The Summary tab serves as a dashboard summarizing key project metrics, displaying widgets like a pie chart to compare in-progress and completed tasks, a bar chart that categorizes tasks by priority, and a team workload chart showing individual assignments.
For time management, Jira has a built-in time tracking feature, allowing you to monitor how much time is spent on each task. If you require more advanced tracking, consider integrating a third-party time tracking tool from the Atlassian marketplace.
Step 5: Finalize Your Project
When your team has completed all tasks, it’s time to finalize the project. You have two options: set it to read-only for continued access without modifications or archive it to completely retire the project from active use.
Key Features and Benefits of Jira for Project Management
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Template Library: Jira’s extensive library includes numerous templates tailored to meet different team needs and project methodologies, such as Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and Waterfall.
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Team Collaboration Tools: Jira offers multiple collaboration features, including tagging team members in comments and using reaction emojis. You can also integrate Jira with popular communication tools, such as Slack, to streamline updates.
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Automation: To minimize tedious updates, Jira provides automation options for tasks like auto-assigning work and syncing parent-child tasks. Pre-built automation templates are available, and you can even create custom automations.
- Reporting and Analytics: Jira allows team-managed projects access to various reports like burnup reports and velocity charts, embedding metrics directly into project views to facilitate progress monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jira suitable for project management?
Absolutely! While originally designed for software development, Jira can accommodate many types of teams. For those looking for simpler project management solutions with a more straightforward interface, consider checking out Trello, another Atlassian product known for its Kanban boards.
How do I track project progress in Jira?
Jira integrates metrics into project views, allowing you to oversee project progress in real-time. Insights into deployment frequency and cycle times can help optimize workflows. Once you complete a few projects, Jira will also provide projections and analytics for future projects, along with native time tracking capabilities or options for third-party tools.
Does Jira support Gantt charts?
Yes, Jira features two Gantt chart options: Timeline for individual projects or teams and Roadmaps for broader organizational planning.
How can project managers effectively use Jira?
To use Jira as a project manager, first create an Atlassian account, select a suitable template, invite team members, and configure project settings. Monitor progress as the project unfolds, and finally, archive the project or set it to read-only upon completion.
By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to leverage Jira effectively for managing your projects.
