Only 23% of organizations use project management software, with the rest using a hodgepodge of disparate tools and manually inputting data into spreadsheets. The result? 54% of businesses don’t have access to real-time insights they need to make smart business decisions.
For many organizations, Jira has filled the gap of having an integrated project management tool that makes it easy for all teams to plan, track, and visualize work.
What Is Jira Used For?
Jira is a project management powerhouse, offering a suite of features that can handle everything from simple task tracking to complex workflows. With its trademark flexibility and extensive capabilities that support teams of all shapes and sizes, it’s no wonder that it’s the go-to project management tool for 300,000 companies across the globe.
The thing with Jira, though, is that it’s a BIG tool. It's not something you master overnight. The sheer depth of its capabilities means there's a bit of a learning curve. You’ve got to get familiar with its lingo, understand how to navigate its interface, and figure out how to set up and manage your projects effectively.
But once you get the hang of it, Jira becomes an indispensable tool, streamlining your processes and helping your teams get work done. If you want to fast-track your journey to Jira, here’s the tl;dr on how to quickly get the hang of Atlassian’s project management tool.
1. Jira Isn’t Just for Software Developers Anymore
Initially designed for software development teams to track bugs and issues, Jira has evolved into a versatile tool that supports various project management methodologies, including Agile, Scrum, and Kanban.
Today, Jira is used by teams across different industries to manage a wide range of projects, from software development to marketing campaigns and beyond. Think of Jira as a really smart to-do list that all teams across an organization can leverage to accomplish their work together.
2. Know Your Role in Jira
Next up is understanding the different roles in Jira. At the top, you've got your organization's Jira administrator. They're the go-to person for all things Jira, configuring the tool for all users. They generally have the most knowledge about Jira’s technical capabilities and can establish the rules and guidelines for how the entire company uses Jira.
Then there’s the Jira project administrator. This person tailors specific projects in Jira to fit the team’s workflows. They spend a lot of time with the team to understand their needs and often collaborate with the Jira admin for extra help or permissions to customize Jira exactly the way the team needs the tool to work.
And lastly, we have Jira users—likely you if you’re reading this! You use Jira to tackle projects, share your progress, and collaborate to get work done. Your key responsibility as a Jira user is to keep your work items updated and current. And speaking of work items…
3. Working with Jira Issues
In Jira, individual work items are called issues. Jira issues are what reflect your and your teammates’ progress. You can also ask questions or add relevant information tothe issue to help others complete work. Updating your issues is the most important thing to keep a project moving in Jira.
Completed a work item? Update the issue in Jira. Need to ask a question about an issue? Update the issue in Jira with a comment. Do you have notes from a meeting? Update the issue in Jira with a link to them. You get the point.
4. Navigating the Jira Backlog
Jira also has a feature called the Backlog, which contains issues that aren’t currently visible on the board view but are earmarked for future work. In the backlog view, you can see all items waiting to be addressed and drag them onto the board when the team is ready to tackle them.
Additionally, if you set start and end dates for your issues, you can view them on the timeline. This offers a handy visual of the team's workload, how busy they might be at any given time, and if they have the bandwidth to take on more work.
You’ll also want to make a habit of doing regular backlog refinement in Jira, which helps keep your projects and teams on track. Plus, a well-organized backlog makes it easier for everyone to understand what needs to be done next and which tasks have the most impact on achieving goals.
5. Stay Informed with JQL and Atlassian Intelligence
One way to find project information is to use Jira Query Language (JQL). JQL is exactly what it sounds like, a query language where you can command your Jira instance to search for and display issues, projects, and other data based on the criteria you specify.
If you're using the Premium or Enterprise version of Jira Cloud, you can also use Atlassian Intelligence to search for issues. Atlassian Intelligence translates your plain language searches into JQL queries without you having to come up with the syntax or figure out which function to use.
Atlassian Intelligence also comes in handy if you want to get a quick overview of an issue. Instead of wasting time going through an issue’s activity and comment history, Atlassian Intelligence makes it easy to stay informed with the click of a button.
Master the Basics of Jira Software
Let’s face it: while Jira has powerful out-of-the-box capabilities, the magic of Jira is unlocked when it’s customized to support your unique processes. This is what makes it such a big tool with a big learning curve.
If you are new to Jira or need a refresher to get back in the groove, sign up for our upcoming webinar where you'll learn how to navigate the like a pro, create and manage tasks, and understand different project types like Kanban and Scrum.
Regardless of where you find yourself in your journey with Atlassian, Praecipio helps make your tech stack work for you–not the other way around. With expertise in every tool–from Plans in Jira to the newly launched Compass–count on our team to drive your business forward with the Atlassian platform.
Reach out to our team about taking the burden of customization off your plate so you can focus on the work that matters most.
