Introduction
JIRA is a powerful project management tool that helps teams streamline their work processes, and at the heart of JIRA are its workflows, boards, and priority levels. If you’re managing tasks, tracking bugs, or working on user stories, understanding how to optimize your JIRA workflow can make all the difference in how efficient and organized your team is.
In this guide, we’ll break down the stages of JIRA workflow, walk through the different board columns, and explain how to set priority levels effectively. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to master JIRA workflow in your own projects, helping to ensure smooth project management and timely task completion.
Understanding JIRA Workflow Stages
A well-defined JIRA workflow is critical for keeping tasks on track and ensuring transparency across your team. Here’s a breakdown of the typical stages in a JIRA workflow:
1. To Do
This is where all tasks that haven’t been started yet live. Think of it as the “waiting room” for work that’s been identified but hasn’t yet been picked up.
2. In Progress
Once a developer or team member starts working on a task, the ticket moves to the In Progress stage. This is a signal to everyone that work is actively being done. One important note here: don’t start working on a task that’s not part of the current sprint unless directed to by the product owner.
3. Ready for Review
After the task is completed by the developer, it moves to Ready for Review. This stage indicates that the task is ready for code review or preliminary testing. This is a great opportunity for the JIRA workflow to distinguish between code review and QA testing.
4. In QA
When the task is ready for Quality Assurance (QA) testing, it moves to the In QA stage. QA testers begin their work here to ensure the quality of the product. If any issues are found, the task will be moved back to In Progress for the developer to address.
5. Done
Once the task passes all testing and meets the required criteria, it moves to Done. This signifies that the task has been completed and is now ready for deployment or release.
Navigating JIRA Board Columns
JIRA boards give teams a visual representation of their JIRA workflow, helping to track the progress of various tasks at a glance. Here’s an overview of the typical board columns you might encounter:
Triage
This column is used for newly created tickets that need to be reviewed and triaged. The goal here is to decide which tickets should go into the Backlog and which should be Selected for Development.
Backlog
This is where all the tasks, including user stories, live that haven’t been planned for development yet. Tasks here haven’t been prioritized for the current sprint but are still important for future iterations.
Selected for Development/To Do/Work Next
This is where tasks that are planned for the current sprint are placed. These user stories and tasks are about to be worked on or are ready to be started.
In Progress
When developers begin working on a task, it moves to the In Progress column. This is a key step in your JIRA workflow, ensuring everyone knows the task is actively being worked on.
In Review
Once a task is completed by the developer, it moves to In Review. This stage is for tasks that are ready for review either by the QA team or specific team members for feedback.
In QA
The In QA column holds tasks being actively tested by the QA team. This is a crucial stage where the quality of the task is assessed before moving on to deployment.
Ready to Release
When a task has passed QA and is ready to be deployed, it moves to the Ready to Release column. The task is now validated by the QA team and ready for production. QA should leave a comment along with a photo or video proof for clarity.
Done
Once a task is deployed or no longer valid, it’s moved to the Done column. This includes tasks that have been successfully implemented or deprecated. If a task is deprecated, the product owner should leave a comment explaining why it is no longer considered an issue.
Handling JIRA Workflow with QA Feedback
In the In QA stage, two scenarios can occur:
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If the ticket is fixed properly: The QA team validates the ticket and moves it to Ready to Release.
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If the ticket is not fixed properly: QA moves the ticket back to In Progress, leaving a comment with detailed feedback for the developer to address before resubmitting the task for review.
This seamless feedback loop is vital for ensuring your JIRA workflow remains smooth and transparent.
Understanding Priority Levels
JIRA workflow doesn’t just track task progress; it also helps prioritize tasks to ensure your team focuses on what’s most important. Here are the priority levels that you’ll encounter in JIRA:
Highest
This priority level indicates that the issue is blocking progress and needs immediate attention. It’s the highest priority, and your team should address it as soon as possible.
High
A high priority task represents a significant problem that could block progress. These tasks should be tackled within the current sprint.
Medium
Medium-priority issues are not blocking progress, but they should still be fixed after the highest-priority issues are addressed. These can be handled in future sprints if necessary.
Low
Low-priority issues are minor and can be worked around if needed. These tasks can be addressed when there’s extra time in the sprint or when higher-priority tasks are completed.
Lowest
This level applies to trivial problems with minimal or no impact on progress. These tasks can be addressed when time allows, but they are not critical.
By setting these priority levels clearly, your team can allocate resources effectively and stay focused on the tasks that matter most.
Closing a story:
To close a story in JIRA, certain conditions must be met:
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All linked bugs must be fixed.
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Any remaining open tickets should be low-priority or not part of the current sprint/release (after review by the product owner).
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All tickets should have been reviewed and deemed fixed for the current sprint.
Ad-hoc work/testing:
- Check the Testing, Rework Needed, Blocked, and Code Review columns to see if we need to ping somebody or transition tickets into other states.
- Make a filter with all the non-closed project-related tickets and validate them again to see if we need to either update or close them.
- Once we validate them, we should add a label like novValidated (which stands for, November validated, for example).
- *Make sure to add the labels, links, or comments properly.
- While doing this, you might find other bugs while validating the old ones.
Sprint vs Kanban Boards: Different Approaches to Triage
JIRA offers two primary types of boards: Sprint and Kanban. Both boards visualize tasks, but they approach task management differently.
Sprint Board
A Sprint Board is used in Scrum, where tasks are planned and completed within a fixed-length iteration (sprint). Tasks are moved from the Backlog to the Selected for Development column during sprint planning. QA feedback follows a structured process, where items are moved back to In Progress if issues arise.
Kanban Board
A Kanban Board uses continuous delivery and flow, with no fixed sprint duration. Work items are pulled from the Backlog as capacity allows. The process for handling feedback from QA is similar to the Sprint board, but there’s no sprint planning meeting; tasks are moved into development as soon as there’s capacity.
Conclusion
Mastering the JIRA workflow is essential for effective project management. By understanding the stages of the workflow, the columns on your JIRA board, and how priority levels work, you can ensure smooth collaboration between development and QA teams. Whether you’re using a Sprint board or a Kanban board, having a clear workflow helps keep tasks organized, efficient, and on track.
With these insights into JIRA workflow, you can now optimize your team’s processes and ensure that projects are delivered on time and with the highest quality. Happy managing!
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