Structuring requirements in Jira
Jira is the leading tool for recording functional and technical requirements for software development - and other project types. However, if several product owners or functional requirements managers are working on the same project, a standardized structure is required to record issues - as the specific requirements are called in Jira. We will show you how you can ensure this yourself with just a few simple steps in Jira.
Issues are epics, user stories, bugs, changes, tasks and subtasks, i.e. all types of requirements that can arise in a project. User stories and bugs take up the most space, as they are used to describe requirements and discovered errors, which can be assigned to an epic as a grouping unit on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
The wish and goal is that a basic framework of topics is already created when such a user story is created. Such a basic framework ranges from the professional context in which the requirement is located, the affected users (assignee), the functional and technical requirements in detail, right through to the acceptance criteria.
If you use Jira "off the shelf", then every user has to ensure that this basic structure is followed for every ticket created. This often leads to annoying copy & paste or non-compliance with the desired structure. This lowers quality, as important aspects are inadequately described or even omitted. Although Atlassian has promised improvement has promised improvement, this is still a long time coming. We therefore have to resort to other solutions.
If you use Jira "off the shelf", then every user has to ensure that this basic structure is followed for every ticket created. This often leads to annoying copy & paste or non-compliance with the desired structure. This lowers quality, as important aspects are inadequately described or even omitted. Although Atlassian has promised improvement has promised improvement, this is still a long time coming. We therefore have to resort to other solutions.
Solution 1: The app
With the free app Default Values for "Create Issues" screen the project administrator can specify a schema within the description of an issue, which is automatically applied when an issue is created. The same applies to the summary, labels, responsible person and priority.
This solution is ideal if all users create their issues via the blue "Create" button at the top of the menu bar. However, if they create their issues from the backlog, this app and therefore the solution will not work.
Business Automatica GmbH
Solution 2: Jira automation
If you are looking for a basic solution, you can use the standard automation available in Jira. When creating a new issue, the desired text is then written in the desired field.
Automations in Jira are a powerful tool for simplifying and accelerating workflows in IT projects. Jira offers a simple graphical user interface for configuring automations. However, you need to be reasonably familiar with how Jira works and the interrelationships in order to utilize the full automation potential.
Business Automatica GmbH
Solution 3: Process automation
A much more comprehensive option is the automation of cross-system business processes using automation platforms such as Workato, Oracle Integration Cloud, SAP Integration Suite or - within certain limits - simpler tools such as Make or Zapier. A request can then be written in Word and automatically transferred to a Jira ticket when the user saves it on their OneDrive or Sharepoint. If other project management or test management tools are in use, they can be integrated in the same way. In the latter case, for example, a bug ticket would be automatically created and assigned in Jira as soon as a case is created in Microsoft Azure Cloud DevOps has been created. There are no limits to creativity.
Workato
Consequently, several paths lead to one solution. Which solution is best in an individual case depends on the complexity of the system landscape used. If Jira is mainly used in isolation, one of the first two options will probably be used.
However, if you use many cloud and on-premise systems or need to exchange data between systems, then it is worth taking a closer look at the use of an integration and automation solution. Depending on your requirements and preferences, there are several good providers who offer their platform as Software-as-a-Service. This keeps operating costs low and gives you all the time you need to automate your business processes.
About Business Automatica GmbH:
Business Automatica reduces process costs by automating manual activities, increases the quality of data exchange in complex system architectures and connects on-premise systems with modern cloud and SaaS architectures.