There’s no piece of software program that doesn’t have a number of points once in a while. When these points occur, with the ability to successfully and effectively monitor and handle these points issues loads. Should you’re gradual to repair points, then clients are usually fast to depart.
Due to that, having instruments that assist technical groups hold all their bugs in a row and provides clients and inside employees the flexibility to report points is extremely vital. For years, the choice most groups have turned to to handle technical requests is a instrument known as Jira.
This can be a chapter in our Final Information to Completely different Ticketing Methods. Once you’re prepared, take a look at the opposite chapters:
What’s Jira?
To start out, it’s vital to notice that Atlassian truly creates two distinct merchandise that each use the title Jira: Jira Software program and Jira Service Administration.
Jira Software program is a mission administration and ticketing instrument for technical groups. It’s used to plan, monitor, launch, and handle software program merchandise. With it, technical groups can set timelines for initiatives, present standing updates, and report on any points they face within the improvement course of.
They’ll additionally use it as a central supply of reality and a spot to collaborate on initiatives. There are further productiveness options like automations and integrations that may assist streamline the event course of and cut back a certain quantity of guide work. It’s actually meant to be a means for technical groups to speak amongst themselves, not with exterior of us.
Jira Service Administration is a ticketing instrument that permits groups to deal with inside and exterior requests. The instrument primarily has an IT focus, nevertheless it may very well be used to deal with assist requests from a wide range of completely different sources. It’s primarily meant to be a communication instrument, nevertheless it additionally has options that may assist with IT operations and technique, placing it extra in keeping with different ITSM instruments like SysAid or ServiceNow.
Can you employ Jira as a ticketing instrument?
The brief reply is sure, you’ll be able to create a ticketing system utilizing Jira. Each of their merchandise are set as much as create, set up, and handle tickets. The primary query you actually need to ask when deciding the way to create the ticketing system is the place the requests are coming from.
Realistically, there are three distinct teams that often report technical points:
Product managers and builders.
Workers of your organization (or firms you assist).
Clients and outdoors stakeholders.
You’ll most likely take one in all three paths to making a ticketing system utilizing Jira relying on who your main viewers is. Beneath we discover three alternative ways to arrange a ticketing system utilizing Jira primarily based on the place requests primarily come from.
How do you create a ticketing system with Jira?
As talked about above, there are three distinct request situations that would affect the way you determine to arrange a ticketing system with Jira.
Exterior buyer requests
Despite the fact that Jira Software program is primarily a mission administration instrument whenever you pair it with a extra customer-focused instrument, it turns into an ideal choice for dealing with tickets from exterior requesters like clients.
For instance, Assist Scout affords a Jira Software program integration that permits groups to create new points in Jira Software program – mostly used to report bugs. They’ll additionally hyperlink buyer conversations to open Jira points in addition to entry a Jira subject straight from Assist Scout to see the main points and find out about any updates.
By combining the 2, you’re in a position to create a ticketing system the place clients can ship in requests by their most well-liked channel (electronic mail, stay chat, Fb Messenger), which come into Assist Scout. Then, your crew can simply create a brand new (or hyperlink to an current) subject in Jira, assuring your technical crew has all the main points they want and giving assist professionals direct entry to the data wanted to maintain clients up to date.
Utilizing this strategy additionally helps cut back the variety of duplicate bugs and retains the standard of reporting up since your assist crew primarily acts as a filter for any incoming points. Additional, you additionally get entry to further options like a information base builder, the choice to offer stay assist by chat, AI instruments, and a bunch of different options.
Setting every little thing up is extremely simple to do. Should you’re not already a Assist Scout person, you’ll be able to rapidly enroll right here. The preliminary setup takes lower than quarter-hour. If you need a extra in-depth view of that course of, take a look at this text.
After getting your Assist Scout account arrange, you’ll be able to connect with Jira Software program by clicking “Handle” after which choosing “Apps.”
Subsequent, you’ll see an inventory of apps you’ll be able to add to Assist Scout. Scroll down till you see the one for Jira Software program and click on on the icon. After doing so that you’ll see a display with the main points of the combination. Subsequent, you’ll click on “Set up App” on that web page to begin the setup course of for the combination.
After putting in the app you’ll enter in your Jira Base URL (e.g. yourcompany.atlassian.internet), your Jira username, and your Jira API token. After finishing these steps you’ll be capable to configure a number of completely different choices for the combination, and then you definitely’re all set.
If you need a extra in-depth walkthrough of the method for establishing Assist Scout’s Jira Software program integration, take a look at this text.
Inside worker requests
Should you’re utilizing Jira to deal with inside worker requests, Jira Service Administration might be the perfect answer. It’s already arrange with extra of a give attention to inside forms of requests like IT assist and services administration. It additionally lets you give workers portal entry to report points straight and may seamlessly join with Jira Software program for conditions the place reported points require escalation to your improvement crew.
Organising Jira Service Administration entails a number of distinct steps:
The preliminary sign-up is fairly easy. You merely go to their web site and add in a number of particulars after which choose between two plans. They provide each free and paid plans. The free plan is an effective choice should you merely wish to check out among the performance. Additionally they provide a 30-day free trial of the premium plan if you wish to check out any of the paid options.
After you create your account, you’re prepared so as to add your first mission. Tasks are primarily segments you create to accommodate sure forms of requests. For instance, you possibly can create one mission for inside requests and one other for exterior requests.
Once you make a mission, there are a variety of templates you’ll be able to select from which can be premade for sure use instances like IT companies, services requests, and so forth.
After choosing the template, you’re now in a position to customise that particular mission. For instance, you possibly can change the request kind so as to add in or take away sure fields a requester must fill out to make a request. That is additionally the place you’re ready so as to add queues.
Queues are mainly segmented inboxes that allow you to additional set up requests. For instance, you would possibly create a queue inside a mission for escalations to ship any high-priority requests. So as to add a brand new queue you choose “queues” then “handle queues.” From there you’ll be able to add new queues and take away current ones to arrange your workspace as you want.
After getting your mission and queues arrange, you are able to do some further customization. You’ve got the choice to do issues like invite crew members to a sure mission. It’s also possible to add in customized labels to assist tag requests so you’ll be able to monitor volumes and achieve deeper insights from the reporting options included.
It’s also possible to make edits to the completely different channels provided for a sure mission. By default, all initiatives provide an electronic mail channel and a request portal. They autogenerate an electronic mail deal with for every channel, however you’re additionally ready so as to add in your individual. The portals are additionally auto generated, however you’re in a position to management entry if you wish to restrict who can use a sure portal.
When you’ve gone by all these choices, try to be all set. Honestly, there are plenty of further customizations you may make to the product to suit your wants extra particularly. Should you’d wish to be taught much more about Jira Service Administration and get a extra in-depth have a look at among the completely different capabilities of the product, take a look at this information from Atlassian.
Technical crew requests
Should you want a ticketing system to handle points surfaced straight out of your technical or product groups, then the most suitable choice might be to make use of Jira Software program with none further integrations. It contains instruments to report, set up, and handle bugs and different technical points.
In Jira Software program, the best way you make a ticket is by clicking on the “Create” button. From right here you’re in a position to create a brand new subject. When you’ve created a difficulty, there’s a ticket quantity assigned to the particular subject for reference. It’s also possible to title the difficulty to make it simpler to seek out by the instrument’s search perform.
As soon as the preliminary ticket is created, you are able to do a number of various things: You possibly can assign it to a particular crew member or group, you’ll be able to hyperlink tickets collectively to maintain a number of incidents of the identical drawback grouped collectively, and you may add what’s known as a toddler subject, which is actually a subtask related to the primary process.
Within the preliminary setup section of a difficulty, you may also add in description textual content to offer a extra in-depth view of an issue and do different issues like add labels to assist categorize a difficulty additional.
When you create a difficulty in Jira, there are three primary phases for it: to do, in progress, and completed.
When there’s progress on a difficulty, a crew member can transfer it by the completely different phases. Groups can add further phases to satisfy the necessities of their very own workflows. For instance, you possibly can have 5 completely different phases for a difficulty as a substitute of three.
They’re additionally ready so as to add updates within the type of notes on a difficulty to maintain trackers and different views within the loop about any work that’s deliberate or being completed at present or to offer further perception into timelines.
Shifting ahead
Creating the perfect expertise for each requesters and crew members depends on accessing the fitting set of instruments. Jira is a strong choice, nevertheless it’s often just one a part of the equation. Tickets assist hold everybody concerned, within the loop, and updated. There are alternatives to perform that, and — relying in your particular circumstances — one could also be higher than one other.
Take the time to think about your wants and have a look at all of the choices out there to you. Be thorough and considerate in your decision-making, and also you’ll be on the fitting path ahead.