Handle Wish List items in JIRA Backlog

Question

Looking for options/opinions on how to handle stories that are wish list items that may or may not become development stories.

Some suggestions so far are the following.

* New Issue Type – called Wish List,
* The workflow that only has Open, Analysis, Done (probably add Cancelled on our side)
* Has minimal fields of Summary, Description
* The user would move to a Story or can be automated to copy/link issue within the workflow (approved creates Story – Rejected does not)

*  Use Confluence to have a page of Wishlist items (similar to a spreadsheet)
* Use external applications such as Excel to document wish list items

Brian Steyskal · Answer

Another possibility which we have implemented with success is to add a custom "Triage" field to your project. Values are "Proposed" and "Triaged". The default for new items is always "Proposed" unless changed at the time of entry. Bugs are the exception since they are presumed real as QA enters them when found.

Our sprint board is set up to show only those items that have been triaged, so the backlog contains only those items that have been groomed and properly determined to have potential for targeting to a sprint.

A second board, the triage board, is filtered to contain only the proposed items. This board has items requested by clients, the user group, development team and others. Essentially this is our 'wishlist' which is distinct from the backlog of triaged items. We review this monthly as a team, plus the analysts are constantly grooming the backlog with the product owner Items that are determined 'real' and which have enough clarity to elaborate and implement are marked as Triaged and then appear on the main product board.

Petter Gonçalves · Answer

Hello Brian,

The three approaches you mentioned are valid in my opinion, however, I would proceed with the first approach and create a new issue type.

I think that it would be more manageable to keep all the details and history of the issue (before/after it becomes a Story) in a single view.

Additionally, using JIRA you will be able to use several reports and have a more accessible and easier view of the issue details and its progress. For example, analyze how many wish-lists were approved, the main reasons that caused wish-lists to not be approved, etc.

Please, let me know if this makes sense to you.