Microsoft project to Jira

[Teja]

Hi Community,

We are using MS project for project management. Can we use Jira instead of MS project. If yes, how can I proceed ? Is there any specific documentation.

The major drawback is project manager plans the project and capacity in MS project. If the resource is planned in MS project but the same resource is allocated in different tickets in Jira. How can I overcome this problem?

[Manoj Gangwar]

Hi @Teja 

Yes, you can use Jira as an alternative to MS Project for project management, but it requires proper configuration and, potentially, some integrations to ensure it meets your needs. Here’s a breakdown of how you can proceed and address the resource planning issue

1. Set Up Jira for Project Management:

   - Use Jira Software for agile projects or Jira Work Management for traditional project management.

   - Create projects aligned with your organizational structure (e.g., one project per department, initiative, or team).

2. Import MS Project Data:

   - Export your MS Project plans as a CSV or XML file.

   - Use Jira’s CSV Import feature (*Jira Settings > System > External System Import*) to bring your tasks and schedules into Jira.

3. Customize Workflows:

   - Design workflows in Jira to mimic the stages of your project as planned in MS Project (e.g., Initiation, Planning, Execution, Closure).

4. Enable Capacity Management:

   - Use apps like **Advanced Roadmaps** (formerly Portfolio for Jira) or third-party plugins like *Tempo Planner* or *BigPicture* for resource planning and capacity management.

2. Addressing the Resource Allocation Issue

The conflict arises because MS Project and Jira are not inherently linked, leading to double-booking of resources. To overcome this:

Option 1: Migrate Resource Planning to Jira*

   - Use *Advanced Roadmaps* to plan resources, view capacity, and manage allocations directly within Jira.

   - This allows the project manager to allocate resources and prevents conflicts by showing real-time Jira workload.

Option 2: Integrate MS Project with Jira

   - Use an integration tool like *Microsoft Project Connector for Jira* or *Zapier* to sync tasks, resource assignments, and updates between MS Project and Jira.

   - This ensures that both tools share resource data, avoiding overlaps.

Option 3: Use a Third-Party Resource Management Tool

   - Tools like *Tempo Planner* or *BigPicture* can integrate with Jira to track resource availability and provide visibility into over-allocations across projects.

   - They allow resource tracking across multiple tools, bridging MS Project and Jira.

Documentation and Resources:

 Jira Software Documentation

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/

 Advanced Roadmaps Documentation

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/get-started-with-advanced-roadmaps/

 Tempo Planner Overview https://tempo.io/tempo-planner

MS Project Integration- MS Project Connector for Jira

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/