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Can you map a workflow status to multiple columns in JIRA Agile

JT4

We have kanban teams working in JIRA Agile that would like to "break down" the columns based on their process without adding statsus's to the workflow. By not changing the workflow, multiple teams can use the same workflow.

They would like the kanaban board to reflect different aspects of the process. For example, for some teams, issues in the In Progress status of the workflow move between several teams/processes - concept/design, development, testing, implementation, etc.

Has anyone figured a way to either map status's to multiple columns or display a column that does not have a mapped status?

Is Atlassian looking at this functionality for future releases of JIRA Agile?

Accepted answers

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

There is no way to have a status in many columns. It's a bit too arbitrary as well - the answer here really is that you should create new status if you want more columns.

All comments

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

There is no way to have a status in many columns. It's a bit too arbitrary as well - the answer here really is that you should create new status if you want more columns.

JT4

Hi Nic,

Thank you for the response.

Unfortunately, adding additioanl status is not always an option. We were hoping to be able to create kanban boards similar to what the Kanbanize for JIRA plugin offers, but staying within JIRA Agile.

I think it would be a big win for Atlassian if they can get this functionality into JIRA Agile.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

Mmm, I don't think it makes a lot of sense actually. Multiple status works better.

Have you tried out "simplified workflow" in Agile though? Gives you a lot more flexibility

Henrik12

I want to echo Jeanne here and say that it certainly does make sense.

My problem is the following:

I have a small team of people and we want to tailor our kanban board to add columns for various steps in our internal development process. The JIRA project is used by 300+ people and more than 20+ teams, so for me to go in and change the workflow for all issues in the project and affect the other 20+ teams makes no sense. That's why I won't go in and add statuses and adapt them to our workflow.

The options for me would be to have the columns there without them having to be mapped to a issue status - This would be the best thing. The second best thing would be if I could map the same status to multiple columns so that it actually doesn't affect it when my team moves their jiras between their custom columns.

Because the point of the kanban wall is to replicate a real wall in a digital setting, is it not? And the point of having a kanban flow is to adapt it to your teams unique flow, right? So why is it that we need to conform to the flow of a project of 300+ people?

Regarding Simplified Workflow:

Reading the "Why can't I switch to Simplified Workflow" explains why I can't switch to it - Because it in essence relies on "That project uses a JIRA workflow scheme which only has one workflow for all issue types" ie a non-complex workflow scheme, something which isn't possible in a 300+ JIRA project.

Peter Milakovich

I had someone ask me this same question earlier today, and found this conversation in my googling. Doesn't look like anything has changed since 2014, so thanks for the discussion, it was very helpful!

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

Yes, there's no change, it's a nonsense idea, so it's not been implemented.

Thomas Heijtink

The way I read this is as follows: You might have sub-statuses and super-statuses. A super-status might be quality control with sub-statuses like code-review, isolated tests, integrated tests etc. So if you want to have a birds eye view of in what status my issues are in I might want to look at it from a super perspective and not see each individual statuses that a kanban board knows. Also I can then compare boards when they have different sub-statuses as they have the same super-statuses. I hope I made myself clear. But I think this could be a very useful feature. What do you think?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

The columns are already super-status by that definition.

Thomas Heijtink

Okay fine, then sub-statuses. As described here. As I agree with the poster that your internal process can be much more granular than how you plan and communicate with your client or stakeholders. But to ensure a particular order of process.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

To ensure an order of process, put the flow into your workflow, that's what they're for.

Shneor Crombie1

It's a super smart and highly important idea so must be implemented ASAP!

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

I'm afraid it's a useless idea, for all the reasons given above. Please, have a read through the conversation. I'd be curious to know how you think making columns not report status in any meaningful way is "smart"

Eric Peladeau

I have the same chalenges with the JIRA boards. I used to work with Microsoft TFS and it would let you map multiple columns to the same status. We did not used it often but there was time when it helped the team move forward.

Nic, I find it very interesting that there is not a single person that has the same thought as you in here and you still think your way is the right way. I find that very confusing. this is an agile tool and yet I do not see any collaboration.

I am not saying that you do not have a good solution but sometime, there is more then one solution and if the majority likes a different solution, it is worth looking into it before it is discarted. would you rather have a good chunk of users frustrated about the limit of your tools or let them experience different solution and inovate? Then they could recommend the tool to others.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

I suspect it's more a case of a few people who think they want something finding a conversation about it, rather than "not a single person agrees".

The reason it is not there is because it is simply not useful. I don't understand how it is possible to make use of "this issue has two different meta-status at the same time". It obviates the point of having a workflow and makes your boards nonsense (or at least not representing what they're supposed to - your process).

There are some good attempts to explain it above, but they all come back to "this is a bad idea and you can get what you need far more easily in a different way".

Peter Milakovich

I think most folks won't take the time to post an "I agree with Nic" to give a full representation of those that agree.

I've watched this ticket for some time, and I'm on Team Nic for this one. Have to give him credit for his consistent message and patience with this topic.

Eric Peladeau

Fair enough. At this point it is a matter of opinion. I know that in my organization, we have very different team using the tools and any attemp to change the current JIRA environment is hard since it will affect everyone. I think that I have the same view as you but on the other side... lol. I do not see why it is a big deal that a JIRA has the same status but in different colomns (wich for me are only containers to help my team make the jira flow through our process.)

Thanks for the feedback.

Eric.

Richard Norling

Hi,

I've read through most of the posts, but I'm still having trouble understanding how people solve this issue.

I'm a Product Owner and Project Responsible in JIRA and I've given each team their own Board, so that they can filter other Issues.

Our main work flow is:
backlog -> in progress -> to be reviewed -> done

That is the workflow that I want every team to follow. However, each team has a sub-workflow within in progress, this can be some internal team review step, implementation, verification etc, this depends on the team of course. They all work different.

One of my teams want to visualize the following workflow

backlog -> (implementation -> verification -> team review) -> to be reviewed -> done

Is there a way to visualize their workflow, in their board? Without affecting other team boards?

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

Yes - give them the workflow you've defined with 6 steps. Give them a board with 6 columns, and other people one with 4 columns, with implementation, verification and team-review in the "in progress" column.

Richard Norling

Thank you for the fast response, I will try this out!

Kohi Nahi

Hi!

We are a company with 40K+ JIRA users. Each ART is setup with a project and the teams have to manage their work within Enterprise level constraints. I do not have access to the 'Simplified Workflow'

Statuses available to me are: Backlog, Grooming, Ready, In Progress, Review, In QA, Impeded, Closed, Reopened and Ready for Acceptance.

My 8 step workflow requires 3 distinct steps (columns) after 'Ready' and prior to 'Review'. How do I accommodate these? If I could use "In Progress" in all 3 columns, my cycle time would be accurate. Furthermore, since I can only assign "In Progress" to one column and cannot assign a random status to the other 2 columns, these columns do not even display on my board.

I think having the flexibility to use statuses in multiple columns should be a feature. My teams are truly "In Progress" when they are working through these 3 phases. The alternate would be to collate statuses to get my true cycle time - "In Progress 1", In Progress 2", "In Progress 3" or collate the 3 phase names.

A Kanban board is meant to optimize flow and having the visibility into cycle-time for each individual phase is more valuable (if not required!) than clumping them all into one-phase to accommodate tool constraints.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-

>If I could use "In Progress" in all 3 columns, my cycle time would be accurate.

No, it wouldn't. It would be consistently useless to you, as well as making your board complete nonsense for your users as it no longer has any resemblance to your actual process.

Please have another read of the discussion above, as it's clear you have not understood it.

Steve Toalson

Nic - PLEASE take a look at what I put together here. I think in this case a picture is necessary. Kanban Board with Global Status repeated in multiple columns.

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