How to create a list of stories and epics across boards?

Question

We use Jira extensively across the organization but in varying levels of adherence to Agile methodologies. Some teams use Kanban, others use Sprints, stories and bugs are grouped as per each project's delivery schedules using Jira features like Epics, Labels, Releases, etc.

How can I create a high level list to serve as a management summary for these artifacts? For instance, create one thing with a 1-sentence description and a few key data points (department, business unit, sponsor, priority, objective, etc.) that groups multiple stories, epics, labels, etc.? This list would be used for discussion purposes on a quarterly basis to track progress and the actual Jira artifacts would be updated more regularly by the project team. I want to try to use Jira for this instead of the inevitable Excel spreadsheet!

Thanks

Rahul_RVS · Answer

Hi @TaskMaster

For a ready made solution, you can try out the app which we built.

Agile Tools : Epic Tree, Links Tree, Time in Status & Worklogs

The add-on provides the complete hierarchy of your issues including linked issues.

It also provides a quick summary bars for sr management reporting, at the top of the list as shown in the screen below.

Do try it out.

Disclaimer : I work for RVS, the vendor for this app

Hannes Obweger - JXL for Jira · Answer

Hi @TaskMaster

if you're open to solutions from the Atlassian Marketplace, there's several reporting apps available. E.g., you may want to have a look at the app that my team and I are working on, JXL for Jira.

JXL is a full-fledged spreadsheet/table view for your issues that allows viewing, inline-editing, sorting, and filtering by all your issue fields, much like you’d do in e.g. Excel or Google Sheets. It also comes with a range of advanced features, including support for (configurable) issue hierarchies, issue grouping by any issue field(s), sum-ups, or conditional formatting. With these, you can build rich, interactive reports like e.g. the one below in just a couple of clicks:

Of course, this is just some example; but provided that whatever "link" connects your groups of issues together is stored somewhere on your issues (be it as an issue field, or e.g. as issue links), you should be able to create great high-level views in no time.

Since you've tagged your question for Jira Server: As you may have heard, app sales have ended for Jira Server. Are you planning to migrate to Data Center or Cloud? I'd strongly recommend that. If you need some more time, JXL is perfectly compatible with Jira Server; it's just that we need to generate a license for you. If the above looks interesting, just let me know, and I'll happily start a free trial for you.

Any questions just let me know,

Best,

Hannes

TaskMaster · Answer

Yes, I am familiar with that. I do utilize filters, dashboard gadgets and such but they all report on the low-level Jira stories/epics. What I am looking for is a high level management summary that would include these items. So, for instance, summary #1 would group together ABC-123, XYZ-456. Summary #2 would include PQR-444, MNO-112, etc.

Any ideas?