Update Stories in an Epic from a value in another Story

Question

I want to use automation to calculate Target Start and Target End dates of Stories based on the Target Start and Target End date in the Epic. The dates in the stories need to use the estimated effort. For example, I create a Design story and update a custom field (HLE) with the estimated hours for the design. My challenge is trying to automatically update any additional Design stories created by the analyst. If the design needs to be split across sprints, the analyst creates the additional stories. Each design story will have the same Target dates so either the Target dates or the HLE value need to be copied.

How can I automatically update the Target dates or the HLE value hours for any subsequent design stories?

I have automation to create the subsequent Design stories (saves time and ensures all required fields are populated). I tried creating a variable to save the HLE from the existing story - that works. But the HLE in the new story is not getting updated. The Comment is being added.

Bill Sheboy · Answer

To confirm, what version of Jira are you using: Cloud, Server, or Data Center?

Assuming you are using Jira Cloud, please see my earlier post above as the branch is not needed: instead use lookup issues action: https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/jira-automation-actions/#Lookup-issues

Following the rule image you provided, and assuming the trigger issue is a story in the Epic:

* trigger: manual
* action: lookup issues with JQL to find the Design story from the same parent Epic as the trigger issue, where the HLE field is not empty
* smart values condition:* first value: {{lookupIssues.size}}
* condition: equals
* second value: 1

* action: create issue* use the value from the lookup result field to make the date adjustments:* {{lookupIssues.first.HLE}}

Jill Fitzgerald_lstk39 · Answer

The variable is not available outside the branch and I can't create an issue inside the branch. I can't get this to work. Can you provide what you would do?

1. Design story is created and the HLE field contains the total number of days the design will take to complete.

2. Analyst uses automation to create another Design story

The HLE fields in the new Design story needs to equal the value in the original Design story.

Thanks.

Bill Sheboy · Answer

Hi @Jill Fitzgerald

Automation rule branches which could be on more-than-one-issue are executed in parallel and asynchronously, with no defined processing order and no guarantee when the branch will finish...up until the last step of the rule.

What this means for the rule you show is:

* the steps after the branch likely start before the branch completes
* the variable created in the branch is in that scope, and so is not available outside the branch

You do not show what your created variable contains, so I am guessing a bit here...Let's assume you are trying to find or sum a value from the issues in the branch.

And so one alternative to that branch is to instead use the Lookup Issues action with JQL to gather the issues, and then find (or sum) the field for later use.  For example, use the lookup first and then create the new issue to use the value(s) needed.

Kind regards,
Bill