How can I obtain a Work Item "Start Time" (when it moves from the backlog to In Progress)?

Question

Hi,

I'm trying to workout what my current cycle time (when an issue starts to when it finishes) is for completing work items.

When I extract a .csv of all my issues from Jira, I can get a created date and a resolved date but no date for when the work item starts e.g. when it moves from the backlog to Dev in Progress.

I read somewhere that if the export doesn't provide the relevant data, I "might need Jira administrative access to extract more detailed data, such as workflow transition logs".

Please advise on how I can obtain this "start time".

Many Thanks

Ayça Erdem_OBSS_ · Answer

Hello @GCushnahan

Welcome to the community

You're right. Jira’s default export includes Created and Resolved Dates but doesn't track time spent in each status. For single issues, you can check the History tab under "Activity" to find timestamps for status changes, but this is impractical for large datasets.

A simpler solution is Timepiece - Time in Status for Jira, developed by my team at OBSS. It automates workflow transition tracking and cycle time calculations, eliminating manual work or API extractions.

Timepiece provides insights into how long each issue spends in each status or with each assignee. You can also combine multiple statuses to calculate key metrics like Issue Age, Cycle Time, Lead Time, and Resolution Time.

Here is a sample of cycle time reports

image 1 shows hot to define consolidated column

image 2 shows result of the report

The app calculates its reports using already existing Jira issue histories so when you install the app, you don't need to add anything to your issue workflows and you can get reports on your past issues as well. Reports are available via the reporting page, dashboard gadgets, and issue view screen tabs, with both data tables and charts. Timepiece also offers a REST API for seamless integration and supports CSV/XLS exports.

If you'd like to explore this solution further, feel free to check out Timepiece on the Atlassian Marketplace. I’m also sharing our schedule a demo link if you’d like a more detailed walkthrough!

Hope it helps

Ayça

Danut M _StonikByte_ · Answer

Hi @GCushnahan,

Welcome to Atlassian Community.

The info you are looking for is available in the issue history, and not as a field. So you cannot easily export it in CVS. To get the history of the issue you could use the Jira REST API end-points.

You could eventually try the Cycle Time report of Jira, if available in your Jira project.

But an easier way would be to search on Atlassian Marketplace for an app that is capable to measure the cycle time.

If you are willing to try an app, our Great Gadgets app offers some really useful dashboard gadgets that let you measure the cycle time, lead time, time between two workflow statuses, time in status, etc for the issue in a filter/JQL.

See as an example, this Control Chart gadget showing the completed issues by their cycle time.

These gadgets can display a Data tab with the issues and their cycle time, whihc can be exported in CSV.

See also this article: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/App-Central-articles/How-to-measure-Cycle-Time-and-Lead-Time-in-Jira-or-Confluence/ba-p/2841286

Danut.

Petru Simion [Simitech Ltd.] · Answer

Hi @GCushnahan ,

If you want to implement yourself the logic, and you have Script Runner, you can create a scripted field. The scripted field will parse the issue history and extract the desired outcome, and display it as the value of the calculated field in the issue.

You can then use JQL to extract multiple issues based on certain values for the calculated field.

This will require significant coding and testing to implement.

If you are open to using apps, you can use Time in Status Dashboard for Jira , an app released by our company.

The Columns perspective will display each issue in a row, and will contain columns for each of the statuses the issue was transitioned into from creation untill the time of running this report. Also you will see how many times the issue was transitioned into each status.

To accurately calculate your cycle, you first need to define what constitutes a cycle within your workflow. This definition may vary depending on your specific design. For example, one cycle might include the statuses 'In Progress' and 'In Testing,' while another cycle could also encompass the initial 'To Do' stage.

Our company takes a flexible approach, recognizing that only our customers truly understand what a cycle means within their unique environment and workflow. Therefore, we provide raw data in a CSV exportable format.

"With this data, you can:

- Add custom columns to represent your defined cycles
- Sum up the time-in-status column results that comprise your cycle

This approach empowers you to accurately calculate your cycle based on your specific workflow and needs.

With our app you can also analyse the data in the Rows perspective, where each time spent in a status will be represented in it's own row.

This way you can order the result by Status, and compare the time spent in that status by multiple issues.

Additionally, our app offers a Rows perspective for data analysis. In this view, each time spent in a status is displayed on its own row. This allows for:

- Easy ordering of results by Status
- Comparison of time spent in a specific status across multiple issues

This perspective provides a detailed, issue-by-issue breakdown, enabling you to identify trends and patterns in your workflow.

Regards,

Petru