Jira Dashboard or Confluence

Question

I have set up a Jira project including dashboards. Now I've started using Confluence and have found that I can add the same gadgets and reports to confluence pages.

I wanted to ask the community what the advantages or disadvantages are of using Jira dashboards versus setting up a confluence page with the same info ? Are dashboards used more for an overview of work where confluence is more suited to reporting progress ?

One advantage I notice (although this is just how our system is setup) is that I can add a calendar as part of a confluence page but cannot add this to a dashboard.

Big Jim · Answer

Thanks Tarun,

That's really useful feedback. What I'm finding is that Confluence allows me to show the same info as a dashboard but has the huge advantage that I can add short explanations, adjust the formatting, add excel sheets in expandable sections and even add the team calendar. I find adding explanatory texts really helps new users. The resulting page looks more impressive and is easier to use.

All the above leads me to use Confluence more than dashboards.

Tarun Sapra · Answer

Hello @Big Jim

Having the ability to have JIRA gadgets/reports on confluence page is pretty useful. I am using JIRA for reporting and all the reports are present on the Jira dashboards itself and the dashbaords are shared with respective groups/users. Now, confluence is best for managing and creating requirements as it's basically a content tool. So most users from the business use confluence to create requirements / roadmap/ product backlog. Now these users are more interested in the high-level progress of the teams instead of the sprint burndowns etc. Thus, on confluence I am displaying few JIRA reports which give an wider picture of the overall progress instead of going into details like burndown charts, per team progress, open defects per team etc.

If detailed view is needed then that's available on the JIRA dashboard but the wider picture is available by means of gadgets on the confluence page itself so that the senior POs working the requirement don't have to logon to JIRA to see what they are interested in.