Jira queue management hacks that will make your team more efficient

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Delayed responses and unhappy customers are often a big problem as some teams need help managing their queues efficiently. As a Jira expert, I believe that by implementing effective strategies, your Jira queue management can be transformed to increase productivity and customer satisfaction. I have successfully applied these strategies in multiple organizations and would like to share them with you.

Step 1: Define your pain points

Begin by identifying the pain points that lower your team's productivity. Typical problems may include:

• Long wait times for ticket resolution.

• Uneven workload distribution among team members.

• Difficulty prioritizing urgent issues.

This foundational understanding will help you set up and manage your queues effectively.

Step 2: Access your queues and assess your current queue management setup

Before making improvements, check your queues and review your current queue management process in Jira. 

1. Log into your Jira and click Projects in the Jira navigation bar.

2. Select the service project you want to work on.

3. Click on Queues on the left sidebar.

4. Review your current queue setup, taking into account previously identified paint points.

HR department queue

Step 3: Configure your queues

When configuring your queues, it's important to create a clear structure that helps agents quickly identify and manage issues.

1. Clearly label each queue with informative names to guide agents in understanding their purpose.

2. Define specific criteria for each queue. Use Jira Query Language (JQL) to filter relevant issues into your queue. Open the queue settings and filter issues by status, type, or priority so they meet your needs.

3. Customize the columns to display necessary information like Assignee, Status, or Summary.

Queue name, filters, columns, and team priority in the HR department queue

4. If you need to set specific permissions to control access to particular queues, combine issues from multiple projects, or require a more complex queue group structure, use the Queues for Jira & JSM app.

An example of a HR team queues structure in the Queues for Jira & JSM app

Step 4: Train your team

Ensure all team members understand how to use queues effectively. Provide training where you explain the best practices and highlight the pain points to make your team’s job easier, faster, and more effective.

Step 5: Monitor and optimize queues

Regularly review the effectiveness of your queues:

1. Analyze queue data to understand trends, bottlenecks, and agent performance.

2. Solicit feedback from agents to identify areas for improvement.

3. Adjust queue configurations based on evolving business needs or team feedback.

4. Use Jira’s reporting tools to check if your queue management is effective. 

Conclusion

Combining tools offered by Jira and the strategies described in this guide can help you transform your Jira queue management into an efficient and effective process.

If you use the Queues for Jira & JSM app to control access to particular queues, create cross-project queues, or have a more complex queue group structure, let us know how it goes!