How to add multiple done columns

[shivam chhouda]

I need to add two Done columns in Scrum Board as one of my status is closed one and for Burndown to work ideally it should be in Done Column but i wont be able to see both the columns separately in Active Sprint board as i dint get any option to add multiple Done Columns.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

Also, if you do add another "done" type column, it won't be classed as "done" unless it is the last column on the right-hand side.  Jira only looks at the very last column on the board to define "done".

[Jerome F_]

How to bypass that ? such a stupid limitation, as always

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It's not in the slightest bit "stupid" - it is a clear, simple and unarguable definition of done, as Agile (and, for that matter, Waterfall) processes strongly recommend.

The "bypass" is to put all your end status into the last column.

[Jerome F_]

I don't disagree with the definition of Done, I'm just surprised that you have to choose the "status" of a column (to do, in progress or done) - and no matter the status that are in this column - which defines the color of the column (white, green, blue) and therefore its status REGARDING the sprint, but even tho you select Done the column stays green if it's not at the very right as you said, which is actually a VERY ODD LIMITATION that serves no real purpose.
In my case I need to have a visual differentiation on the board between multiple status, all being resolved/done tickets, all I need is to split those into 2 columns but I can't have that, otherwise only half of them will be registered as Done when completing the sprint.
So yeah ofc I "bypassed" it by putting everything in the last column but that's not what I call bypass, it's simply renouncing to the "feature" I need, if we can even call that a feature.
If you can't see that then... sorry ^^

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I agree that it's a bit fuzzy, it is partly historical, and partly an apparent unwillingness to draw it all together properly on the Atlassian side (a reticence I don't understand).  I keep meaning to write an article on it here.

Logically, the right thing to do is have a single "done" - to keep plain Jira and Jira Software happy without a complete redesign and refactor, you could:

• Have a list of status that are "done", they're green, they require that the resolution is set and they can only exist in the last column of a board.
• Let the to-do and in-progess status to take either of the other colours (as it doesn't really cause any huge problems like green/resolved/done does), and require the resolution to be empty for issues in those status

This fixes the problem.  By force.  And limits the flexibility - one thing it completely rules out is "subjective" status where one team's "done" is another team's "to do"

[brian-purkiss]

I'm running into this issue as well.

I have a "Done" column and a "Rejected" column.

Both have been set as "marked as done" in the workflow - yet only the far right column is considered to be "done" when I close the sprint.

Why can I create a workflow with multiple "done" columns but the sprints only treat the far right column as done? The UI is contradicting each other.

It's like the developers who built the "Complete Sprint" button never had a conversation with the developers who built the workflow functionality.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You need to map both status into the column that tells Jira that the issue is done.

You are not creating a workflow with multiple done columns, it has multiple done status.  You should map those done status into the done column.

There's a point here that a lot of people miss - your board is a representation of what the team is working on.  It is NOT for tracking stuff outside the team.  The "done" column means "team has done what it needs to, and hence has no further interest".  You don't need multiple "done" columns - issues in there are done, the team doesn't need to worry about them any more.  The exact reason they don't need to is utterly irrelevant.

It's like the developers who built the "Complete Sprint" button had a conversation with the teams using it and kept is as simple and clear as possible.

[brian-purkiss]

What you describe is EXACTLY what I'm trying to do - I just want to have different labels associated with "done."

The Jira UI is contradictory. It says that something is "done" but doesn't actually mean "done." I shouldn't have to perform Google Searches to figure out that done isn't done and I can label something as done without it actually getting treated as done.

It is NOT as simple as clear as possible since "done" doesn't mean "done" even though it is labeled as "done."

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Actually, it's not contradictory, it's your choice of status names and/or column configuration that make the conflict.  If you use the default settings in Jira, it will put done in the done column and hence there's no conflict.

[brian-purkiss]

It's not my choice - it's Jira's own UI and labels.

Look at these two screen shots.

I can create a new "Done Status" that highlights the status in green and puts a green checkmark on the board columns and highlights it in green.

If I can create a "Done status" in Jira and Jira highlights it in green with a green checkmark. That "Done status" in green with a green checkmark doesn't actually mean done according to Jira. How is that not a conflicting UI?

If Jira doesn't want users to have multiple columns treated as done, then there shouldn't be the ability to create a new "Done status" and have it highlighted as green with a checkmark.

Jira should get rid of the ability to create a new done status or treat new done status columns as done.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, you've chosen to create a new done status, that's your choice, not a Jira default.

Whilst I totally understand the instinct "Jira should get rid of the ability to create a new done status or treat new done status columns as done", it would destroy the usefulness of Jira for non-agile teams who are trying to be a bit more Agile.  "Done" for a developer team is not the same thing as "Done" for a test team.  

I'm not sure it is a "conflicting UI" when someone doesn't plan out their usage.  Jira could either enforce something that doesn't work for a lot of their users, or let them do what they want (and hope thy plan it properly)

[brian-purkiss]

The conflict is when the UI says, "Done" with a nice little checkmark, it doesn't actually mean done. The UI has explicit labels for actions and the actions don't reflect what the labels say they do. If you want to haggle that "conflict" is the wrong word, then that's fine.

The point is, the UI labels don't do what they say they do - which is completely messed up. 

I also completely disagree with "destroy the usefulness" - teams can have one column done or two columns done. They can configure it how they want. if teams want to have only one column act as done, then they can do that. If teams want to do something slightly different, then they can do that.

Versatility and adaptability is useful.

There's no true one best way to do everything.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You're still making the mistake aof assuming "done" is an absolute.

While it *should* be, we live in a world where people opine differently about it.  Is "done by dev" the same as "done by the test team"?  

No.

But that's not how Agile or DevOps teams work.  We need the flexibility that Jira offers here, but also that our admins understand the way things should be working.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The conflict occurs when you choose to set up status that are not done.

I'm a bit stuck on why you are doing that, and a lot stuck on why you think there can be no absolute done that every team accepts.

[Tanya L Christensen]

More "In Progress" steps in the workflow that reflect the additional phases would be required.

Such as:

Dev Completed 

In Testing 

Testing Completed 

These steps would be placed in middle columns of the board to account for the handoffs.

[Nathan Sturgess]

I am trying to understand the problem that you are trying to solve, but based off the information provided, I believe you want to setup some transitions on your workflow. This will allow you to have one Done status (and one thus one Done column) but still track outcome.

If that is correct here is a mock scenario that shows you how to do that and the result:

1. Go into project settings, select the desired issue type and add a custom field to the issue type (I added Outcome as a short text field in the attached example).
2. Go into the workflow editor, add two transitions, create a rule on each transition to set the custom field separately for each transition (My transitions set the Outcome field to either Accepted and Rejected respectively in the attached example).
3. Go to the board and drag the issue into the desired transition in the Done column (I dragged it into the Accepted transition in the attached example).
4. From the board open the ticket and see that the Outcome field has been set to Accepted.

🙂

[Tanya L Christensen]

I have used the following to help indentify an issue's finished state:

Workflow Status of Done ✔️ 

Resolution field value to indicate how it entered Done.

Done, Rejected, Can't Reproduce etc...

Instead of automatically setting the Resolution to Done when an issue is dragged to the Done column, force a screen the allows you to indicate how it got done. Required field of Resolution 

Keep all Workflow "end" steps in the right column which is required for sprint close out.

Use a Jira dashboard for reporting the types of doneness. 😀

Agile boards are not intended for reporting,  they are intended for a team to move planned issue's through the flow.

[Deleted user]

Hi @shivam chhouda,

Each column on a scrum board needs to be mapped to at least one status. Once a status is mapped to a column it cannot be shared. To have more than one Done column you would need another Status added to your issue's workflow. 

Separately, I would advise against adding more than one Done status and column to a scrum board as this may screw reporting and sprint closure if not managed correctly. 

Hope this helps