Can't create a service desk for an existing JIRA project

[Matías Knell]

Hello,

I've been trying to set up a service desk for an existing project in Jira Cloud but haven't achieved it. I can create a Service Desk project from scratch but not with an existing project.
I've read A LOT OF posts regarding this issue but nothing seems to work for me.

I'm the owner, I have all the permissions required needed, the permission scheme is okay too but I still can't see the option to create a service desk in the project I'm in.

I've also tried to see if something's wrong with my session, tried to do the same in incognito mode but is still the same.
Please, any help is appreciated. I'm driving crazy!

Thanks in advanced.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

You don't "create a service desk", you change the project type from Software or Business to Service Desk.  Have a look at the project admin screen.

It's very different looking if you're on Cloud or Server, which are you on?

[Matías Knell]

Hi Nic, thanks for your answer.

As I mentioned, I'm working on Jira Cloud.
I tried that and I was able to see the project as a Service Desk project but I also need the Jira Software project.
If this is the only solution, how am I supposed to create sprints and do the things I can do in a Jira Software project?

Thanks,

[Jack Brickey]

@Matías Knell, I’m rather confused about your goal/approach/expectations. Jira Service Desk is a different application than Jira Software. I’m guessing you know that. JSD is as different as it is similar to JSW. You do not use JSD project for software development and there are no Scrum boards for JSW. Similarly you don’t use JSW (generally) as a service desk tool. At least you wouldn’t if you have JSD. So the bottom line is that you create different projects for different purposes. JSD projects for helpdesk purposes and Software projects for development purposes. So if you followed Nic’s instructions and moved your software project to be a service desk project and that isn’t what you wanted then you can either move back or create a new software project. 

[Matías Knell]

Hi Jack, thanks for your answer.

I'm sorry if I can't explain well what I'm trying to do.
What I want is this:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/servicedesk025/how-jira-and-jira-service-desk-work-together-754977568.html

How can I link a service desk project with a jira software project? 
I've tried a lot of things but still can't achieve it.

Thanks for your help.

[Jack Brickey]

so i assume you are specifically referring to the section labeled "Create a service desk for an existing JIRA project"? This 'feature' is new to me and I suspect it is specific to Server since the document you reference is for Server not Cloud. I am on cloud and have never seen this capability. However, cloud changes frequently so I took a quick look but it doesn't seem to be there. 

So, unless I'm missing something you cannot do what that section conveys on your Cloud instance. Maybe there is another way to achieve your ultimate goal and if you can explain what that goal is maybe I can offer further guidance.

[Matías Knell]

Hi Patrick,

Thanks again for your answer and your help!
Exactly, I am referring to that. I was starting to think I was crazy for not seeing that option.

Let me start again, I'll do my best to be more specific. Here it goes:
We started a project in Jira Software, let's call it "MyProject". In MyProject I place all the issues related to it in the backlog (stories, bugs, etc.), plan every sprint with my development team and keep track of how everything's going. All the things you can do in a software project.
Recently, we gave our customer access to browse the project with a "User Role" how Atlassian says in the docs. Then, our customer sents us his feedback through email.
We noticed that we had to fill a new story or bug in MyProject every time he/she sent us an email, so we decided to give a try to Jira Service Desk because is the tool we are looking for...
What I want to do is, give the customer a portal where he/she can give us comments, ask how things are going or request changes in MyProject. All from one place, instead of receiving a lot of emails. And with every request, for example, create a story or bug in the backlog of my MyProject and link that request with the issue so he/she can see the progress and ease my work, instead of copying and pasting what is in the email!

My workaround for this was creating 2 separate projects, like "MyProject" and "MyProject Service Desk".  When I received a request that deserves to be a story, I create a new story in "MyProject" backlog. After creating it, I link this story with the request through "MyProject Service Desk", which it's almost the same I've been doing with the emails.
My worry is that in "MyProject Service Desk" I can see stories, bugs, etc. from my other projects too! Which is something I don't want to happen!


Hope this helps you understand my situation.

Thank you very much for your time.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

>Recently, we gave our customer access to browse the project with a "User Role"

Ah, that's not the intention of Service Desk.  You can do it, but it means your customers are no longer just customers, they are full Jira users.  The intention of Service desk is that customers see only the requests that front the issues.

There are two things you could do here:

Have one Service Desk project, and create boards that include it for your developers.  On Cloud, this is a bit of a faff because the new UI makes it hard to find board configs.  Also, it's expensive because all your developers need to be service desk agents as well, and hard to run a project because your customers will be randomly dumping requests which may or may not become development items into your backlog, un-triaged.

Take the recommended Atlassian route - a Software project for the developers, and a Service Desk for the customers.  When an incoming request needs attention from the developers, an Agent can either add a developer as a participant, or "create linked issue in dev project" which the developers can plan and work with like any other story, updating the request as appropriate.

[Michael Aniskovich]

Hi.  I know this is an old thread, but I was wondering the same thing.  We've been operating a Service Desk project in kanban.  But now, we are switching from kanban to scrum, as business needs dictate.  So, I will be creating a new scrum project.  HOWEVER, we want to keep the existing Service Desk because our customers are familiar with it.  My approach to this-- given that we can't add a SD portal to a scrum project-- is to build an automation rule that will take every SD submission and move it to the new scrum project.  Suboptimal, but that should get the job done.  We don't want to cause confusion for our customers who are already very comfortable with our SD portal, and just because we're moving to scrum doesn't mean we won't have service tickets.  We also prefer not to give our customers access to our scrum board.  AFAIC, this is a drawback for Jira software projects.  I would say that most if not all software projects need a better way for customers to create tickets.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

My 2d worth is that Scrum is not a suitable method for running a Service Desk. 

Scrum is essentially a time-box, you commit to dealing with things in a timebox (sprint) and you do not look at any other incoming work until the end of the sprint.

This means that people could be raising help requests on the first day of the sprint, and no matter how urgent they are, they will not be looked at until the next sprint planning, which is going to be one or two weeks away, possibly more.

Your proposal to move issues from a Service Desk project to a Software (scrum enabled) project is not going to work either.  If you move an issue from a service desk project, you lose the channels to communicate with the people who are raising the requests, the request part of it will be deleted, and it will look like you have deleted your customer's requests (because you have),

Technically, the best thing to do would be to create a software project with a Scrum board that includes the Service Desk project.

But the best thing you can do is not try to do Scrum in a support environment.  Your "business needs" are basically wrong, and you should be telling the business that they should not be trying to impose Scrum on a support team.