Matching together Components and User Stories

[Markus Paletta]

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out how to use Jira Components in my organization. I have to admit that it's really hard for me matching together the concepts of User Stories and Components.

Here is our setup:

• one product
• one Jira Scrum project
• one Scrum board
• team of 5-9 developers, Product Owner and Scrum Master

To implement a User Story and create value to our customers we have to work on back-end tasks, front-end tasks, data base tasks and may have an UI mockup first. All tasks will be sub-tasks of the given User Story. If and only if all sub-tasks are done the User Story is done, too.

Our Scrum board shows the progress of the sprint in a transparent manner.

Reading about Components it tells me that they can be used to group tasks like front-end or back-end and display them in individual boards and having individual leads.

In my opinion (in reference to our project) it does not make sence to group tasks like this respectively use components.
- To create value to the customer it's necessary to handle all types of tasks (e.g. front-end and back-end) in one User Story.
- The overall sprint progress is not transparent, if we would use individual boards.
- Our developers are able to work on different types of tasks and try to solve User Story by User Story.

But even in bigger projects or products (thinking of Amazon website) I would expect that there a User Stories that will result in sub-tasks like front-end and back-end very often which have all to be done to create value to the customer.

What is your opinion and experience about matching or combining User Stories and Components?

Thanks in advance.
Markus

[John Funk]

Correct!

[Markus Paletta]

Thank you for your opinion, John. I do appreciate it :)

So, if I understand correcty, you would suggest to use Components for reporting and evaluation reasons during a sprint or afterwards. 

[John Funk]

Hi Markus - I don't use Scrum, but I typically have opinions.  :-)

Components are good for grouping issues for running filters, reports, etc. Some times even boards, but not necessarily. 

For instance, if you want to see all of the Front-end work you have done, you simply run a filter with:

Project = ABC and Component = "Front-end"

However, I would not use them to dictate the stories or sub-tasks as they move through a sprint.