Move an issue or create a new one for new fiscal year?

[Sandeep Banga]

Hello Jira community!

We use Jira Server to manage technology implementation projects and support for our customers.

What is the best practice for tracking billable time on an existing issue that will now be worked on in the new contract year while providing continuity to our team providing support on that issue?

When we offer support, most times the customer, more often than not, customer renews the contract to the next year. We track the total hours allowed on the contract on an Epic called Support, and create issues for specific requests and track our billable time on those in Tempo.

When we get a contract extension or a new contract with the same customer, should we - 

 - move the existing issue that was worked on to a new project (say support 2024), and tie it to a new Epic (2024 support) so the team can see what has been done on the issue until now, then track time on this existing issue?

Or 

- create a new issue under a new project and tie it to a new epic, and track time on the new issue, which means they will need to be flipping back to the old project to see what was done.

Thank you for your help!

[Brant Schroeder · Accepted solution]

@Sandeep Banga it really depends on your business process.  If you create a new issue you should link it to the old issue.  (Issue Link)  You might also think about cloning the issue so you have everything in the old and new issue in the new project.  The cloned issue can retain comments and such if you use an app like scriptrunner. 

[Sandeep Banga]

Thanks @Brant Schroeder

I like the idea of creating a new issue and linking the old one. About cloning - when I clone would it clone the time added to the issue as well or can I clone the comments etc. without copying over the time entries, which would be desirable?

Also, if I clone an issue would the permissions also come with it? For certain customers we give access to comment on an issue.

Thanks!

[Brant Schroeder]

@Sandeep Banga When you clone an issue it will clone the issues details but it will not clone comments or time.  So this history would not be there but if you link the original (which is does by default) then you can go back and look at the old issue.  Permissions should migrate on the cloned issue.

[Sandeep Banga]

Thanks Brant!