How to Create a Report in Jira (Part Two)

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Everything we do on a daily basis can churn out an inordinate amount of data. It would be a shame to not make the most of it and put the data to use in a way that will help us, as well as our teams, both develop and grow better.  Now that we've discussed the importance of reports, it's time to discuss the types of reports you can generate and how to make them happen.

What do you need a report of?

To make the most of Jira reports, you need to establish what you will need them for. This can include one or all of the following reasons. You can use Jira reports for personal development, team development or product development purposes. To do that, you need to ask yourself, or your team, a very important question: what do we need to know? This can encompass so many things, from productivity to deliverables, schedule, and workflow to name a few.

You see, with the right answer, you will be able to better determine what you would like to measure or find out from your report. Keep in mind, the answer to this question will change depending on so many factors, one of which just happens to be the time you're asking it in. Maybe there's a product release coming up, or an internal audit, or a quarterly report, or even an annual bonus revision.

Different types of charts in use

Once you've nailed down your objective, you can now go on to how you'd like it to be presented. Depending on what you're looking for, this might change from one report to the other and vary in how you'd like to portray it. For example, percentages would be better presented through a pie chart. Comparing monthly issues can work well on either a line chart or bar chart. Basically, it's all about how you would like to visualize the information you have and how to present it to others.

Here are some examples of ways you could use these charts.

You can see them all in use as well as give them a try yourself through the Jira Reporting Playground.

How do you start using reporting apps with Jira?

There are various apps on the Atlassian Marketplace that can help you come up with the perfect report. For today, we're going to use Custom Charts for Jira as an example to show you how to add it to your Jira Dashboard. 

Here are the steps:

1. Head to the Atlassian Marketplace and search for Custom Charts for Jira.
2. Click on ‘try it free’ (or request this app with your admin if you can't do it).
3. Next, go to your Jira account.
4. Click on the three dots on the top right side and scroll down to ‘Create Dashboard’.
5. Fill in the dashboard's specification, from name to description to who will be involved, etc.
6. An empty page with ‘Drag your gadgets here or add a new gadget’ will open.
7. Click on add a new gadget. A pop-up of all the available 'gadgets' or add-ons will appear.
8. Choose ‘Custom Charts for Jira’.

You can get a better understanding of how to use the charts through this video here.

How do you make your reports more accessible?

As great as it is to create and make use of these reports, it would be even better to access them on the go. You never know when the information will be necessary. Maybe you're in the car with your boss, and he's asking about the progress on the latest release. Or perhaps, you're at lunch and the subject of a work delay comes up. Whatever the case may be, you don't want to be stranded without a laptop to be able to access the information. That is why, you will need a way to access it through your phone. This can be done through an app that allows for third party integrations, such as Mobile for Jira.

 Conclusion

Companies are vast with the data that it produces. With a keen eye and the right tools, it can thrive by simply using it right. All it requires are the right reports with the right data, presented in the best way possible. That way, everyone can stay informed of what is going on, the progress, and both visualize patterns as well as learn how to predict future outcomes to create the perfect plans to yield better results.

[Teodora _Old Street Solutions_Tempo_]

Thank you for using Custom Charts for Jira as an example for your Jira Dashboard reporting @Aliaa ElNashar!  

"Using it right" is essential and often neglected by the users. Years ago, I suffered the consequences of lousy reporting and claimed it as dark magic. 

Now, thanks to comprehensive articles like this one, and the simplified app experience made by the Custom Charts team, I have more time to worry about other things :)