Blocked status with resolution (blocked reason)

[adirc]

Many times during the sprint developers need to put a story on "Blocked" status because the task is missing information, wait for customer decision, etc...

Or even a QA member of the team is waiting for a specific user / role to be created and the task is "blocked" 

In this case i wanted to let the users transition to "Blocked" status but to but pick a reason from a list and that it will behave exactly as the "Resolution" field when the user transit the story to Done status 

Does anyone face the same need and maybe have a solution for us? 

Thank you very much

[Craig Cockburn]

I've been using Jira since 2009 and I have never encountered a good reason for a blocked status. Mostly it arises because people configuring jira don't know how to implement a blocked state in jira.

The organisations that do go down the blocked state route against my advice typically have years of pain trying to undo the damage.

Just saying. 12 years of this.

You don't need a blocked state.

[Jenny Baker]

Can you elaborate or point to another article or page?

I’m heading in this direction; however,  this is because we have thousands of tasks and tests.  By having my Leads check these blocked items regularly they can give additional guidance or information that helpers folks understand how to move forward. People often think they are blocked and are not.

thanks!

[Mike Carryer]

Hi Craig,

I really like your approach about not having a block status. However do you have a way of managing grouping blocked issues by a category or common reason code etc. I would like to be able to mark issues as blocked, or impeded and would very much like to know how you do this without using a status. I would also like to see quickly at a report or dashboard level how many items are blocked for similar reasons. (i.e. we have one issue that blocks 10 user stories and another issue that blocks 3 issues. I can see this by opening each of my blocking issues, but I would like to see this at a report level.

[sgover]

@Craig Cockburn What's the alternative guidance you give when someone asks for a blocked status? 

[Jack Brickey]

To achieve the goal of requiring the blocked reason code here is what you need to do. Assumes you are NOT on NG project.

1. create a custom field for blocked reason code. Ideally this is a definitive list in which case you would use a select list (likely single select but maybe multi-select). If it isn't a definitive list then you are looking at a text field.
2. create a screen that exposes this new field during a transition to Blocked
3. edit the workflow and add the screen to the transition. also add a validator for field require for the reason code. publish WF
4. assume you will create a column for Blocked on the scrum board and map Blocked to it. Note if you don't have the Blocked status at all then you need to add the status obviously.

[adirc]

OK , thank you

I already done all this 4 points but i still have some issues 

1. In order to see the reason field i added it also to the Story screen 

2. I needed to set this "reason" field required in the new screen in order to make sure users set a value 

3. It means that in the story screen this field appear all the time and it's required 

Thanks

[Jack Brickey]

i don't know what the Story screen is. i don't understand why you would want the blocked reason for anything other than transitioning to Blocked. I'm unsure if you still are having issues after the feed back from myself and Charlie.

[adirc]

The reason is to know and even to be able to filter for all the tasks that needs more information for example and without showing it in the main issue screen (the view screen of the issue itself) how would the other users know what is the reason the "blocked" issue

[Jack Brickey]

I see. sure you can and should certainly expose the field on the View issue screen. My solution proposal is stating that you only need this field to be filled in by the user during the transition to Blocked so you need a specific screen attached to the transition to make that happen.

[Michael Spoonauer]

Does this mean that you create a transition back from Blocked to every other possible status in which you could have been blocked?

[Charlie Misonne]

You could simply create a custom field of type select list and add the blocked reasons you need as possible choices of the select list.

Add this field to the transition screen to the Blocked status and make sure to clear the field value when going grom Block to another status using a post function.

[adirc]

OK , thank you

I already done that but

1. In order to see the reason field i added it also to the Story screen 

2. I needed to set this "reason" field required in the new screen in order to make sure users set a value 

3. It means that in the story screen this field appear all the time and it's required 

Thanks