How would you recommend implementing a customer feature voting system using Atlassian products?

[Sean Richards]

We need to implement the following:

• Ability to submit feature requests
• Ability to vote on existing feature requests

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Why not just use JIRA off-the-shelf?  You can use an issue type of "feature request" and it has a basic voting system built in.

Everything you've got so far can be done without any 3rd party stuff at all.  (Heck, it's how Atlassian themselves handle it).  So maybe if you expanded on the reasons you think you would not want to do it in Jira, we could point you at something to add features.

[Justin Justin]

True Nic - but the reasons are kinda like the rationale of service desk vs just using JIRA like a service desk. Or JIRA alone and using with JIRA Agile. There are many functional UI/UX nuances that justify the ideation use case which are not the same as an über issue tracker (despite being able to configure JIRA, yet with work). Less is more in ideation systems - yet shared DB "record" content makes for one less system. (Hope that makes sense. This is a high level response only.)

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

But the question doesn't say any of that. It has a couple of requirements, and they're met by JIRA already. My question tries to get at why the question is being asked in that way - there's probably more requirements to come, but we don't know that. We're certainly NOT in a position to even begin to suggest solutions - we don't know enough to do it. UserVoice *might* be the right answer. It *might* be unusable for them. We don't know that yet.

[Justin Justin]

On suggesting a solution, I politely disagree. (Yet as you said at end above and also said in my original answer, there are other solutions too). Suggesting solutions is the start of sorting through what they want. It carries the discussion for more requirements to be defined, IF needed. No boxes, just a start, and it might meet or might not. TBD. However, in this case, Sean's original question *exactly* matches the features of the suggested solution. So it is an answer (for the moment, until like you say, know more or they validate if they choose to). Is it the only answer? No. It is *a* answer. Imho, when a starter solution is offered, people get their creative juices to fine tune their needs. As an example, if I tried to define what I needed and wanted for an iPhone (before it existed), I could't, or it definitely would be tons worse (or really, not exist. ;) ) than what the product became and is. Apple defined that for us, thankfully, based on a need discerned by them. Is it the only solution? No, there's Android, etc. In this case, as you suggested, there's JIRA natively configured for their needs, but since they asked the question, maybe that does not. We do not know for sure. I do know from our experience that Sean is not the first customer to ever ask these exact questions almost verbatim. == BTW - These are not my novel philosophies. Steve Blank is the master on this in his PM "bible" of sorts: The Four Steps to the Epiphany (see on Amazon). Excellent book. ... but I digress and beyond the scope of this particular question.

[Justin Justin]

p.s. also I am not sure if we are agreeing to disagree or agreeing to agree since our comments are kinda both and overlapping. I'd rather the latter. Cheers.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

<sigh> You really don't understand it do you? All I'm saying is that trying to sell a specific solution when you have no idea what the actual needs are is the wrong approach. Your own essay here directly supports that - if you have a field in which you don't really know what you want, then saying "my product can do it" is absolutely the wrong thing to say, because you don't know what is required. I just get so tired of the adverts for stuff that could so easily be utterly wrong. Instead of giving the questioner proper useful flexible answers.

[Justin Justin]

<sigh> Nic, why is a solution answer to a question considered a sell? Why is helping a customer connect dots a sell only? A solution is not a wrong answer. People come to this forum for answers. That is the name of the forum. A viable solution is an answer and there are many answers, many correct answers to different questions. In this case, I answered the question exactly to the question. The features requested are 100% match to what he asked. Also, said that there are "other ways to do it" which is properly flexible.

[Justin Justin]

> Your own essay here directly supports that - if you have a field in which you don't really know what you want, then saying "my product can do it" is absolutely the wrong thing to say, because you don't know what is required. I politely disagree. The needs were stated in the question, and the answer 100% matched. No need to look beyond, unless they add more requirements. But for the requirements stated, including his added comments, they 100% align to the needs stated so far.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, let me explain in plain simple English: Your Q&A is: Q: I have Jira, I want to do requirements and voting A: Here's one single product that I am selling Let me put this another way: Q: I want a red car with a radio Bad answer from an Audi salesman: Buy my Audi Good answer from someone who wants the best for the customer: Ok, we can do that, you have loads of makes and models to choose from, most of them have radios and come in red, so lets see what other options you have. I can't read it any other way - there's no exploration, no suggestion that there is an answer in front of the questioner already, and only the vaguest hint that there are other possibilities. You launched straight into it without even pointing out the obvious - that Jira can do it already. It's a sales pitch. An attempt to sell something that *might* be the right answer, but ignoring all the other options which *could* be better.

[Justin Justin]

First, good that we both speak “plain simple English”. I have replied in same language, in kind. To your analogy, if needing a car and radio was the only requirement, I’d be concerned, not asking the customer to buy an Audi. Obvious exploration required there. Regardless, as such an example applies to a forum, you can’t know all the background (and options) on any question in a medium like this. In the case above, the requirements were very specific. And so far there are two answers shared. Forum threads allow for many answers (and opinions) and people can read them. There might be more answers, but imho it is not the responsibility of the people that shared time, efforts, and answers to be inclusive of all other answers/solutions in the world (especially ones that they do not know enough about). One can only offer an answer to what they know works, and the thread is open for more. As for your suggestion about selling, I am reminded of a quote from Mike Cannon Brookes: “We try to espouse the philosophy that everyone the customer touches is a salesperson. At Atlassian, sales — in this case, traditional sales — isn’t anyone’s job. It’s everyone’s job. And that paradoxical arrangement is becoming more common.“ http://goo.gl/Kn09bA Given that external Atlassian experts are technically supporting Atlassian customers, I think this sales statement applies to all who answer questions. Even customers answering questions for other customers. Everyone is helping and by customers being helped, they buy (all solutions, including the platform, not just a solution in an answer). As far as I know, Atlassian Answers is a support forum that people come to for help in connecting dots, gaining knowledge, getting answers, opinions, anecdotes, etc. of how things have or could be done in the worldwide Atlassian industry (a rolling story). There are literally thousands of technology and implementation dots to connect imho. In fact, even our answers are just opinions; maybe right and maybe wrong from another perspective. Or there's another opinion that is equally right (or wrong). Apologies for the length. I felt your comment warranted a thorough and respectful reply.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

So you agree that your answer is a bad one because it is a sales pitch and not actually useful. Glad it has finally got through to you.

[Justin Justin]

Nic, I agree that you do not understand that my answer is a valid one because, among other, valuing customers' time with answers that are possible solutions (even if not the only one) IS useful. At a higher level, this discussion made me think of Ben Crothers' Atlassian blog (http://goo.gl/OA7YNi) from Atlassian Summit 2014, where Atlassian customers shared explicitly about what they value. + What holds people back from collaborating > http://goo.gl/JsghKd + What helps people to collaborate > http://goo.gl/nDEk3B + Customers' ideas about making teams awesome > http://goo.gl/EaIPve Good themes in these. Seems like they would apply to a collaboration forum too. Based on these, it seems "holding back on sharing knowledge" about available solutions is not a favorable approach.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

All your essays say that you should want the best for your customers. I completely agree with that. Which leads me back to the fact that a sales pitch for a potentially awful solution is a bad answer. It's not a case of me not understanding that your answer is "valid". It might be, it might not, you can't know that. You're just not grasping that a sales pitch for a single solution when you do not have enough information to select any single solution is *not the best for the user*. Because it could easily be wrong.

[Justin Justin]

Why is a solution that 100% meets the requirements explicitly stated in the question "a potentially awful solution" in your words? Questions: * Nic, why would you even suggest this? * Have you ever used UserVoice? According to Crunchbase, if true, they have 90,000 orgs that use UserVoice. http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/uservoice Are 90,000 of their customers also wrong? * Have you ever used UserVoice Feedback and Helpdesk for JIRA integration by AppFusions? I checked AppFusions' CRM and it seems there is no Adaptavist evaluations for this product, so I presume no, you have not. Therefore, from all you have shared, you are purporting that a suggested solution that 100% meets the requirements that the customer requested is a "potentially awful solution", yet you have never used it. Wow. Interesting consultative conclusions. If by rare chance you have used it somehow and do have feedback, how come this feedback has never been sent to AppFusions by you or your org? WRT "What is best for the user" .. this is not *my* decision. There are many ways to do things. Customers learn, evaluate, try different things and make their choices. They buy (if they want). They are not sold to, especially in the Atlassian industry where they can evaluate for 30-90 days to make sure that what they choose to buy, if they choose to buy, is right. That is *their choice* .. and that is what is "what is best for the customer". Not what I or you say.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Please re-read what I have said. Whether I've used the software or Appfusions stuff or not is irrelevant. You do not have enough information to suggest a solution. So an answer that tries to sell one solution is a bad answer. Because at this point you do not have enough information. I can't see anything in what you've said that changes that fact.

[Justin Justin]

Whether you have used our SW is absolutely relevant when you are openly bashing it as "a potentially awful solution" based on zero first-hand experience. (In fact, if you did, you'd know that suggesting the solution was a match to the requirements.) How can you possibly suggest that is irrelevant? In all due respect, this discussion is circular and is not productive anymore. In fact, it's very odd. There are many perspectives in the world, Nic. Not just yours.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Please re-read what I have said, and stop blustering. Whether I have used it or not is irrelevant. I'm not bashing the software at all. Note the use of the word "potentially", that is critical. For the umpteenth time, you DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION to begin to select a solution. So all solutions are potentially awful. Trying to sell any one of the possible solutions at this point is the wrong thing to do.

[Justin Justin]

Nic, thank you, I do know how to read. Thanks for the reminder. There is no blustering here at all. You are simply a bully on your point and your point only. Is this forum the NicBroughAnswers.atlassian.com or Answers.atlassian.com ? I didn't "select" a solution. I didn't sell one. I suggested one, and offered that there is more. There is nothing wrong with that, imho. You are welcome to your own opinion too. Was / is it the end of the story? Who knows. Perhaps not. All suggested solutions are not awful if they take someone one more step further in their exploration to what they need. Speaking of selling, for some very odd and strange reason, you are relentlessly "selling" *your point* that a non-answer is better than an-answer. Please stop this thread; it is absurd at this stage. Please stop.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It just seems like you have not bothered to read what I've said. I apologise if you have, but you just keep trying to justify a sales pitch as an answer when it's not a good one, and my whole point is that. You've made no argument that counters that. I'm more than happy to stop. My point is clear, and you are the only one continuing to deny what I've said.

[Justin Justin]

Why would I not read what you have said? That would be highly disrespectful to comment to someone when you have not read what they said. I disagree that a link to a solution that may solve the problem that a question asked, specifically, is categorically "a sales pitch". If that is true, EVERY link reference on this forum is a "pitch" of some sort, per your definition. So yes, I disagree with you. Yet, I have acknowledged that you have your different opinion. So be it.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It just seems like you simply don't grasp that a sales pitch is not the right answer. I can't put it any more plainly. Virtually none of the answers in this forum are sales pitches - they offer alternatives, they ask the questioner to think through what they're doing, and most importantly, do not offer limited selections of solutions until there is enough information to make such a selection. They try to get to the right solution for the user, not just try to sell them one answer that might be wrong (I emphasise the *might* again here, as it's one part of my answers you clearly were not understanding).

[Justin Justin]

Because a link is not a sales pitch. This is a sales pitch: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/11-year-detroit-girls-perfect-sales-pitch-blow/story?id=27445846

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It most certainly is a sales pitch. You're trying to sell a product or service. In itself, that would really not be a problem, if it were an appropriate option. You can not know that it is appropriate.

[David Simpson • AppFusions • v3]

The question *and* the follow up comment appear to be *more* of a good fit with the JIRA + UserVoice integration rather than a pure vanilla JIRA, so that _is_ a reasonable answer. Period. I'm sure given the options, @Sean Richards will make his own mind up.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'd hope Sean can ignore this discussion too. I'd like him to expand on the requirements so that he can get an improved answer that can fit his needs. But until we have more requirements, the answer remains a bad one. Period.

[David Simpson • AppFusions • v3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oShTJ90fC34

[MattS]

From the original question, JIRA sounds like a fit to me. More details needed to say anything useful further. 

[Justin Justin]

Matt, the requirements in the original question comment, by the questioner (Sean), says this: > Also, ideally these requests could be "linked" to a JIRA ticket (so not an actual ticket themselves). Aside from being able to do voting in JIRA, how can the answer be JIRA when the question explicitly says "link to JIRA" and *not* the <JIRA> ticket themselves?

[Justin Justin]

Matt, Via notifications, I noticed that you "accepted" (Green Check) the above answer (by Nic), but shouldn't the the questioner himself "accept" the correct answer for his question, not you? Why would you be the one that accepts an answer on behalf of a questioner, especially when you say in your own answer that more details are needed? Do you think this might be overstepping your moderation authority?

[MattS]

The original question assumed that this would be done outside JIRA, but both Nic and I thought that JIRA could be used for all that was asked. Nic objected to what he saw as you pushing a product without knowing what the real requirements were. You're probably right, I should be more careful about marking answers as correct just because I agree with one answer. I'll unaccept and let the OP decide.

[Justin Justin]

Sean, You have basically described the feature set of this JIRA integration with UserVoice.  https://www.appfusions.com/display/UVC2JRA/Home

There are other ways to do this perhaps, so look around. 

[Bharath Venkatesh]

Hi Everyone,

All the requested features are supported by Go2Group's UserVoice Plugin for JIRA. Get started with the latest version. 

[omarr]

yas

[Sean Richards]

Also, ideally these requests could be "linked" to a JIRA ticket (so not an actual ticket themselves). Customers could then comment on the idea, not the ticket. Features could then display issue related data such as completed release, planned release, planned/delivered, etc.