Which templates for Jira Cloud projects allow multiple boards?

[PeteS]

The new templates available aren't just configured in different ways, but they also seem to block access to certain features. 

One feature my projects really need is the ability to create multiple cross-project boards.

The only templates I have seen which allow this currently are the Kanban and Scrum ones, but these are unhelpfully labelled as a "Software Project" and this descriptor appears in views for users and doesn't seem to be able to be changed. This is a small thing, but it's a turn off for the teams who would use these projects who aren't software teams.

I haven't created a project using every available template as there are now quite a few, and I wondered if anyone knows, or has seen any documentation, which explains in more detail the limitations that have been built into the various templates. The multiple boards per project is the main thing I'm asking about, but a clearer view of the other configs and limitations per template would be useful.

[Walter Buggenhout · Accepted solution]

Hi @PeteS,

Any template for Jira Software, company-managed projects. After setting up a project, you can add additional boards from the Board link at the left side of your screen. The Create Board feature is at the bottom of the list: 

 

Boards and projects are not that tightly coupled as it may seem. When you create a new board from this option, you will see that you have the flexibility to choose what project it should be linked to. You can even use a filter instead of a project as source for your board, so you can manage multiple projects through a single board. A very common scenario in real life.

Hope this helps!

[PeteS]

Thanks for the response, though that doesn't seem to be my experience.

I have just created a project using the "Project Management" template as a test.

It shows in the project list as a company-managed project. 

But in the left-hand sidebar, the link for Board is not a drop-down but just a single link, with no available options to create additional boards.

I am familiar with the drop-down from the screenshot. That's the view I see from a kanban or scrum project. 

It does seem that the templates impose limitations, and I haven't seen any clear documentation for that.

[Walter Buggenhout]

Hi @PeteS,

Project management is not a Software project, but a business project. Boards are a feature of software projects.

Maybe this clarifies my answer a bit more:

 

So you'll need to choose one of these templates if you want your project be the host for the board.

[PeteS]

I see. Thanks. So only the software project templates support multiple boards. The other template types don't. 

[Walter Buggenhout]

Correct. But you can create a board in a software project that shows data from a business project ;-)

[jbedar]

IMO, I shouldn't have to do this or create a software project just to get multiple Kanban boards.  Again, they call their object "projects", but they are not built to manage a 'project'.  I have to strip a sw project of all related sprint, agile, scrum related elements.  In an effort to move to an all Company-managed environment, move those to work management and they effectively lose functionality simply because I cannot adjust the filter to any depth and cannot add additional Kanban boards.  This tool becomes more frustrating by the day, or as my end users say - 'another Jira headache'.