stepped transitions within one staus

[Alan Cross]

We are looking to use Jira for change control and two statuses within the workflow will have to be signed by a number of departments i.e. dept 1 transitions to dept 2 to dept 3 until the last department transitions to the next status. I cannot find any way to do this though I read somewhere that it could be done.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

There's a few ways to do it.  For example:

• Have status like "auth 1 -> auth 2 -> auth 3".
• Add a simple check list field (with multi-check boxes or an add-on for a bit more power)
• Have looped transitions that record authorisations without changing the status until the last one

It depends on what you're trying to track and control, how your users want to work and most importantly, how you want to report

[Alan Cross]

Thanks Nic

I'm a newcomer to Jira administration and have been tasked with creating change control in Jira so excuse the ignorance.

The first option implies a status for each department approval (it has to 12 unfortunately) which would extend the workflow by statusaddding another 22. ? to suggestion 2. The looped transitions sounds the solution I am looking for, but not familiar with looping transitions, does the adding transition option allow this?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, you're right, 12 in a row would be a nightmare!

The looped transitions that set things probably is the most useful in that case.

The basic idea is what you've suggested.  The workflow would contain a step like "needs authorisation".  You then put a transition from "needs authorisation" back to "needs authorisation" on that step.  Another transition goes to "approved" or whatever the next step is

This gives you a minimal recording method, as authorisers all use it and write a "dave did this transition" line to the history.

I tend to automate this a lot more - restricting the transition to specific roles, having a field that the transition appends their name to a "signed off by" list, a condition that stops anyone using "approved" unless the "signed off by" list is complete, and so-on.

There is one other option that might be easier and does not need any sneaky coding or config - create a sub-task for each authorisation you need to gather.  Give that a really simple open/closed workflow, and there's a built-in condition for "do not allow story to progress unless all subtasks are closed".