November AMA: Ask Me Anything About Jira Plans

[#1]

Hey there, Startups Community! 🦄

This November, we're putting the spotlight on Jira Plans — a game-changer for startups looking to keep project management lean while complexity increases.

If you’ve ever joined me in office hours, then you know that I. LOVE. (Jira) PLANS. So, truly, ask me anything about them. 💬

How to participate:

• When: Throughout November 📅
• What: Ask any questions related to Jira Plans — no question is too big or small! 🕵️
• Where: Right here in the comments section of this post 👇

Note: Startups office hours will still be offered during the holiday season, just not as often. If you can’t make one of the offered times, you can always ask us questions in the Startups community group.

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Peggy’s Picks 🎁

To get you started, here are some of my top picks focused on Jira Plans:

• Jira Plans: What You Need to Know – Dig into this guide (written by yours truly! 💁🏼‍♀️) to understand the ins and outs of Jira Plans. 📘
• Here’s a more comprehensive, “official” guide about Jira Plans if you want to dive deeper. 🤿
• Already like Jira Plans and want more for your startup? Read more about the Program Board and how it can help you visualize and manage your startup's work across multiple projects. 👯

Already using Jira Plans? We'd love to hear your stories! Share how it's working for you and inspire fellow startups in the community. 🌟

Now... ask away! 👀

[John Funk]

Thanks, @Peggy Graham  for taking the questions!!

I would love to be able to identify the default Issue Link Type used by Plans. Right now, if there are multiple Link Types, the system uses the first one alphabetically. Are there any plans to change that? 

Also, when I am in the Timeline view of the plan, I can't even choose which Link Type to use, it just always uses the default. Any plans to change that? 

[Peggy Graham]

Hi @John Funk

Did you mean link types with regard to dependencies?

For dependencies, Plans uses the Blocks/Is Blocked By link type out of the box, but, you can add other link types as well to show as dependencies.  Plans treats all the types the same though, it doesn't consider any of them default, though you'd sort of expect the Blocks to be default, at least, I did initially...

That came from here: What are dependencies in your plan? 

Where it says: "they’re all treated as through they’re of the Blocks type"

I've seen circular dependencies and some other wild stuff on some plans when there are a LOT of dependencies and and a lot of issue link types associated...

Did that help, or am I missing something?

--Peggy

[John Funk]

Sorry, @Peggy Graham , yes in regards to dependencies

[John Funk]

So let's say I have 3 link types - low impact dependency, medium impact dependency, high impact dependency.  And I have removed the Blocks issue type from the Plans list of issue link types. 

Which will be the default? 

I can tell you the answer is high impact dependency because it comes alphabetically first. But I don't want it to default to high impact dependency, I want it to default to low impact dependency. How can I do that?

[Peggy Graham]

I tested this out, and if I have multiple link types associated with Plans for dependencies - Jira DID associate the stories to the first link type, alphabetically, when creating dependencies on the Plan. 

I then edited the link types (Settings -> Issues -> Issue Linking) and you can add numbers to them to. change the order, so in my example, I changed this:

Deployments
Problem/Incident
Relates to

to this:

3 - Deployments
2 - Problem/Incident
1 - Relates to

And, now, when I create a dependency, it is created using 1 - Relates to instead of Deployments.

It's a workaround for not being able to designate an actual default, but it accomplished what I think you're looking for?

[Peggy Graham]

@John Funk - apologies, just realized that I forgot to tag you on above...