How to Set-up Jira for our Organization: Original Setup is not feasible for ongoing quarters.

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

Ok, so here will be our hypothetical setup:

We must track a number of institutions, who provide to us a data-dump as a file.

Once we receive the file, we must massage the data, import to a database, and verify the quality of the data. We must do this every quarter for every institution.

We’d like some advice for setting up an iterative tracking system using jira – which will allow us to do a minimal of setup at the start of each quarter-based rotation. Rob (Lead Application Architect)

So I will add that currently we have the setup in JIRA as such, which we have determined is not feasible in an ongoing quarters. (Based on transitioning to this Quarter, this is the 2nd quarter we have utilized JIRA as our tracking system)

*I had it set up so that the department itself was a project (Data Entry) then each quarter was a version. Ie. Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. ( I had all the issues/tasks(partners) on each version so that I didn't have to keep inputting data)

*Then each version was broken down into components which are the specific categories to our data received i.e. File Uploads, Manual Data, Training, XML uploads etc.

*Each component then had it broken down into to individual tasks (Partners of which there are more than 70) then broken down further into sub tasks (5-7 each) of each step involved in the workflow (which I have yet to customize) that way we can track the progress in each step and the time that is required to do it. (So we can establish ongoing when we have a team in place the expectations that will be required for completion)

The issue were having is we need to be able to keep the data static(permanent) from each quarter. In the current format of using versions my status of the issues changes from quarter to quarter and removes the information from the previous quarter and replaces it with the quarter working in. So if I closed an issue in Fall and then go work on the same issue in the Winter it changes the info from Fall. I need the information in the fall to remain permanent and not be able to be changed. i.e. duration required to complete etc. (So if we need to review the information 4 quarters from now it will still be there and not replaced with other quarters info)

We need a way to organize the information so that it is just a simple matter of switching instead of re-entering each quarter each component/issue/tasks, as for the first time it took myself a week(newbie/self taught while doing it/not a programmer) to input this information, I need to make this maybe a half day to a day transition as that is not an efficient use of time. Currently I am have to reinputting the information each quarter and that is taking up to a week to do. Any suggestions for organizing JIRA ongoing would be greatly appreciated. (Tina Marie: Data Entry Clerk)

Thanks for everyone help.

Tina Marie (Data Entry Clerk) and Rob (Lead Application Architect)

[Natalie Hobson · Accepted solution]

Why wouldn't you just export the issues from a quarter/version into excel, modify to create a CSV, and import into JIRA as new issues? This wouldn't take very long, depending on the fields you would want filled out at the time of creation. I find that CSV imports are incredibly easy and save hours, if not days, of time:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/JIRA/Importing+Data+from+CSV

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

Couldn't get it to work independently on versions it kept changing the previous version as it was doing before, so I imported to a new project and it worked great. Thanks for all your help.. I had to reread your word doc's and read the documentation in JIRA over and over again. But the sense of accomplishment was great.

Thanks for all your help Nat.

[Natalie Hobson]

Awesome, I'm so glad I could help!

I'd like to help you figure out the problem you have in your comment - I'm not sure what you mean, though - could you describe it more? Do you mean to say that it was updating existing issues instead of creating new ones? If so, did you have "Issue Key" as one of your columns? That's what would cause that to happen; you just need to remove it from the spreadsheet before saving and importing. :)

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

Yep I did have the issue key in my spreadsheet I'll recheck tomorrow and see if that solves that problem if so then I'll delete the new project and go back to the existing project that will make my team happy. The whole point of this was to avoid having to create a new project for every campaign.

I'll let you know if that worked.

Tina Marie

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

It still didn't work, still ties into the Archived version even with removing the Issue Key column from the CSV. I'm good to go in the New project so I'll just continue with this track.. Thanks for all your help.. I've learned something I didn't know and don't have to bug our programmers to create a CSV so thanks. Have a good day Nat

Tina Marie

[Natalie Hobson]

That's so strange...if you feel like troubleshooting feel free to send me a sample CSV file, if not it sounds like your process is getting the job done. :)

[Natalie Hobson]

And here's the importing instructions (again, just add h t t p : / /):

host01.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id=g233fd6803c3f0ebd999206073ac9ab7eb7453d276

Just comment if you need anymore help. :)

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

Okay thanks for all your help Nat.. I'll try it tomorrow.

Tina Marie

[Natalie Hobson]

Hmmm, looks like it's not letting me attach a .doc file. I've uploaded it to a free file share service:

*edit - and it won't let me post a link to that either, lol. Not sure how I'm going to get this doc file to you...any ideas?

* edit #2 - goign to see if I can remove the beginning of the url and see if it will let me post that (just add the usual h t t p : / / to the beginning); yay! that did the trick :)

host01.fileconvoy.com/dfl.php?id=g6af591e11c5cf596999205946c0b006a4eab7ba01

[Natalie Hobson]

Hey Tina,

I've attached a doc with the intructions for creating CSV (whether from scratch or via issue results exported to excel); my screenshots are from 5.1 but I think you will still be able to use the instructions for 5.2. I'll do up some documentation on importing CSV into JIRA next, will comment later today with that. :)

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

It depends on how techie it is, if it's not overly involved then I will try my best to do it, if I'm not able to do one of my team should be able to.

Tina Marie

[Natalie Hobson]

Cool - I'm just updating my documentation (and putting it into a word doc; right now it's on our wiki); do you have global admin access and will you be doing the import as well (or just the export/creation of CSV file)?

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

Okay as soon as I have the go ahead instructions would be great, were using version5.2 for JIRA.

[Natalie Hobson]

No problem! Yeah, essentially you would export all issues for a version that you wish to create for a new version, modify the fields (if, and as needed), then import as new issues into the new version; essentially you are "cloning" the issues (but better than cloning!). So just comment if you would like the instructions (oh, and let me know what version of JIRA you are using; my instructions are written for 5.1 so I might need to tweak them depending on what you are using). :)

[Tina Marie Mongrain]

I've forwarded this to my Lead Application and am awaiting a response, it definitely sounds like a solution. If we decide to go through with your suggestion. Definitely some "layman explanations would be greatfully appreciated for myself"

So basically instead of making the issue affect all the versions (or attaching I would create a CSV and import the issues into each version/campaign and they would then be their own seperate entity no longer going to change with each campaign.. So far sounds like the easiest solution.

Thanks Nat.

Tina Marie

[Natalie Hobson]

Oh, and if you like I can provide you with full instructions in laymen's terms (if you find the JIRA documentation too technical); I created some last year to assist my collegues with this process. :)