Creating a parent issue type but not just for epics ...

[Heike Ellwood]

Hi - 

My team uses an issue type called 'Requirement' which leads to different types of work: epics, stories, defects etc. So basically, there is not always an epic between Requirement and Story.

Ideally I would like to configure a custom field in each of the downstream issue types (epic, story, task ...) that works like a parent field for requirement.

So basically, a parent field that has a Requirement dropdown in epics, but the same field in stories and tasks. 

Is there a way to either configure this or write a JQL query as a basis for a customized dropdown field? 

PS. I would like to avoid using links as there are a lot of links to choose from ... 

Thanks!

[John Funk]

Hi Heike - Welcome to the Atlassian Community!

Why are you doing a Requirement issue type at the top level and not just linking the issue to the appropriate level of issue? Then you can avoid having to have something in the middle. 

[Heike Ellwood]

Hi John - sorry, I don't understand the question. There is a need to track requirements as stand-alone entities with a workflow, Requirements lead to work (epics/stories etc.). That's why I thought a hierarchy might work best. If we start linking issues, they currently have 100 different types of link available - how would you then report on what work goes with what requirement?

[Heike Ellwood]

Sorry ... thank you for replying BTW! :-)

[John Funk]

Why in the world would you have 100 different types of links??? Create an issue type called Requirement if you want. Then create an issue with that issue type. Then create your Epic or your Story and link it to the Requirement - using Relates to or something like that. You don't need to be that description with the links. You know its a requirement because it uses a Requirements issue type. 

[Heike Ellwood]

Preaching to the converted! The links - I'm sadly not the Jira Admin, otherwise there'd be 3! :-D

OK, so let's say we link to a requirement - how do we then report on what requirement took how much work (in JQL)? With a hierarchy that would be easier ... like an epic with stories. Maybe there is a nifty JQL way of making this possible? One that would work even if different types of link are accidentally used? 

Likewise dashboards or advanced roadmaps - easier to navigate with a hierarchy ... 

[John Funk]

Glad you are converted!  :-)

So what is your requirement for "how much work it took"? What is it that you are measuring/want to see?

And yes, because they are linked then you can roll up stuff just like you do with a parent. 

[Heike Ellwood]

Thank you for your responses!

• I want to measure the story points per requirement (all the issues in a requirement) in quarterly/annual reports - to be able to say which ones were more complex than others
• I want to be able to show (on a dashboard maybe) all issues related to a requirement and their respective status

If all that can be done using JQL that would be amazing ... 

[Trudy Claspill]

If you are using issue linking to connect a Story to a Requirement you can get a list of the issues linked to individual Requirement issues using the linkedIssues() JQL function:

https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/jql-functions/#linkedIssues--

This will enable you to return the issues linked to one specific Requirement at a time, as you have to provide the Requirement's issue key to the function.

JQL searches by themselves do not provide any "roll-up" functionality.

You could use Automation Rules to find all the issues linked to a Requirement, total up the story points in those issues, and then record that information in a custom field in the Requirement. You could then include that custom field in reports about the Requirements. Do you have any familiarity with Automation Rules?

https://support.atlassian.com/cloud-automation/docs/jira-cloud-automation/

More sophisticated JQL searches can be created with third party apps, as well as third party apps being able to provided Calculated Fields and Sum Up fields and other neat functionality extensions, if you are willing to consider third party apps.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Heike Ellwood 

Welcome to the Atlassian community.

While it is possible, with third party apps, to create an Issue Picker field that you could configure to show a list of issues based on a filter, Jira would not treat that information the same way it does the built in Parent field.

Jira Cloud does not provide an Issue Picker custom field type natively, so adding such a field would require a third party app. Here is a search from the Atlassian Marketplace that will help you get started finding such apps.

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/search?hosting=cloud&product=jira&query=issue%20picker%20field

[Heike Ellwood]

Thank you @Trudy I'll look it up!