# How Do You Digitize Processes with Jira (Cloud)?

> A hands-on guide to digitizing processes with Jira Cloud: automation rules, workflows, templates, integrations, and dashboards.

Source: https://www.xalt.de/en/blog/how-to-digitize-processes-with-jira-cloud/

TEAM XALT Atlassian Platinum Partner · 30 September 2024 · 12 min

The same routine tasks in Jira day after day. Creating tickets, updating statuses, generating reports. It feels like a hamster wheel you cannot escape. Every click, every entry robs you of valuable time – time you could use for more important tasks. Digital processes are the solution for many manual tasks in Jira. But how do you digitise processes with Jira (Cloud)? Find out here!

## The hidden costs of manual processes

- **Wasted time**: Hours disappear into repetitive activities. Imagine spending two hours a day on manual updates. That is 10 hours a week, 40 hours a month – an entire working week lost to creative and strategic tasks.
- **Error-proneness**: Where humans work, errors happen. A wrongly set due date, a forgotten assignment, or an overlooked update can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and frustration within the team.
- **Frustration**: Monotonous tasks lower morale. Your team was hired to develop creative solutions and solve problems, not to fill out endless forms. The constant repetition of the same tasks can lead to demotivation and declining productivity.
- **Inefficiency**: Resources are not used optimally. While you and your team are occupied with administrative tasks, important strategic initiatives are left behind.

### When manual processes take over

Imagine what your daily work looks like if you change nothing. The piles of tickets grow, important updates get buried, and your team loses track. Projects are delayed, deadlines are missed, and quality suffers.

### The domino effect of inefficiency

1. **Declining productivity**: Your team spends more time on administration than on value-adding activities. Instead of developing new features or solving customer problems, they struggle through a jungle of tickets and status updates.
2. **Customer dissatisfaction**: Delays and errors lead to disappointed customers. When projects are delayed or important updates are overlooked, your customers feel it too. Their patience is tested, and in the worst case, they switch to the competition.
3. **Competitive disadvantage**: While you are bogged down by routine tasks, your competitors are innovating. They use modern tools and processes to work faster and more efficiently, while you are still busy keeping track of everything.
4. **Risk of burnout**: Constant time pressure and monotony put strain on your team. The combination of overtime to meet deadlines and frustration over repetitive tasks can lead to exhaustion and increased turnover.

Imagine a typical workday: You arrive at the office, open Jira, and see a flood of notifications. 20 new tickets have been created, 15 are waiting for updates, and the project manager is asking for a detailed progress report. You know you will spend half the day dealing with these administrative tasks before you even get to your actual work. And tomorrow? The same thing all over again.

**The good news? There is a way out.**

![The Jira automation templates page: tiles with rules such as "When an issue is transitioned → then automatically assign", plus an AI input field](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/b86767997ef22ff1d8cec3937a28f9b43d59a5ee-1707x933.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)

Jira Cloud: Templates zur Digitalisierung von Prozessen mit Jira.

## The solution: Jira Cloud for process digitalisation

Jira Cloud offers powerful tools for optimising and digitising workflows. In this guide, you will learn how to digitise processes with Jira and how to use the platform step by step to make your workflows more efficient.

### 1. Inventory and analysis

Before you get started, get an overview:

- **Identify recurring tasks**: Conduct an audit of your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. Which activities do you constantly repeat? Examples could include: creating standard tickets, assigning tasks based on specific criteria, generating status reports, or creating new projects or users with permission rights.
- **Analyse the time spent on manual processes**: Use time-tracking tools or keep a detailed log for a week. How much time do you actually spend on manual updates in Jira? You will be surprised how quickly the minutes add up to hours.
- **Prioritise tasks by automation potential**: Not everything needs or should be automated. Evaluate each task based on two criteria: frequency and complexity. Frequent, simple tasks are ideal candidates for the first wave of automation.

**Tip**: Use Jira's time-tracking feature to get accurate data. Enable it for a week in your projects and analyse where the most time is being lost.

### 2. Setting up automation rules

Jira's "Automation for Jira" is your magic wand for efficient processes. This powerful feature allows you to automate complex workflows without writing a single line of code.

**Here's how:**

1. Navigate to "Project settings" \> "Automation"
2. Click on "Create rule"
3. Choose a trigger, e.g. "Ticket created"
4. Define conditions and actions

**Example - Digital process with Jira**: Automatic assignment of tickets based on priority and area of expertise

![Wie digitalisiert man Prozesse mit Jira (Cloud)? - XALT](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/4f1ecabcafad2c0286afcc6591700055437f3bea-887x552.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)

Digitaler Prozess in Jira zur automatischen Zuweisung von Tickets

This rule ensures that high-priority backend tickets receive the right attention immediately, without you having to intervene manually.

Other useful automations:

- Automatic status changes based on activities (e.g. setting a ticket to "In Progress" when someone is working on it)
- Reminders for overdue tickets
- Automatic creation of subtasks for specific ticket types

### 3. Optimise workflows

Tailored workflows significantly increase efficiency. A well-thought-out workflow reflects your actual work processes and eliminates unnecessary steps.

#### Steps for workflow optimisation:

1. **Analyse your current workflow**: Document your existing process. Where are there delays or ambiguities?
2. **Identify bottlenecks and redundant steps**: Are there statuses where tickets linger for a long time? Or transitions that are rarely used?
3. **Design an optimised workflow**: Simplify where possible. Add automations to speed up transitions.
4. **Implement the new workflow in Jira**: Use Jira's visual workflow editor to implement your optimised process.

**Example of an optimised development workflow:**

```
Offen -> In Bearbeitung -> Code Review -> QA Testing -> Bereit für Release -> Erledigt
```

With automations:

- The ticket automatically moves to "In Progress" when a developer creates a branch
- When a pull request is created, the ticket moves to "Code Review"
- After a successful build and tests, it automatically moves to "QA Testing"

**Best Practice**: Keep workflows lean. Less is often more! Too many statuses lead to confusion and slow down the process.

### 4. Use templates and forms

Standardisation saves time and reduces errors. With well-thought-out templates, you ensure that all important information is captured from the start.

#### How to use templates effectively:

1. **Create templates for common ticket types**: Develop templates for bugs, feature requests, support queries, etc. Each template should include all necessary fields and a clear structure.
2. **Define standard fields and descriptions**: Use Jira's custom fields to capture important information in a structured way. For a bug report, these could be: reproduction steps, expected vs. actual behaviour, environment.
3. **Train your team on using templates**: Make sure everyone knows how and when to use which template.

**Example template for a bug report:**

```
Titel: [Kurze, prägnante Beschreibung des Problems]

Beschreibung:
1. Schritte zur Reproduktion:
   a.
   b.
   c.

2. Erwartetes Verhalten:

3. Tatsächliches Verhalten:

4. Umgebung:
   - Browser/App-Version:
   - Betriebssystem:
   - Weitere relevante Details:

5. Screenshots/Videos:
   [Füge hier relevante visuelle Belege ein]

6. Zusätzliche Informationen:
   [Alles, was sonst noch hilfreich sein könnte]
```

**Practical tip**: Create a "template directory" as a Jira page for easy access. Here you can list and explain all available templates and when to use them.

### 5. Integrations and add-ons

Extend Jira's functionality through targeted integrations. The right connections can harmonise your entire tool landscape and break down data silos.

#### Recommended integrations:

- **Slack**: For seamless communication

  - Automatic notifications for important ticket updates
    - Ability to create or comment on Jira tickets directly from Slack
    - Example workflow: A critical bug is reported -\> A Jira ticket is created -\> Automatic notification in the #critical-issues Slack channel
- **Confluence**: For documentation and knowledge management

  - Link Jira tickets directly to relevant Confluence pages
    - Automatic creation of project documentation based on Jira data
    - Example: A new feature ticket automatically creates a Confluence page for the technical specification
- **GitLab/GitHub**: For optimised developer management

  - Automatic linking of commits and pull requests to Jira tickets
    - Status updates in Jira based on Git activities
    - Example: A push to the "feature/new-login" branch automatically updates the status of the associated Jira ticket to "In Development"

**Add-on tip**: "ScriptRunner" enables in-depth customisations and automations. With this powerful tool, you can:

- Create complex, custom automations
- Generate reports and dashboards with advanced data manipulation
- Create custom REST endpoints for integrations with other systems

**Example script using ScriptRunner (Groovy):**

```
import com.atlassian.jira.component.ComponentAccessor

def issueManager = ComponentAccessor.getIssueManager()
def customFieldManager = ComponentAccessor.getCustomFieldManager()

def targetProjectKey = "PROJ"
def targetIssueType = "Bug"
def daysSinceCreation = 7

def jqlSearch = jqlSearchHelper.searchJql("""
    project = ${targetProjectKey} AND
    issuetype = ${targetIssueType} AND
    created < -${daysSinceCreation}d AND
    status != Closed
""")

jqlSearch.issues.each { issue ->
    def comment = commentManager.create(issue, "automaticUser",
        "Dieses Ticket ist seit über einer Woche offen. Bitte überprüfen und aktualisieren.", false)
}
```

This script identifies open bugs that are older than one week and automatically adds a comment to remind the team to review them.

### 6. Automate dashboards and reports

Data-driven decision-making is facilitated by automated reporting. Well-designed dashboards provide you and your team with a quick overview of project status and help identify issues early on.

#### How to set up effective dashboards:

1. **Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)**: Consider which metrics are most important for your project. Examples could include:

  - Ticket cycle time (from creation to completion)
    - Number of open vs. closed tickets per week
    - Distribution of tickets by priority or type
    - Burndown chart for sprints or releases
2. **Create gadgets for each KPI**: Jira offers a wide range of gadgets that you can use for your dashboards:

  - "Created vs. Resolved Issues" for an overview of workload
    - "Two-Dimensional Filter Results" for a detailed breakdown of tickets
    - "Sprint Health" for Scrum teams
    - Custom gadgets using JQL for specific requirements
3. **Arrange gadgets in a clear dashboard**:

  - Place the most important information in the top left
    - Group related gadgets
    - Use colours and icons for quick visual scanning
4. **Plan automatic report delivery**:

  - Set up automatic email notifications for key dashboards
    - Configure stakeholders to receive automatically generated reports weekly or monthly

**Example dashboard for a development team:**

```
+------------------------+------------------------+
|  Sprint Burndown       |  Offene Tickets nach   |
|                        |  Priorität             |
+------------------------+------------------------+
|  Kürzlich abge-        |  Durchschnittliche     |
|  schlossene Tickets    |  Bearbeitungszeit      |
+------------------------+------------------------+
|  Upcoming Deadlines    |  Team Workload         |
|                        |                        |
+------------------------+------------------------+
```

**Visualisation tip**: Use different chart types for clear data presentation. Bar charts are well suited for comparisons, line charts for trends over time, and pie charts for distributions.

### 7. Continuous improvement

Digitalisation is an ongoing process. Stay on top of it! Technology is constantly evolving, and your team's requirements may change as well.

#### Steps for continuous optimisation:

1. **Collect feedback from the team regularly**:

  - Conduct monthly or quarterly retrospectives, specifically on the topic of Jira usage
    - Create a dedicated Jira board for improvement suggestions, where team members can submit ideas
    - Example questions for feedback:

      - Which manual tasks still take up too much time?
          - Which automations have proven to be particularly useful?
          - Are there any workflows or fields that are unclear or redundant?
2. **Analyse usage data and efficiency metrics**:

  - Use Jira's built-in analytics tools to measure usage and efficiency
    - Pay attention to trends such as:

      - Average ticket processing time
          - Frequency of status changes
          - Usage of custom fields and automations
3. **Experiment with new automations**:

  - Look out for recurring patterns in ticket handling
    - Test new automation rules in a sandbox project before deploying them in the production system
    - Example of advanced process digitalisation with Jira Cloud:

![A rule chain in Jira, five cards top to bottom: When issue transitioned to Done, Description contains, Then create a new, Link issue, Assign](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/c475o02b/production/14281f81632b835e4f7ec39da399af8b9bc8b0a5-982x604.png?w=1504&q=75&fit=max&auto=format)

Beispiel Digitaler Prozess mit Jira Cloud: Kundenproblem erstellt Ticket in Entwicklung

1. **Continuously train your team in Jira best practices**:

  - Organise regular training sessions on new features or optimisations
    - Create an internal knowledge base with tips, tricks, and best practices
    - Encourage Jira champions within the team who can help others with questions

**Tip**: Set up a Jira board specifically for improvement suggestions. This could look like:

```
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|     Vorschläge    |   In Diskussion   |    In Umsetzung   |    Umgesetzt      |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| - Neue Auto-      | - Dashboard für   | - Integration     | - Automatische    |
|   matisierung     |   Teamauslastung  |   mit Slack       |   Priorisierung   |
|   für Bugs        |                   |                   |   von Tickets     |
| - Custom Field    |                   |                   |                   |
|   für Kunden-     |                   |                   |                   |
|   zufriedenheit   |                   |                   |                   |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
```

## Digitise your processes – Automate your tasks

Free your team from time-consuming routine tasks, boost your teams' productivity and minimise errors caused by repetitive tasks. Focus on the tasks that truly add value for you and your business.

[**Digitise your processes with Jira now**](https://www.xalt.de/en/blog/digitizing-automating-sales-process-with-jira/)

## Conclusion: How to digitise your processes with Jira

Digitising your processes with Jira Cloud is not a one-off project, but a journey. With every automated workflow and every optimised process, you reclaim valuable time. Time you can invest in innovation, customer satisfaction and team development.

Imagine what your working day could look like in six months:

- You arrive at the office in the morning and open your Jira dashboard. At a glance, you can see the status of all key projects.
- New tickets have been automatically categorised, prioritised and assigned to the right teams overnight.
- Your team works efficiently, as clear workflows and automations take over many administrative tasks.
- Stakeholders receive automatically generated reports, without you having to spend time manually collating data.
- You have more time for strategic tasks, innovations and direct collaboration with your team.

Every small step towards digitisation is a leap forward for your business. The investment in optimising your Jira processes pays off multiple times over – through increased productivity, higher employee satisfaction and better project outcomes.

## Further resources:

- [Official Jira documentation](https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftwarecloud/jira-software-cloud-documentation-764477791.html): Here you will find detailed guides on all Jira features.
- [Atlassian Community for peer support](https://community.atlassian.com/): Exchange ideas with other Jira users and find solutions to specific challenges.
- [Jira Automation Cookbook](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/guides/expand-jira/automation): A collection of useful automation recipes for various scenarios.
- [Atlassian University](https://university.atlassian.com/): Official courses and certifications for Jira and other Atlassian products.

Start your digitalisation journey with Jira Cloud now and transform your work processes for a more efficient, productive future!

## Ready to digitize your processes with Jira?

We help you set up automations, workflows, and dashboards in Jira Cloud that truly fit your team.

[Talk to us](https://www.xalt.de/en/contact/)

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