What Is Jira?

Originally designed as a bug and issue tracker, Jira has evolved to become capable of managing project requirements, test cases, and more while also functioning as a fully contained sprint tracker for agile development. Jira comes in three packages; Jira Core for basic project management, Jira Software for Agile functionality, and Jira Service Desk for IT ticket logging.

What is Jira used for?

• Jira is a project management platform with additional packages available for managing agile sprints and IT ticket logging.

At its inception, Jira was intended to simply track bugs and issues that would arise in the project development lifecycle. Eventually, it expanded its capabilities as more users discovered the power that the platform could offer. Today, Jira is one of the most widely used project and sprint management softwares in existence.

Jira has also become widely used for Kanban, a method of workflow management that helps prioritize task visibility to maximize efficiency and facilitate continuous improvement. The software includes tools like project roadmaps, time tracking, application security, offers a mobile application, and integrates with several applications for seamless project management.

What is Jira used for in Agile?

• In Agile, Jira is one of the most widely-used platforms for tracking the progress of each sprint as well as the overall development of Agile iterations.

Several tools are available within Jira regardless of the framework being worked with — including scrum, Kanban, mixed methodologies and agile-at-scale — allowing the creation of agile boards, backlogs, roadmaps and reports. Additionally, several integrations are available for planning, tracking and managing Agile software development projects from within a single tool.

Version management, backlog grooming, story point management and additional sprint planning tools incorporate a streamlined scrum template to keep teams organized. Additionally, several visualization tools are available for creating scrum reports, including burndown charts, sprint reports, velocity charts, cumulative flow diagrams, release burndowns, control charts and epic burndowns.

Is Jira hard to learn?

Jira offers simple to read and easy to utilize frameworks for project management, allowing users of multiple levels to engage with the tool.

Jira features easy-to-use tools and straightforward visualizations that make tracking the progress of a project simple while allowing inexperienced Jira users to become more comfortable. Drag-and-drop workflows also allow easy editing and facilitate quick bug tracking. Additionally, Jira enables projects to be broken down into smaller sprints to keep projects organized while several teams simultaneously manage different components. If you’re looking to give your Jira capabilities a boost, expert-led Udemy courses and Udacity certifications provide top-tier Jira training for professionals of all levels — from beginners to experts staying up-to-date.