Developed by Atlassian, JIRA is a software that has gained popularity for its use in issue tracking, bug tracking, and project management. The name is derived from ‘Gojira’, the Japanese version of ‘Godzilla’. Jira is commonly preferred by developers for its ease of use and handling features in project management. At the same time, some teams that can’t afford it or find it expensive, look for Agile tools like JIRA. It means that this software set the standards in the industry.
Due to its ability to make work processes more effective and simpler, JIRA is a highly sought-after tool for most software developers. The fact that it is integrated with many other tools that increase its functionality and agility, makes it a must-have for all developers.
With so many options to choose from, sometimes picking the add-ons that are suited to your needs can be a difficult task. It all comes down to what you need and which features can do the job for you. Without further ado, here is the list of the best Jira add-ons for project management in 2023.
Structure
The Structure is one of the most sought-after JIRA plugins due to its ability to create a hierarchy of all issues. This helps in highlighting every detail to make sure that users are aware of the progress at all levels.
Structure plugin works best for portfolio and project management. Due to its adaptability, it can be used by teams of all sizes. Furthermore, it allows the user complete freedom of creation and works with multiple methodologies including Agile and traditional Waterfall project management.
Automation
As more and more tasks are added to a project, its scope also increases. This results in the increase of time-consuming activities by Jira admin to assign priorities, create issues, and incorporating comments. Automation takes all the extra work off the hands of the admin through rule-based actions. Some examples of how this powerful plugin can save time are through:
i). Sending SMS/email/Slack notifications for issues
ii). Auto-closing parent tasks on completion of sub-tasks
iii). Adding sub-tasks after issue creation
iv). Reopening issues automatically in response to comments by customers.
XRAY
XRAY is useful for providing automated and manual quality assurance tests. It is especially useful in project management as it helps in tracking and testing executions, reporting all test results through the CI tool, and managing and treating all tests as Jira issues. In addition to that, it executes and compares various tests under different environments and determines the status of tests concerning their versions, test plans, and environments. It is multi-functional and can help in singling out oft-repeating conditions, organizing tests according to the right test sets, and writing cucumber scenarios.
BigPicture
One of the best and most popular Jira plugins is BigPicture because of its visualization ability. Following the same concept used in Gantt charts, BigPicture helps in putting all details clearly before you. It is very robust and a useful tool to have when handling multiple projects.
In addition to all the features of the Gantt chart, BigPicture comes equipped with three additional modules that make it more attractive. These are:
i) The resources functionality helps in clarifying which task is being done and when it will be completed.
ii) The risk matrix helps in finding out potential risks.
iii) The roadmap module lays out the path to follow and what activities to perform.
ScriptRunner
If you are looking for more advanced complexity, then ScriptRunner is the plugin you need. Although it comes with some extra complexity, you can make use of the default Jira workflows provided by ScriptRunner and customize them according to your needs.
ScriptRunner also comes in handy if you want to build reports by using keywords, subqueries and advanced Jira Query Language (JQL) functions. With Representational State Transfer (REST) endpoints, you can integrate with external tools and other Jira apps such as Tempo. ScriptRunner also comes with many built-in scripts that you can use in tandem with Groovy to generate custom scripts according to your needs. Thus, you can modify your Jira dashboard by adding fields and custom sequence forms with validators and scripted conditions according to your requirements.
Smart Checklist
Smart Checklist is a plugin developed by Railsware to cater to the growing need of replacing subtasks. The tool allows Jira users the ability to document and detail extra ToDo items and generate a single checklist through bullet points. The most popular and common usage of Smart Checklist is documenting recurring software development processes, the creation of User Story Implementation Plans, Acceptance Criteria, QA, and HR Onboarding checklists. The plugin ensures tight Jira integrations through the setting up of custom processes.
Gliffy Diagrams
When it comes to making information visual, no other diagramming plugin is as popular as Gliffy Diagram. Users can produce collaborative diagrams inside Jira through its simple drag-and-drop functionality. It is a great help when it comes to managing large teams online and ensuring rapid problem solving through clear communication.
My.com Calendar
My.com Calendar is a plugin to help you keep track of issues and upcoming tasks by including them in a Jira calendar. You can filter events and configure your project according to the timeline in an easy-to-use interface. By marking your project issues according to a specific color and start and end dates, you will be able to note their daily, monthly, and quarterly progress. Furthermore, you can make the important issues appear as popups, track issues and happenings with your team as calendar events, and establish issues and events as recurring occurrences. Mail.Ru is immensely versatile and adaptable, allowing the calendar data to be exported to other calendar formats including IOS, Outlook, and Google calendar.
Conclusion
The days of limited Jira plugins on the Atlassian Marketplace are a thing of the past. With a robust environment of add-ons to choose from, developers are inundated with options that promise to increase productivity and strengthen workflows.
However, too much of a good thing can create headaches for any developer if they don’t know what they’re looking for. This is why choosing from the top plugins as recommended by users, comes in handy and saves time.
