To create a team-managed board in Jira, you initiate the creation of a new team-managed project, which automatically includes a dedicated board tailored to your team's workflow and grants your team autonomy over its configurations. Unlike company-managed projects, team-managed projects allow individual teams to manage their own workflows, issue types, and board settings without needing a Jira administrator's intervention.
Steps to Create a New Team-Managed Project (with its Board)
Creating a team-managed board is synonymous with creating a new team-managed project. Follow these steps to set up your new board:
- Navigate to Project Creation: From your Jira instance, access the global navigation. Select Projects, then choose the Create project option.
- Select a Project Template: You'll be presented with various project templates designed for different methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, Basic software development, Bug tracking). Choose the template that best aligns with your team's preferred way of working, then select Use template. Each template comes with a pre-configured board suitable for that methodology.
- Choose Team-Managed Project Type: On the next screen, it's crucial to select team-managed project as your project type. This option empowers your team with independent configuration control over its board and other project settings.
- Name Your Project: Provide a clear and descriptive Name for your new project. Jira will automatically generate a project key based on your project name, which you can customize if desired. Select Next to finalize the project creation.
Once these steps are completed, your new team-managed project will be created, and you'll immediately have access to its dedicated board, ready for your team to start planning and tracking work.
Understanding Team-Managed Boards
A team-managed board is the central hub of a team-managed project. It's designed for small, independent teams who need the flexibility to set up their own processes quickly without relying on a central administrator.
- Autonomy: Teams have full control over their workflows, issue types, fields, and board columns.
- Simplicity: Setup is straightforward, allowing teams to get started rapidly.
- Scalability: While designed for teams, team-managed projects can be linked to broader initiatives through advanced roadmaps or portfolio management tools.
Key Benefits of Team-Managed Boards
Team-managed boards offer distinct advantages, particularly for agile teams and those preferring decentralized control:
- Faster Setup: Get your board up and running in minutes.
- Empowered Teams: Teams can adapt their board to evolving needs without bureaucratic hurdles.
- Reduced Admin Overhead: Less burden on Jira administrators, as teams manage their own settings.
- Customization on the Fly: Modify columns, swimlanes, and quick filters as your team's process evolves.
- Dedicated Workflows: Define and adapt workflows specifically for your team's unique issue lifecycle.
For more detailed information on the differences, you can refer to Atlassian's guide on choosing between company-managed and team-managed projects.
Project Templates and Their Boards
Different project templates come with pre-configured boards to jumpstart your team's work. Here's a quick overview:
| Project Template | Default Board Type | Primary Use Case | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrum | Scrum Board | Iterative development, sprint planning, backlog. | Backlog, sprints, velocity chart, burndown chart. |
| Kanban | Kanban Board | Continuous flow, visualizing work, limiting WIP. | Columns for stages, WIP limits, cumulative flow diagram. |
| Basic Software Development | Kanban Board | Simple software projects, task tracking. | Basic task management, lightweight workflow. |
| Bug Tracking | Kanban Board | Managing and resolving software defects. | Prioritization, status tracking, resolution flow. |
Customizing Your Team-Managed Board
Once your team-managed project and its board are created, you have extensive options for customization:
- Adding and Reordering Columns:
- Navigate to your board.
- Select the Board settings (usually a three-dot menu or cog icon) to add new columns, rename existing ones, or drag and drop to reorder them. Each column typically maps to one or more statuses in your workflow.
- Configuring Quick Filters:
- Quick filters allow your team to quickly narrow down the issues displayed on the board.
- You can create filters based on assignees, issue types, labels, or custom JQL queries. For instance, a filter for "My issues" (
assignee = currentUser()) or "Blocked issues" (status = "Blocked").
- Managing Workflows:
- Edit your project's workflow directly from the project settings. This includes adding new statuses, transitions between statuses, and even setting up rules or automations.
- For example, you might add a "Code Review" status between "In Progress" and "Done."
- Issue Types and Fields:
- Define custom issue types (e.g., "Feature," "Spike," "User Story") and add relevant custom fields (e.g., "Story Points," "Priority," "Customer Impact") to capture all necessary information for your team's work items.
Practical Insight: Regularly review your board's configuration with your team. As your processes evolve, your board should too. Don't be afraid to experiment with column names, quick filters, or workflow transitions to find what works best for your specific team dynamics.
