Manager, PMO at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Intuitive dashboards with good visibility, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The dashboards are useful."
  • "For a non-technical person to use, Jira is not intuitive."

What is our primary use case?

We use Jira for task tracking, sprint planning, and backlog.

What is most valuable?

The dashboards are useful. You have visibility across projects and various dashboards.

The status of the different activities is also helpful 

What needs improvement?

In general, it is not user-friendly. 

For a non-technical person to use, Jira is not intuitive. If you are a developer it's fine, but we are trying to get other technical people in to look at tasks or to update a task, move it from one sprint to another sprint and it takes more effort than I would like.

I would just like to see it easier to use, and I would like the workflows to be less complex to do what we need them to do.

For how long have I used the solution?

My experience with Jira is limited, but the organization has been using Jira for three years.

We are using the latest version.

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Jira
May 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Jira is stable. to my knowledge, we have not had any issues with bugs or glitches.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability can be complex if you are using workflows.

We have approximately 20 developers and some managers in our organization who use Jira. 

How are customer service and support?

I have not yet used Jira technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we did not use another solution. We started with Jira.

Along with Jira, we use Microsoft Azure DevOps.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is fairly straightforward. 

It was fairly simple for us.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend getting sound knowledge first. It is difficult to go back later to fix things, so try to build it right the first time.

For the functionality that exists, I think that it's good.

I would rate Jira an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Project Manager at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
Real User
Can customize entries and quickly update them
Pros and Cons
  • "A most valuable feature involves the ability to customize the entries and to update them quickly."
  • "Something I do not like about the new version is that there is a need to browse all the way back to the beginning, should a person click on a task that is specifically for his group and wish to go back and look at the other portfolios or people."

What is our primary use case?

We have been using Jira for schedule management as well as for making updates to our projects. I mention this in my capacity as a project manager. I most recently used the solution this year and did so for scheduled management of our varied tasks and projects. JIRA is actually used to put together an entire portfolio for each one of the teams, meaning for everybody. The solution listed each of our projects individually, with us needing to provide daily and regular updates. 

What is most valuable?

A most valuable feature involves the ability to customize the entries and to update them quickly. Unlike what was previously available, the solution allows us to create specific codes and symbols for the individual teams. The new version allows one to customize and to use demarcators. There is a code that can be entered in Align upon completion of a project or task and this apprises the project manager that it is time for its removal. 

What needs improvement?

Something I do not like about the new version is that there is a need to browse all the way back to the beginning, should a person click on a task that is specifically for his group and wish to go back and look at the other portfolios or people. However, I cannot state definitively if this situation owes itself to the way our team put the site together or to something administrative. When clicking the back button it would take the person to the wrong page, not to the one he desires. One would actually have no choice but to browse back to the portfolio and to find his group again and open it. Again, it is not clear to me if this problem lies with Jira or with the way our team laid out the site. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I feel Jira is stable. The only hiccup which comes to mind is the one I mentioned, although it is not clear to me if this owed itself to the network we were using or to limitations of the application. Except for this, everything about the solution is stable. The only time a person can not look at the information is when the administrator announces his intention to remove it. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is pretty good and we started on this process from the moment we started utilizing the solution. While we had only three teams and three sections, between December and January 15th the developers came together and expanded from three to 76 different tasks across the different teams. By February there were over 300 teams. Expansion is easy and did not just encompass our teams but also provided links to others that were outside of our main team set so that there were reference points available.

How are customer service and technical support?

I would say the tech support is pretty good. I got back a couple of answers in response to an email I sent out. 

How was the initial setup?

It was quite easy for me to set up my own pages. I had a field day with creating my own test pages and was able to play around with them and simply test out the different settings. Pulling in new documentation was very easy. The same holds true with pulling in attachments and it was, consequently, easy to set up. As well, I was able to set up certain sub-pages for our team for going in and checking JIRA.

What about the implementation team?

There were initially eight people involved in the maintenance of the solution and deployment of updates. They had the people to whom they answered. We are talking about a large-scale effort. Without taking into account the Jira support line, I would say there were around 12 people managing and administering this version. For our specific team, there were around three. They were the actual decision makers. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I am not in a position to comment on licensing costs. 

What other advice do I have?

Our team does not use the solution exclusively. There are multiple ones which do, although I cannot state how many teams are doing so. I do know that the entire section of our agency is doing so and this accounts for a lot of people, well over a hundred. 

The solution is pretty good and is geared towards those with multiple teams who are using it for the same purposes as us. We use it for providing daily and scrub updates, for which it is really good, as it allows one to track every entry and see when it's entered, timestamp and all. So, if a person has a lot of mission-critical or time-sensitive activities, JIRA is pretty good for tracking and helping to keep everything organized.

While I am still biased towards services at the moment, I rate Jira as an eight out of ten, at it is really good and very functional. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Jira
May 2024
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IT Planning and Control Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Provides flexibility to create different flows, responds to our needs in terms of scalability, and has good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The flexibility to create different flows is most valuable."
  • "It can have a more high-level view of portfolios. It has quite detailed views, but I would like a high-level view of portfolios. We want to integrate Jira with Microsoft Active Directory, and I don't know how easy or hard it is going to be. I don't know if Jira supports this. We are starting that integration in the last quarter of this year. I hope to find all the required tools for this integration."

What is our primary use case?

We are basically using it to register all the requirements and issues so that we can track them and control the flow and different states. We also use it for reporting and configuring dashboards for portfolio management.

It is a SaaS solution, and we are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

The flexibility to create different flows is most valuable.

What needs improvement?

It can have a more high-level view of portfolios. It has quite detailed views, but I would like a high-level view of portfolios.

We want to integrate Jira with Microsoft Active Directory, and I don't know how easy or hard it is going to be. I don't know if Jira supports this. We are starting that integration in the last quarter of this year. I hope to find all the required tools for this integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is very good. I have no complaints.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable because it is a SaaS solution. It is the best choice for us because it responds to our needs all the time.

We have around 100 people in our organization who use this solution. They are developers, QAs, and managers.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their support was very good for some of our questions. We didn't have too many issues.

We also have a partner who helps us with all the contracts, payments, and other things. If there is an issue, we contact them, and they provide support.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy because the person who helped with portfolio management had previous experience with Jira. So, it was easy for us. It took about three weeks.

What other advice do I have?

The most important thing is to precisely decide your flows and different stages and cycles. If all these are very clear, you won't have a problem setting up Jira.

I would rate Jira a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Oracle Applications Consultant at ASAM Conseil Inc
Real User
Top 20
Integrates with other products easily
Pros and Cons
  • "I've never had a bug or a bug message that I needed to open a ticket for."
  • "It should be connected to ServiceNow."

What is our primary use case?

I use the Jira app, not the desktop version. 

I work at a university and we use Jira to create tickets, epics, and stories. We link Jira to spec documentation with Confluence. We can also link it to TestRail.

Within the university that I work for, there are roughly 4,000 people using this solution — all staff members use it. 

What is most valuable?

I like that it's integrated with the specs. You don't have to put the specs in a shared folder or a shared server. It's all linked together with Confluence. We just put the specs into Confluence and then link it to the ticket in Jira. Once our developer has finished his development, we can link it to TestRail to create test scenarios, test them, and analyze the results of the test.

What needs improvement?

It should be connected to ServiceNow. We use ServiceNow for deployments from our test environment to QA, then to production. If it was linked to ServiceNow, it would be perfect — it would be more integrated. Still, at least we can link our test scenarios, specs, and the tickets themselves so we can track the requirements — that's good. We have to use ServiceNow separately to deploy and move corrections from one environment to another.

There are a lot of features that need to be added on top of Jira for management, sprint planning, and agile topology for project management. My project manager says that there are not a lot of features for project management in the agile mode. They have to buy other products to put on top of Jira to be able to properly manage and to track what people are doing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Jira for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I was always able to connect. Once you're inside, it's good. We have never experienced any bugs, glitches, or crashes. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I think it's scalable. It can be integrated with other products easily. It's not a standalone product. Integration is the most important thing when it comes to scalability. I believe it uses a certain technology to make it even more scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had to contact support. I've never had a bug or a bug message that I needed to open a ticket for. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used to use Remedy, but it didn't have everything that Jira has. Jira supports agile methodology. I used Remedy with waterfall projects, but for agile, Jira is the way to go. I've heard people say that Jira is better than DevOps tools.

How was the initial setup?

I don't think it's complex to set up. The features are standard and come included with the product. You only need to know how to use it, create new Jiras, and how to link them. I don't think the setup is complicated. I've installed Oracle E-Business Suite a lot — that's complicated. Jira is much more direct. 

What other advice do I have?

If you're interested in using Jira, you have to just go ahead and buy it and use it. Try to use all the functions that are available. There's a lot of things to do in Jira. I recommend it. 

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Jira a rating of seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Consultant at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Fair pricing, lots of plugins, and offers a cloud version perfect for small teams
Pros and Cons
  • "The task management aspect of Jira is pretty pure. They have a lot of great plugins that really expand your options."
  • "From the project management perspective, I would say there are a lot of different issues that could be tweaked. There can be small improvements with traceability, for example."

What is our primary use case?

In terms of using Jira, I was more on the user side and not really acting as, for example, service desk or support for the Jira installation. That was not my part of the project. I was more tasked with setting up the infrastructure from the architecture point of view. We needed a ticketing system and we need a planning system and the team that was responsible for the tools was installing and providing them with the workflow that we needed.

What is most valuable?

The solution is pretty flexible. I have worked in different projects using different features. From agile to just normal project management and task management. It's got a lot of great features. 

If we're talking specifically about project management, the solution is pretty nice. There are a bunch of modules and plugins and add-ons that you can use if you need to.

The test management aspect of Jira is pretty pure. They have a lot of great plugins that really expand your options.

What needs improvement?

There's always room for improvement, however, it depends on how you intend to use the solution. It's hard to pinpoint exact features that are lacking as the solution is quite vast.

From the project management perspective, I would say there are a lot of different issues that could be tweaked. There can be small improvements with traceability, for example.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have no idea how long I've been working with the product at this point. It's probably been about ten years or so.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is fair. Right now, I'm using the solution for my small projects. For example, I'm using the Jira Cloud and Confluence Cloud, which are pretty nice. For small teams, it's a very, very interesting option.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer.

I'd advise, for those users who don't need an enterprise-level environment, that they go for a cloud deployment. For others, they don't really have a choice. They will have to follow up with enterprise security and other protocols. There are not that many options, I would say. 

I have learned that Jira, starting in 2024, will not be available as a server installation anymore. Soon there won't be any options at all. It will be the cloud or nothing. 

Overall, I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. It's a very good product.

For small teams, the cloud works well. You can do basically whatever you want there, so it's fine. It's also not cost intensive if you're talking about using it for small teams.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Quality Consultant at Knowit
Real User
Enables us to print tasks for planning so we can also see what's happening in the system and follow the tickets
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found most valuable is that it is a quite powerful user tracking system."
  • "Jira is a little bit old fashioned, it could be more user friendly."

What is our primary use case?

I am a consultant, and we have some customers with projects who use Jira.

We have customers with different Jira installations because there are so many vendors. It is mostly used as a bug tracking system with tickets, issues and tags.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found most valuable is that it is a quite powerful user tracking system. Also, we use it to print tasks for planning so you can also see what's happening in the system and follow the tickets.

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, there is not much I don't like. It is a little bit faster but with Firefox it can be slow, but that is also the case with many other tools as well. It has quite a lot of options and fields, so I'm not too familiar with them all. That makes it a bit trickier. It could be a little bit easier, it is not that simple or straightforward. 

The tool itself is so powerful and the customer's expectation is very high because you have so many things you can do with it. That can make it a little non-user friendly.

I would want to see Jira include some improvements, like drag and drop and color, to make it more straightforward. If you compare it to Microsoft or Octane, they have good features that I would like to see in Jira as well.

Overall, Jira is a little bit old fashioned, it could be more user friendly.

They should make it simpler, to just be able to do some functions, whereas now it takes longer. There are too many clicks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Jira for around 15 years or so, but not all the time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is fine. We have some issue now with our customers, it could be due to the network or other issues, I don't know if it is because of Jira itself. We have quite a complex environment and system for our customers. At the moment we have several tools and different systems. We have some issues with downtime but I am not sure why.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to anyone thinking about Jira is that it would be wise to at least find out the most crucial functions that you need in the product, what features are most important, determine how the project will use Jira, and the most important thing is to have some kind of user training plan because the tool is so complex and flexible that you can use it in many, many different ways. 

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Jira a nine.

I would give it a nine because of course it needs some improvements. For example, the usability and its speed.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Senior IT Test Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Great solution for writing user stories and task management
Pros and Cons
  • "Some of the features that are most important to me of JIRA Agile are the sprint planning, being able to write user stories and being able to use task management."
  • "I have had problems with performance and unresponsiveness. All of a sudden, the performance slowed down, and I had a number of users that could not use the tool."

What is most valuable?

Some of the features that are most important to me of JIRA Agile are the sprint planning, being able to write user stories and being able to use task management. JIRA appears to be constantly evolving, developing, and adding new features throughout the process. 

What needs improvement?

I have had problems with performance and unresponsiveness. All of a sudden, the performance slowed down and I had a number of users that could not use the tool but, JIRA support responded immediately. Within a couple of hours, the problem was resolved.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

How are customer service and technical support?

I would give tech support a rating of eight out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have prior experience with what was originally called HP Quality Center but is now called Micro Focus ALM. In comparing Micro Focus ALM vs Jira,I did not find it as intuitive or user-friendly as JIRA. I also have experience with and have compared CA Agile Central vs JIRA, but my preference is always JIRA because it is more established and very intuitive to work with.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was on-premises and it was basically installing it on a server. I found the setup relatively easy and straightforward to install from scratch, in-house.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to future users is to check out sources like YouTube and look at the main features you want. Potentially with JIRA, particularly with the cloud version, they have a seven day trial. I suggest that future users sign up for the free trial to make sure the features of JIRA meet their personal requirements. Also, the user should make sure that JIRA is a good fit for the user's organization.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Agile Coach & Sr. Project Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Vendor
One of the valuable features is the adaptability of the Scrum and Kanban boards. Permissions need more refinement.
Pros and Cons
  • "The adaptability of the Scrum and Kanban boards for other uses, with careful use of the customization features."
  • "Ease of administration and customization. It is really clunky in this area."

What is most valuable?

The adaptability of the Scrum and Kanban boards for other uses, with careful use of the customization features.

How has it helped my organization?

It has simplified our PM work tremendously, as we switched from VersionOne. We have much more buy-in from dev teams and we see a marked difference in productivity.

What needs improvement?

Ease of administration and customization. It is really clunky in this area. Also, permissions are nice, but they need more refinement so a project admin has more capability and less reliance on the system administrators.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for approximately four years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

There were issues with deployment. Because we use it on-premises rather than in the cloud, for regulatory reasons, we are often behind, but not for long. Apart from that, our PlatOps team always runs into problems, though I cannot speak directly to those issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There weren't terrible issues with stability, but it is easy, when customizing, to make a mistake that will "break" JIRA for all users. It takes a lot of care.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I did not encounter any issues with scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer service is excellent, although they are only available via email.

Technical Support:

Technical support is excellent, because they are responsive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used VersionOne and it was simply too powerful, so to speak. It was bulky, expensive, and simply became a mess with so many users. VersionOne isn't a bad product at all, but our IT department just isn't big or complex enough for an "enterprise" product.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it ourselves.

What was our ROI?

Our ROI is very good. Almost all licenses are taken and it is even being used by the rest of the business, outside of IT.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing model is annoying. They nickel and dime you.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Asana and even Trello, as we were trying to simplify. But those solutions, among others, were too simple.

What other advice do I have?

Ensure that your admins learn by first installing to a QA server for experimentation, if you are doing it on-premises. As for those learning it in the cloud version, create dummy projects, categorize them as such, and be careful about how many changes you make at once.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user607749 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user607749Manager, Live Production at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User

yes

Buyer's Guide
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Updated: May 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Jira Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.