2 solutions to track all project changes in Jira

SaaSJet — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 11:40:09 +0000

Have you ever needed to find out some task that was updated? For example, somebody has changed the summary of the issue from “Review bugs” to “Prepare bug report”. Or maybe the task was deleted completely. Or someone has changed a workflow, added users, or deleted the project. Here, we will review solutions that will help to track all Jira project changes.

Tracking changes is essential for everyone who wants to be sure all data is stored safely and will not be lost. You will find this article helpful if:

You are a Jira Cloud user
You want to be aware of any changes made to your projects: what? who? when?
You need to audit your teamwork and restore deleted items

Let’s get the ball rolling 🤹

1. How to see the system changes to Jira projects?

The first option to monitor system and configuration changes in projects is an out-of-the-box Jira audit log. It covers such areas: global configuration and administration, user management, permissions, local configuration and administration, security, and end-user activity.

The Jira audit log generally records the history of system modifications, such as logins or the creation of new users. It can be utilized for security reasons. Learn more about Jira audit log events.

How to configure: Settings > System > Audit log.

You must either be a Jira System Administrator or possess the Jira Administrator global permission in order to obtain the Jira audit log. You won't be able to get it if all of your Jira Cloud products are on the Free plan.

Also, you can search some apps on the Atlassian Marketplace to enhance tracking of system changes in Jira projects.

2. How to track any task changes in Jira?

The second option is Jira issue history, which allows you to review all changes made on the issue level. It is good to monitor team activity. For example, you can see who changed the summary, description, or any other issue filed.

How to configure? Open an issue (ticket) > Activity > History

Built-in history records all changes only for a single task. If you want to expand these abilities and track changes for all issues in your project in one place, you can try Issue History for Jira app. This single plugin has got all options to create a customizable report and review all past events.

Issue History for Jira = a journal of user activity in Jira (issue level) + restoring deleted issues option + revert description changes + issue history export

It can answer practically any question users may have about task changes. Here are a few of the most important.

📗 How to see all updates made to issues in my project?

The app is like a Lego constructor where you can choose what changes you want to see, specify dates, projects, updater, etc. You can include any standard or custom field to a separate column, and all updates will be displayed there.

👤 How to check any user activity?

With the “Updated by” option, you can select any Jira user and review all changes made by that person. It helps to prevent business conflicts, find who worked on which tasks daily, and prepare for internal or external audits.

🚮 Who deleted issues in my Jira project?

Jira has no built-in trash bin, and every deleted task means it’s gone forever. However, Issue History for Jira users can activate the option to store deleted issues. Thus, you will get the list with the deleted tasks + the ability to restore any of them.

♻️ How to revert changes you or someone else made?

If you have ever wanted to undo some changes you made to Jira issues, you have one more reason why you’d like Issue History for Jira. Here, you can roll back any change for description. It’s especially useful for those who need to return everything with initial formatting (tables, lists, colors, boldness), because Jira doesn’t keep it.

Takeaway

Tracking project changes in Jira ensures transparency, collaboration, and accountability among team members. When you review past activities, you can find some insights to improve your teamwork and be sure that everyone works for common goals. The solutions described above will cover the most questions you have about changes to your projects:

Jira audit log - to track system-level changes
Issue History for Jira - to see issue-level user activity. Get your free 30-day trial.

Have you ever calculated the cost of a project?

SaaSJet — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 11:50:02 +0000

Money, money, money...

It's a fascinating topic when we get it and spend it. It is sad and painful when you have to count how much we have lost 🥲.

If we talk about projects, in addition to the voluminous process of development, testing, and marketing, the shadow of costs always looms. And behind it are the mirages of expected profit.

And if we only live with the expectation that we will soon get a cash profit, not counting how much we spend in the process, then reality will quickly hit us on the head.

So, let's talk about money and how much it costs to develop a project 🧐

Project cost - expenses, people, reports

We ask anyone sensitive to costs to step away from the screen. For those with Scrooge McDuck's alter egos, please be very attentive.

Here's how we do it at SaaSJet.
First, we use Jira. Yes, there are plenty of Jira haters, but don't rush to get annoyed and stop reading this post.

If you learn how to use it properly and use a third-party app, life becomes more colorful and better.

Therefore, we have created the Cost Tracker for Jira Cloud app and are currently actively using it. In addition, more than 2000 users have already appreciated its benefits along with us.

The algorithm is simple:

1 - Install the app from the Atlassian Marketplace. All users in your Jira are immediately synchronized with the addon.
2 - Next, you need to access the application. Financial information is quite sensitive. You must distribute accesses in the Manage Access tab according to your Jira user groups. Ask the Jira admin to create the necessary groups and rename them to clarify to whom you are giving access.
3 - Now an accountant enters the chat and assigns rates to users. A rate is the cost of an hour of work by one specialist. You also have the opportunity to set a billing rate if you sell the work of your developer/tester/etc. "on the side".

4 - Next, it's time to add the expenses accompanying the project development. Here, you can enter one-time and recurring expenses (e.g., Jira, Bitbucket, AWS, etc.). You can associate expenses with people, projects, specific tasks, and other objects.

5 - The fifth step is to prepare the scope of work. Consider the situation that the user is interested in estimating the amount of work for the last month. Go to Jira filters and create a filter that selects all tasks with a work log for the previous month.

An example of a JQL query:
(( «worklogDate» >= startOfMonth(-1) )) and (( «worklogDate» <= endOfMonth(-1) )) and project = Development

This filter will be used for monthly reports.

6 - The last step in the cost report is to go to the appropriate page and create the report.

7 - Select a saved filter and specify the default hourly rate (this will help you get data for users who are not paid by the hour), the period for the activity log and direct expenses.

Each report has a direct link to all its elements and will be adjusted as soon as something changes. For example, users can add missed expenses later, or someone can change the work log.

To finalize the report, the project manager can complete it to freeze all the numbers and have it ready for reporting to stakeholders, etc.

It can also be generated if you need a report with billing hours. And this is how it will look like:

We invite you to use Cost Tracker and calculate how much your projects cost.

We have a 30-day trial for you, and the add-on is free for small teams of up to 10 users.

Share your thoughts in the comments 💭

Forem: SaaSJet