Atlassian combines Jira Software and Work Management tools
At the Team ’24 event in Las Vegas, Atlassian made a significant announcement: the consolidation of Jira Software and Jira Work Management into a unified product under the “Jira” brand.
Originally conceived as a project management tool tailored for software development and issue tracking, Jira has evolved to cater to diverse teams beyond development. Over the years, Atlassian introduced versions of Jira tailored for various business functions such as marketing, sales, and human resources. In 2021, Jira Work Management was launched, replacing the previous Jira Core product and targeting non-technical teams.
Dave Meyer, the head of product for Jira, emphasized the vision behind this integration in today’s announcement, highlighting the importance of shared goals, coordinated work, and seamless information flow across functions. The latest iteration of Jira aims to provide a unified platform where teams can align on objectives, collaborate on tasks, and access insights to drive collective success. By amalgamating the best features of Jira Work Management and Jira Software, Atlassian aims to empower teams to excel together.
The objective is to offer a cross-functional tool facilitating smoother collaboration and task tracking among different teams within an organization. While there were existing connections between Jira Software and Jira Work Management, Atlassian anticipates that this unified version will further streamline workflows and foster alignment on common objectives across teams, whether they are engineers, marketers, or designers.
It’s important to note that Jira Service Management, designed for IT teams, remains unaffected by this change, ensuring continuity for those users.
More AI in Jira
Alongside the integration of Jira Software and Jira Work Management, Atlassian is introducing several new features aimed at fostering collaboration, many of which leverage AI technology.
One noteworthy addition is the AI work breakdown tool, slated for release to Jira and Jira Premium users. This tool automates the process of breaking down epics into individual issues or breaking down issues into sub-tasks. Users will have the option to edit these breakdowns manually, offering flexibility while reducing the manual effort required for project management tasks. This enhancement is poised to streamline project management workflows, allowing project managers to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives.
Additionally, Jira will soon incorporate automatic summarization of issue comments, a feature that will also extend to Confluence, Atlassian’s workspace tool. This capability will enhance information accessibility and facilitate easier digestion of large volumes of comments within these platforms.
Traditionally, becoming proficient in Jira necessitated mastering the Jira Query Language (JQL) for issue searches. However, Atlassian is simplifying this process by harnessing the capabilities of large language models. Users will now be able to create JQL queries using natural language, eliminating the need for specialized query language knowledge and enhancing user accessibility and efficiency within the platform.
Image Credits: Atlassian
In addition to the aforementioned features, Atlassian is rolling out a new generative AI writing tool to Jira, enabling users to create, summarize, and enhance descriptions and comments seamlessly. This tool is designed to assist users who may encounter difficulty articulating their thoughts or require assistance in drafting comprehensive and concise communication within Jira.
These advanced writing capabilities will also extend to Atlassian’s other platforms, including Trello and Bitbucket, enhancing collaboration and communication across various project management and development workflows. Moreover, Atlassian plans to integrate these features into Jira Product Discovery and Confluence in the near future, further expanding the reach of AI-driven writing assistance across its ecosystem of tools.
Setting Goals
As part of its commitment to enhancing collaboration, Jira is introducing a new feature called “Goals,” slated for release in the coming month. This feature is designed to facilitate alignment among teams on overarching objectives. With Goals, users can create and visualize how individual tasks correspond to broader objectives directly within Jira’s list and issue views.
The Goals feature will also include a directory and progress charts, allowing users to view goals within the context of their projects. This functionality aims to provide teams with a clear understanding of how their tasks contribute to larger organizational objectives, fostering alignment and transparency across projects.
Image Credits: Atlassian
New views
In addition to bolstering collaboration and goal alignment, Jira is introducing several enhancements to issue management and visualization. Users can now leverage a spreadsheet-like list view to seamlessly navigate through every project, facilitating in-line edits and simplifying bulk edits. This intuitive view is poised to optimize efficiency and grant users increased control over project management tasks.
Furthermore, Jira Premium and Enterprise subscribers will have access to the new “Plans” feature, designed to streamline project tracking for complex initiatives. With Plans, users can monitor issues across various boards and projects from a unified perspective. By centralizing issue tracking, Plans offers a comprehensive overview of project status and interdependencies, empowering users to navigate intricate workflows with ease and precision.
Image Credits: Atlassian
“With these updates, everyone – from leaders to program managers to team members – can estimate release dates for cross-team projects, address staffing and resource queries, or outline yearly objectives, all within a unified view,” Meyer elaborates in today’s announcement.
Additionally, in terms of time management, a new calendar view is being introduced for tracking business projects, with issues arranged by due date. This enhancement will facilitate better alignment of work within business teams, ensuring synchronization with upcoming software releases. Although the full launch of the calendar feature is a few months away, it promises to streamline project scheduling and enhance overall project coordination.