What is our primary use case?
It is mostly used for communication, managing requirements, managing defects, and managing stories. We don't communicate much through Outlook. The majority of the work-related issues are assigned to us, or we assign them to developers through this solution. I've been using this solution for managing requirements and defects. I have also been using it for logging user stories and general communication.
How has it helped my organization?
Best in ensuring 100% test coverage through forward and reverse traceability matrices capability that allows users to track User stories, SRS, Test Cases, Test Instances & Defects all using simple links.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the feature of assigning. Whenever I have an issue, Jira doesn't stop at just letting me describe the issue. I can also assign the issue to a developer, and the developer gets notified about it. After he is able to work on it, he can update the status and revert back to me through the same platform. It really avoids a lot of communication over email and phone. This the feature that I really like about Jira. I always use Jira with my team.
What needs improvement?
Produce improvements suggestions:
User Interface/ User experience could be improved by expanding on visual capabilities of links such as Stories, Requirements, Scenarios, Cases, & Defects.
User Dashboards could be improved by increasing ease of use of charts and other interactive options such as Boards.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution since 2011.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It has been stable. I haven't had any downtime or issues with stability. It has been working as expected.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of integrating Jira with other apps, I've actually used Jira to connect to ADPART or other client defect tools. Sometimes, I had to use the connections, but it was not a problem. There is a standard procedure where I had to request for the details, and after I got the details, I needed support from the client to get it connected. There were no issues, and the process is quite standard. It is not fast, but it requires some time.
At my current company, only I am using this solution. We are a startup, and we have less than ten people working here. However, on my client's site, a lot of people are using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've used their technical support only once or twice in my entire experience with this tool. Once, I was not able to log in, so I had to call them, and the other time, it was a problem with my virtual machine. It was not a problem with the tool. I was having problems getting in. I raised tickets, and then I had to call them. It was nice, but it took a little bit of time. Overall, the customer experience was all right.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before this, I used an HP tool. I started with using Quality Center, and then I upgraded to ALM, and ever since, it has been Jira. Jira is open source, and some of my clients prefer open source, and they have been using it for a long time. Before Jira, ALM/Quality Center was my major go-to tool.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. I just got the details from the client, and I started using it.
What was our ROI?
Save by reducing errors and improving accuracy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Start with requirement. If requirement requires tight security and confidentiality, it is highly recommended to employ expert assistance. Whereas if the requirement is agile in nature and is at very initial stages, it is best to start leveraging open source to some extent.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
It was solely based on requirement and preference of business stakeholders.
Some areas of business require to run licensed and proprietary software applications whereas some can have the opportunity to leverage open or closed source software.
What other advice do I have?
It is essential to track efforts right from the beginning of the project i.e the from the day of planning and incubation to delivery and deployment.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid 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.
Thanx for sharing valuable info