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reviewer919590 - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Test Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Great reporting with lots of useful dashboards and excellent flexibility
Pros and Cons
  • "I was able to do real-time reports myself without having to wait for data import."
  • "There is always a bit of a performance problem. It's a bit slow to load the whole data."

What is our primary use case?

We're using JIRA in combination with Xray as a test management tool.

The Xray module gives us test management capabilities, right. Where we can store tests and test executions and so on. That's basically where we moved our test out and we left Quality Center behind. 

With Jira, basically, you have a story. You try to estimate the story and then you have to try to have coverage for each story with test cases. We sometimes use it for our automation perspective. We're using the JIRA Xray API to write bad test results into the tool, through an API call rather than going through the UI. Our continuous testing pipeline in GitLab will automatically update the test results through the Xray API. That's it.

What is most valuable?

The thing that was helpful, in my opinion, was the reporting. I was able to do real-time reports myself without having to wait for data import. 

The product has lots of dashboards that could be created also in Confluence using Jira features. I really like that. I am able to make it transparent to everyone where we're standing in regards to, for example, test automation or test coverage. We could easily integrate Confluence with Jira, produce some handmade dashboards, or use the dashboarding inside Jira itself with the various reporting options there. 

What needs improvement?

It's totally sufficient to cover our use cases right now. I have no gap at the moment.

There is always a bit of a performance problem. It's a bit slow to load the whole data. When I load those dashboards onto Confluence, it always takes quite a bit of time to get all the data in Confluence. It's a lot of queries.

The only thing that was bothering me was the performance issues where it was very slow. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We started using the solution three years ago. I've used the solution since 2016 personally. 

Buyer's Guide
Jira
February 2025
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability has improved over time. It was crashing quite a bit and the minute it crashes, the organization kind of stands still. It's a huge dependence we have on it. However, it was 99% available in the end. Only some kind of maintenance announcements might affect it. Other than that, it was quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Likely every single user has Jira as we are fully delivering software with that. It's between three and 5,000 users. It's company-wide and there could be thousands of users. All the development work is documented there. It's used for our agile teams. You have teams that are using agile scrum.

It's very flexible and it supports both ways of working. It's very helpful also with child transformation. The whole organization moves into agile and everybody is relying on those dashboards and daily standups and it has heavy adoption. Everybody's using it.

The solution is easy to scale and that's a bit of a problem. It's highly customizable and you can also destroy Jira by over-customizing things. If you, for example, want to raise a bug and you have 50 mandatory fields, you kind of lose patience with it.

That's not really a Jira problem. That's the customization from inside the bank where there are lots of different requirements being put into the tool and it can destroy the user experience in the end if they over-design it. If it takes you ten minutes to raise a bug due to the mandatory fields. That's really annoying and that's a big problem.

How are customer service and support?

Internally, I've used technical support. I have not had contact with Jira externally.

We have a separate team in the company who is dealing with all the support tickets.

There are three levels of support tickets and they probably have connections directly to Jira people or Xray people.

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

We're looking into transitioning into possible options in GitLab only. GitLab test management would be a topic. However, there we are not clear about the features yet.

We came from Quality Center, the fat client version, and we moved to JIRA Xray three years ago. Now we're making a decision as to whether we want to move away from JIRA Xray to something else. That's the open question right now.

How was the initial setup?

I wasn't involved in the initial setup of the whole thing. I was just a consumer. We were just migrating our data over from QC into Jira Xray and that migration process was okay. 

We lost some data, however, in general, the assets were transferred over and we could continue there and leave the whole old world behind and start working on the new world. 

From a migration perspective, it was almost seamless. Afterward, you just had to learn a little bit. That said, it's quite straightforward. The JQL query language was something new at the beginning yet easy to pick up without big pieces of training. You can train yourself pretty well with the documentation that's available on the internet. I was able to teach myself almost everything without having to go into any training. 

I can't speak to the maintenance requirements involved. That's handled by another team entirely.

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

I don't have any details in relation to costs or licensing arrangements. 

What other advice do I have?

We have an on-prem installation of Jira. I cannot tell you the version of it. I don't actually care, as long as I can store my stories. They're moving into a soft solution, potentially next year, with it.

I am very happy with the tool. I would recommend others to use Jira anytime, as it's super flexible and there's a lot of things that are not being leveraged at all. There's so much power in the product - we don't even know half of it, I would say, in the organization. 

I'd advise new users to not over-customize it. If you just get it out of the box, you already have a really good evolution and you tend to break it by over-customizing it.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Web Project Lead at Nikon Corp
Real User
Can be used by technical and non-technical people. Unfortunately some interesting Apps from the Marketplace are not available for the Cloud version.
Pros and Cons
  • "The board has been a very valuable feature because it can be very simple for teams that are not technical. It can also be highly technical and have lots of data for teams that are technical. So we use it for both instances."
  • "The next-generation software projects lack a lot, and I found quite a few bugs. There are some really basic things that you still cannot do. For instance, to put a mandatory due date for a task that you create in one of these projects is still not available. That's a bit of a block because people, especially those who are not technical, are not going to add anything if it's not mandatory. It's going to be difficult to teach them that they should do it anyway."

What is our primary use case?

We started using it in the eComm team for the website and all the digital projects. At the beginning was Jira for software development and the Confluence to move the communication away from our mailboxes. Now, we're also using it for marketing and campaign management. Confluence is now our single source of truth and, in general, we are using it in much more content-based projects.

How has it helped my organization?

In many ways: transparency, governance, new comers have a place where to find everything they need, email communications are kept to a miminum, project management is much easier. Also reporting to top management is improved, as there are a lot of nice features like roadmaps and dashboards that can be used for that.

What is most valuable?

The Kanban boards have been a very valuable feature because they can be either very simple for non-technical teams, but also highly detailed and data-driven for teams that are technical. We use them for both types of team.

Jira is also widely used, so whenever we start a collaboration with an agency/vendor we don't need to spend any time in deciding how are we going to communicate.

It is very flexible as well.

What needs improvement?

The next-generation software projects are very easy to use, but they lack a lot, and I found quite a few bugs. There are some really basic things that you still cannot do. For instance, setting a due date for a task that you create as mandatory is still not available. That's a bit of a blocker because people, especially those who are not technical, are not going to add anything if it's not mandatory. It's going to be difficult to teach them that they should do it anyway.

I'm trying to integrate these tools, and I'm trying to open them to different types of teams with different types of people. What I've found is that I read about a macro (App) or about a rule and think that it is what I need, but then find that things are not available for the cloud version. There are some features that are available only in the server version and not in the cloud version. I found a couple of add-ons that we were really interested in, and we couldn't use them because we're in the cloud version.

Sometimes when I tried to set up some macros/add-ons/apps, they didn't work well or were not flexible at all. For instance, you can add only one Excerpt macro to a specific page. And in the that area you cannot have a table, which means you cannot excerpt a table, only content. In general, if you follow the instructions they give you, it works, but when you try to adapt it to your actual needs, it often doesn't work anymore.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Jira for five years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We started very small in just one team in the company, and then slowly we've started expanding it to other teams. Now, we are trying to roll it out to all the European digital teams.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have had some big issues with customer support. Lately we have renewed our contract, and it has taken us two months to do so. There is no way to have a phone call with anybody. The chat is not there anymore. So, the only option is email, and these kinds of things are very difficult to communicate through email.

Two of us were contacting two or three different people from their costumer service till we found the one who was willing to go the extra mile and actually listen to what our issues were.

What other advice do I have?

Try to be tidy from day one because it can get messy very easily. Jira is very flexible, and you can still move and migrate stuff around. However, the reality is that nobody is going to have the time later on to migrate and clean-up. I also recommend starting small because at the beginning it can be scary, especially for non-technical people. I'm thinking about the amount of notifications you'll get, for instance.

I would definitely start small and then slowly, while people are getting used to it, keep implementing it and adding features like roadmaps or dashboards. Try to have a plan or a scheme of how you want it to look before you actually start.

It's a great product and is widely used, so I would rate it at 8 on a scale from 1 to 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Jira
February 2025
Learn what your peers think about Jira. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
837,501 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Testing Manager at Cloud Solutions
Real User
Quick and easy to customize
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found most valuable is its ease of use. I don't need to train anyone to use it, I just give them access and they can use it to add comments, move their issues, change the status, monitor, read, and so on."
  • "There is a difference between their cloud and their server versions. The next-gen project, which is an advanced feature that allows you to visualize the road map of your delivery over multiple products and over time, is not available yet for the sever version. It appears there in the list, but it's still not right. I've tried to use it many times and I am watching the device show their tracker, but it seems they intentionally want this to increase the utilization of the cloud instead of the server. It is really a nice feature and it's a shame that we don't have it."

What is our primary use case?

We use Jira for multiple uses; project management, task management, and we are starting to use it for release management.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found most valuable is its ease of use. I don't need to train anyone to use it, I just give them access and they can use it to add comments, move their issues, change the status, monitor, read, and so on. For these results, it is very helpful. I also like the customization that we had for the workflows for the different issues, it's quick and easy to customize. The reporting is also easy and the dashboards that they provide are really helpful and simple. It does not need a lot of experience with reporting and presentation to get to what you need. Also, most of the advanced reports that you need to create can be exported as Excel files.

What needs improvement?

I have been watching an issue develop. There is a difference between their cloud and their  server versions. The next-gen project, which is an advanced feature that allows you to visualize the road map of your delivery over multiple products and over time, is not available yet for the sever version. It appears there in the list, but it's still not right. I've tried to use it many times and I am watching the device show their tracker, but it seems they intentionally want this to increase the utilization of the cloud instead of the server. It is really a nice feature and it's a shame that we don't have it.

Additionally, it would be really nice if they added some custom reports so that you could build your own report through any open source or commercial plug-in like Crystal Reports. That would be much easier for them to accelerate. You can create a report template and use it frequently.

There are a few features I would like to see in the next release. For example, the layouts could be easier to configure on the screens. I know it's easy to customize. For each issue type you can create and modify your screen. But it would be easier if you could enlarge, copy, clone, and visualize them in a model in a visual way. It's really hard for me as an admin to compare different screens or even to copy one screen with one additional field. I believe that is creating a lot of confusion for end-users because usually admins are looking at each field independently, where it's located, in which position, and which screen. So that all needs to be improved from an administration point of view to make it easier to visualize and compare between the screens.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Jira for almost a year now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In terms of stability, it is fine.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy and straightforward. The deployment is very easy. It just took one server.

It took one day to set up the database and then start the configuration. That is straightforward. And I believe they have a newer deployment model that they can deploy on Docker and other container platforms.

What about the implementation team?

I did it myself with some help from other team members.

What other advice do I have?

Jira is an amazing tool, but to get the process streamlined is a challenge. So don't start from Jira. Start with your process first. Agree on the workflow, identify all the stakeholders, and then from there you can go ahead with Jira and implement anything.

On a scale of one to ten, I give Jira a 10.

Everything already provided is perfect. We are using Jira perfectly for one year now and it's absolutely great.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Product Group Lead Warehousing Solutions at Kühne + Nagel (AG & Co.) KG
Real User
Provides transparency in project development and the workflow assists with compliance
Pros and Cons
  • "Transparency of development projects, as well as approval processes for some business projects, has improved massively."
  • "My main concern is the administration of projects, especially user groups, and this requires root access rights but there is no concept of layered admin rights."

What is our primary use case?

We use JIRA for software development projects and the implementation of business workflows. Our company runs more than one hundred projects on a single instance server. Besides core IT projects, we have implemented business processes on dedicated JIRA instances to manage high volume (greater than five thousand issues per month) non-conformities for some business lines. 

How has it helped my organization?

Transparency of development projects, as well as approval processes for some business projects, has improved massively. Interaction of business units and IT happens very often via JIRA and considered to be very helpful. As many of our developments are requiring some level of compliance, the workflow and documentation of approvals are very handy. 

What is most valuable?

There is a very flexible configuration of "issues" and related life cycle. On top of it, the number of "add-ons" is overwhelming and of very good quality. I would consider the reporting capabilities to be the best feature, as ultimately the visibility of issues allows management of the projects.

What needs improvement?

My main concern is the administration of projects, especially user groups, and this requires root access rights but there is no concept of layered admin rights. Projects can be managed by a limited admin, but the creation of projects needs root admin rights. In decentralized project ownership, this gets tedious.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for twelve years.

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

We used an open-source system called Mantis, which was considered unsuitable for use outside the IT world.

How was the initial setup?

The setup of JIRA is straightforward.

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

To try this solution, use their cloud offering to get familiar. After that, it's in my view worth the money.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We went right away to JIRA without evaluating other options.

What other advice do I have?

JIRA, its add-ons, and the Atlassian product world are already very powerful and it is difficult to name significant blank spaces.

This is a very powerful solution. Get some advice and training to make the most out of it. You may miss out on some of the capabilities if you don't.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Zhanna Khoma - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at IT CARE
Real User
Unified task management enhances team collaboration

What is our primary use case?

We use Jira as a communication tool for tasks and epics. Everything is in one place in the ticket, and it's helpful to communicate with the team. We don't have to use Slack and other platforms to track information related to tasks.

What is most valuable?

The most useful features are the Kanban dashboard, the ability to create tasks, bugs, epics with child issues, time estimation, and Jira reports. The dashboard helps in tracking tasks and projects easily. Time estimation is crucial for my team to estimate tasks accurately, and the monthly reports are helpful for monitoring progress. We can see everything in one place, which improves communication within the team.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes it's hard to set up the dashboard for the team lead. For example, I can see tasks selected for development but not UAT tasks. It would be beneficial if the setup was easier. I understand Jira is a comprehensive tool, but dashboard setup could be made more user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using this solution for about two years already.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Jira is good. I have faced issues only once. I would rate it nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Jira is pretty stable and scalable. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it nine for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't contacted customer support yet.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

My company also uses Azure DevOps dashboard. I prefer Jira because its interface is simpler and easier to use than Azure.

How was the initial setup?

I am just a user of Jira. The dashboard setup is done by our team lead, so I'm not sure how to set up Jira.

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

The price is regular for this kind of tool. However, my company hasn't bought Confluence integration because of the price. We are fine with Jira, but would like to have integrations if it becomes cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

Feel free to try it, and you will love it. The biggest advantage is that you can see all of the project in one place on the dashboard, track your estimation and time, and see your progress. I rate Jira 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.
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IT bp at KDR Corp
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A reasonably stable solution with an easy setup phase
Pros and Cons
  • "The integration between Confluence and Jira, along with Jira's ticketing system, is a valuable feature the product offers its users."
  • "I have noticed a problem with Jira in the Philippines. In the Philippines, there are only a few companies that offer local support, which is alarming."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company as an ITSM tool. Our company's service desk and those working with the engineering team use the tool.

What is most valuable?

The integration between Confluence and Jira, along with Jira's ticketing system, is a valuable feature the product offers its users.

What needs improvement?

I opted for Jira since it was offering ITIL V4, and there seems to be a compatibility between ITIL V3 and ITIL V4.

From an improvement perspective, it would be better if Jira could offer more in the area of data analytics similar to what Power BI and Qlik offer to users. The tool currently lacks in the area of data analytics.

Jira needs to consider lowering its prices considering the competition in the market.

I have noticed a problem with Jira in the Philippines. In the Philippines, there are only a few companies that offer local support, which is alarming. In my previous company, when we requested support, basic support was not provided, and we had to schedule and deal with everything on our own.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Jira for around two years. I am a user of the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a pretty much scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is good. I rate the support a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

I have experience with ManageEngine and ServiceNow. If I need to deal with a project involving retail business, then Jira would be a poor choice because dealing with a retail business requires a tool to have an approach different from what Jira offers. Compared to ServiceNow, Jira is a bit better.

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase was straightforward.

The solution is deployed on the cloud.

The solution can be configured within a week or so. If there are changes to be made in the solution, then it requires more time to configure it.

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

If I compare Jira's licensing model with that of other products, I think that the other products have a much better licensing model. Considering what is happening in the market presently, and as people are moving away from Jira and ServiceNow, more and more people have started embracing cheaper products in the market. I rate the product's price a four on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

It is important to know that my company uses the free version of the solution since we are not a big organization. My company is currently looking into the configurations and other areas before going for the paid version of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

Performance-wise, Jira is a good solution, but the problem lies in the part of its licensing area.

I rate the product's price an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Technical Manager at Purpleslate
Real User
Top 10
Helps to track multiple projects and has good reporting features
Pros and Cons
  • "Jira has a good reporting system. It also has an API, so we can do all sorts of reporting."
  • "A lot of features, such as time tracking, are only available through the marketplace. If multiple users are working on a user story, we aren't able to pull out the reports. So, there are many things that they aren't offering. They are available only through the marketplace. That's not good for a product."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for project tracking. We do software development. We implement software development lifecycle, and we use Bitbucket for CI/CD pipelines.

How has it helped my organization?

We have a lot of vendors operating on multiple projects, so in terms of operations, we need to maintain the backlogs of different projects. The sprint approach for roadmaps is cool in Jira, but we are looking at whether the same option is available in Azure DevOps because one of our clients is looking into using Azure DevOps.

What is most valuable?

Jira has a good reporting system. It also has an API, so we can do all sorts of reporting. 

What needs improvement?

There are a lot of things. A lot of features, such as time tracking, are only available through the marketplace. If multiple users are working on a user story, we aren't able to pull out the reports. So, there are many things that they aren't offering. They are available only through the marketplace. That's not good for a product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable. The stability on the cloud is 99%, but we have deployed it on a virtual machine. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Both cloud and on-prem deployments are scalable. I'd rate it an eight out of ten in terms of scalability. 

Our clients are small and medium enterprises.

How are customer service and support?

I'd rate it a nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The setup on the cloud is easy. I'd rate it a nine out of ten in terms of the ease of setup. The on-prem setup requires some work. I'd rate the on-prem setup a five out of ten in terms of the ease of setup.

We have four people who are working on Jira maintenance.

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

It's not very cheap. It's also not very costly. I'd rate it a five out of ten in terms of pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend it to others. Overall, I'd rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer1479087 - PeerSpot reviewer
Test Manager /Architect @ Testing Practice at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A user-friendly solution, but it'll help if they had their own test execution feature
Pros and Cons
  • "Jira is very user friendly, easy to install, and easy to access."
  • "Although it covers the overall requirements and measurements, it'll help if they had their own test execution feature."

What is our primary use case?

We use Jira for the overall issue management in development projects. We use it to maintain a high level during each sprint, which is a requirement. We also use Jira for issue management during testing. We create a test plan and manage it all with Jira.

What is most valuable?

Jira is very user friendly, easy to install, and easy to access. The most valuable feature in Jira is release management. You can also manage a consolidated dashboard that can be accessed globally by all the team members. We can do all this with Jira while engaging in development. 

One of the key benefits is that it's a single repository for all your SDLC. Based on the user ID and password, anyone can access it, and they also have a single sign-on. It's not that very complicated to do issue management with Jira. We can also pull Jira data and generate quality metrics that can be used for the overall optimization of the test execution. 

What needs improvement?

Although it covers the overall requirements and measurements, it'll help if they had their own test execution feature. Because right now, we're using third-party tools to test executions.

If there are multiple projects, it could be a good thing if they had a reporting method where you have a portfolio view with predictions and so on. If there were a way to manage all the SLAs, that would be helpful too. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Jira is stable and meets our requirements. You don't have to use it out of the box as you can customize it to your requirements.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability isn't a problem because we have used it with over 200 users. You don't have to stick to any out of the box features as you can customize them.

How are customer service and technical support?

Almost everything is covered in their documentation. As payment is required for support, we mostly follow the documentation.

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

We used Microsoft DSP before. We were looking during a licensing phase for something where the non-licensing cost wouldn't be more, and the system requirement would be minimum. That's what qualified Jira, and we went with the data.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very good. I wouldn't say that it's very complicated. They have customization options for things like issue management. You can customize it based on your terminology and project.

For a simple set up, it may take around four hours. If it's a 20 member project, it's quite easy to set up Jira. But if it's to be made available enterprise-wide, it takes longer. I had complex projects where it took anywhere from three to four days or a week to set up. You should also note that it may take new users a week to understand it properly.

We tried to do a total uniform deployment, but it's not always possible because every project has some customization. A single user can deploy Jira. I have deployed and managed 20 to 22 users in a Jira instance. Basically, the Jira administrator creates the template. But if the project requires customization to write queries and run tests, that will require some additional skill.  

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

As a company, we get a subsidized price, and it's lower than what's quoted on their website.

What other advice do I have?

To a certain extent, maybe 70% to 80%, Jira will meet your project development budget. It has integrations with other platforms, so if you want to put it in your DevOps continuous integration flow, it can be done.

If you're engaging in software development, there should be a single repository where you store everything. Then you can start managing it with Jira based on the business requirements and the user stories.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Jira a seven.

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
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: February 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Jira Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.