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How using checklists in Jira can help your team be more Agile

How using checklists in Jira can help your team be more Agile

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, most technology companies followed the waterfall methodology, which imposed strict documentation requirements and sequential development approaches. This often led to the release of products that were not thoroughly tested or had become technologically and contextually outdated by the time they reached the market. In response, Agile emerged in 2001 as an alternative to existing product development methods.

As a flexible methodology, Agile leaves room for maneuvering, but it can also be seen as complex and unwieldy. Strategic and clear checklists placed at various points in your workflow can help keep your development process organized. In this article, we’ll discuss some simple tips for getting the most out of your Agile process using Jira.

Create a Product Backlog and Implementation Plan for Story Requests

Agile processes aim to bridge the worlds of business and development teams to achieve better results. The methodology encourages everyone to contribute by providing inputs and insights that help shape the future product. Then, a product owner reviews the incoming information and converts it into user stories (descriptions of features from the end-user’s perspective) placed in a single product backlog. Some teams group stories under larger tasks called epics. Knowing which epic has the highest priority, the product owner may ask developers to prepare a detailed plan for each story in that epic. The plan, displayed as a checklist, provides an engineer with a clear description of what needs to be done for the story.


Use Checklists on Scrum and Kanban Boards

As part of Agile, software development teams are advised to visualize and track their activities on boards. Jira leverages scrum boards for the planning phase and Kanban boards for ongoing sprints.

By keeping both boards up-to-date and enforced with checklists, the Agile team gains extra visibility into the product backlog, current tasks, work progress, blockers, team capacity, and other data.

Define the Definition of Done (DoD) and Acceptance Criteria Using Checklists

When it comes to setting the conditions under which a product increment is considered "Done," a product owner's view often differs from that of a developer or scrum master. To avoid misunderstandings and ensure that only completed features are released, check if the feature is ready based on the Definition of Done (DoD) and acceptance criteria checklists.

At the start of a sprint, the team integrates a DoD checklist into the Jira workflow, making it easily accessible to everyone. Before a team member moves an issue to the "Done" status, they check the list to ensure the work is truly complete.

Before a story request is delivered, a product owner must accept it. The acceptance criteria are a list of conditions necessary to meet the needs described in the job statuses within the checklist.


Structure the Chaos of Working with Agile Processes

Agile is an extremely popular methodology but is used differently everywhere because each team customizes it to their use case. Checklists allow teams to break down large tasks, track stages, create templates, and do much more. A company that uses this simple tool in Jira structures the chaos of working and helps everyone see what needs to be done and when it’s complete.

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