Organizations looking to enhance processes across the entire software delivery value stream are turning to BizDevOps. BizDevOps allows them to unify cross-functional teams, so they can work better together through constant collaboration, communication, and integration and generate value to the customer while cautiously balancing available resources. 

To achieve much-needed Enterprise Agility using BizDevOps, Atlassian offers a treasure trove of modern tools across workflows, reporting, project management, testing, monitoring, deployment, and more. 

Introduction to Jira

When it comes to Atlassian tools for software development, Jira wins the popularity race – hands down! Earlier used as an issue management tool, today, Jira is recognized for its range of unmatched capabilities across the software delivery lifecycle. From project planning to project tracking, reporting to release management, continuous integration, deployment, and more – Jira powers teams with a mountain of automation capabilities, so that they can stay focused, save time, and work smarter. 

There are various factors based on which we have chosen the below categories of Apps used with Jira in BizDevOps. One of the key aspects of BizDevOps is to knock down the silo where business teams not only set requirements but also get aligned in project management, planning & tracking. They become partners in setting priorities, solving problems and achieving goals.  Another aspect is the real time analytics & performance monitoring, which in some cases, leads to increased automation, especially in reporting, testing and QA. Lastly, the security and/or compliance management aspect also forms an important dimension and, hence, is included on our list. 

To drive better results from BizDevOps initiatives and Jira implementation and drive higher efficiencies, teams can choose from an array of Atlassian apps for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace. They can leverage design tools to improve collaboration between UX and engineering, monitoring apps to enhance operations and performance, and project management apps to track tasks and meet deadlines with ease.

So, here is our list of Top 10 favorites.

Workflow management apps

It is critical for the Agile teams to manage workflows across the lifecycle effectively. Atlassian offers a range of workflow management apps that make it easy for teams to plan, track, and release great applications using workflows designed to meet every project requirement. Teams can use pre-built templates, create them from scratch, and customize them to improve efficiency and transparency.

1. ScriptRunner 

ScriptRunner is a great app to transform Jira (or Confluence), offering a rich automation and customization toolset with unlimited automation. Teams can use ScriptRunner to write scripts and quickly extend Jira functionality to support business processes and enhance reports using extended functions. 

With ScriptRunner, teams can

• Log issues, get notifications for changes made and always stay ahead of changes. 

• Create more precise searches and find what they need with advanced search. 

• Align workflows to processes and enforce them using scripted conditions and validators. 

• Save time and reduce the risk of error by automating actions. 

 2. Jira Suite Utilities

Jira Suite Utilities is a great app that can be used to quickly automate Jira workflows– without any coding. Features include new custom fields, enhancements to Jira workflows, and power pre-conditions for post functions.  

With Jira Suite Utilities, teams can

• Seamlessly connect different workflows to gain multiple functions and do a lot more with workflows. 

• Easily create a linked issue – with relation to the original issue – and have new field configurations automatically copy or set field values. 

• Set pre-conditions to meet specific needs and get control over how post functions should operate 

 3.  GitHub for Jira

GitHub for Jira is a great way to connect code with the work teams do in Jira – using specific repositories. Such integration paves the way for better efficiency, as it allows teams to spend less time managing projects and more time driving value. 

Using GitHub for Jira, teams can enjoy several benefits, including: 

 • Get automatic updates about happenings in repositories with respect to pull requests, commits, and branches. 

 • Take immediate action on issues – without leaving the  workflow.

 •  Use commands to carry out many actions, including closing issues, adding comments, and more. 

 4.  BobSwift Create On

The BobSwift Create On app enables teams to automate processes, so teams can work faster and smarter. Using smart drop-down menus, teams can easily set up post functions and automatically create Jira issues and sub-tasks as part of the workflow. 

BobSwift Create On allows teams to: 

  • Create multiple issues and dynamically add assignees, links, attachments, comments, and more. 

  • Configure a variety of conditions that determine if issues or sub-tasks should be created from the original issue or parent issue. 

  • Leverage form-based menus to customize field values and other parameters quickly and easily. 

Reporting apps 

Getting insights and actionable information into the project management lifecycle is the only way teams can unearth challenges and take steps to improve efficiency. Here are a few apps from the Atlassian Marketplace that make it easy for teams to build visual dashboards, track project (and team) activities, and boost performance. 

 5.  Big Picture Enterprise 

Big Picture Enterprise, a premium project management app, makes enterprise reporting a breeze. Using this app, teams can use pre-defined reports as well as customize views and add new reports to build extraordinary Gantt Charts. They can set synchronize program increments and show all tasks to which resources have been assigned. 

Using Big Picture Enterprise, teams can: 

   •   Build their own drill-down apps and augment many Big Picture features for added value. 

   •   Enjoy program increment-level reporting and enhance the way projects (and portfolios) are managed. 

   •   Fully-customize reports to get advanced cross-program views of resources and tasks. 

 

6.  EazyBI

A powerful reporting app for Jira and Confluence, eazyBI delivers several drag-and-drop features for teams to build custom reports, charts, and dashboards. With eazyBI, teams can import data from popular Jira apps and a range of data sources and visualize (and analyze) data using charts and reports. 

eazyBI allows teams to: 

   • Visualize and analyze issues across the project development lifecycle.

   • Assimilate data from various sources to build custom reports and improve decision-making.

   • Drill down reports to unearth actionable insights, trends, and opportunities. 

Project Management apps

Managing complex projects requires teams to adopt apps that let them plan and manage various aspects such as planning resources and budgets, managing timesheets, overcoming challenges, meeting deadlines, and more. 

 7. Tempo (timesheets, planner, budgets)

Tempo offers a range of integrated time tracking features such as Tempo Timesheets, Tempo Planner, and Tempo Budgets that help manage projects and ensure success. Using Tempo, teams can gain end-to-end visibility into project time and quickly identify challenges and opportunities. 

Using Tempo Timesheets, teams can: 

   • Get insights into projects and build reports on productivity, billing, and accounting. 

   • Easily track timesheets and approve them for optimized outcomes. 

   • Create automated reports and get the details they need into timesheets. 

   • Analyze work performed across projects and seamlessly manage billing. 

Using Tempo Planner, teams can: 

   • Efficiently manage resources and their capacity and get insight into status and plans. 

   • Easily plan and approve work and get a clear overview of which resources are working on what tasks. 

   • Understand resource responsibilities across geographies and plan and adjust work according to their capacity. 

Using Tempo Budgets, teams can: 

   • Track and forecast finances, allocate budgets, and control project costs. 

   • Get a project-wide financial overview of planned and actual costs

   • Create, plan, and track budgets to the minutest of details and simplify cost management. 

 

 8. Structure – Project Management at Scale 

Structure is a great tool for teams looking to visualize (and organize) activities across the project lifecycle. By allowing teams to manage projects in real-time, it helps overcome challenges and bring in more clarity on what needs to be done. 

With Structure, teams can: 

   • Choose from different hierarchies to easily track projects based on individual needs.    

   • Get access to live project data as well as into issues based on defined business rules. 

   • Create cross-project tracking and management reports to get full view of project data. 

Security apps

 9. SAML Single Sign On 

The SAML Single Sign On app delivers the level of security needed to protect data (and users) from unauthorized access and malicious changes. Offering robust authentication and authorization mechanism, it follows security best practices for the most favorable outcomes. The app allows organizations to ensure the right level of authentication for accessing project data. It makes it possible for users to authenticate themselves once and access multiple Atlassian products in that session. 

Testing apps 

Ensuring the quality and reliability of applications being developed is also a critical requirement for software delivery teams. Atlassian’s testing apps simplify the process of testing, allowing teams to spot issues as well as resolve (and prevent) them. 

 10. Xray test management 

Xray Test Management is a feature-rich automated and test management app for testing the quality of Jira projects. It allows teams to effectively manage all tests as well as issues with speed and flexibility. 

Using Xray test management, teams can: 

   • Customize screens, fields, and workflows and manage a range of automated and manual tests across projects. 

   • Easily create test plans, executive them on different environments, and consolidate results for better decision-making. 

   • Build reports and analyze test results by version, test plan, and execution environment.  

Embrace these apps today and boost your project outcomes.