Feature comparison matrix to facilitate better choices

[Dave F]

I'd love to see a table detailing the functional differences/constraints to enable correct decisions when choosing between the following, as some decisions impede a team's ability to manage work effectively and/or can create an administrative mess over time

• Scrum projects VS Kanban projects
• Scrum boards VS Kanban boards
• Company-managed VS Team-managed projects
• The impacts of the above choices on the new Advanced Roadmaps/Plans feature

Ideally this would be provided in a comparison table of features, functionality, benefits and constraints, not pages and pages of articles, process discussions and marketing hype to spend hours reading through.

Such a matrix would be very beneficial for people creating projects before they go too far down the wrong path.

Does one exist? If not can Atlassian please produce one.  Thanks

[Dave F · Accepted solution]

Such a matrix does not exist, but if you would like Atlassian to create one, please vote for it here - https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JSWCLOUD-21945 

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @Dave F 

I agree there could be more terse and focused feature comparison documentation from our vendor, Atlassian.  With an internet search I expect you can find third-party consultants who have created such comparisons.  I am just a customer, so I sometimes resort to such searches to find answers when documentation is lacking.

And although I understand how the things you note in Jira can confuse and frustrate customers due to the number of options/features available, having such comparison matrices may not solve challenges completely. 

Jira is just a tool, and your teams will be the best people to decide when they should use practices such as the Scrum Framework or Kanban Method, and how features of tools may help or impede value delivery.

On that topic, Jira projects are just projects: not targeting a specific work-management practice.  Projects can have boards specifically used for Scrum or Kanban, as described in this short article: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-articles/What-s-the-difference-between-a-kanban-board-and-a-Scrum-board/ba-p/1497235

There is side-by-side comparison about company-managed and team-managed projects, and that may be found here:

• https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/what-are-team-managed-and-company-managed-projects/
• https://support.atlassian.com/jira-software-cloud/docs/migrate-between-team-managed-and-company-managed-projects/

Other sources of help include finding/hiring experienced and knowledgeable agile/process coaches and Jira administrators.  The former can help teams experiment with better ways to work, and the latter can support them in how to implement practices in Jira and other tools.

Kind regards,
Bill

[Dave F]

Thanks for those links Bill.

In this case, I am an experienced Scrum Master and Jira Server admin. The (new to me) implementation of features in cloud are where I'm having trouble deciding which will best suit each team, and why a side-by-side feature comparison would help start down the right path as we migrate projects and/or start new ones.

As every Jira server migrates over to cloud and their admin becomes a Jira cloud admin, the little details about the differences their options will impose will be important. Especially now that their previously unbounded admin capabilities will forever now be limited/contained.

[Bill Sheboy]

Thanks for clarifying!  I missed that you were doing server to cloud migrations.  Several have found the information below (and included links) helpful.  Your current admins could look for features which they use to today to see what is supported (or changed) in cloud.

https://support.atlassian.com/migration/docs/jira-server-to-cloud-migration-resources/

[Dave F]

Not so much migrating personally, so much as a history at employers with Jira server and recently started at an employer with Jira cloud. It's probably a more jarring switch for me than migrating would have provided.

Thanks for the link. It is answering some of the technical differences in what server VS cloud offers, which is useful to know.

I think though, as you've stated earlier, that what I'm hoping to see doesn't exist. It would be an excellent resource for Atlassian to produce. Such a reference matrix would assist Jira users to make the right decisions up front when creating projects and boards. This in turn would allow users to manage their work more efficiently, rather than struggle through unnecessary trial and error, resulting in a better UX for all.

[Bill Sheboy]

Sorry I could not offer more help...Here's an idea: as you appear to be on the premium license level, work with your site admin to submit a support request to Atlassian to provide documentation with such comparisons.  If they do not have these, the conversation may help get some specific concerns answered.

https://support.atlassian.com/contact/#/

[Dave F]

Logged.  And now we wait

[Dave F]

.