How manage backlog with multiple projects?

[Ryan Frank]

To whom it may concern - 

I have setup JIRA by having a project created for each of the main applications that we build/support.  Each project has it's own backlog.  We are trying to manage the backlog for all projects in one place.  

I have learned how I can see issues between multiple projects with a filter.  Then I've created a board with that filter applied - which works great with active sprints.  This works because when I click on the backlog view, it groups the issues by Sprint.  However, the respective backlogs don't have any sprints - therefore there is just a big long list.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Aaron Brady · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the community, Ryan!

I may be misunderstanding your question, and if so, please let me know. You created a bunch of projects for each of the primary applications. Each one has its own backlog, and you even used a board query to create a new board that consolidated all of the backlog items onto a single backlog. Now the problem is that you have a giant list without any sprints to organize the work?

If that is correct, then I think I have an easy answer. On the consolidated scrum board, you can create sprints and then drag the various backlog items from the other projects into them. They never have to become active and can be used as a way of organizing the backlog. 

Hope that helps!

Aaron

[Ryan Frank]

@Aaron Brady - very helpful thank you!  I assumed that if I put the issue in a sprint, then it would also be placed within a sprint of the project - which I don't want.  That was helpful - thank you!  I'll run with this solution for now. 

[Aaron Brady]

@Ryan Frank I had the same fear, and it was a blocker for me for a while until I found it wasn't really an issue. I am glad this was helpful!

-Aaron

[Chris White]

Trying this out....

While the sprint gets associated with the board, it also sets the sprint field on the issues in the various projects. Is this expected? If the issue is then added to a project-specific sprint, wouldn't this clobber that field?

[Trudy Claspill]

Any time you associate an issue with a sprint that sprint will be added to the Sprint field for that issue. 

Also, that sprint will display in any scrum board that also includes issues assigned to the sprint.

An issue may be in only one Active or Future sprint at a time. If you assign an issue already in an Active or Future sprint to another Active or Future sprint, then the issue will be pulled out of the Active or Future sprint it had been in.

[Trudy Claspill]

@Ryan Frank 

There is a nearly identical post under a different user name. Are both these posts actually from you?

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-questions/How-can-I-handle-a-backlog-of-several-projects/qaq-p/2238148

[Ryan Frank]

ha - @Trudy Claspill thanks for sharing.  It is very similar.  Thanks for helping.