Workflows on Custom Board created from Filters

[Charisse Robison]

We have a company-owned project with a customized board created with filters to display issues from multiple team-managed boards. After checking workflows and issue types and scheme mapping for hours now, I'm still unable to move tickets into the custom columns (see screenshot). I'm looking for some insight. Thank you!

[Trudy Claspill · Accepted solution]

Hello @Charisse Robison 

The movement of issues between columns has to adhere to the workflow for the issue. The issue can be moved only to a column that contains a Status that aligns with a valid transition for that issue.

Which issue specifically are you trying to move?

In that issue's project do you have permission to change the status of issues?

What is its starting status?

To what column are you trying to move it?

What statuses are mapped to that column?

Examine the workflow for that type of issue in its project. Does it include a transition from the starting status to the destination status?

If you go to the issue view for that issue and pull down the status field, do you see the desired destination status there?

[Charisse Robison]

Thank you, @Trudy Claspill

This is exactly the  type of information I'm looking for. I wasn't sure where to troubleshoot so have been working with the workflow from the wrong perspective.

Now I know I can start with the issue workflows and work my way through the permissions.

Thank you for helping me get on the right track.

Charisse

[Trudy Claspill]

You're welcome!

If you have more questions on debugging this, don't hesitate to ask.

If you end up solving it on your own, it would be great if you post here what you learned. That will help others learn from your experience.

[Charisse Robison]

Great! I am having issues debugging this. I think I might be trying to do the impossible.

The board shown is created on a company-owned board through filters on 4 different team-owned projects. So, when I try to use the same issues/statuses to match the company-owned board in the team-owned projects, I don't have the ability to use the schema that the board is using. I also don't have the ability to select the same statuses in my workflow.

Somehow, the issues that are shown on the board in statuses were those that have been used across multiple team-owned projects (I can't identify how or recreate that). I will check to see if they are default statuses with the default workflow though. I'm wondering if there is any way I can add new statuses to that in it's own workflow?

I hope this makes sense. Thank you!

[Trudy Claspill]

TL;DR

1. You can't share one workflow between Team Managed projects, and Workflow Schemes are not able to be applied to Team Managed projects.

2. The Status values available in each Team Managed project are unique to that project, even if the names are identical, and are unique compared to the globally defined Statuses that are used in Company Managed projects.

3. In a board that combines issues from Team Managed project(s) and Company Managed project(s) you have to map the statuses from each project to columns in the board. Don't leave them in the Unmapped Statuses area if you want to be able to drag cards from one column to another.

4. Cards can only be dragged to another column/statuses that matches their own project's workflow.

Longer version:

Let us back up a moment.

I think I understand that you are pulling issues from Team Managed projects into this board.

• Are you also pulling issues from a Company Managed project into this board?
• Can you show us the filter you are using for this board?

For Team Managed projects customizations in that project are specific to that project. That includes the Statuses in the Workflows. Even if all projects use identically named Statuses, each one of those Statuses is considered a unique status value.

In the below image I created a board based on a filter that pulls issues from two Team Managed projects. Notice that each column has multiple statuses mapped to it with the same name. That is because each of the Team Managed projects includes a To Do status, and In Progress status, and a Done status.

You can't immediately tell by looking at this which To Do status belongs to which Team Managed project.

The Statuses used in a Company Managed board are defined at a Global level, and apply to Company Managed projects through the use of Workflows and Workflows Schemes. The globally defined Schemes can't be used by Team Managed projects. The globally defined Statuses are not used by Team Managed projects.

If your filter also includes issues from a Company Managed project, then you'll also have identically named Status values for that project in your board Columns configuration page.

In the end, the issues in each project can be dragged from column to column, but only from and to the specific status value named in their respective projects.

In the below screen images you can see that the ATP issue has only one Status option in the In Progress column, but the ATK issue has two. That is based on the unique workflow of the issues in each project. Each has its own unique "In Progress" status.

In your board's Columns configuration you will have to map the statuses from each project's workflow into the columns. You can't have just one of the identically named statuses mapped to the column. In the above example if I change the board so the In Progress column has the In Progress status only for the ATP project, then when I try to move the ATK issue no In Progress status will be available.

In conclusion:

1. You can't share one workflow between Team Managed projects, and Workflow Schemes are not able to be applied to Team Managed projects.

2. The Status values available in each Team Managed project are unique to that project, even if the names are identical, and are unique compared to the globally defined Statuses that are used in Company Managed projects.

3. In a board that combines issues from Team Managed project(s) and Company Managed project(s) you have to map the statuses from each project to columns in the board. Don't leave them in the Unmapped Statuses area if you want to be able to drag cards from one column to another.

4. Cards can only be dragged to another column/statuses that matches their own project's workflow.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have additional questions.

[Charisse Robison]

Wow! Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. I was able to easily follow your instruction. I was able to get 2 of the three projects to work correctly. Thank you! I just have one quirky issue left. For one of the projects, the statuses are not showing up for selection on the in manage boards for me to be able to map.

Answers

I think I understand that you are pulling issues from Team Managed projects into this board. (That’s correct)

• Are you also pulling issues from a Company Managed project into this board? (No)
• Can you show us the filter you are using for this board?

• Filter query
• Project in (Finance, "FMS SPA Project", Faculty, Uplift, Architect, "Data Wranglers") and created >= -104w order by project ASC, created DESC

For Team Managed projects customizations in that project are specific to that project. That includes the Statuses in the Workflows. Even if all projects use identically named Statuses, each one of those Statuses is considered a unique status value. (Got  it)

In the below image I created a board based on a filter that pulls issues from two Team Managed projects. Notice that each column has multiple statuses mapped to it with the same name. That is because each of the Team Managed projects includes a To Do status, and In Progress status, and a Done status. (Makes Sense)

The Statuses used in a Company Managed board are defined at a Global level, and apply to Company Managed projects through the use of Workflows and Workflows Schemes. The globally defined Schemes can't be used by Team Managed projects. The globally defined Statuses are not used by Team Managed projects. (I have been updating the team statuses to match the Company Managed project statuses in each project)

[Trudy Claspill]

I'm glad my explanation helped you!

For one of the projects, the statuses are not showing up for selection on the in manage boards for me to be able to map.

What steps have you gone through to determine that the statuses should be available, and that they are not available? Can you provide some screen images to show your process for that?

[Charisse Robison]

@Trudy Claspill 

Your questions got me thinking and I was able to correct the issue. I made sure all projects had the same statuses and workflows and made sure to properly map the statuses to the columns on the custom board.

Thank you very much for your assistance with this issues. You were very helpful.

Charisse

[Trudy Claspill]

You are most welcome @Charisse Robison !

If my responses helped you solve your problem, please consider clicking on the Accept Answer button above my response thread to mark you Question as Solved.