1. Jira is built on an issue‑type hierarchy designed to help teams manage work more effectively. But confusion often arises when teams misuse Epics, Stories, or Tasks, which can lead to bloated backlogs, poor traceability, and execution bottlenecks.
This guide explores each issue type—Epic, Story, Task—clarifying their purpose, differences, and best practices, so you can align Jira structure with Agile principles and achieve better delivery outcomes.
2. Jira Issue Hierarchy Overview
In standard Jira configurations, the issue hierarchy is structured as follows:
Epic → large cross‑cutting initiative or theme spanning multiple sprints or teams
Story → a user‑centric feature or requirement, typically completed within a sprint
Task → a technical or administrative piece of work that may or may not align with a Story
Sub‑task → a smaller unit of work, child to a Story or Task, for detailed tracking
Understanding this hierarchy is essential for governance, reporting, and scaling Agile practices across multiple teams.
3. What Is an Epic?
Definition: An Epic represents a significant business objective or theme, often made up of multiple Stories and spanning several sprints or teams.
Key Characteristics:
Large scope – Encompasses many smaller work items
Time-spanning – May take weeks or months to complete
Cross-functional – Involves multiple teams or disciplines
Strategic alignment – Maps to product roadmap, OKRs, or business goals
Examples:
“Implement Mobile App Version 2.0”
“Launch New E-commerce Checkout Flow”
“Upgrade Infrastructure for GDPR Compliance”
Best Use Cases:
Breaking down long-term strategic initiatives
Planning across multiple teams or releases
Organising backlog around outcomes or goals
4. What Is a Story?
Definition: A Story (or User Story) defines a user-facing feature or requirement intended to deliver value within a single sprint.
Sub‑tasks: micro-work tied directly to a parent Story or Task for fine-grained progress. Not visible in backlog by default.
Tasks: standalone work units, sometimes levels above Sub‑tasks. Use when work does not directly belong to a Story or when tracking independently across sprints.
c. Epics Across Teams and Projects
Epics can span multiple Jira projects or cross-team initiatives.
Use tools like Advanced Roadmaps, Portfolio, or filters to visualize Epic progress across the organization.
Allocate Stories in respective team boards while tracking parent Epic centrally.
7. Best Practices in Using Epics, Stories, and Tasks
1. Use Epics for Outcomes
Epics should describe what you want to achieve, not how you’ll do it. Focus on user value or business goals. Instead of naming an Epic “Refactor Backend,” a better example would be “Enable Faster Checkout Experience.” This outcome-driven approach helps align teams with strategic initiatives and allows stakeholders to better understand the value of ongoing work.
✅ Tip: An Epic should represent a deliverable that takes multiple sprints to complete and has a measurable impact.
2. Craft INVEST Stories
Each Story should adhere to the INVEST model:
Independent – Can be delivered separately from others
Negotiable – Collaborative and not overly detailed
Valuable – Provides clear value to users or customers
Estimable – Can be roughly estimated
Small – Can be completed in a sprint
Testable – Has clear acceptance criteria
This method ensures that your Stories are actionable and effective. A well-written Story like, “As a user, I want to save my payment method so I can check out faster next time” provides value, clarity, and direction for developers and testers.
3. Don’t Overuse Sub‑tasks
Sub-tasks are best used to break down a Story into specific, dependent work that must be done by different team members (e.g., development, design, QA). Overusing them can create clutter and micromanagement issues. Use Sub-tasks only when clarity or division of labor requires it.
🚫 Avoid creating Sub-tasks like “Work on it,” “Review it,” “Test it” unless they represent distinct phases with a clear owner or purpose.
4. Minimize Task Overloading
Tasks should be execution-focused and represent a meaningful chunk of work—not too vague and not too large. Assigning Tasks that cover multiple days or skills makes progress hard to track. Overloaded Tasks can slow velocity tracking, lead to missed deadlines, and dilute accountability.
✅ Keep Tasks manageable—ideally within 1–2 days of effort—and avoid creating a “mega task” that could be broken into Stories instead.
5. Keep the Hierarchy Flat
Avoid overcomplicating the structure. The ideal Jira hierarchy should be:
Epic → Story → Task → Sub-task Adding more levels increases complexity and makes it harder to manage, especially when working with dependencies, reporting tools, or portfolio views. A flat structure boosts visibility and supports faster planning cycles.
💡 Remember: Agile is about adaptability and speed. Deep nesting introduces rigidity.
6. Link Dependencies Properly
Dependencies should never live in a spreadsheet or someone’s head. Jira, including Jira Service Management, provides built-in link types like:
“Blocks” – This issue blocks progress on another
“Relates to” – Issues are associated but not dependent
“Is required by” – This issue must be completed first
Using these relationships makes it easy to see and manage cross-team impact, prioritize work correctly, and minimize surprises during sprint planning.
📈 Use dependency links in Roadmaps and Advanced Roadmaps for program-level planning.
7. Archive Done Epics
Once an Epic is fully delivered and its child Stories are closed, archive or mark the Epic as “Done.” Keeping old, completed Epics in your backlog can clutter views, confuse teams, and reduce reporting clarity.
🎯 Closed Epics also improve performance in Jira, declutter the Epic panel in backlog views, and help in filtering only active initiatives—something a Jira expert consultant can help you optimize.
✅ Tip: Create a Kanban board or filter view to display only open Epics to keep your product and program management dashboard clean and focused.
8. Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them
Pitfall
Why It Happens
How to Fix
Using Tasks for User Stories
Tech-centric teams writing low-context tasks
Reframe as INVEST Stories
Epics Too Detailed
Teams confuse Story for Epic
Educate on scope and timespan
Excessive Backlog
Garbage-in, garbage-out from granularity
Periodic backlog grooming
Misaligned Sprint Planning
Epics pulled into sprints
Limit to Stories and Tasks
Poor Traceability
Unlinked work causing confusion
Enforce clear links and hierarchy
9. Jira Configuration & Customization
Hierarchy Enhancements: Use Portfolio/Advanced Roadmaps to add Initiative level above Epics.
Custom Issue Types: Introduce “Feature,” “Capability,” etc., as needed.
Workflows by Issue Type: Add approvals for Epics, testing gates for Stories, etc.
Epic/Story Templates: Use marketplace add-ons or blueprints for standardization.
Q: Can a Task belong directly to an Epic? Yes—Tasks can link to Epics using the Epic Link field, but this should be reserved for technical work outside Stories.
Q: Should every Story have Sub‑tasks? Not necessarily; only use Sub‑tasks for complex Stories with distinct steps or handoffs.
Q: Where do Bugs fit? Bugs are typically a type of Story or Task depending on your workflow. Use depending on scope and impact.
Q: Can Epics span multiple sprints? Definitely. Epics are by definition larger than a sprint—they serve as containers for delivery across several sprints.
Q: Is it okay to convert a Story into an Epic? Yes, Jira allows converting item types if scope changes—but consider backlog impact.
Conclusion:
Understanding the differences between Epics, Stories, and Tasks in Jira is key to managing projects effectively and delivering value consistently. When used correctly, this hierarchy brings clarity, improves team alignment, and boosts productivity. As a leading digital transformation company, MicroGenesis leverages Jira services to help organizations streamline workflows and drive agile success.
At MicroGenesis, our Jira consulting services help teams structure and optimize their workflows using best practices tailored to their needs. Whether you’re just getting started or scaling your Agile practices, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
As businesses continue to scale and adapt to modern digital requirements, migrating from an on-premises setup to the cloud has become a strategic necessity. Moving to the cloud offers numerous benefits, including scalability, cost efficiency, security, and improved collaboration. However, a successful migration requires careful planning and execution to avoid risks like data loss, downtime, or compliance issues.
In this guide, we’ll cover the step-by-step process of migrating from on-prem to cloud, best practices, challenges to watch out for, and how to ensure a smooth transition for your organization with Jira migration experts.
Step 1: Assess Your Current On-Prem Infrastructure
Before beginning the migration, conduct a thorough assessment of your existing infrastructure.
1. Identify Your IT Assets
List all applications, databases, and services running on-prem.
Categorize workloads based on business criticality and dependencies.
Identify outdated applications that need to be upgraded or replaced.
2. Evaluate Cloud Readiness
Determine if your applications are cloud-compatible.
Identify network and security requirements.
Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
3. Define Migration Goals
Reduce operational costs.
Improve performance and accessibility.
Enhance security and disaster recovery.
Enable remote workforce collaboration.
Step 2: Choose the Right Cloud Provider
Selecting the right cloud provider is crucial for a successful migration. Some of the top cloud providers offer seamless integration with Atlassian tools. With expert Atlassian migration services, ensure a smooth transition, optimized performance, and enhanced scalability.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) – Scalable infrastructure, security, and global presence.
Microsoft Azure – Seamless integration with Microsoft products and enterprise solutions.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) – Advanced AI/ML capabilities and high-performance computing.
IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud – Industry-specific solutions for complex enterprise needs.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Cloud Provider:
Performance & Scalability – Can the provider handle your workloads?
Security & Compliance – Does it meet regulatory standards?
Cost & Pricing Model – Pay-as-you-go vs. fixed pricing.
Integration & Compatibility – Does it support your existing applications?
Step 3: Plan Your Cloud Migration Strategy
There are several cloud migration strategies depending on your business needs.
1. Lift-and-Shift (Rehosting)
Migrate applications as-is to the cloud.
Faster and less complex but may not be optimized for cloud performance.
2. Refactoring (Re-architecting)
Modify applications to take advantage of cloud-native features.
Best for long-term cost savings and improved efficiency.
3. Replatforming (Lift, Tinker, and Shift)
Make minor modifications to optimize applications for cloud use.
Reduces performance issues post-migration.
4. Retiring & Replacing
Decommission obsolete applications and replace them with cloud-native services.
Choose a hybrid approach if some workloads need to remain on-prem while others move to the cloud.
Step 4: Develop a Migration Plan
1. Create a Timeline & Roadmap
Define migration phases (e.g., pilot migration, full-scale migration).
Assign roles and responsibilities to IT teams.
2. Backup Data Before Migration
Ensure full data backup and disaster recovery planning.
Use replication tools to mirror on-prem data to the cloud.
3. Test in a Staging Environment
Deploy workloads in a sandbox environment first.
Identify performance issues before the final migration.
4. Establish Security Measures
Set up identity and access management (IAM).
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and encryption.
Ensure DDoS protection and firewall configurations.
Once planning is complete, begin the migration in phases.
1. Perform Pilot Migration
Migrate non-critical workloads first to test stability.
Monitor latency, performance, and integration with cloud services.
2. Full Migration Deployment
Move business-critical workloads in a controlled manner.
Monitor network traffic, database synchronization, and security logs.
3. Validate and Optimize
Test application functionality, performance, and connectivity.
Fine-tune configurations for cost and performance optimization.
Step 6: Post-Migration Optimization & Maintenance
1. Monitor & Troubleshoot
Use cloud monitoring tools (e.g., AWS CloudWatch, Azure Monitor).
Identify bottlenecks and performance gaps.
2. Optimize Costs
Right-size instances and optimize resource allocation.
Implement auto-scaling to reduce costs during non-peak hours.
3. Train IT & Employees
Provide cloud training for IT administrators.
Educate end-users on new workflows and security best practices.
4. Maintain Security & Compliance
Regular security audits and penetration testing.
Ensure compliance with data regulations.
Challenges in Cloud Migration & How to Overcome Them
Challenge
Solution
Downtime & Data Loss
Use migration tools & backup data.
Security & Compliance Risks
Implement strong IAM & encryption.
Performance Issues
Optimize workloads & use monitoring.
Compatibility Issues
Choose hybrid cloud if needed.
Conclusion
Migrating from on-prem to cloud enhances scalability, cost savings, and security. With expert digital transformation consultants, plan and execute a seamless transition by assessing infrastructure, choosing the right cloud provider, and implementing the best migration strategies.
At MicroGenesis, we specialize in cloud migration services tailored to your business needs. Contact us today for expert guidance on your journey to the cloud!
Before diving into customization, it’s essential to understand the basics of Jira workflows. A workflow in Jira represents the series of steps that an issue moves through during its lifecycle, from creation to resolution. Workflows typically consist of statuses (e.g., Open, In Progress, Resolved) and transitions (e.g., To Do → In Progress, In Progress → Done) that define how issues progress through the workflow.
Best Practices for Customization of Workflows in Jira
Define Your Process:
Before customizing your workflow, clearly define your team’s process and identify the stages through which issues need to progress. Consider factors such as team structure, project requirements, and stakeholder expectations. Engaging with a Jira implementation consultant can help in accurately defining these processes.
Keep It Simple:
Strive for simplicity when designing your workflow. Avoid creating overly complex workflows with unnecessary statuses or transitions. A streamlined workflow is easier to understand, maintain, and navigate for team members. Jira consulting services can assist in creating effective yet simple workflows.
Use Standard Jira Workflow Features:
Leverage standard Jira workflow features such as conditions, validators, and post-functions to enforce rules, validate transitions, and automate tasks. These features allow you to customize workflows without the need for custom scripting or plugins. Expert advice from Jira consulting can maximize the use of these features.
Involve Stakeholders:
Collaborate with key stakeholders, including team members, project managers, and product owners, when designing and customizing workflows. Solicit feedback and incorporate input to ensure that the workflow meets the needs of all stakeholders. A Jira implementation consultant can facilitate this collaboration.
Test Iteratively:
Test your customized workflows iteratively in a staging or test environment before rolling them out to production. Solicit feedback from users and make adjustments as needed to optimize the workflow for usability and effectiveness. Jira consulting services can provide valuable insights during the testing phase.
Customize workflows to align with agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban. Define stages for backlog grooming, sprint planning, development, testing, and deployment to support iterative development cycles.
IT Service Management (ITSM):
Design workflows tailored to IT service management processes such as incident management, change management, and service request fulfillment. Customize statuses and transitions to reflect the stages of each process and enforce ITIL best practices.
Bug Tracking and Resolution:
Create workflows specifically for bug tracking and resolution, with statuses representing bug triage, assignment, fixing, testing, and verification. Use automation to expedite the resolution process and ensure timely bug fixes.
Document Review and Approval:
Customize workflows for document review and approval processes, incorporating statuses for drafting, review, approval, and publishing. Implement automation to notify stakeholders of pending reviews and track document revisions.
Conclusion
Unlocking efficiency in Jira involves customizing workflows to meet your team’s unique needs. By implementing best practices, you can streamline processes, improve productivity, and achieve project success. For organizations looking to maximize their Jira capabilities, MicroGenesis, an Atlassian partner, offers expert guidance as part of their enterprise digital transformation services. With their support, you can fully leverage Jira to enhance your workflow efficiency and drive your projects to succeed
Bug tracking is a critical aspect of software development that can significantly impact customer satisfaction and the overall efficiency of your organization. Jira Service Management, a powerful service desk solution, offers a robust platform for managing bugs effectively.
In this blog post, we will explore four best practices for bug tracking in Jira Service Management, drawing inspiration from the MicroGenesis case study.
1. Create a Centralized Bug Reporting Hub:
Just as MicroGenesis emphasized, having a centralized hub for reporting bugs is essential. In Jira Service Management, this is achieved through the Help Center. Users should have an easily accessible and user-friendly platform where they can submit bug reports. To optimize this process, configure specific request types for bug reporting. This helps guide users to provide accurate information about the bugs they encounter.
By setting up dynamic forms within Jira Service Management, you can ensure that all the necessary details are captured during bug report submissions. This minimizes the need for back-and-forth communication and streamlines the bug-reporting process.
2. Enable Multiple Reporting Channels:
Recognize that users have different preferences when it comes to reporting bugs. Jira Service Management allows you to cater to these preferences by offering multiple reporting channels. Similar to MicroGenesis’s approach, consider enabling bug reports via email, chat, and an embeddable widget, in addition to the Help Center.
This flexibility ensures that users can report bugs through their preferred channels, making it easier for them to alert your team to potential issues. By providing multiple reporting options, you increase the chances of identifying and resolving bugs promptly, reducing the likelihood of incidents.
3. Leverage Automation for Efficiency:
Automation is a powerful tool that can save your team valuable time and improve productivity. In Jira Service Management, you can automate various aspects of bug tracking. Take a cue from MicroGenesis’s strategy of grouping similar bug reports and linking them to ongoing development work.
By automating this process, you can ensure that bugs are efficiently categorized and assigned to the appropriate teams. Automated notifications keep stakeholders informed about the status of their bug reports, eliminating the need for manual follow-ups and reducing miscommunication.
Jira Service Management provides a wide range of automation templates and customization options, allowing you to tailor automation rules to your team’s specific needs. Whether it’s auto-assigning issues, linking related support tickets, or sending alerts, automation can streamline bug tracking and resolution.
This integration ensures that developers have visibility into bug reports and can provide feedback directly within the platform. When developers and support teams work together, it becomes everyone’s responsibility to ensure that software runs smoothly, reducing the burden on support teams and improving response times.
Conclusion:
Mastering bug tracking in Jira Service Management is crucial for maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. By implementing these four best practices, inspired by the MicroGenesis case study, you can create a streamlined bug-tracking process that minimizes downtime, enhances customer satisfaction, and reduces incidents.
Remember to create a centralized bug reporting hub, enable multiple reporting channels, leverage automation for efficiency, and unite your development and IT support teams. With these best practices in place, your organization can effectively squash bugs and deliver a seamless software experience to your users.
MicroGenesis is an Atlassian platinum solution partner, our goal is to assist businesses in unlocking the full potential of Jira Service Management, enhancing project management processes, and delivering top-tier customer satisfaction. With MicroGenesis by your side, you can embark on a journey to transform your bug tracking practices and project management workflows in Jira Service Management.
Requirements traceability isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the backbone of successful project management. From software development to complex engineering endeavors, understanding the importance of requirements traceability is key to ensuring that your project thrives. In this blog, we’ll unravel the critical role that requirements traceability plays in project success and why it should be a cornerstone of your project management strategy.
Understanding Requirements Traceability
Before we delve into its significance, let’s clarify what requirements traceability entails. At its core, requirements traceability is the practice of linking various project artifacts together to create a clear and comprehensive understanding of how each requirement or element contributes to the project’s objectives. This linkage typically involves tracking requirements from their inception through various stages of development, testing, and implementation.
Now, let’s explore why requirements traceability is so crucial:
1. Clarity and Alignment
Requirements traceability brings clarity to project goals and objectives. By tracing each requirement to its source and mapping it through every phase of the project, stakeholders gain a comprehensive view of how each piece fits into the bigger picture. This alignment ensures that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same end goals.
2. Risk Mitigation
One of the most significant advantages of requirements traceability is its ability to identify potential risks early in the project lifecycle. When you can trace a specific requirement back to its source, you can also trace any associated risks or dependencies. This insight enables project managers to proactively address issues, allocate resources effectively, and minimize project disruptions.
3. Change Management
In a dynamic project environment, changes are inevitable. Requirements traceability allows for efficient change management. When a requirement changes or is updated, you can quickly identify all related elements and assess the impact of the change. This information is invaluable for making informed decisions about whether to proceed with the modification and how it might affect the project timeline and budget.
Quality assurance is a cornerstone of any successful project. Traceability helps ensure that the final product aligns with the initial requirements. It enables testers to create comprehensive test plans, validating that each requirement has been met. This not only improves the overall quality of the project but also reduces the likelihood of costly post-launch defects.
5. Regulatory Compliance
In industries with stringent regulatory requirements, such as healthcare, aerospace, or automotive, requirements traceability is not just a best practice—it’s often a legal necessity. Traceability provides a documented trail, showing how requirements have been met in compliance with regulatory standards. This is crucial for audits and ensuring that your project adheres to industry-specific guidelines.
Clear communication is vital in any project. Traceability aids in effective communication by providing a common language that stakeholders can use to discuss requirements, changes, and progress. It reduces misunderstandings and ensures that everyone involved in the project has a shared understanding of its scope and objectives.
7. Continuous Improvement
Requirements traceability isn’t just a tool for the current project—it also supports ongoing improvement efforts. By analyzing traceability data from completed projects, organizations can identify areas for optimization, assess the effectiveness of their processes, and refine their requirements gathering and management practices.
In conclusion, requirements traceability is not merely a project management practice; it’s a strategic asset that can significantly enhance project success. Whether you’re developing software, engineering products, or managing any complex project, the ability to trace requirements provides clarity, mitigates risks, supports change management, ensures quality, facilitates compliance, enables effective communication, and drives continuous improvement. It’s a practice that fosters efficiency, transparency, and ultimately, project excellence.
MicroGenesis is the key to robust requirements traceability and top-notch ALM services. our expertise, technology, and comprehensive solutions ensure efficient traceability at every project stage, facilitating better decision-making and project success.
