Summing Up Story Points to an Epic in Jira

In Agile project management, using Jira, Epics are large bodies of work that can be broken down into smaller tasks, often represented as stories with associated story points. Summing up these story points to an Epic provides a clear overview of the total effort required for the Epic's completion. This article discusses methods to sum up story points to an Epic in Jira and introduces the "Status & Progress Report" gadget from the "Simple Custom Reports, Charts & Time in Status for Jira" app as a solution.

Jira’s Native Functionality

By default, Jira does not automatically sum up the story points from individual stories to their parent Epic. Users can manually add up these points or rely on custom JQL (Jira Query Language) queries and reports to calculate the total. However, this process can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially in large projects.

Summing Up Story Points with "Status & Progress Report" Gadget

The "Status & Progress Report" gadget, part of the "Simple Custom Reports, Charts & Time in Status for Jira" app, offers a more streamlined and automated way to sum up story points for an Epic. This gadget can be added to your Jira dashboard for easy access and visualization.

Installing the App

1. Visit the Atlassian Marketplace: Go to the Simple Custom Reports, Charts & Time in Status for Jira page.

2. Select the Correct Version: Make sure to choose the version that matches your Jira instance (Cloud, Server, or Data Center).

3. Install the App: Click on "Get it now" or "Try it free" to add it to your Jira.

Adding and Configuring the Gadget

1. Access Your Dashboard: Navigate to 'Dashboards' in Jira's top menu bar and select the desired dashboard.

2. Edit the Dashboard: Click on 'Edit' to enter the dashboard's configuration mode.

3. Add the Gadget: Choose 'Add Gadget', then search for the "Status & Progress Report" gadget in the directory.

4. Configure the Gadget:

   • Set it up to track story points for specific Epics.

   • Customize the gadget to display the total story points accumulated under each Epic.

5. Save and Utilize: Save your configuration. The gadget will now display the sum of story points for each Epic on your dashboard.

Advantages of Using the "Status & Progress Report" Gadget

• Automation: Automatically calculates the total story points for each Epic, eliminating manual tallying.

• Real-Time Tracking: Offers an up-to-date view of the progress on Epics.

• Enhanced Visibility: Provides a clear and concise visualization of effort and progress at the Epic level.

In conclusion, while Jira’s native capabilities do not directly support the summing up of story points to an Epic, the "Status & Progress Report" gadget from the "Simple Custom Reports, Charts & Time in Status for Jira" app fills this gap effectively. By incorporating this gadget into your Jira dashboard, you can gain a more comprehensive and automated overview of the total effort involved in your Epics, enhancing your project management and planning capabilities.