By default, Jira allows you to use as many components for company-managed projects as you want, right? So, say you’re handling a big project where you have to deal with 800-900 components; what do you do to keep track of everything without losing your mind?
Quick summary:
- 7 easy and clear reasons why you need a Jira components management tool like Octo to create and manage your Jira components.
- How Octo can greatly improve your day-to-day life as a Jira administrator, manager or Jira user!
1. Collaborate across Jira projects
Major issue number 1 that appears when managing Jira components is the inability to collaborate across projects. And it’s a headache if you’re working at a big company with complex Jira projects and a lot of people!
You cannot create cross-project components in Jira, by default, because you’re only allowed to link issues to a component from one Jira project only.
If you use Octo however to manage your Jira components, not only can you own the same component across multiple projects and teams, but you can also create component versions and track work progress without having to link your release to any Jira project.
You can add as many projects to your Jira components as you want, merge existing components, or even create new cross-project components from scratch. Octo will create components for every Jira project you select, ensuring that changes are in sync, without ever needing to update manually.
And if you’re wondering why you’re better off using components than say, custom fields, labels and automation for Jira, there’s a good article for that!
2. Track components and component versions in Jira
Jira allows you basic tracking of your project releases; basic. Octo, on the other hand, allows you to create Jira component versions, i.e. releases linked to your Jira components - to which you can assign a name, description, start date and release date, as well as link it to delivered issues.
Group Jira components with labels
Component labels allow you to group components by tagging them with a label as the name suggests. They help organize Jira components and simplify the process of importing a certain group of them into a project.
Break project into Jira components
Component versions are of interest to the more technical teams (such as those who develop products) because it allows them to break their apps into different Jira components and deliver code based on that specific component.
3. Manage Jira components from a centralized view
Manage components from one place
Thanks to Octo, you get to create and manage all of your Jira components from a single, centralized view in Jira and filter them via label tags you can create, edit and view. Not only that, but you can drag and drop any issue under your component to make it into a subcomponent - which is a whole new ballgame!
Also, Octo unlocks the Component screen in your team-managed projects, so you can create and manage Jira components the way you’re used to doing it in company-managed projects. You can also assign components to issues via the “Component” field and then filter for issues assigned to these components.
Separate component releases from project releases
Component releases get their own screen with Octo, so they don’t mess with project releases. And if you wish to track what Jira component version is being used in which Jira project release, components can be linked together allowing you to create your release hierarchy.
Basically, your entire list of Jira components is nicely organized in one place.
4. Organize your Jira components with component hierarchy
Tag your Jira components with a label
The Component Hierarchy tab, as the name suggests, is where you get to build hierarchy by tagging your components with a label. By clicking on the arrow next to any component, you can view all of the components under it; basically, if your component label has an arrow next to it, then it has sub-components.
Drag and drop to build component hierarchy
Octo allows you to build component hierarchy easily, by dragging and dropping Jira components under any label you want. You get to shuffle components around, in whatever hierarchy works for you and your team. And of course, it happens instantly!
Plus, you can go down to as many levels as you want; there’s no limit to how much you can sub-categorize your Jira components.
View hierarchy in Jira issue panel
When updating an issue in Jira, Octo allows you to tag that issue on the spot (and with multiple components if you so wish) by clicking on the Components button at the top. You can also filter your issues in Jira by component so you can, for example, see how much time was spent on the Jira issues connected to that specific Jira component.
You can go a step further and view all of your sub-components in the Jira issue panel itself, under Component Hierarchy! And if you’d rather not, you can as easily disable this function in Project Settings.
5. Get help when creating useful Jira reports
It's a fact that you can manage components in Jira, but what about creating the reports you want? To put it simply, Octo makes it easy to search for issues, and anyone who has worked with Jira components knows that the process is anything but simple.
Jira component filters
Octo doesn't have a reporting system, true; what it does however offer is the ability to build hierarchy and use filters to segregate so that when you do create reports, your data is clean. If you need that extra control over how many times a component appears in your reports, Octo is your tool!
Not only that; Octo also allows you to merge Jira components (say A and B) from different projects for example, so that component A now features issues from both!
Standardized structure
Moreover, Octo allows you to skip some manual errors thanks to automatic updates, and create a standardized structure that will (for sure) save you a lot of time in the future. Octo brings along a steady process that makes reporting in Jira easier and more efficient.
6. Octo was built for Jira Cloud
Octo is designed for Jira admins and managers looking for a way to bring structure to their organization in Jira; after all, it’s built for Jira Cloud.
Upgrade your Jira components management process
Octo is a huge upgrade from Jira's basic offering of its components feature because it allows cross-project components, component versioning and releases, as well as component and subcomponent hierarchy.
Perfect sync: Octo + Jira
Whatever changes you make to any cross-project component, in any of your Jira projects, will be synchronized across all your Jira projects, automatically (every 4 hours) or in real time with the click of a button.
- You can link the component versions you create in Octo to your Jira project versions.
- You can assign issues to any component version you create, from your Jira backlog or Kanban board.
Secure your data with Octo
Octo is a Jira cloud-fortified app in line with all Atlassian Marketplace security programs, i.e. you can bet your data is secure.
- Bug Bounty Program
- Security Self Assessment
- CAIQ-Lite
- Atlassian Silver Solution Partner
- Cloud Fortified
For more information on these security programs, make sure to take a look at our Octo FAQs section here!
Enable access to components beyond project administrators
Octo enables access beyond project administrators, which is really useful if you want to include your team in the management process and allow users the ability to create and edit components in Jira; and if you wish to give admins a bit of a break of course!
Octo’s price is on the dot
Octo is priced per user: $0 flat monthly fee for up to 10 users (yay), then it’s $0.8 per user, until 250 users where it goes down to $0.2! Octo is technically the only Atlassian Marketplace app for managing components in Jira Cloud; there's no other solution supporting Jira Cloud - hence no competition really.
7. Work with Jira components in team-managed projects
In 2018, Atlassian announced Next-gen projects which meant that you could now set up your project faster, work with simple epic roadmaps and deal with easier administration. For many in the ecosystem, this was fantastic news despite the fact that some key features were missing, of which components.
Yes, there are workarounds in team-managed projects (not as efficient as components though) but a major Octo plus is that you can actually create and manage components in team-managed projects also, and it’s super easy!
Basically, Octo is currently the best tool for managing Jira components. Say goodbye to technical headaches by turning your Jira components management process into something super easy for Jira administrators, and for everyone involved!