Hybrid Teams have shaped the way that the IT industry works today and, the trend is here to stay. These teams are made up of people working from multiple locations; these locations include the office, home or any other individual place of preference. All that matters is that all members stay connected virtually, maintain smooth communication channels and deliver their parts in a project correctly. The end result is a top-class solution built by experts working with some common tools and resources as part of the project management strategy.
To be able to do this, it is important that Hybrid Teams maintain a cohesive workflow with precise interpersonal communiqué on the project. A good project management tool that designates, assigns and monitors work with precision is the key to successful team and project management and, delivery. JIRA is one such tool that can immensely improve the engagement of your IT Hybrid Team, and here’s how.
What is JIRA?
JIRA software was originally built to help track bugs. Today, it is a tool-cum-software that teams use to manage all types of project work ranging from agile software development to its all encompassing work management. JIRA is specifically designed to facilitate working of development teams and is packed with features that have made it a powerhouse of project management tools.
Using the software lets you manage a project the way that you want by engaging the resources the way that you wish to utilize for it. The best part of using this software framework is that Hybrid Team members get precedence as individuals over tools and processes. It is more of a working software rather than being just a tool for comprehensive documentation.
How does it improve Hybrid Team engagement?
The software is flexible and loaded with customization options that are best suited to maximize engagement in Hybrid Teams. It lets all stakeholders respond to changes as and when required over and above following set plans. It also fosters relationship of collaboration with customers instead of sticking to mere contracts and negotiations. Here are some core points as to how JIRA can help improve team engagement.
Optimizes Hybrid-Agile-Scrum work management:
Hybrid Teams work best when they follow the Agile-Scrum method. Using JIRA lets teams create Scrum boards that help simplify project execution immaterial of its magnitude or complexity. Individual team members can keep a detailed record of sprints and their progress letting everyone execute their parts quickly and efficiently. Selecting the “scrum” management style during the initial setup process or creating a new scrum board for existing projects will let users get full access to this feature.
These boards are accessible to all members of the Hybrid Team and helps bring in complete transparency of work done across the team with the visibility status of every work item. Features like time tracking, velocity charts, burn-up/down charts let members monitor their individual productivity along with the rest of the team.
Optimizes team management:
Team managers can get the much-needed big-picture of project progress with JIRA as the software gives flexible reporting options. Building detailed reports in JIRA is easy given its flexible options, letting managers have full updates on the latest developments, analyze data and revert back seamlessly. This way the team remains interconnected and also under the direct supervision of the project manager who can advice on the latest project developments.
Product managers have a tool that enables product road mapping and sharing with team members while pointing out map dependencies. At the same time they can help optimize team engagement by assigning user permission, enable notification by mail, and get project analytics. Custom access enables each team member get the needed information to carry out assigned tasks while minimizing security risks. Workflow estimation along with customized logging options help maintain schedules and deadlines by each member, all of which is covered by the single platform of JIRA.
Streamlines communication:
Seamless communication is the key to Hybrid Team success and JIRA helps make information accessible while keeping them organized. Members can exchange attachments, documents and images, track conversations and leave their comments, to keep work flow going effortlessly. Its ticketing system is a great way of letting members keep track of simple tasks without cluttering workflow.
Makes task flow easier:
JIRA can integrate several plug-ins and applications letting users build customized and informative dashboards. This facilitates creating tasks and workflow as per project needs letting each team member get the full view of their roles and responsibilities. Using Hubstaff of the software allows users to track time and maintain transparency on the exact hours of work on a project.
It is the perfect tool that allows developers to track sprint and backlog, release further planning so that they can execute the project efficiently and effectively. With software testing as an integral part of the system, issues with coding can be easily pointed out and problems of the project sorted effectively.
Concluding
To sum up, JIRA can help improve Hybrid Team engagement from day one as it is the one-in-all platform for roadmap and planning, executing and testing. It helps involve all stakeholders to have a complete and transparent view of the project status all through its lifecycle. It also facilitates developers to remain transparent all through the development cycle as managers continue to get the complete overview. Remotely placed team members continue to remain in touch with each other through a single window as they view and perform assigned task as per assigned permissions and access without any security risks.
