How to create queues in Jira Service Management: 8-step guide

How to create queues in Jira Service Management? It’s easy. By setting up queues, you can efficiently organize and prioritize incoming tickets. You can also make sure your team tackles requests in the most effective order.

Follow these steps to configure queues tailored to your team’s needs and improve the overall workflow and response time.

Let’s get into our mini Jira Service Management tutorial all about queues. First, though, let’s talk about what queues are in the JSM setting and how you can work with them.

In Jira Service Management, queues are essentially lists of issues that need attention or action from agents or team members. 

They give you a centralized view of tasks, incidents, or requests that need resolution or further processing. 

Queues help teams manage their workload efficiently. Using them you can organize and rank incoming issues based on priority, status, or due date.

To edit native queues in Jira Service Management, you need to be a project admin. To view them, you need to be a JSM agent. 

In order to expand that to other users, you can download an app from Atlassian Marketplace, like the Queues for Jira & JSM. Using it, users chosen by you can see and manage queues.

The queue limit in Jira Service Management is 300 per service project.

1. Locate and click on Queues in your project’s sidebar.

2. Cloud users: Select Manage queues from the navigation sidebar.

JSM Enterprise plan users: Choose Queue settings from the navigation sidebar.

3. Click on Create new queue

4. Edit queue name

Give your queue a clear and descriptive name that reflects its purpose. Think “High-Priority Bugs” or “This Week’s Reviews” for easy team understanding.

5. Filter by…

Use the Filter by section to define which issues will populate your queue. Choose from issue types, statuses, resolutions, and labels.

6. Order the issues

Utilize the Order by dropdown to sort your queue based on various fields for better organization. Need to prioritize? Sort by the due date.

7. Customize the queue view

The Columns section allows you to personalize the information displayed in your queue. Drag and drop the columns to create the most efficient layout for your team.

Lastly, click Create at the bottom of the screen.

Learn more in the Jira Service Management documentation.

One of the biggest cons of native JSM queues is that they can’t be cross-project. That’s why Deviniti has created its Queues for Jira and JSM app. It lets you create cross-project queues with issues from different projects.

Start your free trial and see how they work for you.

Download the app

1. Access Deviniti Queues

Once you download the app, go to Apps and choose Deviniti Queues.

2. Create the queue

Click on Create queue.

When the queue creation screen appears, fill in the name.

3. Set the visibility

Next, in the Visible to section, choose users or groups of users who will be able to view the queue.

4. Choose the issues

To choose which issues should be in your queue, enter the JQL query into the Issues to show box.

Remember, Queues for Jira & JSM app lets you create cross-project queues. That means you can add issues from different projects, including dev, Jira HR service management, or IT help desk. To do that, you just need to create one JQL query.

5. Customize the queue view

In the Columns section, choose which columns should appear in the queue. You can change their order to fit your needs.

And finally, hit Save. All done, the queue is ready to go. You can now filter and sort it to make it work even better for your team.

Implementing best practices for managing queues in Jira Service Management can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your service desk operations. Here are some key best practices to consider:

Organize queues into clear categories that reflect the nature of the requests. They may include technical support, HR inquiries, or facilities management. This helps in assigning the right tickets to the right teams and streamlines the workflow.

Set up priority levels for tickets based on urgency and impact. This helps agents quickly identify and address the most critical issues first. In Queues for Jira & JSM app, JSM agents can sort issues based on different factors, for example the SLA metric. 

Regularly monitor and manage the size of your queues to prevent them from becoming too large, which can be overwhelming for agents. Consider setting up thresholds for the maximum number of tickets in a queue and take action if the number exceeds the limit.

Tailor the queue views to meet the specific needs of different agents or teams. This can include displaying only the relevant fields, filtering tickets by status or priority, and highlighting overdue tickets.

Periodically review your queue setup and performance metrics. Adjust your queue configurations, automation rules, and workflows based on the insights gained from these reviews to continuously improve the service desk efficiency.

Ensure that your team is well-trained on how to use the queues effectively and has access to up-to-date documentation on queue management procedures and best practices.

Define and enforce SLAs to ensure timely responses and resolutions of tickets. You can use SLAs to prioritize work and measure the performance of your service desk.

To make working with issues in the queue easier, you can set their visibility. That way, only the right people will access the right queues. The effects include:

To improve readability and make managing queues even easier, group them into specific topic clusters (or based on whatever fits your needs best). In the Queues for Jira & JSM app, you can create multi-level structures of such queue groups.

By following these best practices, you can create a more organized, efficient, and effective queue management system in Jira Service Management. It will lead to improved response times, better service quality, and higher customer satisfaction.

With your Jira Service Management queues now configured, your team is well-equipped to manage incoming tickets efficiently. By leveraging the power of organized queues, you’ll see improved visibility, streamlined workflows, and faster resolution times. 

Remember, regular review and adjustments of your queue settings are key to adapting to changing team dynamics and workload. Keep optimizing to maintain peak performance and customer satisfaction.