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titleLooking for Jira Server/Data Center?

This is the documentation of JSU for Jira Cloud. If you are using JSU on Jira Server/Data Center, see the Server/Data Center documentation.

Info

NOTE: This guide starts from the "Edit Workflow" screen of a chosen project. If you're not sure how to get to this page, follow the onboarding steps for existing projects in Edit a Jira Workflow.

(tick) Save time and effort by using JSU to streamline approvals in your workflow


↓ Follow the visual step-by-step guide below to see how to configure this automation in your Jira instance. ↓


  1. If you use Jira to manage approvals in a workflow, then you'll know how any unnecessary steps and actions can cause frustration for those requesting approval, and those approving too.

    Below is an example

    "approvals

    Approvals workflow

    "

    that is already configured as part of this tutorial. If you want, you can re-create this workflow in your instance in a few minutes. The main feature of the workflow is that from the 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     status, the issue could then move to either 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleawaiting approval
     or 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleapproved
    . We'll add the logic to automate this decision-making in future steps.

    Image Removed


    Approval workflow in JiraImage Added



  2. To begin automating this workflow, we first want to set the criteria we'll use for determining what

    "

    requires approval

    "

    and what can be streamlined to be automatically

    "

    approved

    "

    .

    For our example workflow, we want to require approval for issues where the field

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    is over

    1000

    1,000. Where it is less than

    1000

    1,000, we'll let JSU automatically approve the request for us. To get started, make sure you're in

    "

    Edit

    Mode"

    mode for your workflow and then click on the transition (arrow) connecting the  

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     and 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleAWAITing approval
     statuses.

    Image Removed


    Approvals workflow in JiraImage Added

  3. From the pop-up that appears -

    click on "

    select Conditions

    "

    .

    Image Removed
  4. Now let's choose "

    On the Conditions tab, select Add Condition

    "

    .

    Image RemovedConditions tab in Approvals workflowImage Added

    From the list of Conditions, choose


  5. "

    Select the Value Field

    "

    conditionand then click

    "

    Add

    "

    .

    Image RemovedList of available ConditionsImage Added

  6. Now, let's configure the

    Condition

    condition to ensure that only the issues we desire

    have the ability to

    can transition to 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titleawaiting approval
    .
    Field - Choose the field you want to inspect the value of, to determine whether an approval can be streamlined for it. In our case, we have a field called "Budget Required" that we've chosen.
    Condition - Choose the type of comparison you're going to use when comparing with the value. In our case, we want to require approval when the

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    is greater than (or equal to)

    1000

    1,000. So we need to choose

    "

    greater-than-or-equal-to / >=

    "

    .
    Value - Type in the value you want to compare the

    Field

    field against. In our example, our chosen value is

    "1000"

    1,000.
    Comparison Type - To ensure that the

    Value 

    value (a number) can be compared against the

    Field

    field (also a number), we need to

    specifically

    tell Jira that in this scenario that

    Value

    value is a

    "

    Number

    "

    .
    When you're happy with the configuration, click

    "

    Add

    "

    .

    Image Removed
  7. Condition configuration page with sample dataImage Added

    You will now see a preview of the

    Condition

    condition we've just configured.

    Image RemovedSummary of condition added to the Awaiting Approval transitionImage Added
  8. You will be presented with a

    “Publish

    Publish Draft

    Workflow”

    Workflow pop-up. It's not necessary to save a draft. Click 

    "

    Publish

    "

     when you're happy and then we'll move on to the next transition.

    Image Removed
    Head back your approvals Publish confirmation popupImage Added

  9. Return to the Approvals workflow in Edit

    Mode

    mode. Now let's select the transition (arrow) connecting 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     and 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleapproved
     and again

    click "

    select Conditions

    "

    in the pop-up that appears.

    Image RemovedApprovals workflow in JiraImage Added

  10. Repeat Steps

    #4

    4 -

    #6

    6 to configure

    the "

    a Value Field

    " Condition

    condition against this transition. The only difference with the configuration here is that we're going to set the

    "Condition"

    conditionto

    "

    less-than / <

    "

    to ensure that issues with a

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    of less than

    1000

    1,000 can be moved

    next

    to 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titleApproved
     instead of 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleawaiting approval
    .

    Image Removed
    After this, and just like in Steps #5 - #8, now you will need to "Add" the Condition, Condition configuration page with sample dataImage Added

  11. Now select Add and then publish the draft workflow to make it active.

  12. Almost there! Now it's time to add our automation to let JSU make this approval decision for us, based on the

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    values when users move their issues to the 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     status.


    Head back

    Return to your

    approvals

    Approvals workflow in Edit

    Mode

    mode. Now let's select the transition (arrow) connecting 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titleIn progress
     and 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
    , but this time select

    "

    Post-Functions

    "

    in the pop-up

    that appears

    .

    Image Removed


    Approvals workflow with Options popup displayedImage Added

  13. Click "

    Select Add Post Function

    " towards

    on the right-hand side of the

    screen

    page.

    Image RemovedPost functions tab in the Approvals workflowImage Added


  14. From the list of Post-Functions,

    choose "

    selectFollow Up Transition (JSU)

    "

    , then click

    "

    Add

    "

    .

    Image RemovedList of available post functions with Follow Up Transition selectedImage Added

  15. There's nothing you need to configure on the next screen, so

    all you need to do is click "Add"

    simply click Add. 

    Image RemovedJust like before, don't forget to Image Added
  16. Publish the workflow to make this new automation active.

Now let's go see the workflow in action!

  1. Head

    Go to an open issue in your Approvals project. In our case, we have an issue currently in  

    Status
    colourBlue
    titleIn progress
     and with a

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    of 500.

    Image RemovedSample Jira issue with budget required field value of 500Image Added
  2. Now, let's move the status to 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     and watch the magic happen!

    Image RemovedExample Jira issue moved to Submit statusImage Added
  3. Watch the issue move to the 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     status, but then a second (or two) later move automatically to the 
    Status
    colourBlue
    titleapproved
     status!

    Image RemovedExample Jira issue automatically transitioned to Approved status.Image Added

    HINT: The issue history confirms this streamlined transition did in fact happen!

    Image RemovedIssue History tab showing the change in status from Submit to ApprovedImage Added

  4. Now try the same scenario, but where the

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    is

    1000

    1,000, or more.

    Image RemovedExample Jira issue where Budget Required is 1000Image Added
  5. Let's move this issue to 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titlesubmit
     just like we did before.

    Image RemovedExample Jira issue moved to Submit statusImage Added
  6. Again, the issue will be forwarded onto its appropriate next transition, in this case as the

    "

    Budget Required

    "

    valueis greater-than-or-equal-to

    1000

    1,000, it's moved

    next

    to 

    Status
    colourBlue
    titleawaiting approval

    !

    .

    Image RemovedExample Jira issue automatically transitioned to Awaiting Approval statusImage Added

Once again, the issue history confirms to us it was JSU helping us streamline the approvals here.

Image RemovedIssue History tab showing the change in status from Submit to Awaiting ApprovalImage Added

There you have it! Streamlining your approval processes in Jira just got a lot easier thanks to the power of JSU (star)


Need more information or help? Get in touch!