JIRA - Created vs Resolved Issues

Jira - Created vs. Resolved Issues Report

The ‘Created vs. Resolved Issues Report’ is a valuable tool in Jira that visualizes the trend of newly created issues versus issues resolved over a specific period. This helps in understanding whether the team is keeping up with incoming work and if the overall backlog is growing or shrinking.

Generating the Report

To generate this report:

1. Navigate to your desired Jira project.
2. In the project sidebar (usually on the left), find and click on ‘Reports’.
3. Look for a section like ‘Issue Analysis’ or ‘Forecast & Management’. The ‘Created vs. Resolved Issues Report’ will be listed there. Click on it.
4. You will be prompted to configure the report. Common configuration options include:
5. • Project or Filter: Specify which project’s data to use, or select a saved JQL filter for more specific issue sets.
6. • Period: Choose the time interval for grouping data (e.g., Daily, Weekly, Monthly).
7. • Days Previously: Define the duration of the report (e.g., for the last 30 days).
8. • Cumulative Totals: Select ‘Yes’ to see running totals over time, or ‘No’ for discrete values per period.
9. • Display Versions: Option to filter or group by project versions (e.g., ‘All Versions’, ‘Unreleased Versions’).
10. After configuring the options, click ‘Next’ or ‘Generate’ to view the report.

Interpreting the Report

The report typically displays a chart (line or bar) with two series:

• Created Issues: Represents the number of issues created in each period (often shown in red).
• Resolved Issues: Represents the number of issues resolved in each period (often shown in green).

A data table below the chart usually provides the exact numbers. By comparing these two lines, you can assess backlog trends:

• If the ‘Resolved’ line is consistently above or close to the ‘Created’ line, it suggests the team is effectively managing the workload.
• If the ‘Created’ line is consistently higher than the ‘Resolved’ line, the backlog is growing, which might indicate a need to review capacity or prioritization.

Practical Application

This report is frequently used by Project Managers, Scrum Masters, and team leads to:

• Monitor team throughput and capacity.
• Identify trends in backlog health over time.
• Assess if the team is keeping pace with new work, especially during specific phases like a sprint or release cycle.
• Make data-driven decisions about resource allocation or process improvements.

Common Learning Point: Understand that ‘resolved’ in Jira typically means an issue has a resolution field set (e.g., ‘Fixed’, ‘Done’). The exact definition of when an issue is considered ‘resolved’ depends on your project’s workflow configuration. Ensure your report configuration (especially the filter and period) aligns with the insights you want to derive.

For more detailed guidance on Jira reports, consult the official Atlassian Jira documentation.