Jira users are often curious if they can create a planner in Jira to plan resources and projects without too much effort. Our answer is for sure! Jira is a versatile and widely used project management and issue-tracking software developed by Atlassian. And when it comes to the resource planning process, Jira also has lots of options to offer.

Project management cannot be imagined without efficient resource planning, they always come hand in hand. In this article, we will show how to create a planner for Jira and dive into the project planning and resource management tips for both agile and non-agile teams, so your team members can always stay on the same page.

Project Management in Jira

So, Jira is known for its flexibility and adaptability, making it suitable for various project management methodologies, and helps teams streamline their workflow by allowing them to create, assign, and track tasks.

It offers features like customizable workflows, reporting, and analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making. With its collaborative tools and integration options, Jira facilitates effective team communication and coordination. Whether you're managing small projects or large-scale enterprises, Jira is a valuable tool for optimizing project management processes.

Project Managers who plan projects in Jira also use it for advanced resource planning & resource management objectives, as it can help with capacity planning, resource allocation, and tracking the performance or workload of the team members.

Resource Planning Process in Jira

The resource planning process in Jira is a crucial component of effective project management. It involves the careful allocation and management of resources, such as personnel, time, and assets, to ensure that projects are executed efficiently and within the defined timelines.

Project Managers can create teams there, assign tasks to users and whole teams, and track Jira projects and resources with Jira reports. Also, it provides simple time-tracking features, so users can track time on Jira issues and create time-tracking reports.

Despite all of the great project & resource planning features provided by Jira, users sometimes need more advanced functionality for their resource management objectives. In this case, Jira offers a wide variety of resource planning add-ons for Jira within the Atlassian Marketplace, where you can find a resource planner for Jira easily.

You can try ActivityTimeline - a resource planning tool for Jira, which is a great example of the Jira planner. The tool efficiently helps with resource capacity planning, multiple projects' management, resource allocation, Jira projects' tracking, and time tracking & reporting.

ActivityTimeline - Resource Planner for Jira

So, the app offers a Planning Dashboard that provides a comprehensive overview of all Jira projects, tasks, and human/non-human resources in a single place.

It's a great tool that helps to understand the progress of teams and projects, as well as current and future resource needs. It serves as a valuable tool for organizations seeking to optimize their project planning, resource allocation, and overall workflow efficiency.

Built like a calendar with individual and team timelines, it provides a great representation of who is doing what and when it will be done through various timeframes.

Key Features of ActivityTimeline for Jira

Key features and benefits of ActivityTimeline for Jira include:

Advanced Resource Planning

ActivityTimeline allows users to gain a comprehensive view of resource availability, workloads, and allocation. This feature empowers project managers to make informed decisions when assigning tasks and ensuring that resources are optimally utilized.

Visual Timelines

The app provides visual timelines that simplify project planning and tracking. Users can easily create, modify, and visualize project schedules, which aids in effective communication and collaboration among team members.

Availability & Workload Management

Every user has a special workload indicator that shows the team members' workload for a chosen period to avoid work underload or overload:

It's very easy to switch to the availability mode when the workload indicator shows the resource availability, so you can schedule tasks with a clear understanding of who is available and who is not:

It's also possible to generate reports on users' workload/availability.

Drag-and-Drop Functionality

Users can effortlessly manage and adjust project timelines and resource allocations through a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. This intuitive approach streamlines the planning process and encourages real-time adjustments.

Conflict Resolution

ActivityTimeline offers tools to identify and address resource conflicts and bottlenecks. This ensures that projects stay on track and are completed within deadlines.

Customization

The app is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor it to their specific project management needs. This flexibility ensures that teams can adapt the tool to match their unique workflows.

Integration

ActivityTimeline seamlessly integrates with Jira, making it a seamless addition to existing project management processes. It leverages Jira's capabilities while enhancing resource management and project planning. It also integrates with other Jira apps like Advanced Roadmaps, and with third-party calendars (Google, Outlook, Apple).

Reporting and Analytics

The app provides robust reporting and analytics features, offering insights into resource utilization, project progress, and performance metrics. These insights enable data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

Let's discuss more of the features below.

Team Capacity Planning

ActivityTimeline app provides a special Team Panel, so you can switch from the user timelines view to the team timeline view, or combine them. Each team has its own timeline with the workload indicators and tasks. These timelines are highly suitable for the short, and long-term planning of epics or project increments at the team level:

Personal Workspace

The tool provides a Jira planner not only on the comprehensive level but also on the individual one. Each user has a special individual cabinet, where team members can find their own tasks and projects, track progress, log work, plan and prioritize tasks, control workload, and plan vacations, day-offs, or sick leaves:

Team Performance Tracking with Timesheets

Users can log time on Jira issues directly from the app's planning dashboard or from their personal workspace. The logging process is simple and quick, so users don't waste their time fulfilling Excel or external Timesheet tables:

All of the work logs are saved and can be used thereafter to generate ActivityTimeline's Timesheets. There are plenty of them for different tastes. Generate team & user timesheets for multiple projects, issues, or epics, add Jira filters, distinguish billable and non-billable hours:

Export like Excel and save favorite timesheets.  

Discover Resource Utilization with Reports

As we mentioned before, there are plenty of resource & project reports in ActivityTimeline.

To get a better understanding of the user's and teams' workload try one of the most popular reports: Resource Utilization Report.  

There are also lots of other planning reports and charts that help Managers with resource management and planning:

Conclusion

To sum up, a planner for Jira, like ActivityTimeline, is a powerful ally for project managers and teams seeking efficiency, collaboration, and success. If you find the right tool for resource planning, the planner Jira management process will not be overwhelming and resource allocation will become simple.