Create Your Own Issue Management System
Effective issue management is a cornerstone of project success. Every bug or issue, no matter how small, needs to be tracked and resolved in time to maintain project momentum. In this post, we’ll explore how an issue management system in Zoho Projects is used to manage issues in our own product management process.
Real-time Example:
During the software testing process, when the tester identifies an issue impacting the Global Web Tab feature task where the alignment breaks in certain browsers, it follows a predefined process for resolution. Here’s how the issue management system handles this end-to-end.
Submit Issues using Custom Fields
Custom fields are created within the Issue Layout, allowing testers to submit issues with key details like severity, module, browser type, and font family. In the case of the Global Web Tab alignment issue, the browser type field helps pinpoint which environment is affected.
How Other Industries Can Use Issue Layouts In This Process:
Construction: Track issues like material defects or design flaws using custom fields such as location, material type, grade, etc.
Manufacturing: Track production line breakdowns or machine malfunctions issues with custom fields like product phase, machine type, location, etc.
SLAs Based on Issue Type
SLAs are configured based on the issue type, such as Support, Security, Privacy, or Performance, to set resolution deadlines. If the issue is categorized as one of these types, the SLA triggers a resolution within 24 hours. If the issue remains unresolved, it escalates through Levels 1–4.
How Other Industries Can Use SLAs In This Process:
Construction: Set SLAs to resolve critical issues like safety violations or structural failures quickly.
Manufacturing: Set SLAs for issues like production line stoppages to minimize downtime.
Automate Assigning Issues
A tag is created using the feature name and is associated with the issue when it is submitted. Business rules are created using the tags as criteria to automatically assign the issue to the relevant developers, designers, managers, and project managers (PMs).
How Other Industries Can Use Tags In This Process:
Construction: Automatically assign issues using the issue type as tags, such as plumbing or electrical, to the appropriate contractors or subcontractors.
Manufacturing: Use tags like machinery or production to assign issues to maintenance teams or shift managers automatically.
Bulk Update Issues
A custom view is created to track and bulk update all issues related to the feature using the tag as a criteria.
How Other Industries Can Use Custom Views In This Process:
Construction: Create custom views to track and update issues related to electrical work.
Manufacturing: Create custom views to track and update production-related issues.
Manage Duplicate Issues
If a duplicate issue is submitted, the developer can link it to the original issue using the is duplicate of link type for identification. A custom function is created to ensure that duplicate issues are closed only when the original issue is closed ensuring no redundancy in the issue tracking process.
How Other Industries Can Use Link Issues In This Process:
Construction: Link duplicate issues like multiple reports of the same electrical fault.
Manufacturing: Link duplicate maintenance issues to the original issue to ensure a single resolution.
Associate Tasks to Issues
The Global Web Tab task is associated with the issue, allowing both the development and QA teams to monitor the progress of the work item from a single place. When a tester opens the task, they can view all associated issues, and when opening an issue, they can easily track the associated task.
How Other Industries Can Use Task Association In This Process:
Construction: Associate tasks like Foundation to issues like Cracked Foundation for easy tracking.
Manufacturing: Associate maintenance tasks to machinery issues to track progress.
Automating Status Updates
A custom function is created to automate the update of issue statuses. when the tester updates the task status to Started Testing, the associated issue status is automatically updated to In QA Process. Similarly, when a developer resolves the issue and updates the task status to Resubmit for QA, the associated issue status is updated to To be tested. Issue Tracker Notifications are used to send notifications to all team members to keep everyone informed about such status updates.
How Other Industries Can Use Custom Functions In This Process:
Construction: When the Electrical Safety Check issue status is updated to Passed, the associated task, such as Wiring Installation, will automatically update its status to Inspection Complete.
Manufacturing: When the Material Shortage issue is updated to Resolved, the task status for Electrical Installation will automatically update to Work Completed.
Automate Adding Followers
Sometimes issues need further validation before they are resolved. Developers can update the issue status, such as Intentionally Done or Discuss with the PM. Business rules are created to automatically add relevant product managers (PMs) and other team members as followers with such statuses as criteria. This ensures that decisions are validated and any necessary inputs are added through comments before moving forward.
How Other Industries Can Use Business Rules In This Process:
Construction: Automate adding followers to validate electrical safety checks or structural issues before moving forward.
Manufacturing: Automate adding followers to validate machine repair statuses before completing maintenance tasks.
Checklist for Testers
Once the feature is reviewed and tested, the Checklist Extension is used for the associated task. The tester is required to complete a predefined checklist within the task to verify that all relevant testing scenarios have been covered. This checklist ensures that no critical testing aspects are missed.
How Other Industries Can Use Checklist Extension In This Process:
Construction: Use checklist to create a punch list to ensure all inspections, tests, and final verifications are completed before a task issue is marked as completed.
Manufacturing: Create a compliance checklist to ensure product assembly and quality control steps are completed before a task issue is marked as completed.
Note: Checklist extension can be used for both tasks and issues.
Resolve Issues
Upon resolving the issue, the developer can resolve the issue from the issue details page with the context.
Custom Notifications
Custom email templates in Issue Tracker Notifications are used to automate communication. Developers and the relevant team members are automatically notified about reopened issues. This helps prevent delays in the project.
How Other Industries Can Use Email Templates In This Process:
Construction: Create customized email template and use it in issue tracker notifications for critical issues like safety violation when reopened.
Manufacturing: Create customized email template and use it in issue tracker notifications for maintenance issues when reopened.
Features used in the process: Issue Layouts, SLAs, Tags, Business Rules, Issue Tracker Notifications, Link Issues, Custom Function, Checklist Extension, and Email Templates.
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