Overview

Issue Matrix for Jira is an app designed to improve the visualization of sub-tasks and linked issues when viewing a single issue in Jira. With Issue Matrix, you can significantly enhance and customize how Sub-tasks, Linked Issue and Issues in Epics are listed in the Issue View Screen. Issue Matrix allows you to overcome the limitations and the drawbacks of the default visualization of related issues in Jira. The app offers highly valuable usability, customizable structure and content for your Sub-tasks, Linked Issues and Issues in Epics adapted to your use cases.

Issue Matrix for Jira appears as a table in your issues and contains a customizable list of Sub-tasks, Linked Issues, Issues in Epic or Issues from a Filter/Custom JQL. The Issue Matrix table consists of custom fields from your Jira, which you add as columns to the table in the Matrix configuration. You can add any custom field in your Jira as a column to the Issue Matrix table and get the information specific to your projects/teams in your issues. It allows you and your teams to be highly productive, saves you time and effort to open each issue individually to gather the necessary information and understand the status/the affected areas of your issues.

Issue Matrix has а rich set of features like custom column width and headers, inline editing, custom sort order, filters, categories, actions and custom JQL queries.

Learn more about the Issue Matrix functionalities in the Solution section of this document.

The Problem

Issue Matrix solves problems related to the issue visualization and content in Jira. The drawbacks of the default Jira visualization fall into the usability and productivity categories:

Important information about sub-tasks or linked issues which is captured in custom fields cannot be shown - for example, estimates for tasks captured in "Story Points" or another custom field. As a result, each issue must be opened separately. If you have 8 sub-tasks you have to open 8 new screens to see that information.
There are no column headers and non-technical users cannot understand all the information shown.
If you are dealing with sub-tasks or linked issue types, the panel name "Sub-tasks" or "Linked Issues" is generic and does not help users understand semantically the data shown in the table.
One view everywhere, for all Issue Types and Projects. You cannot customize the view to be different for different Issue Types or Projects, a great flexibility option that is available for almost everything else in Jira.

Default Visualization of Sub-tasks in Issues

The description of the panel Sub-tasks is generic and Jira specific and not specific to the process used in this project. (point 1 on the screenshot)
A small icon identifies the type of issues: Development, Quality Assurance or Documentation task. (point 2 on the screenshot)
There aren't table headers that explain the data in the column. (point 3 on the screenshot)
Custom fields cannot be added to this view. For example, the estimates for each task tracked in a custom field cannot be viewed. (point 3 on the screenshot)

The Solution

Issue Matrix is implemented as a custom field with a special function. After you install the app, you need to create a custom field of type Issue Matrix and configure it. Issue Matrix custom field appears as a table in the Issue View Screen and contains customizable information about Sub-tasks, Linked Issues and Issues in Epics. The name you set for the custom field is the title of the Issue Matrix table.

Issue Matrix Features

Modes

The Issue Matrix app has different Modes: Sub-tasks, Issue Links, Epic, Filter and Custom JQL. By choosing and configuring a mode, you define which issues, what kind of information and how the issues will be shown on the Issue Matrix table in the Issue View screen.

In Sub-Tasks mode, the Issue Matrix table shows Sub-tasks of the current issue.
In Issue Links mode, the Issue Matrix table shows issues linked to the current issue.
In Epic mode, the Issue Matrix table shows issues linked to the current Epic issue.
In Filter mode, the Issue Matrix table shows issues returned by an existing Jira filter.
In JQL mode, the Issue Matrix table shows issues returned by a custom JQL query.

Visualization

Issue Matrix is available in the Issue View Screen (always visible), the Issue Navigator and Agile Boards. For each mode, you can customize visualization options for the Issue Navigator and Agile Boards.

Issue View Screen – after you configure the Issue Matrix custom field successfully, the Matrix table is always visible in the Issue View Screen.
Issue Navigator – the Issue Matrix table is available for the Issue Navigator. You can choose to visualize the issue keys, issue summary, or the entire Issue Matrix table in the Issue Navigator.
Agile Boards - you can enable or disable the Issue Matrix in Agile Boards.
Dashboards - the Issue Matrix table is available for the Issue Navigator the Issue Keys or the entire Issue Matrix table are visible in the Issue Navigator depending on your choice.
Service Desk Queues - the Issue Matrix table is available for the Issue Navigator the Issue Keys or the entire Issue Matrix table are visible in the Issue Navigator depending on your choice.

Issue Matrix Table Content

Issue Matrix has a set of important options related to the content of the Issue Matrix table. After you choose the Issue Matrix mode, you can configure a subset of the settings below applicable to the chosen mode.

Mode - for each mode, you can define which issues will be included in the Issue Matrix table.
Columns - you can choose the columns you want to include in the Issue Matrix table, set headers and width for the columns.
Inline Edit - you can enable inline editing for any field in the Issue Matrix table.
Sort By - you can define sort order criteria for the Issue Matrix table.
Filter JQL - you can apply additional filtering to the issues in your Matrix mode.
Limit - you can specify the number of initially visible issues in the Issue Matrix table.
Categories - you can create JQL based categories.
Create and Link actions (Issue Links Mode only) - you can define different Create and Link actions.

Use Cases

Issue Matrix with Sub-tasks

The screenshot below shows how Issue Matrix improves the visualization of Sub-tasks in issues:

User-friendly and customizable table name which is the name of the Issue Matrix custom field.
Customizable column headers in the Issue Matrix table. Custom fields as columns in the Issue Matrix table.
Custom column order per field.

Issue Matrix with Issue Links

The screenshot below shows how Issue Matrix improves the visualization of Issue Links in issues:

User-friendly and customizable table name which is the name of the Issue Matrix custom field.
Customizable column headers in the Issue Matrix table.
Custom fields as columns in the Issue Matrix table.

Issue Matrix with Epics

The screenshot below shows how Issue Matrix improves the visualization of issues in Epics:

User-friendly and customizable table name which is the name of the Issue Matrix custom field.
Custom fields as columns in the Issue Matrix table.
Customizable column headers in the Issue Matrix table.

Concept