Jira - Good Practices for Best Results
Switching from the habit of ‘everything starts with an email’ is a tough one to break. However, in the modern workplace, change is happening all the time as business efficiencies are “a must”. In order to keep expenditure under control, “moving with the times” not only keeps training current and continuous, it allows the organisation to remain competitive and well-positioned within the sector by creating a progressive culture and promoting continuous improvement.
How many times have you heard “that’s just the way we do things”?
Jira Service Management is cloud-based software which is designed to be customisable to the needs of each team, group or office, and help the organisation as a whole manage its business processes using structured data where possible.
1. Use the Portal, not email
We all love the convenience of email, but when it comes to technical support, sending an email to a general inbox is often the slowest way to get help. Using a Portal puts your request at the front of the queue, and makes it easy for agents to help you.
Here is why the portal is your best tool for a quick resolution:
1. No "back-and-forth" for basic info
When you send an email, you might forget to mention your operating system, the specific software version, or the exact error code. This leads to lengthy exchanges where support has to email you back just to ask for the basics.
The Portal Advantage: Our forms are designed to make it easy to assist. They prompt you for the specific information needed for that category of problem, ensuring we have everything we need to start working on the fix the moment you hit submit.
2. Finding the right agent
Often whoever is in the Service Desk Team of the portal you are using is keeping an eye out for ticket types.
For example, New Hardware Request will be spotted by people who are buyers in CUFS and can give you a quote.
3. Better priority management
Portals are designed to include priority features, but agents are trained to know what Request Types are more important:
Not only does this visually stand out with the red icon, we know it will contain the information we need to deal with it right away
We know this is unlikely to contain useful information as it’s not descriptive.
How to use the Portal successfully
Visit the Portal: Cavendish Services Portal - Jira Service Management
Pick a Category: Choose the one that best matches your issue.
Good Summary: Include basic details like the computer name eg. “phy-xxxx-pcl not turning on” or the item you want to buy eg. “mA700 Essential Power Supply purchase for lab 2”
Good Screenshots: Use the "Attach File" button to upload screenshots of error messages - make sure you get the whole screen, not just your issue, we may spot something you haven’t!
2. The ‘Atlassian Account’, not a ‘portal only customer’
What is the "trap"?
The University uses Single Sign-On (SSO). This means your work email and password are your master key to everything - you may know this as Raven account. However, Jira allows people to "Sign Up" manually. We need to retain this feature to enable us to respond to genuine support issues raised by external users, eg. visitors without CRSids, partner businesses.
If you simply typed your email address into the first box you saw instead of clicking "Continue with Microsoft/Google," you accidentally created a "ghost" account. Now, the system sees two versions of you:
The “Official You”: Linked to the University, your permissions, and your security.
The “Ghost You”: A Portal-Only customer account that only sees the portal and doesn’t represent “you” in the organisation
Why this is a headache for you
The "Invisible Ticket" Mystery: Perhaps you log in today and can't find the ticket you sent yesterday. Why? Because you submitted it with your "Portal-Only" account but are logged in with your "Official" account today.
The Notification Black Hole: If you respond to an email with a Portal-Only account, you may not notify the agent if this is not detected as the Reporter or Request Participant
“Access Denied”: We are constantly reviewing our access arrangements, so one day you might not be able to see something you think you should be able to
Why it’s a security risk
Portal-Only accounts are like leaving a spare key under the mat.
Your Official Account is protected by the company's high-level security and two-factor authentication.
A Portal-Only Account usually has a weaker password and sits outside our security. If that account is hacked, a stranger could read your private support tickets and company data as well as any other accounts using that username or password.
The golden rule for logging in
To stay safe and keep your tickets organized, never type your password directly into the Jira login box.
Always look for the button that says:
By using the "Continue with..." button, you are using your "Master Key." This ensures you are seen as an official employee, your notifications work, and your account stays locked tight against hackers.
3. Use your own account, not a shared mailbox
To ensure the team can address your issues as quickly as possible, please use your CRSid login when you log into Jira, don’t just use a username-password combination, always use ‘Login with Microsoft’ wherever you see it.
While a shared "Team Account" might seem like a good way to keep everyone informed, it actually slows down the resolution process and creates confusion for users and agents. Here is how reporting via your individual account (and tagging your teammates) creates a better experience for everyone.
1. No more "notification fatigue"
When a group uses a shared account, every update sends an email to the entire team.
The Problem: Most of these emails are noise. Eventually, everyone starts ignoring the notifications, and critical questions from the support team go unanswered.
The Individual Way: When you report an issue, you get the updates. If your teammates need to stay informed, you can simply "CC" or "Watch" them on the ticket. They stay in the loop without the inbox clutter.
2. Tailored technical history
The support team uses your ticket history to spot patterns.
The Problem: In a shared account, your specific issues are buried under your everyone’s issues, which leads to unnecessary conflation of issues.
The Individual Way: When you use your own account, the support agent can see if you’ve encountered an issue before. This context often helps them skip basic troubleshooting steps and get straight to the fix.
3. Clear ownership
The biggest delay in support is "The Wait."
The Problem: If a support agent asks for a screenshot on a shared account, they don't know who to follow up with. The user reporting the issue is recorded as eg. ‘PHY_Purchasing’ so there’s no way of telling
The Individual Way: By reporting individually, there is a Single Point of Contact. Support knows exactly who to reach out to for a screen-share or a quick chat to resolve the issue. If the issues are experienced by many users, simply add your colleagues or request that the agent adds them if you can’t do this yourself.
4. Security & verifiable requests
The Problem: For security reasons, our support team cannot fulfill sensitive requests (like permission changes or software installs) from a shared account, as they cannot verify who is actually typing.
The Individual Way: Reporting via your own account serves as a "digital signature," allowing for faster approval of access and software requests. This is particularly useful with SSO
Best Practice: How to "loop in" your team
If an issue affects your entire department, don't reach for the shared login. Instead:
Log in with your individual work email.
Submit the ticket with the specific details of the error you are seeing.
Add "Watchers" or "CCs" in the ticket sidebar for anyone else who is affected.
This keeps the conversation streamlined, ensures the right person is notified, and helps our support team help you—faster.