I’m trying to figure out how to use GitLab’s Value Stream Analytics (VSA) with our Jira-based workflow. We create all our tickets in Jira, but it looks like VSA needs GitLab issues to work properly.
Does anyone know if there’s a way to connect Jira tickets to VSA? Maybe some kind of webhook or integration? I’m wondering if we can sync up issue creation between the two systems.
If that’s not possible, I’m thinking about skipping the Issue and Plan stages in VSA. But then I’m not sure how to get the Code stage to show the right timing. I think it needs commit messages to mention issue numbers or something.
Any ideas or workarounds would be super helpful. Thanks!
I’ve dealt with a similar situation in my previous role. While there’s no direct integration between Jira and GitLab’s VSA, we found a workaround that might help you.
We set up a simple script that would create a corresponding GitLab issue whenever a Jira ticket was created. The script would include the Jira ticket number in the GitLab issue title and description. This allowed us to maintain our Jira workflow while still leveraging GitLab’s VSA.
For commit messages, we enforced a policy where developers had to include both the Jira ticket number and the GitLab issue number. This way, VSA could track the lifecycle correctly.
It’s not a perfect solution, but it worked well enough for our needs. You might need to tweak it based on your specific workflow and requirements.
I’ve been in your shoes, and it can be frustrating to bridge the gap between Jira and GitLab. Here’s what worked for us:
We developed a custom integration using GitLab’s API. It automatically created a ‘shadow’ GitLab issue for each Jira ticket. This allowed us to maintain our Jira-centric workflow while still leveraging VSA’s capabilities.
For commit messages, we implemented a pre-commit hook that enforced including both Jira and GitLab issue numbers. This ensured proper tracking in VSA.
One caveat: the setup required some initial dev time and ongoing maintenance. But the insights gained from VSA made it worthwhile for us.
If you’re not keen on building a custom solution, you might consider using a third-party integration tool like Zapier or Unito. They can help sync issues between Jira and GitLab, though you’ll need to evaluate if they meet your specific needs.
hey, i’ve been there too. we ended up using gitlab’s api to sync jira tickets with gitlab issues. it’s not perfect, but it works ok for us. we also made devs include both jira and gitlab numbers in commits. took some getting used to, but now it’s second nature. might be worth a shot if you’re up for some custom scripting