JIRA software is very popular, especially in IT departments. It is also very flexible because it functions as a „platform.” For this reason, many of our clients wonder whether, in addition to task management, they can use JIRA for managing projects and an entire project portfolio, especially with add-ons like Tempo, Structure, or BigPicture.

The answer to this question is not straightforward, as different organizations have varying needs when it comes to managing individual projects and entire project portfolios. Therefore, we have gathered arguments that are worth considering before choosing the best solution for a given organization.

We ourselves use JIRA for developing Hadrone PPM software in terms of programming tasks, but for managing the Hadrone PPM roadmap, we already use Hadrone PPM. Additionally, many of our clients using Hadrone PPM also use JIRA. Thanks to the built-in integration between Hadrone PPM and JIRA, both solutions’ strengths can be utilized, while eliminating their limitations.

Atlassian JIRA software

Atlassian JIRA is used for managing tasks grouped into projects. It is most commonly used in software development, where the development team plans their work, divided into EPICs, tasks, and sprints. It can also be used to manage workflows within and outside projects. JIRA functions as a platform, enabling the creation of new features and using ready-made add-ons (so-called plug-ins).

STRENGTHS OF JIRA:

  • FUNCTIONAL
    • Extensive team collaboration capabilities for tasks.
    • Extensive capabilities for building workflows.
    • Well-suited for supporting software development tasks and tracking team productivity.
  • DEVELOPMENTAL
    • High flexibility in developing custom features and using add-ons.
    • Extensive REST API for creating custom integrations.

LIMITATIONS OF JIRA (compared to Hadrone PPM):

  • FUNCTIONAL
    • Portfolio monitoring is limited to schedule/roadmap (with the BigPicture add-on).
    • Limited project scheduling functionality (with the Structure add-on).
    • Lack of management for the project baseline (goals, scope, organization, schedule, budget, resources, effects), resulting in no control over changes in the project.
    • No management for planned resource usage and resource balancing (even with the Tempo add-on, only task time reporting is available).
    • No management for project budget and financing, leading to the need for manual management of project expenses in another tool.
    • No management for financial obligations in the project, requiring manual tracking in another tool.
    • No management for post-project effects, leading to the inability to plan and track the actual impact of projects on the organization (financial and other measurable effects).
    • No economic indicators for projects (e.g., NPV), leading to the inability to plan and monitor the sustainability of business justification for projects.
    • No management of risks, issues, and decisions in projects, requiring manual recording of this information in other tools.
    • No program management, which would group projects with their own budget and expected effects.
    • No planning and reporting of strategy execution in relation to project execution and performance indicators (KPIs).
  • DEVELOPMENTAL
    • Necessity of designing new features independently (lack of ability to benefit from other companies' experiences).
    • Additional costs for developing or purchasing add-ons to use additional features — NOTE: According to JIRA's licensing rules, the add-on must be purchased for all users, which can generate high costs (for example, if we want to buy the Structure add-on for 20-30 project managers, it must be purchased for all user accounts, which can number in the hundreds, regardless of whether they will use the add-on).
    • Potential dependence on an internal team modifying JIRA or an external vendor, due to custom logic implemented that only this team understands.

In summary, if an organization focuses only (or mainly) on assigning tasks to employees and monitoring their completion (including reporting the time spent on tasks), JIRA may be sufficient.

However, if project management within the organization involves additional areas (budget, effects, risks, issues, decisions, economic indicators, baseline plan), JIRA, even with add-ons, will be insufficient. In that case, it is worth using PPM software (e.g., Hadrone PPM), either on its own or integrated with JIRA (Hadrone PPM offers such integration "out of the box").

Hadrone PPM software

Hadrone PPM software is used for managing projects, programs, and entire project portfolios (including sub-portfolios). Hadrone PPM allows for planning, prioritizing, and selecting the best set of projects, followed by effective execution and continuous monitoring, also in the context of the organization’s strategic goals.

STRENGTHS OF HADRONE PPM:

  • FUNCTIONAL
    • Comprehensive project management features (goal, scope, organization, schedule, tasks, budget, financial obligations, resources, effects, risks, issues, decisions, periodic reports, project closure report, baseline plan, alignment with strategic goals).
    • Comprehensive program management features (budget limits, expected effects, program organization, linked projects, monitoring progress of projects in the program, periodic reports for the program).
    • Comprehensive project portfolio management features, including financial and resource balancing, monitoring project status (deadlines, budget, resources), monitoring portfolio roadmap, monitoring expenses and financial obligations, post-project effects, resource utilization and risks.
    • Ready-made integrations (MS Active Directory/Entra ID, MS Teams, MS Project, JIRA).
  • DEVELOPMENTAL
    • No need to design new features independently — benefit from the experience of other companies.
    • No additional costs for development — with the license fee, the client receives access to all new software versions (four versions per year).
    • Influence on software development — clients can submit development proposals and prioritize them, based on which an annual roadmap for Hadrone PPM is created.
    • Extensive REST API for creating custom integrations.

LIMITATIONS OF HADRONE PPM (compared to JIRA):

  • FUNCTIONAL
    • Less developed task management functionality (compared to JIRA), which is why Hadrone PPM has built-in integration with JIRA (important for organizations already using JIRA).
    • Lack of the ability to create custom workflows (ready-made workflows are built into the software, but integrations with external workflow modeling tools, including JIRA, are possible).
  • DEVELOPMENTAL
    • No ability to modify software functionality for the needs of a specific organization (Hadrone PPM is a ready-made "boxed" product) — customization is done through extensive software configuration and within the limitations of that configuration. The client also receives access to all new software versions (four new versions per year).

In summary, if an organization, in the course of project execution, focuses not only on assigning tasks to employees and monitoring their completion but also on additional areas (e.g., budget, effects, risks, issues, decisions, economic indicators, baseline plan), it will be more appropriate to use PPM software (e.g., Hadrone PPM).

If the organization is already using JIRA and does not want to abandon it, it is worth choosing PPM software that supports integration with JIRA. In this case, tasks are still managed in JIRA and the project manager can view those tasks directly in the project schedule within the PPM software, where they also manage other aspects of the project (e.g., schedule, budget, effects, risks, issues, decisions, economic indicators, baseline plan). Hadrone PPM supports this way of working.