How Jira Can Use Huddle01 for Competitive Edge

Jira is a leading project management tool dominating almost 25% of the total market share. But, it is facing increasing competition from other tools such as Asana and Trello. To continue maintaining this dominance Jira has to constantly innovate by adding new features and functionalities. Improved road mapping capabilities, the ability to customize workflows, and real-time reporting in Jira are all efforts in this direction.

While all of these features have helped teams using Jira improve productivity, their effort to add the ability to schedule meetings from Jira tickets needs a little bit of work. And that’s what we are here to discuss today.

Why Built-In Audio/Video Calls Is Important For Collaboration Tools

Before we get to how the implementation of scheduling meetings from JIRA could have been better, let’s agree on one thing — this is an important feature.

None of the project management software today have a built-in audio/video call functionality including Asana and Trello. This means that teams use these tools in tandem with Zoom or GMeet. So basically every time someone using Jira has to explain/discuss/ and take notes on an issue they have to juggle between Gmeet/Zoom and Jira. Anytime there are backlogs that need to be explained, they have to open Google Calendar and schedule a meeting.

How about they don’t have to use two windows to do simple tasks like this? Because all of us know that we already have a gazillion windows open on our browser. Do we really need another one?

Jira has evolved from a tool for only devs and PMs to streamline product planning and development to being used by pretty much every function of an organization. It helps customer success and tech collaborate for bug fixes, marketing can be aligned with the product team by being in the loop with the product development cycle, and even design and marketing can task manage on a board.

With these infinite collaboration possibilities, it only makes sense for Jira to focus on making collaboration seamless. So what’s the solution? Built-in audio/video call. This would make Jira a

One-stop shop for project management and communication. Teams could manage their projects, track their progress, and communicate with each other all in one place. This would save teams time and simplify the workflow.

Learn From the Best — Audio Calls in Figma

Don’t take our word for it. See for yourself how Figma implemented this and see insane usage.

Their users went from this:

To this:

In September 2022, Figma launched ‘Audio Chat’ and ‘Cursor Chat’ to improve collaboration on design files. It was one of its most requested features.

Their intent behind this was simple — Figma’s mission is to create a digital space for real-time collaboration on designs, just like how it happens in an offline space. They took this one step forward by enabling audio and cursor chat within Figma and eliminating the need to toggle between tools. This comes in handy for in-context collaboration and spontaneous syncs, mimicking real-life interactions.

The built-in audio call feature in Figma has had a positive impact on businesses in a number of ways:

• It has helped to improve communication and collaboration between designers, developers, and other stakeholders.
• It makes it easier for designers to collaborate with other designers and with developers. In the past, designers often had to communicate their ideas through text or through screenshots. This was time-consuming and inefficient.
• Designers can now have live conversations with each other and with developers. This makes it easier to communicate ideas, to get feedback, and to resolve issues quickly.
• Finally, it helps to streamline the workflow. Earlier, designers had to switch between different tools to communicate with each other and with developers

A feature like this can very well have the same impact on Jira as it too is centered around collaboration.

The Poor Implementation

We know that Jira realizes this because they have made efforts to make it happen from their Zoom Jira Plug-in, but the implementation is broken :/

Once you download this plug-in from the ATLASSIAN Marketplace, you automatically get a ‘Zoom Meeting’ button on the right side of the details card, once you click on it you will be asked to either ‘start an instant meeting’ or ‘schedule a meeting’. In any case, when you start the meeting, it will be opened in a new window or the Zoom app will open if you have it installed.

This experience is broken because the user still has to toggle between two apps when on the call. This can be realized with the fact that this plug-in has only 75 downloads so far.

The Solution

Similar to Figma, Jira can utilize a real-time communication service such as Huddle01’s SDK to natively power audio and video calls at the click of a button.

Why Huddle01 specifically? Well, there are many reasons but let us tell you a few:

1. 99% Less Development Time — Our SDK helps you go live with native audio/video functionality in just a day. This reduces your development time by almost 99% when compared to Zoom’s SDK.
2. Smaller SDK Footprint Size — When compared with Agora, our SDK footprint size is 70% smaller, making it extremely lightweight.
3. High Customizability — Our SDK is highly customizable, you can build tailored audio-only, 1–1, and group calls with an integrated chat feature.
4. Dedicated Developer Support: With a hands-on development team, all your issues are handled almost instantaneously.

We will also soon offer an in-depth analytics dashboard that will help you monitor and analyze all your active sessions around the globe. You can read our documentation to learn more about the SDK!

The Impact

The native audio/video functionality will actually help Jira achieve what they were trying to achieve with the Zoom-Jira plug-in but couldn’t:

1. Strategic Alignment with Agile Workflows: By incorporating seamless communication directly within the platform, teams can adapt more dynamically to changes, fostering an Agile mindset where collaboration and responsiveness are integral to the development process.
2. Improved Decision-Making: Face-to-face communication is often crucial for making informed decisions. With native audio and video, Jira users can hold virtual meetings, enabling clearer discussions and a better understanding of project requirements. This can lead to quicker decision-making processes and more effective project management.
3. Increased Engagement: Native audio and video features in Jira can significantly enhance team engagement by fostering a more interactive collaboration environment. The ability to seamlessly switch from text-based communication to face-to-face discussions can reduce communication barriers, leading to a more engaged and involved team. This increased engagement not only improves the quality of discussions but also promotes a sense of connection and shared purpose among team members.
4. Competitive Edge: It also provides a competitive edge by positioning Jira as a comprehensive and forward-thinking project management solution. In a landscape where effective communication is paramount, offering built-in audio and video capabilities would set Jira apart from competitors that rely on external tools. This competitive advantage not only attracts organizations seeking a complete project management solution but also showcases Jira’s commitment to staying ahead in the evolving landscape of collaborative work environments.

So Jira, shall we set up a call?