Time in Status – General Product FAQ
Time in Status is a Jira reporting app that turns issue history into time-based and flow metrics. It helps teams track how long work is spent in each status, with each assignee or team, and across key phases like development, QA, and review.
This FAQ walks you step-by-step from installation and basic setup to advanced reporting, sprint analytics, and enterprise use so you can improve delivery, visibility, and decision-making.
1. How do I install Time in Status on my Jira site?
You can install Time in Status from the Atlassian Marketplace or directly from Jira:
From Atlassian Marketplace:
Open the Atlassian Marketplace and search for “Time in Status” by SaaSJet.
Open the app page and click Try it free.
Select your Jira site (e.g.,
your-site.atlassian.net) and click Start free trial.When the installation finishes, Time in Status becomes available in your Jira Apps menu.
From Jira Admin (Explore more apps):
In Jira, go to Apps → Explore more apps.
Type “Time in Status (by SaaSJet)” in the search box.
Click Free trial or Subscribe now to install the app.
After installation, you’ll see Time in Status in the Jira sidebar under Apps.
2. What is Time in Status for Jira, and what problems does it solve?
Time in Status for Jira is an app that calculates how long issues spend in each workflow status and with each assignee or team. It converts Jira issue history into actionable reports.
Teams use these reports to:
Find bottlenecks (for example, issues stuck in “Blocked”, “In Review”, or “Waiting for Customer”).
Reduce rework and workflow loops.
Improve SLA compliance and predictability.
Plan and forecast using real historical data rather than guesswork.
Time in Status helps replace constant “status pings” and micromanagement with transparent, time-based metrics.
3. Where can I access Time in Status inside Jira?
You can access Time in Status from multiple places in Jira:
Main Reporting App
Jira sidebar → Apps → Time in Status.
This opens the full reporting UI, including filters, calendars, columns manager, pivot tables, and charts.
Work Item Activity Tab (Issue View)
Open an issue → go to Activity → Time in Status.
See visual and numerical data for that single issue (Time in Status, Assignee Time, Status Count, Transition Count), with Metrics and Calendar options.
Dashboard Gadgets
On a dashboard → Add gadget → Time in Status.
Show any of the app’s reports as a Work Item List (table) or charts.
Sprint Performance Report
Open your board → Reports → Sprint Performance Report (Time in Status sprint report).
Or from the board: More menu in the top-right → Sprint Performance Report.
Custom Fields on Boards
Time in Status custom fields can display time in the current status directly on cards, on boards, and in the issue view.
Rovo Agent FlagFocus by Time in Status app
4. How does Time in Status calculate time in each Jira status, and can I exclude weekends or non-working hours?
Time in Status reads each issue’s transition history and sums up the duration between entering and leaving each status. Every time an issue moves to a status, a timer starts; when it leaves that status, the timer stops. The app adds all such intervals for that status.
You can fine-tune how time is calculated:
Choose a Work Schedule (for example, a custom business calendar or 24/7).
Configure calendars to exclude weekends, holidays, or non-working hours where appropriate.
Select a Time Format (e.g., all Business time formats), so durations are readable for your stakeholders.
This lets you report either raw elapsed time or business-time-only metrics, depending on your needs.
5. What kinds of reports are available in Time in Status?
Time in Status provides multiple report types that you select from the Report type dropdown:
Time in Status Report – how long each issue spent in each status.
Assignee Time Report – time each assignee or user group spent on issues.
Average Time Report – average time in each status across a set of issues.
Status Entrance Date Report – when issues first entered specific statuses.
Time in Status per Date Report – time in status broken down by date for trend analysis.
Status Count Report – how many times an issue has been in each status (helpful in spotting loops and rework).
Transition Count Report – how often issues moved between specific statuses.
Cycle and Lead Time – summarized time for status groups that represent end-to-end phases.
Each report can be viewed as a table, chart, or in Pivot Table View for deeper analysis.
6. How can I add Time in Status reports to Jira dashboards?
Time in Status includes dashboard gadgets that let you monitor key metrics without opening the app.
You can add multiple gadgets for different teams, projects, or metrics (for example, Work Item Age Gadgets, Reopened Issues Count, Average Time charts, Time in Status charts).
7. How do I show time in status directly on Jira board cards using custom fields?
To display Jira time in status directly on board cards:
Use the Time in Status Custom Fields feature to create a custom field (for example, “Time in Current Status”).
Associate the custom field with the relevant screens and projects in Jira.
Open your board and go to Board settings → Card layout.
From the Field name dropdown, select the Time in Status custom field.
Click Add to show it on the board.
Now, your board cards display time-in-status values (such as how long an issue has been in the current status), so you can monitor them at a glance without opening the reporting app.
8. How do I export Time in Status data or integrate it with BI tools like Power BI or Google Sheets?
Time in Status supports several export and integration options:
File export:
Export report data to CSV or XLSX for offline analysis or sharing.
Confluence integration:
Embed reports directly into Confluence pages using Time in Status macros.
JSON Data Feed:
Generate a JSON data feed link that external systems can consume.
BI / Analytics tools:
Connect Time in Status data to Power BI, Qlik, Google Sheets, and other tools via documented integrations and the JSON feed.
These options help you combine Jira time-based metrics with financial, operational, or customer data in a single analytics environment.
9. How do I analyze cycle time and lead time for my workflow?
To measure cycle time and lead time with Time in Status:
Open Columns Manager in your report.
Use Status Groups to group multiple Jira statuses into one logical phase:
Example: group “In Progress”, “In Review”, and “QA Testing” into “Cycle Time”.
Or group “To Do” → “In Progress” → “Done” to define a full Lead Time.
Run the report (Time in Status, Cycle/Lead Time, or Pivot View) to see the total time spent in each group.
With Status Groups, you can align metrics to your value stream, such as “Dev”, “QA”, “Waiting for Customer”, “Blocked”, and report them as single columns.
10. How can I detect bottlenecks, rework, and workflow loops with Time in Status?
Time in Status gives you several ways to detect inefficiencies:
Time in Status Report
Shows how long issues spend in each status so you can spot bottlenecks (for example, issues sitting in “Review” or “Waiting for Customer” for too long).
Status Count Report
Shows how many times an issue has entered each status.
Helps you identify rework and loops, such as tickets bouncing between “In Progress” and “Testing”.
Transition Count Report
Shows how often issues move between specific status pairs (Dev → QA → Dev, etc.).
Exposes back-and-forth handoffs and process friction.
Time in Status per Date Report + Charts with Trendline
Shows how time in key statuses changes day by day, sprint by sprint.
With charts and trendlines, you can see whether delays are getting better or worse.
FlagFocus / Rovo Agent for Flagged Work Items
Analyzes how long issues remain Flagged and which statuses they were in during that time.
Helps you focus on blockers and resolve them faster.
Together, these reports let you move from anecdotal complaints to hard data when improving your workflow.
11. How does the Sprint Performance Report work, and what sprint metrics can I see?
The Sprint Performance Report (Sprint Report by Time in Status) gives Scrum teams a consolidated view of sprint performance:
It uses the board’s JQL filter to define the scope of work items for each sprint.
It provides visual charts and metrics showing:
How much work was completed.
Team velocity and workload.
Scope changes during the sprint (added/removed work).
Completion rate and other key indicators.
You can choose the measurement basis according to your board’s estimation method:
Story Points
Original Time Estimate
Issue Count
This report is ideal for sprint reviews and retrospectives, helping teams see what happened in the sprint without manual calculations.
12. How can I measure the impact of process changes using Time in Status (before/after comparisons)?
To measure the effect of a process change (for example, a new QA step or automation rule):
Define “before” and “after” periods using:
Work Items Period – which issues are included.
Report Period – which time range is analyzed for those issues.
Filter issues by attributes like project, team, epic, label, sprint, JQL, etc., so you compare similar work sets (for example,
label = bugfixin Sprint 21 vs Sprint 22).Use:
Time in Status and Average Time reports to see time changes in key statuses.
Status Count and Transition Count to check if rework or loops increased or decreased.
Assignee Time and Status Groups to see how effort and lead times changed across roles or teams.
Time in Status per Date with charts and trendlines to see trends over time.
Export or share results via dashboards, Confluence pages, or BI tools.
This lets you prove whether a workflow update actually reduced bottlenecks or shifted work elsewhere.
13. How can I use Time in Status to communicate progress without micromanaging my team?
Time in Status provides real-time visibility into progress so you can reduce ad-hoc status requests:
Time in Status Reports show exactly how long issues have been in statuses like “In Progress”, “Review”, or “Blocked”, so you can see stuck work without pinging people.
Status Count and Transition Count highlight rework and loops so you can address process flaws rather than blaming individuals.
Assignee Time helps balance workloads and prevent burnout without requiring manual timesheets.
Dashboards and gadgets provide at-a-glance views for stand-ups, reviews, and management updates.
Sprint Performance Report summarizes sprint health for leadership and stakeholders.
Instead of micromanaging, you get a shared, objective view of flow that supports trust-based leadership and self-managed teams.
14. How do enterprise leaders use Time in Status?
In Jira environment, Time in Status is used as a strategic DevOps reporting tool:
Improve cycle time and delivery reliability
Use Time in Status and Average Time reports to identify stages like “Ready for QA”, “Code Review”, or “Blocked” that slow down releases.
Reduce rework and surface friction
Use Status Count and Transition Count to spot issues that repeatedly move between Dev and QA or reopen frequently.
Address root causes like unclear requirements, unstable environments, or missing test coverage.
Optimize team utilization
Use Assignee Time and Pivot Table View to roll up data by team, epic, or project and see where effort is concentrated.
Track improvement over time
Use Time in Status per Date with charts and trendlines to monitor whether changes are improving lead time and reducing blockers.
Because Time in Status for Jira runs in on-premise environments, all data stays behind your firewall, and you don’t need to change existing workflows to start reporting.
15. Is there a recommended rollout plan, and how do I know that Time in Status is working?
Yes, the documentation includes a 2-week implementation playbook and suggested success metrics.
Week 1 – Set up and establish a baseline
Ensure Jira workflows match reality (clear entry/exit criteria, meaningful statuses).
Configure calendars, time zones, and confirm estimation methods (Story Points / Time / Count).
Define Status Groups for Lead Time, Cycle Time, Time to Resolution, etc.
Set up custom fields (e.g., time in the current status) for boards that need quick visibility.
Create and save presets for key teams (Support, Development, HR, etc.).
Build dashboards with Time in Status gadgets.
Run baseline reports and the Sprint Performance Report to capture initial metrics.
Week 2 – Experiment, iterate, and standardize
Run a data-informed retrospective using Time in Status, cycle time, throughput, and WIP metrics.
Choose 1–2 targeted process experiments (e.g., limit WIP, refine review SLAs, add “Blocked” status).
Define SMART success criteria (for example, “Reduce average ‘In Review’ time by 15% next sprint”) and assign a DRI.
After the next sprint, compare the same metrics and decide whether to standardize or adjust the change.
How to know it’s working
Look for:
Cycle time reduced by ~10–25% within 1–2 sprints.
Lower percentage of waiting time vs active work.
Fewer reopen loops and less rework.
Fewer SLA breaches and better on-time delivery.
Improved forecast accuracy and less carryover between sprints.
These outcomes indicate that Time in Status is helping you turn Jira data into real process improvements.
If you need help or want to ask questions, please contact SaaSJet Support or email us at support@saasjet.atlassian.net
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