Jira Service Management (JSM)

Automating JSM Requests with BPMN

From JSM Request to BPMN Process: Automating SLAs and Multi-Team Workflows

Automating JSM Requests with Flower BPMN

Jira Service Management (JSM) provides a structured way to handle service requests, incidents, and approvals. However, some processes require coordination across multiple teams, with parallel tasks, approvals, and dependencies. In such cases, a standard JSM request and Jira workflows alone may not be sufficient.

With Flower BPMN, a JSM request can act as the central process instance, orchestrating all related tasks dynamically within Jira. This allows teams to execute structured processes while still using JSM for request handling, SLAs, and communication.

📌 Example: IT Change Management Process

A common use case for Flower in combination with JSM is IT Change Management. Suppose an employee submits a Change Request via the JSM portal to update a production system or deploy new infrastructure.

When the request is created, Flower BPMN automatically starts a process, and the request itself becomes the process instance. All subsequent actions in the BPMN process are managed through Jira tasks, each assigned dynamically according to predefined Swimlanes.

• The JSM request ticket serves as the central form where all process-relevant data is collected.
• A Flower UI gadget is embedded in the JSM request, showing the BPMN process, its current status, and active tasks.
• The requester is kept informed via the JSM request ticket, which continues to function as the main communication channel.
• JSM-specific fields such as Request Type, SLA tracking, Organizations, and resolution times remain fully usable. Additionally, BPMN Timeout Events can set the Jira duedate.
• Jira Automations can still be applied in parallel and can even be triggered directly from the BPMN process.

While the assignment of the JSM request follows standard JSM rules, all other tasks created by Flower BPMN are assigned dynamically using the Swimlane mechanism.

🔧 Setting Up Flower with JSM

Setting up Flower with JSM is straightforward. You only need to:

1. Create a new JSM Request Type in Jira as usual.
2. Link the Request Type to a BPMN process in Flower.

Once linked, every new JSM request of that type automatically starts a Flower BPMN process. The JSM request then serves as the process instance, managing all related tasks and approvals.

For a detailed setup guide, see Flower Setup Details.

When to Use Flower BPMN with JSM

Using Flower BPMN with JSM makes sense when:

• A request triggers multiple dependent tasks across different teams.
• A process requires dynamic approvals based on request details.
• Several actions need to run in parallel or sequentially.
• JSM’s built-in workflows are too limited to model complex interactions.
• The process involves timeouts, escalations, and conditional logic that a standard Jira workflow cannot handle.

An example BPMN process for IT Change Management might look like this:

Summary

• JSM requests can trigger BPMN processes in Flower, providing a structured automation framework.
• The JSM request itself acts as the process instance, storing all relevant data.
• The Flower UI gadget displays process details inside the JSM request ticket.
• JSM fields and SLAs remain fully functional, while BPMN adds process logic.
• Assignments for JSM requests follow JSM rules, while Flower manages the assignments for all other process-related tasks.
• Jira Automations can be used alongside BPMN and can even be triggered from Flower.
• Permissions and notifications control how requesters stay updated about the process progress.

With Flower BPMN, Jira Service Management evolves from simple request handling to a fully automated enterprise workflow engine—ensuring that complex service processes run smoothly and efficiently. 🚀