JIRA Cycle Time Metrics

Extract cycle time metrics from your JIRA installation to analyze development team performance.

What is Cycle Time?

Cycle time measures how long tasks spend in active development statuses. By default, this includes time spent in:

• Doing
• Blocked
• Review
• In Progress
• In Review

This metric helps teams understand their delivery efficiency and identify bottlenecks.

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Get your JIRA API token:

   • Go to https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens
   • Create a new API token
   • Save it securely

3. Run the script:

   export JIRA_API_TOKEN="your-token-here"
   python jira_metrics.py --url https://your-company.atlassian.net --username your-email@company.com

Example Output

The script generates a CSV file with these columns:

• key: Issue key (e.g., PROJ-123)
• summary: Issue title
• cycle_time_hours: Total hours in cycle time statuses
• cycle_time_days: Total days in cycle time statuses
• status: Current issue status
• created: When the issue was created
• resolved: When the issue was resolved (if completed)

Advanced Usage

Custom Status Names

If your JIRA uses different status names:

python jira_metrics.py --url https://company.atlassian.net --username user@company.com --statuses "Development" "Code Review" "QA Testing"

Filter by Project or Sprint

# Specific project
python jira_metrics.py --jql "project = MYPROJ AND resolved >= -30d" --url https://company.atlassian.net --username user@company.com

# Current sprint
python jira_metrics.py --jql "sprint in openSprints()" --url https://company.atlassian.net --username user@company.com

Export Detailed Data

python jira_metrics.py --json --url https://company.atlassian.net --username user@company.com

This creates both a CSV summary and a detailed JSON file with status transition history.

Security Notes

• Never commit your API token to version control
• Use environment variables or a local config file for credentials
• API tokens are safer than passwords and can be easily revoked

Troubleshooting

Authentication Error: Verify your JIRA URL, username, and API token No Issues Found: Check your JQL query and permissions Missing Status Transitions: The script requires changelog history (may not be available for very old issues)