How I Use Jira Scrum Boards to Plan, Track, and Deliver Projects

As a Python full stack developer, I juggle backend, frontend, database queries, and even GitLab pipelines—all within tight sprint timelines. To keep everything organized, I rely heavily on our Jira Scrum Board.

While the team lead usually assigns tasks and manages the sprint planning, I use the board every single day to track what I’m working on, update my progress, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly how I use Jira Scrum Board during sprints—from picking up tasks to marking them done, and integrating GitLab, remote servers, and database work into the flow.

🧠 What Is a Jira Scrum Board?

A Jira Scrum Board is a visual tool used to manage tasks during a sprint, which is a short, time-boxed development cycle (usually 1–2 weeks).

Each task (called an “issue”) moves through stages like:

To Do → In Progress → Code Review → Done

Each card represents a task assigned to me, and moving it across the board helps the team see progress in real-time.

🧑‍💻 My Role as a Developer

Since I’m not the team lead, I don’t assign tasks — that’s done by our project lead or Scrum Master. Once the sprint starts, I focus on:

Picking up tasks assigned to me from the TO DO column
Moving them to IN PROGRESS when I begin
Sending them to CODE REVIEW once I push code to GitLab
Marking them DONE once changes are approved and merged

🔍 A Glimpse Into My Daily Workflow

Here’s what my typical Jira board looks like during a sprint:

📌 From Task Assignment to Completion — The Board in Action

Each column on the board means:

TO DO → Tasks assigned to me for the current sprint
IN PROGRESS → Actively being developed
CODE REVIEW → Submitted for review (usually via GitLab Merge Request)
DONE → Completed and deployed

This helps me stay focused and communicate status without needing constant sync-ups.

🧩 How I Use Jira Scrum Board in My Developer Workflow

Here’s a breakdown of what my typical sprint cycle looks like and how I interact with Jira during each phase:

1️⃣ Picking Up My Tasks

Once the sprint starts, I check the “To Do” column in Jira for tasks assigned to me by our team lead. These could include:

Backend API development in Django or Flask
Frontend changes in ReactJS
Database migrations or query optimizations
GitLab CI/CD fixes or server-related issues

I usually prioritize based on story points or dependencies with other tasks.

2️⃣ Moving Tasks to “In Progress”

As soon as I start working, I move the task to “In Progress”.

During this phase, I:

Clone the repo from GitLab
Create a new feature/bugfix branch
Work on the backend logic, frontend UI, or database updates
Test locally and on remote staging servers

I also add comments in the Jira ticket if I need clarification from the team or want to document blockers.

3️⃣ Code Review Time

Once the code is ready, I push it to GitLab and create a Merge Request (MR).

Then, I move the issue to the “Code Review” column and link the MR to the Jira ticket.
Thanks to our GitLab–Jira integration, the ticket auto-updates with commit info and MR status—super handy!

4️⃣ Marking Tasks “Done”

Once the MR is approved and merged:

I test the changes on our remote server
Make sure database migrations are applied (if any)
Confirm it works across environments

Then, I finally move the task to “Done”.

Feels great 😎

🔧 Tools & Features I Use Daily in Jira

Story Points – Helps me estimate effort and time
Labels like #backend, #frontend, #urgent – Makes filtering tasks easier
Linked GitLab MRs – Keeps code and tasks in sync
Subtasks – For breaking down bigger user stories
Comments – To document progress, blockers, and links

💡 Tips That Help Me Stay on Track

Update your board daily – Keeps your status visible to the team
Keep Jira comments brief but clear – Especially helpful during standups
Link your commits & MRs – Saves time during reviews
Test thoroughly before moving to “Done” – Especially on shared servers
Use filters – I often use “Only My Issues” to focus during crunch time

🔄 Final Thoughts

Jira Scrum Board isn’t just for managers—it’s a powerful tool for developers too. For me, it’s a daily dashboard that keeps my full stack tasks organized—from coding to deploying.

If you’re a fellow Python or full stack dev working in sprints, get comfortable with Jira early. Once you make it part of your workflow, it becomes second nature.

💬 Let’s Connect!

Are you also a full stack developer using Jira? Got any workflow tips?

Drop a comment below or connect with me on Instagram @procoder.inn.

Let’s keep building—one sprint at a time. 🔥💻

Jira Scrum Board Explained: How I Organize My Work During Sprint