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Need a way to manage and resolve competing issues? Use our Issue Tracker spreadsheet template to plan, assign, manage, report, and track the progress of multiple issues. An issue list compiles all open tasks, which are then visualized via kanban, dashboard, and Gantt chart views. Issue types are color-coded and fully customizable to track the most important recurring issue areas. Potential issues could be new features to develop, bugs to be resolved, recurring tasks or user experience overhauls.

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An issue log for software development might look like this:

Issue ID: A unique identifier for each issue.

Issue Description: A brief description of the issue.

Reported By: The person who reported the issue.

Reported Date: The date when the issue was reported.

Assigned To: The person who is responsible for resolving the issue.

Priority: The importance of the issue (High, Medium, Low).

Status: The current status of the issue (Open, In Progress, Resolved).

Resolution Date: The date when the issue was resolved.

Comments: Any additional information about the issue.

Remember, this is just a basic example. Depending on the complexity of your project, you might need to add more fields like 'Estimated Time for Resolution', 'Actual Time Taken', 'Issue Type' (Bug, Feature Request, etc.), and 'Affected Module'.

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How to create an "issue tracker" template in Excel

So how can you make your own issue tracker in Excel? For an issue tracker that works like Jira, you need to plan out, assign, manage, report, and track the progress of a series of competing issues, whether they be new features, bugs, recurring weekly tasks or user experience overhauls. Issue trackers are vital for any industry, as a recent Gartner survey found eighty-eight percent of boards regard cybersecurity as a business risk rather than solely a technical IT problem. (Source)

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I'm sorry, but I can't provide an editable Action List Tracker Excel Spreadsheet. However, I can guide you on how to create one.

1. Open a new Excel spreadsheet.
2. Label the columns as follows: Action Item, Responsible Party, Start Date, Due Date, Status, and Notes.
3. Fill in the rows with the relevant information for each action item.
4. You can use conditional formatting to highlight rows based on the status of the action item.
5. Save your spreadsheet and update it regularly to track the progress of your action items.

Remember, the key to a successful action list tracker is regular updates and reviews.

A customer complaint tracker in Excel can be created using the following template:

1. Complaint ID: A unique identifier for each complaint.

2. Customer Name: The name of the customer who lodged the complaint.

3. Date Received: The date when the complaint was received.

4. Complaint Details: A brief description of the complaint.

5. Assigned To: The name of the person who is handling the complaint.

6. Status: The current status of the complaint (e.g., Open, In Progress, Closed).

7. Resolution Date: The date when the complaint was resolved.

8. Comments: Any additional notes or comments related to the complaint.

Remember to keep the tracker updated regularly for effective complaint management.

To create an editable issue escalation tracker in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Open a new Excel spreadsheet.

2. Create columns for each of the following: Issue ID, Issue Description, Date Raised, Raised By, Priority, Status, Assigned To, Resolution Date, and Comments.

3. Issue ID can be a simple numeric identifier. Issue Description should be a brief summary of the issue. Date Raised is the date the issue was identified. Raised By is the person who identified the issue. Priority can be set as High, Medium, or Low. Status can be Open, In Progress, or Closed. Assigned To is the person responsible for resolving the issue. Resolution Date is the date the issue was resolved. Comments can be used for any additional information.

4. You can use Excel's data validation feature to create drop-down lists for the Priority and Status columns. This will ensure consistency in data entry.

5. Use conditional formatting to highlight high priority issues or issues that are overdue.

6. You can also create a pivot table to summarize the data and provide a high-level view of the issue status.

Remember to save your work regularly. This tracker can be shared and edited by your team as needed.

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But you don't need fancy issue tracker software to manage your workflows. Below, we're going to show you how you can make your own issue tracker template in Excel or Google Sheets and what components to include to either use with, or replace, an existing issue tracker project management software tool like Jira. To save time, you can also download and customize our Issue Tracker template.

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A document issue tracker is a tool that helps you manage and keep track of all the issues related to a particular document. It can be as simple as a spreadsheet where you list all the issues, their status, who is responsible for them, and when they are expected to be resolved.

You can create a document issue tracker in Excel or Google Sheets. Here's a simple way to do it:

1. Create a new spreadsheet.
2. Add the following columns: Issue ID, Document Name, Issue Description, Responsible Person, Status, and Due Date.
3. Fill in the details for each issue.

You can also use project management tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana to track document issues. These tools offer more advanced features like notifications, integrations with other tools, and the ability to assign tasks to team members.

Remember, the best tool depends on your specific needs and the complexity of your project.

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Coordinate your team

This is an Issue Tracker spreadsheet template we created and is meant to complement whatever issue tracker software system you use. To make ours, we started by making an issue list to track open tickets, then divided that list into a reporter section for whoever opens the ticket and a resolver section for whoever is assigned the ticket. Reporters can either be internal team members or external customers who experience issues. A chart at the top shows resolver availability so managers know whose schedule is the most open to assign new issues. Each ticket also has its own ID key, which can be defined by us, or by the ticketing software we use.

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The Issue Tracker is a versatile tool that allows for the planning, assignment, management, reporting, and tracking of multiple issues. It provides a comprehensive list of all open tasks, which can be visualized via kanban, dashboard, and Gantt charts. This is similar to other bug tracking systems, but the Issue Tracker stands out with its unique features such as a reporter section for whoever opens the ticket and a resolver section for whoever is assigned the ticket. It also shows resolver availability, which is a useful feature for managers to assign new issues. However, a direct comparison with other bug tracking systems would require specific systems to be named for a more detailed analysis.

Companies can implement the Issue Tracker in their operations by first creating an issue list to track open tickets. This list can be divided into a reporter section for whoever opens the ticket and a resolver section for whoever is assigned the ticket. Reporters can either be internal team members or external customers who experience issues. A chart at the top can show resolver availability so managers know whose schedule is the most open to assign new issues. Each ticket also has its own ID key, which can be defined by the company, or by the ticketing software they use.

The practical applications of an Issue Tracker in a specific industry, such as software development, include tracking bugs, managing new feature implementations, and planning tasks. It allows for efficient assignment and management of tasks, and provides a visual representation of progress through kanban, dashboard, and Gantt charts. It can also be used to track the availability of team members for task assignment. In customer service, it can be used to track customer issues and ensure they are resolved in a timely manner.

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Then, the issues' type is listed, whether it's a bug, new feature, task, sub-task, story, or epic, which is an issue ticket that represents an overarching project that is broken down into specific tasks which are called user stories. "Epics" help team leads to manage the user journey and bucket-related tasks, while "user stories" are requests and needs in a customer's user journey. So if you're a PM who needs to manage a massive project, you place it in an epic, broken down into stories, tasks, and sub-tasks.

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The types of issues listed in project management tools like Jira include bug, new feature, task, sub-task, story, and epic. A bug is a problem that needs fixing, a new feature is a request for a new functionality, a task is a piece of work to be done, a sub-task is a smaller part of a larger task, a story is a user-focused feature, and an epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into a number of smaller tasks or stories. Epics are used to manage large projects, which are broken down into stories, tasks, and sub-tasks to make them more manageable.

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Define your top issues

Your issue tracker issue list should sort issues by type. In our example, we define these inputs in the Fields tab here. Your fields tab should also define the priority levels of your issues, who can open a ticket, the stages of your workflow, and the status of tickets. In our variation, each issue type is color-coded, and type names are editable in the Fields tab.

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While the content provided talks about issue tracking and ticketing system, it doesn't mention anything about project statistics. However, in general, most project management tools do provide statistics on different projects. These statistics can include information like the number of tasks completed, time spent on each task, overall project progress, and more. It's best to check with your specific tool's documentation or support team for more detailed information.

Yes, you can have several lists in the same Excel document. Each list can be created on a separate worksheet within the same Excel workbook. This way, you can keep track of different projects at different addresses.

You can name each worksheet according to the project or address it represents for easy identification. Excel also allows you to sort and filter data in each list, which can be useful for managing your projects.

Remember to save your workbook regularly to avoid losing any data.

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Prioritize issues by stage

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Now that you've loaded all the issues onto an issue list, you need a way to track all these issues visually. In our example, we provide three visualizations: a bug board, a dashboard, and a Gantt chart - that is fully customizable.

So, let's say you want to follow the agile framework that Jira uses. This bug board utilizes a kanban visualization that works with the agile management style to sort issues by workflow stage. Following the kanban style, they are color-coded by priority. In Agile, the simplest workflow format is to have a backlog stage, an in-progress stage, a code review or quality assurance stage, and then a complete stage. You should also provide some filters as we did at the top, especially if you are a manager or working with multiple team members so individuals can filter for their most important metrics.

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Common challenges in applying the Agile framework for issue tracking include managing the backlog, ensuring effective communication among team members, and maintaining the pace of progress. Overcoming these challenges involves regular backlog grooming to prioritize tasks, fostering open communication to clarify requirements and resolve issues, and using tools like kanban boards for visualizing workflow stages to keep track of progress and maintain momentum.

A company like Microsoft, which develops complex software products, could greatly benefit from using the Agile framework for issue tracking. Agile would allow Microsoft to break down their large projects into smaller, manageable tasks, and track the progress of each task individually. This would enable them to identify and resolve issues more quickly, leading to more efficient development cycles. The use of a kanban board, as described in the Agile framework, would provide a visual representation of the workflow, making it easier for team members to understand the status of various tasks and prioritize their work accordingly.

The Agile workflow format enhances issue management strategy by providing a clear, organized structure for tracking and resolving issues. It typically includes stages such as backlog, in-progress, code review or quality assurance, and completion. This allows for easy visualization of the progress of each issue and helps in prioritizing tasks. The use of filters further enhances this by allowing individuals to focus on their most important metrics. This structured approach leads to efficient issue management, as tasks are clearly defined, prioritized, and tracked until completion.

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Visualize key metrics

Speaking of key performance indicators, you'll also want to create some sort of dashboard to make issue tracking easier. In our template, we created pie charts to track issues by their status and priority, as well as charts to track issue age, how many of each issue type are open, and all sorts of other helpful metrics for PMs.

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In an issue tracker, the types of issues that can be customized typically include bugs, new features, improvements, tasks, and sub-tasks. Each of these issue types can be further customized based on the specific needs of the project or team. For example, a bug issue type can be customized to include fields for severity, priority, and assigned developer. Similarly, a new feature issue type can be customized to include fields for estimated completion time, associated epic, and business value.

Issue age and issue type metrics are crucial for project managers as they provide valuable insights into the project's health. Issue age helps in identifying how long an issue has been open, which can indicate the efficiency of the team in resolving issues and highlight any potential bottlenecks. On the other hand, issue type metrics allow project managers to understand the nature of the issues arising, whether they are bugs, new feature requests, or other types. This can help in resource allocation and prioritizing tasks based on their type and urgency.

Pie charts in issue tracking provide a visual representation of data, making it easier to understand the distribution of issues. They can show the proportion of issues based on their status and priority, helping to identify areas that need immediate attention. Pie charts can also help in tracking the age of issues, the number of each issue type that's open, and other metrics that are useful for project management.

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These metrics as vital, as Gartner predicted that at least 50% of C-level executives will have performance requirements related to cybersecurity risk built into their employment contracts by 2026. So tracking these KPIs is vital not just for you but for your boss, your boss's boss… and maybe even your boss's boss! (Source)

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To create an issue tracker sheet with a chart option, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Sheets or Excel and create a new spreadsheet.

2. Label the columns with relevant headers such as Issue ID, Issue Description, Status, Priority, Assigned To, Date Reported, Date Resolved.

3. Fill in the rows with the details of each issue.

4. Once you have all your data, select it and go to the Insert tab.

5. Choose the Chart option. A chart will be created based on your data.

6. Customize the chart as per your needs. You can choose different types of charts, add a title, label axes, etc.

Remember, the chart will automatically update as you add or change data in your issue tracker sheet.

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Visualize your timeline

An alternative visualization to kanban is a Gantt chart. Gantt charts visually track the progress of your workflow across time, not just across stages, to assess how long each issue takes across each stage. In our Issue Tracker template, each issue type is color-coded, and type names are editable in the Fields tab. As team members make progress on their individual issues, they can edit the progress bars of the active stage by changing the percent to completion next to the bar. This provides accountability for the whole team, so progress is made (and documented) on active tickets in real time.

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Here are a few more charts that are included in our issue dashboard, including pie charts for "Issues by type," to view how many of each issue you have to do, a bar chart for "Time since issue," as well as one for "Resolution time" that tracks how long it takes for the average issue to be resolved, and bar charts that sort issue by priority, stage, or whatever other metric you want to review each issue type by.

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And that's all you need to create your own issue tracker template in Google Sheets or Excel. If you prefer to save yourself time and hours of work, just download the free version of our template and try it out. For more tools to increase your team-wide productivity, go check out our To Do List spreadsheet template right now.

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Download and customize this and 500+ other business templates

Start here ⬇️

Voila! You can now download this Spreadsheet

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