How to Open a Work Ticket so it Actually Gets Closed

So you have a bug or task you need to report to a ticket tracking system. How can you put it together in a way that the developer can actually address it and get the problem solved and the ticket closed?

First off, make sure you are reporting an actual problem. Sometimes there is a difference between what you think should happen and what someone else thinks should happen. You’ve probably seen the tire swing cartoon.

Usually a quick email or conversation can clear this up, don’t open bugs that say things like, “The color on the homepage is green.” Yes, it’s supposed to be green according to someone else. Why open a ticket to state a fact?

Secondly, a bug assumes you can reproduce and explain the problem and the steps taken to create the problem. If something happens once, it’s not a bug, it’s an anomaly. If you can explain the steps taken to get it to happen again, then you should do so. Describe all the steps from the beginning to where you encounter the bug and what the bug looks like. And then make sure you can reproduce it again.

Third, once you can reproduce the bug make sure and take a screen shot or two. A picture is worth a thousand words so help everyone out and show us what you are seeing.

Forth, report your environment. When you take your car in to a mechanic and you explain a problem—the mechanic has a great advantage over a developer—they are working in your actual environment (a 2010 Honda Civic for example). You need to tell your developer which environment you are using. Is it a computer or a tablet? Mac or PC? Firefox or Safari? OS 10.7.3 or 10.5? Here is a handy tool for getting all of that information together in one shot: http://systemandbrowser.com/

Once the bug is closed or reassigned to you to close take a minute to walk through the reproduction again and make sure it’s fixed in a way you think it should be fixed. If it isn’t, comment on it explaining what you are expecting and reassign it. If appropriate follow up with a thank you – either as a comment when you close the bug or when you see the developer.

To Recap:

• Report problems only.
• Make sure you can document how to reproduce the bug.
• Provide screenshots.
• Report your environment.
• Check it over and say thanks.

Go forth and squash some bugs!