JIRA: Epics vs Labels vs Components

Question

This blog has a definition of epics in JIRA:

Epics are significantly larger bodies of work. Epics are feature-level work that encompasses many user storie

Answer 1

Addition: Atlasian now have created a new article explaining this from their perspective.

https://www.atlassian.com/agile/delivery-vehicles

My opinion / usage.

Labels and Components are almost straightforward and well answered already.

Components examples

• Android client app
• Server API
• Database etc.....

Labels examples.

• Business logic sectors (ex Orders,Invoices,Users, Products)
• Code Quality Improvement
• Refactor
• Usability
• User request/complain Generally whatever helps categorize things.

But let me give my two cents about Epics because i find this phrase way too generic.

Epics are significantly larger bodies of work

Larger? 10 Sprints? 10 Stories? 20 Stories? or what?

Personally i would classify Epics as Goals.

At a Yearly / Quarter Retrospective your company holds a meeting with all members and stakeholders , and concludes to the following

1. We need to target more platforms (epic = Platform Expanding)
2. Our support personnel needs more tools to handle issues. (Enrich Support tools)
3. The software is too hard to use! ( Redesign UI UX)

This would mean 3 epics with set of stories to cover each of those generic requirements