We live in a time when AI is inevitable and will soon become a standard measure of success. In this context, ⋮IWConnect has utilized AI across all departments, developing products that leverage its capabilities and revolutionize productivity. One such product is our Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent. In the following lines, we dive into the thoughts and motivations of the team responsible for creating this transformative solution in enterprise project management. Hear from our product owners, project managers, frontend designers, specialists, and QA consultants as they share the inspiration, design process, challenges, and personal motivations behind the Jira story generator. This tool is not just a technological innovation but a product of passion, creativity, and a commitment to excellence. Join us to uncover the human stories and inspirations behind this revolutionary project management tool.
Tome Hristovski
Business Unit Manager
and Product Owner
IWC: What initially inspired you to pursue his solution to transform enterprise project management?
TOME: The increasing complexity of enterprise projects and dynamics in IT, in general, inspired us to develop Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent . We recognized that project management is becoming more complex and time-consuming. Traditional methods frequently resulted in delays and inefficiencies. With this in mind, we identified an opportunity to revolutionize project management by implementing AI-related solutions to streamline and improve the process. The inspiration came from a desire to provide teams with a powerful tool to automate and transform business requirements into comprehensive, well-structured user stories, saving valuable time and resources. I have been working with Atlassian tools for over ten years and wanting to make the most of those tools only came naturally. This solution aims to improve project management’s efficiency, accuracy, and consistency, allowing teams to focus more on their core tasks and deliver projects more effectively.
IWC: What is your biggest personal motivation when tackling the obstacles of building an internal product?
TOME: My greatest motivation when facing the challenges of developing an internal product is the opportunity to enhance efficiency and simplify complex processes, ultimately providing value and convenience to our teams and clients.
Aleksandar Salevski
Project Manager
IWC: If you could name a song to describe the Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent, what would it be?
ALEKSANDAR:
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – CAN’T HOLD US FEAT. RAY DALTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNSgSzhBfM
Avicii – Levels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovdm2yX4MA
IWC: What use cases does the AI story writing feature enable? Does it help new teams ramp up faster or help overburdened teams manage workflows?
ALEKSANDAR: Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent, designed initially for story creation with a predefined structure for software and applications development teams, has proven incredibly versatile and seamless. While its primary use case revolves around assisting development teams by generating narrative content tailored to their needs, the tool’s adaptability extends its utility to various branches and industries.
AI helps overburdened teams manage workflows by automating routine tasks, streamlining processes, and providing intelligent insights. This alleviation allows team members to focus on more strategic and complex aspects of their work, promoting efficiency and reducing the burden of manual labor. Integrating AI in workflow management revolutionizes the work environment, facilitating a more organized and optimized setting and empowering teams to handle tasks more effectively and accomplish their goals more quickly.
Aleksandra Naceska
Senior Front End Consultant
IWC: How does the user interface for Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent, simplify and enhance client workflows?
ALEKSANDRA: Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent, features an intuitive, user-friendly interface that integrates seamlessly into the existing Jira ecosystem. It automates the creation of detailed user stories, saving time and enhancing efficiency. The tool offers customization to fit specific project needs and provides real-time feedback, significantly streamlining and improving client workflows.
IWC: Outside of visual design, what personal life experiences influence your emphasis on understanding user needs?
ALEKSANDRA: My personal experiences in fitness and regular interactions with diverse individuals have profoundly shaped my approach to understanding user needs. Fitness has taught me the importance of discipline and the need for adaptable tools that cater to various capabilities. Meanwhile, interacting with people from various backgrounds has enhanced my empathy and ability to anticipate diverse user requirements, ensuring our designs are inclusive and user-centric.
Aleksandar Mitrovski
Microsoft Consultant
IWC: How did you leverage your experience as a Microsoft developer to make this AI-powered integration powerful and easy to embed?
ALEKSANDAR: Using my frontend development expertise, I significantly contributed to Alex Your Virtual Storytelling Agent by enhancing its user interface for simplicity and efficiency. I focused on integrating AI chatbot technology smoothly into Jira’s existing framework, ensuring the tool was powerful, intuitive, and user-centric. This involved designing a streamlined process for generating detailed Jira stories and providing the tool’s natural language processing capabilities were seamlessly embedded, all while maintaining a focus on a clean, accessible user experience that aligns with Jira’s native workflow.
IWC: If you could pick any historical figure to have dinner with, who would it be and why?
ALEKSANDAR: Hedy Lamarr. She was a renowned actress and an inventor whose work significantly contributed to the development of spread spectrum technology, a key to modern wireless communication. Her story is a testament to the fusion of creativity and technical innovation.
Miodrag Cekikj
AI Specialist
IWC: What is your biggest personal motivation when tackling the obstacles of building new AI solutions?
MIODRAG: To put it straight from the heart, my driving force lies in the certainty of uncertainty. Rather than viewing obstacles as roadblocks, I enthusiastically embrace them as challenges, illuminating the path to innovation and thrilling opportunities for pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The dynamic nature of Applied AI solutions presents an ever-shifting landscape, and precisely, this unpredictability fuels my passion. Therefore, each challenge allows one to explore uncharted territories and forge new paths in pursuing cutting-edge solutions. I must admit that collaborative synergy within a team is the most potent stimulus, transforming the pursuit of AI solutions into a collective odyssey where everyone is eager and motivated to leave their unique fingerprint on this fast-paced technology. Together, we traverse the uncertain terrain, turning what might seem like impediments into stepping stones for progress. That is my biggest personal motivation.
IWC: Are you thinking about incorporating other AI capabilities?
MIODRAG: Anything except absolutely does not make any sense. Standing still is not an option in the future of agile project management because the field is constantly evolving, as are the users’ expectations. Our vision and belief are that staying ahead requires a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. We already asked for feedback and have it in the pre-production release environment. So, there is a lot for brainstorming and grooming, and the horizon is getting wider now, ranging from integration and support of additional AI capabilities to more advanced reinforcement learning mechanisms to the flow. Embracing new AI capabilities is not just a strategy for us; it’s a commitment to delivering a cutting-edge product that provides real value to our users. The team is dedicated to staying agile, adapting to industry trends, revolutionizing project management, and going beyond the boundaries of what our AI product can achieve. The improvement journey is ongoing, and we are excited about the possibilities.
Tamara Zavisic
QA Consultant
IWC: How does rigorous testing ensure this tool reliably generates high-quality Jira storiesai
to match client needs?
TAMARA: Rigorous testing ensures the tool reliably revolutionizes Jira service management by generating high-quality Jira issues, verifying its ability to accurately understand and interpret client requirements. Timely and thorough testing helps identify and correct any flaws in the tool’s algorithm and behavior, continuously improving its efficiency and effectiveness. Every passed test case brings us one step closer to assured quality.
IWC: Who has been your most influential mentor or role model over the years? How did they impact your life?
TAMARA: The most influential role model in my life is my grandfather. I cannot think of anyone who has impacted my personal and professional life more than him. He was my continuous support, adviser, and person I proudly call my role model. His genuine dedication to everything he set his mind to and constant seeking of improvement, kindness, and honor are admirable. He shaped me into the person I am today.
If you want to learn more about our team or our revolutionary AI-powered Jira story generator, feel free to contact us at sales@iwconnect.com. We’d love to tell you more about how our tools can revolutionize your project management!
