How to Raise Clear and Concise Issues During a Project

If you’ve ever worked on a project, especially something as complex as a core banking migration or a software upgrade, you know that issues are going to pop up. It’s inevitable. During User Acceptance Testing (UAT), test cases might fail, and once you go live, things can start to break down in production.

At that point, you’re dealing with a long list of problems that need to be fixed—fast. These issues get tracked using all kinds of metrics like severity, priority, and ageing (how long they’ve been unresolved). But here’s the thing: the way issues are written can make or break how quickly they get resolved.

I’ve seen a lot of people document issues in ways that are, frankly, hard to understand. You read an issue, and you’re left scratching your head, needing the person who raised it to sit down with you and explain what they really meant. That’s not ideal. It slows things down and creates unnecessary frustration.

That’s why I believe it’s crucial to educate users—on how to write clear, concise, and actionable issue reports. The goal is simple: whoever picks up the issue (be it a developer, support team, or management) should be able to understand it and take action without asking for more details.

Let me share with you a straightforward framework I’ve seen that can help users document issues in a way that’s clear and easy to follow.

Framework for Writing Clear and Concise Issues

To make sure that the issues you’re raising are easy to understand and actionable, follow this simple structure:

1. Start with a Clear Title

Think of the title as the headline of a news article—short, direct, and to the point. The person reading it should instantly know what the issue is about.

Good Example: “Unable to approve journal posting in the Core Banking due to missing currency dropdown.”

Bad Example: “System not working.”

A good title is like a summary of the problem. It sets the stage for what’s to come.

2. Provide a Brief Description

This is where you explain what’s going wrong. But keep it brief. Focus on what happened, where it happened, and why it’s a problem.

?Good Example: “In the 'Journal Posting' module of the Core Banking, users can’t select a currency from the dropdown. This stops them from completing the posting process.”

You’ve explained what’s wrong, where it’s happening, and why it matters.

Bad Example: “Dropdown not working.”

That’s vague, and anyone reading this will still have questions.

3. Steps to Reproduce

Help the person fixing the issue understand exactly how to replicate it. List out the steps clearly:

Navigate to the "Journal Posting" module.

Attempt to create a new journal entry.

Click on the “Currency” dropdown—notice that no options appear.

When you provide a clear roadmap like this, the person investigating the issue can jump right into troubleshooting.

4. State Expected vs. Actual Results

Clearly spell out what you thought would happen versus what actually happened.

Example:

Expected Result: “The dropdown should display available currencies.”

Actual Result: “The dropdown is empty, so I can’t select a currency and complete the journal posting.”

This part helps the reader understand what went wrong in context.

5. Include Environment Details

Issues don’t always happen in the same environment, so make sure you provide the specifics. Is it happening on a desktop? Mobile? What browser or operating system are you using?

Example:

Platform: Web, Desktop

OS: Windows 10

Browser: Chrome

User Role: Branch Teller

Providing the environment details is like giving clues that can speed up the process of finding and fixing the issue.?

6. Screenshots or Logs (Optional, but Helpful)

If you can, include a screenshot or any error message you’re seeing. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words!

Example:

“Attached is a screenshot showing the empty dropdown for currency selection.”

7. Suggest a Priority (Optional)

If possible, indicate how urgent the issue is:

Low: Minor inconvenience, not blocking work.

Medium: Slowing things down, but there’s a workaround.

High: Blocking work completely—needs immediate attention.

This helps teams prioritize what needs fixing first.

Additional Thoughts

■?????? Some Dos and Don’ts for Writing Issues

Here are a few tips to help you improve your issue reporting:

Do:

Be specific: The more detail, the better.

Be objective: Stick to facts and avoid emotional or vague language.

Keep it clear and concise: Use simple language. Avoid jargon unless it’s necessary.

Include relevant details: Make sure the person fixing the issue has all the information they need to get started right away.

Don’t:

Don’t be vague: “It’s not working” isn’t helpful.

Don’t assume: The reader doesn’t know your workflow or how things are supposed to function, so be clear.

Don’t overload: Keep the information relevant and avoid unnecessary details that don’t relate to the problem.

■?????? Use a Simple Template for Consistency

Here’s a template you can use to report issues clearly and consistently:

Title: [Short and clear title]

Description: [Brief explanation of the issue]

Steps to Reproduce:

[Step 1]

[Step 2]

[Step 3]

Expected Result: [What you expected to happen]

Actual Result: [What actually happened]

Environment: [Platform, OS, browser, etc.]

Priority: [Low, Medium, High]

Attachments: [Screenshots or error logs, if applicable]

Conclusion

The clearer the issue report, the faster it can be resolved. By following this framework, you can ensure that your issues are concise, specific, and easy to understand. It reduces the back-and-forth between teams, avoids unnecessary delays, and makes life easier for everyone involved.

Educating users on how to write good issue reports is a small but powerful step toward smoother project execution, faster problem resolution, and more efficient teamwork.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments session below.