How Arvato Systems Streamlined ITSM and Improved Operational Efficiency Using Backbone Issue Sync

Challenge: Arvato Systems has dozens of interdependent Jira Software and Jira Service Management (JSM) projects. Moving tickets between them and keeping them all in sync proved time-consuming and prone to errors.

Action: They experimented with Jira automation and custom connector/middleware software before discovering Backbone Issue Sync for Jira, which helped them automatically sync tickets across the different Jira and JSM projects.

Impact: Reducing the time spent on configurations by up to 96%, Arvato Systems significantly streamlined operations, reduced manual effort, and improved their customer service..

Arvato Systems, part of the Bertelsmann-owned Arvato Group, supports global enterprises in digital transformation. They develop IT solutions, help customers transition to the Cloud, integrate digital processes, and manage IT operations, partnering with AWS, Google, Microsoft, and SAP. Streamlining Customer Service with Jira

Already using Jira Software on Cloud, Arvato Systems added Jira Service Management (JSM) to enhance customer service, freeing up resources and budget. The next challenge was syncing teams across Jira Software and JSM projects.

Stuart White , Senior Consultant at Arvato Systems, and Laura Birkheuer, Senior Consultant and integrations expert, explored various tools to connect Jira and JSM projects before trying Backbone Issue Sync for Jira.

Behind the Scenes: Multi-layered Jira Project Management

Arvato Systems uses dozens of internal Jira and JSM projects for departments like HR, facilities, and vendor management. Among these projects, customer support and development services often require syncing between different Jira projects.

Multiple support teams work on a single product, with some queries resolved within JSM and others escalated to senior development teams working in separate Jira Software projects.

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The Challenge: Keeping Different Jira Projects in Sync

The main challenge was keeping information between Jira and JSM projects up-to-date. Initially, updates were manually copied across projects, which was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone. Buying additional JSM agent licenses for Jira Service Management users also increased subscription fees.

Solution: Backbone Issue Sync for Jira

They tried various solutions, like Jira automation and custom middleware. However, Backbone Issue Sync proved faster, easier, and cheaper, keeping Jira issues up-to-date and accurate, improving efficiency, and reducing costs.

What Made Arvato Systems Opt For Backbone Issue Sync for Jira?

Laura and Stuart found Backbone Issue Sync highly valuable.

Stuart shares,

”As an IT company and enterprise customer, we have a lot of interfaces, and we have a lot of tools to connect these interfaces. When it comes to Jira to Jira sync, Backbone Issue Sync is the quickest way to build an interface between two projects or even two different instances."

The ease of configuration and flexibility were crucial for Stuart and Laura.

Stuart adds,

"Backbone Issue Sync is super easy to configure; our users can even do this themselves. It takes us a few hours at most to set up Backbone, whereas, in comparison, it takes multiple days to set up a middleware interface. You can also move the tickets manually or use automations, but these options are not nearly as easy and powerful as Backbone Issue Sync."

The Backbone Advantage: Arvato Systems’ Favorite Feature

One of Backbone Issue Sync's standout features for Stuart and Laura was the simplicity of setup and maintenance. Laura appreciated how straightforward configuring and editing connections and creating field mappings was, especially compared to the alternatives.

Stuart added,

“Building a Backbone configuration to synchronize JIRA projects takes half a day at most, and the alternatives, such as using a middleware via the REST APIs, are very high effort in comparison. We can see up to 96% savings using Backbone Issue Sync."

Backbone Issue Sync easily syncs all types of issues and associated (custom) fields, comments, and attachments. It also allows choosing between internal and public comments, a feature Stuart praised.

Improving ITSM and Customer Service Efficiency

Backbone Issue Sync has streamlined project synchronization for Arvato Systems, cutting manual effort. Its user-friendly interface and robust features are vital for their operations, enhancing customer value.

Want to improve customer service and resolve tickets faster? Learn more about Backbone Issue Sync for Jira here or try it for 30 days for free.