Moving to Jira

TIMETOACT simplifies interdisciplinary collaboration at C&A under the umbrella of the Atlassian product suite
Success Story as PDF

Over the years, the software landscape in companies grows. Tools and systems are purchased individually as needed, which are neither coordinated with each other nor can they be integrated well. Frustration, poor usability and long support paths are the result. To homogenize the toolchain, TIMETOACT replaced two independent ticket systems with the Atlassian product range for C&A Services GmbH &Co. KG. With the step into the enterprise cloud, the fashion retailer is putting an exclamation mark on digital collaboration across departments and locations.

Initial situation:

  • Historically grown software landscape
  • Use of three independent ticket systems: Valuemation, Mantis, Jira
  • Insufficient interfaces, poor usability, high level of dissatisfaction

Key requirement: Valuemation and Mantis should be replaced in the Atlassian product range

Solution:

  • Jira Service Management: Central point of contact and interface between end user and IT
  • Jira Software: 2nd and 3rd level support and work around the software development process
  • Jira Confluence: Documentation of the software and integration of FAQs

Added value:

  • Cloud-first strategy for long-term Atlassian support.
  • Licensing in the enterprise cloud, among others, for unlimited users and better service times
  • Extension and customizing of the products
  • User-friendly usability, good interfaces and simple support channels

High praise for TIMETOACT for the flexibility and constructive solution finding, especially with regard to the change from data center to cloud.

Ulrich Ohlwein Business Architect C&A Services GmbH & Co. KG

Individual players prevent effective ticket processing - an all-rounder is needed!

Efficient collaboration between different departments requires a software landscape that is tailored to requirements and coordinated with each other. The smooth interaction of different tools and processes is the be-all and end-all here, especially when the processing of tickets has to function across locations and departments. At the fashion retailer C&A Services GmbH & Co. KG, the software landscape had grown historically and three ticket systems (Valuemation, Mantis and Jira) were in use. Insufficient interfaces and poor usability, especially with the service desk tool, led to a high level of user dissatisfaction. A new tool was needed that could reconcile all requirements.

Atlassian offers a wide range of products for successful interdisciplinary collaboration - from service management to project planning and knowledge sharing. Atlassian Jira was already in use and established at C&A. In deciding to use Atlassian in this project as well, the extensive interface options, user-friendliness and breadth of application possibilities were particularly convincing.

The core requirement was to replace two individual tools with the Atlassian product range. These were to offer simple and intuitive usability, fast and easy support paths, and optimal interface options.

TIMETOACT had a similar internal a similar problem to ours, which solved with the Atlassian products solved. Expertise with the products and the subject matter, a competent team as well as the local proximity to us in Düsseldorf were the reasons why we decided in favor of TIMETOACT.

Ulrich Ohlwein Business Architect C&A Services GmbH & Co. KG

Milestones on the way to the cloud

In June 2019, an initial prestudy took place on the feasibility of migrating from Valuemation and Mantis to Jira. Subsequently, the project "Moving to Jira" started in September 2020 with the support of TIMETOACT. The project was divided into five central milestones:

  • 1. requirements workshop and creation of the migration strategy:

    The starting point was detailed workshops with the key stakeholders of the fashion retail company to fully capture the current toolchain including all processes. On this basis and the requirements identified, three Atlassian products were implemented and expanded:

    • Jira Service Management: as a central point of contact and interface between end users and IT: service desk, ticket creation, asset management for mapping the users' hardware
    • Jira Software: For 2nd and 3rd level support as well as for the already (in pilot teams) tested work around the software development process
    • Jira Confluence: For documentation of the software with good integration to the development process as well as for improved maintainability and integration of FAQs

    As part of the prestudy, it was determined in advance that the "Moving to Jira" project should be implemented on-premise in the data center due to the complex requirements of the service desk.

  • 2. reorientation with cloud strategy:

    After Atlassian announced in the already ongoing project that it would discontinue on-premise support in the foreseeable future, C&A decided to switch from on-premise to a cloud-first strategy. Shortly before the migration to the data center, a spontaneous realignment of the strategy thus took place, with TIMETOACT successfully migrating all licenses to the cloud.

  • 3. decision for enterprise cloud licensing:

    The Atlassian products became established at the fashion retail company during the course of the project. The increasing number of users meant that the form of licensing had to be adapted to current requirements. TIMETOACT's experts provided advice for optimal license management and support in specifically aligning the products with the requirements. As part of the cloud-first strategy, Atlassian products are licensed in the enterprise cloud, among other places. This makes C&A the first company in Germany to venture into the cloud on this scale. The Enterprise version offers C&A the great advantage of unlimited users and better service times from Atlassian.

  • 4. individual optimization:

    One of the great advantages of the Atlassian product range is its extensibility. Within the scope of customizing, individual requirements were implemented and the functions of the Atlassian products were continuously improved.

  • 5. relocation of support to Jira:

    Already in June 2020, the 2nd and 3d level support had moved from Valuemation to Jira Software. However, C&A's service desk continued to work with Valuemation until it finally switched to Jia in March 2022 as well. From this point on, Valuemation was completely replaced by Jira Software.

Further optimization and consulting according to requirements

Despite some project interruptions, the move of Jira Service Management and Confluence to the standard cloud was successfully completed in mid-2021. For Jira Software, the move to the Enterprise Cloud took place at the beginning of January 2022. With the three Atlassian products, the requirements for user-friendly usability, good interfaces and simple support paths were implemented.

Currently, the complete replacement of Mantis is still pending. As part of the implementation of the growing requirements in license management, automated tests of the cloud releases and small optimizations, TIMETOACT continues to accompany and advise the fashion retail company on its way to the Atlassian Cloud.

Download Success Story as PDF

Technologies used:

C&A Services GmbH & Co. OHG is the central and sole IT partner of C&A. C&A Services GmbH & Co. OHG takes care of all IT issues for the 35,000 employees in Europe as well as in Asia.

With over 1,300 stores in 18 European countries and more than 25,000 employees, C&A is one of Europe's leading fashion retailers. Every day, C&A welcomes more than two million visitors to its stores in Europe and offers good quality fashion at reasonable prices for the whole family.

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