Efficient migration: How the city of Göttingen moved Jira Service Management to the cloud

The city of Göttingen was facing a challenge: its existing Jira Service Management project was only rudimentary, as it had initially only introduced a basic version of Jira Service Management in order to save resources - without comprehensive process mapping. However, as the need for structure and efficiency grew, it became clear that a stable foundation was needed for the next step.

At the time, the city had deliberately opted for a ‘light version’, as the switch to the Atlassian Cloud had already been finalised. However, this meant that important requirements were not taken into account. For example, the request structure was too complex and confusing, which led to confusion among users. In addition, incident management and request fulfilment were organised differently - a uniform structure was missing here.
The aim was to create clarity, standardise processes and efficiently implement the switch to the cloud - without having to start from scratch.

Originally, only a simple migration was planned. However, catworkx recommended relying on the tried and tested ‘Jira Service Management Essentials’ solution. This is a preconfigured project setup with tried and tested processes that was specially developed for such scenarios.

The advantages:

- Quick start with an 80% solution that can be flexibly expanded
- Defined processes for incident management & request fulfilment
- Clear enquiry structures that make it easier for users to find their way around
- Simple integration of existing data - with minimal post-processing effort
- Smooth implementation, as the new environment was set up independently in the cloud

The migration went smoothly from a technical perspective. However, as with all changes, the challenge lay in the acceptance of the new solution - both internally and externally.

Thanks to early communication, targeted test scenarios and the training of three central administrators, the project team was able to successfully get colleagues on board. The feedback from the specialist departments was consistently positive - despite the necessary structural adjustments.

The introduction of the new solution has noticeably simplified the day-to-day work of the City of Göttingen's IT department. Enquiries can now be recorded and structured more clearly, which significantly reduces queries and minimises potential sources of error. At the same time, automated routing ensures that tickets get to the right places faster, which shortens processing times. First-level support is also noticeably relieved, as the targeted distribution of enquiries avoids unnecessary effort. Standard tasks are increasingly being handled automatically, which frees up time for more complex issues. In addition, specialised departments such as Human Resources and Finance benefit from a more transparent and efficient service.

By switching to Jira Service Management, the city of Göttingen benefited from structured and efficient ticket processing. Important improvements were:

- Structured requests: Employees were able to record requests more clearly and comprehensibly.
- Reduced workload for first-level support: The workload was significantly reduced as tickets were processed faster thanks to better structuring and optimised routing.
- Automation and increased efficiency: Routine tasks could be processed automatically, allowing the IT department to concentrate on more complex issues.
- Higher service quality: Optimised processes enabled departments such as Human Resources and Finance to benefit from faster and more reliable services.

Following the successful rollout, the city of Göttingen is already looking to the future: the next step is to create a centralised self-service portal for the HR department. This is intended to offer employees a simple entry point through which IT and HR services can be used seamlessly - all in one tool. The introduction should not only make day-to-day work easier, but also ensure maximum transparency in processes.

With this project, the city of Göttingen has not only introduced a new tool - it has also created a basis for sustainable digitalisation. Together with catworkx, this path will now be continuously developed further.