ITSM Using Jira: Where Can You Go Wrong?

ITSM (IT Service Management) is the core web of procedures and activities that cover the design, creation, delivery, and support of IT services. It is basically how teams manage IT service delivery to customers. The key aspect here is the delivery of IT in the form of a service. 

Now, using Jira for ITSM is a smart move, since JSM (Jira Service Management) not only enables better operations and IT support, but also enhances the quality of service experiences for both customers and employees. It can be scaled as per your business requirements and helps you manage incidents, requests, and changes fast and better. However, in the process of using Jira for ITSM, there are quite a few things that can go wrong. This article takes a closer look at the same while starting off with some of the benefits that you get from deploying Jira for ITSM. 

Advantages of ITSM using Jira  

There are several benefits of ITSM using Jira. These include the following: 

• Enterprises can streamline IT procedures better, helping them with more standardization. Operational abilities get enhanced greatly along with the cost-effectiveness, speed, and overall service quality. 
• Integrating ITSM and Jira will boost overall team and individual productivity and performance. This leads to higher ROI over time. 
• Optimization in terms of cost-efficiency. 
• Combining service desk and DevOps teams for swifter communication and quicker resolution of customer problems. 
• Avoiding the chances of data leaks or gaps. 

Common Problems That You May Face

Here is a brief look at where you may go wrong in case of ITSM using Jira: 

• No high availability- High availability indicates the ability of the system to stay fully operational irrespective of any potential component failure. It is worked out as the uptime percentage throughout a year. It is accomplished through the removal of any single point of failure and designing crossover mechanisms that are reliable. 

Without high availability, there could be infrastructure failures like application or system crashes and discrepancies in data along with sudden overloading of IT infrastructure. Inconsistencies and poor data quality may also arise. 

• Incorrect field mapping- Field mapping is critical for designing integration and makes sure that data is synchronized suitably between the systems. Fields are linked between two unique systems ensuring easy and accurate exchange of data. 

Defining the fields within the source system corresponding to the target system fields is vital along with indicating translations/transformations that have to be applied to the data in the course of integration. In case of incorrect field mapping, data corruption or losses may occur with data being mapped to the wrong fields. This may lead to inconsistent, missing, or even inaccurate data. There could be processing errors which derail the integration. 

• Conditional field mapping errors- Conditional mapping in the integration procedure is the technique deployed for selective data field mapping on the basis of particular rules or conditions. Specific fields will only be mapped if these conditions are met. It helps in situations where you do not need all the data to be transferred throughout systems or where unique mappings are necessary based on the circumstances. It enables higher granular control while making sure that only necessary information is transferred. 

Some potential issues include incomplete transfers of data in case of incorrect or incomplete conditions specified within the mapping. This may lead to the exclusion of data from the integration process. There could be data errors with mapping to the wrong field, leading to system-wide inconsistencies. 

• Incorrect Correlations- Integration cover correlations between unique objects in the system. They are important for integration of a bi-directional nature and are useful for connecting two system objects and updating them. Once the relationship between these systems is established initially, correlations ensure that in case of any changes in data, both systems get the updates in question. In case of any errors, there may be mismatches in crucial information, leaks of data, and even poor data quality. 
• Lack of pre-defined project categorization- Project categorization should be done with care into different buckets. It will help administer the process better. There should be a governance system firmly in place which helps approve and plan changes. 
• Lack of a pre-fixed model of governance- The governance model should cover several administrative levels including Org Admin, Power User, End User, Contributor, Jira/Confluence Admin, Project/Space Admin, Customer, Agent, and so on. Every stakeholder should have a pre-fixed role in the system while changes should be done only with a defined mechanism. 

While these issues can be nipped in the bud, JSM is certainly the way forward for businesses as outlined below. 

Where JSM Stands Out

Jira Service Management (JSM) is specifically tailored to empower teams to make work visible. It offers a collaborative and open platform that not only enhances visibility but also ensures greater value. Teams can thus ensure superior customer experiences swiftly with more productive work that breaks data silos. At the same time, it should also be stated that when an organization or enterprise already uses Jira, then selecting JSM (Jira Service Management) for their ITSM solution automatically does away with integration headaches that may otherwise be a bugbear. Using other tools means dealing with not just integration errors, but also additional problems, since other systems may have unique terminologies and processes. 

On that note, here are some more benefits worth noting in this regard: 

• Accelerated workflows between Ops, Dev, and Business teams. 
• Swift responses, tracking, and management of customer/employee requests. 
• Improved incident response timelines with system tracking and problem tracking features along with alerts. 
• Higher dashboard-driven visibility for better IT Ops and DevOps collaborations. 
• Better management of bug-related requests with efficient support and resolution. 
• Organization-wide management of business assets, changes, and tool configurations under a single platform. 
• More efficient service desk processes. 

Choosing an Atlassian Certified Partner is imperative to swiftly implement Jira Service Management or integrate Jira with external ITSM software. This will not only enhance ITSM practices but also streamline all processes alongside. 

You can save money with optimization of Atlassian assets while enhancing outcomes and procedures accordingly. Professional Atlassian certified partners will also help you combat duplicate user licenses and identity along with redundant applications. You can expect seamless migration to JSM from other tools without disruptions in business, courtesy specialist teams of experts. Custom remote or on-site/classroom Atlassian training is also provided for tapping JSM abilities to the hilt. 

Error-Free ITSM Implementation Using Jira 

The biggest mistake that many can make is sticking with their in-house infrastructure or systems. It is always a better option to go with a professional solution after accounting for the pros and cons. Keeping the above-mentioned errors in mind is vital for enterprises in order to ensure smoother ITSM using Jira. 

There should be a clearly defined roadmap and accountability structure for these initiatives from the outset as well. Going with an Atlassian Certified Partner is the way forward for implementing ITSM with Jira successfully while avoiding the errors mentioned above.