Hey folks! Our company is thinking about using Jira for all three levels of our org. I’ve got some experience with it but I’m not sure if their plan is the best fit. They want one service instance to handle customer requests and related work. Everyone would use the same portal including customers. Higher-ups would need to approve customer requests.
We’re not a software company we make antennas and do rf stuff. We’ve got 8 teams with about 8 people each at the bottom level. Some teams work on quick projects others on long ones that can last over a year.
I was thinking maybe we could use the service portal for requests and management stuff and then have separate projects underneath for different parts of the business. I’m stuck in the middle trying to make it work for everyone but right now it only seems good for the top dogs.
Any ideas on setups that might work better? Has anyone dealt with something like this before? I’d love to hear what worked for you! Thanks a bunch!
hey there, i’ve been in a similar boat. one thing that worked for us was using different project types. we had a service desk for customer stuff, then separate software projects for each team. helped keep things organized without messing up the customer-facing bit. maybe worth a shot?
Having implemented Jira across various organizational structures, I can say your situation is quite common. One approach that’s worked well is creating a centralized service desk for customer requests, then linking these to separate project spaces for each team. This maintains a single point of entry while allowing teams to manage their workflows independently.
For approvals, you can utilize Jira’s workflow transitions with conditions. This lets higher-ups approve requests without needing constant access to team-specific projects.
Consider using Jira’s portfolio management features for long-term projects. It provides better visibility for leadership without overwhelming team-level boards.
Remember, successful implementation often requires iterative adjustments. Start with a basic setup, gather feedback, and refine. Don’t aim for perfection immediately; focus on addressing critical needs first and evolve the system over time.
I’ve been through a similar Jira implementation at my company, and it was quite the journey. One approach that worked well for us was creating a hybrid setup. We used Jira Service Management for the customer-facing portal and request handling, then linked these to separate Jira Software projects for each team.
This way, customers and management had a unified view through the service portal, while teams could tailor their workflows to their specific needs. For those year-long projects, we utilized Jira’s roadmap feature to give higher-ups a bird’s-eye view without cluttering team boards.
A word of caution though – don’t try to force everything into Jira from day one. We started small, focusing on key processes, and gradually expanded. It took some trial and error, but eventually, we found a balance that worked for everyone.
Also, invest time in training. We underestimated how much hand-holding some teams would need, especially those not used to project management tools. Good luck with your implementation!