Work despite the distance - Jira Service Management for the U.S. based client | Case study

Working with clients across the world is part of our everyday reality as a remote-first Atlassian services team. One of our recent projects with a US-based furniture manufacturer shows exactly how we make this work - even with significant time-zone differences.

Before the project

Our client, a U.S.-based furniture company, needed a better way to manage IT and engineering support. They were looking for a ticket solution that would work better than the one they had, and Jira Service Management seemed like a great option that would fit into their needs. They struggled with too many emails, inconsistency in queries (spread throughout multiple channels) and lack of centralized knowledge base.

Why Jira Service Management?

Jira Service Management is an Atlassian app that connects IT, development, and business teams to manage requests, incidents, and changes quickly and efficiently. 

Traditional ITSM tools, unlike JSM, have higher licensing fees and require more time and money to implement and operate.

A Forrester study (Forrester Total Economic impact of Jira Service Management, 2022) found that switching to Jira Service Management saves organizations $840,000 annually in licensing alone, plus another $120,000 in labor and service costs.

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How do we handle collaboration with different time zones?

The project was delivered by a single Atlassian specialist on our side, working closely with the client’s internal IT contact and project manager. To bridge the 8 hour time difference, we designed a collaboration rhythm that kept the project moving smoothly:

• Weekly evening alignment calls to synchronize priorities and review progress
  
• Weekly sprints for predictable delivery
  
• Daily communication via Microsoft Teams and Slack, allowing us to handle ongoing questions quickly
  
• Clear division of responsibilities so both sides always knew who was driving which tasks
  

Remote work works - as long as the communication model is intentional. We put emphasis on staying in touch, regular check-ups and building trust. Before the project, we discuss all the steps in detail and make sure everyone is on the same page.

The solution we delivered

We implemented Jira Service Management as the central support hub for both IT and engineering. Using JSM Forms, we created tailored request types with field dependencies. We also configured basic SLAs for each team.

The software and hardware fields in the forms are connected with objects from Assets, which is integrated with the client’s Active Directory. Based on the directory structure, approval workflows are enforced - for example, hardware requests must be approved by the requester’s manager.

Types of created processes:

• Problem management
• Change requests
• Onboarding/offboarding
• User access
• Support for production-critical applications
• Demand for IT assets
• Support for IT

This transformed an unstructured process into a clear, trackable and scalable support system.

The impact

With JSM in place, the client now benefits from:

• A centralized request intake for 20+ departments, including Production, Sales, Design, Marketing, R&D, and IT
  
• No more email-based ticketing
  
• Improved ticket quality and consistency
  
• Better prioritization and visibility of ongoing work
  
• A strong foundation for rolling out Confluence as a knowledge base
  
  

Now, the system centralises ticket analysis and doesn’t slow down employees. If you think JSM could benefit your organisation, please contact us. We would be happy to show you a live demo and invite you to a free consultation. 

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