How Arvato Systems Saved Time and Money Using Backbone Issue Sync

Arvato Systems , part of the Bertelsmann-owned Arvato Group, supports enterprises globally in digital transformation. They develop IT solutions and help customers transition to the Cloud, integrate digital processes, and manage IT operations. Partnering with AWS, Google, Microsoft, and SAP, they leverage advanced technologies to enhance their customers' experience.

Already benefiting from Jira Software on Cloud, Arvato Systems added Jira Service Management (JSM) to streamline customer service. This move freed up resources and budget, leading to great results. The next challenge was syncing teams across Jira Software and the new JSM projects.

Stuart White, Senior Consultant at Arvato Systems, and Laura Birkheuer, Senior Consultant and integrations expert, explored various tools to connect Jira and JSM projects before trying Backbone Issue Sync for Jira.

Behind the Scenes: Multi-layered Jira Project Management

Arvato Systems uses dozens of internal Jira and JSM projects for various departments at Bertelsmann. These projects manage departments like HR service delivery, facilities, and vendor management. The most common ones are customer support and development services, handling feature requests and bug reports through JSM projects.

Multiple support teams often work on a single product. Usually level one support can resolve some queries within JSM, but other queries need escalation to second or third-level support from more senior development teams working in separate Jira Software projects.

The Challenge: Keeping Different Jira Projects in Sync

The main challenge was keeping information between Jira and JSM projects up-to-date. Initially, they manually copied updates across projects, but this was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone. Buying additional JSM agent licenses for Jira Service Management users also increased subscription fees. 

Arvato Systems also tried various other solutions, like Jira automations and custom middleware.  However, once they started using Backbone Issue Sync, it proved significantly faster, easier, and cheaper. The feature-rich experience of Backbone ensured that Jira issues are always up-to-date and accurate, benefiting both internal and external customers by improving operational efficiency and slashing costs.

What Made Arvato Systems Opt For Backbone Issue Sync for Jira?

Both Laura and Stuart found Backbone Issue Sync highly valuable.

Stuart shares,
”As an IT company and enterprise customer, we have a lot of interfaces, and we have a lot of tools to connect these interfaces. When it comes to Jira to Jira sync, Backbone Issue Sync is the quickest way to build an interface between two projects or even two different instances.”

The ease of configuration and flexibility were crucial for Stuart and Laura.

Stuart adds,
"Backbone Issue Sync is super easy to configure; our users can even do this themselves. It takes us a few hours at most to set up Backbone, whereas, in comparison, it takes multiple days to set up a middleware interface. You can also move the tickets manually or use automations, but these options are not nearly as easy and powerful as Backbone Issue Sync."

The Backbone Advantage: Arvato Systems’ Favorite Feature

One of Backbone Issue Sync's standout features for Stuart and Laura was the simplicity of setup and maintenance. Laura appreciated how straightforward it was to configure and edit connections and create field mappings, especially compared to other middleware and Jira automations they had used in the past.

Stuart added,

“Building a Backbone configuration to synchronize Jira projects takes half a day at most, and the alternatives, such as using a middleware via the REST APIs, are very high effort in comparison. We can see up to 96% savings using Backbone Issue Sync."

Backbone Issue Sync can easily sync all types of issues and associated (custom) fields, comments, and attachments. It also allows choosing between internal and public comments, a feature praised by Stuart.

Improving ITSM and Customer Service Efficiency

Backbone Issue Sync has simplified internal project synchronization for Arvato Systems, reducing manual effort. Its ease of use and powerful features make it a crucial component of their operations, helping them deliver more value to customers.

Interested in streamlining customer service and reducing ticket resolution times? Book a demo with our product manager or try it for 30 days for free.