5 Reasons You Shouldn't Go it Alone When Implementing Atlassian

I'd like to tell you a story. It involves cats and toys, with a generous helping of angst, frustration, and despair. This isn't the way you normally start blog posts about the Atlassian tools, you say? You're correct. But, just hear me out. 

A Tale (Tail?) of Two Cats & a Condo

My story begins on a sunny, summer day in Arizona, not so long ago, when I received a very exciting delivery from Amazon. What was it? Oh yes! It was the $300 cat condo that I eagerly ordered for my two felines the week before. Now, most of you probably know what a cat condo is, but for those who aren't in the know, it's basically a large climbing tree for cats—complete with tiered platforms, scratching posts, toys, a hammock or two, and several hidey-holes. I'd have the whole thing set up in an hour or less and it was guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment for my cats...right? Wrong.

Since my husband was out of town, I decided to give the assembly a go all by myself. I mean how hard could it be? I figured I'd just use my intuition and common sense. The manufacturer even included special little tools, nuts, and bolts! So, I threw caution to the wind, flung the instructions to the wayside, and went for it.

An hour later...well, let's just say there were a LOT of things going on. There were endless boards, poles, boxes, fabric pieces, cushions, fasteners, bells, whistles, etc. And they seemed to be multiplying right before my eyes. Staring at me. Taunting me.

Any guesses how it turned out? The simple answer is, not well. I had to go to my husband with my tail(!) between my legs and admit I needed help. My pride was gone, my ego was bruised, and honestly, my cats were kind of pissed that I kept taking apart and reconfiguring their new, luxury home.

Cat Condos = Atlassian Tools?

So, what does this story have to do with Atlassian? I thought you might ask that. Well, it occurred to me that, in the scenario I described above, I made a few mistakes that first-time owners of the Atlassian tools sometimes make, too. So on that note, I've compiled a list of five reasons why organizations that are new to Atlassian shouldn't go it alone when implementing their new tools. My cat condo story is a cautionary tale, and it was an experience that taught me several important lessons.

1. There's no shame in asking for help. It's what smart people do.

My fatal flaw was thinking I could put the cat condo together by myself, without outside assistance or guidance. Hence, the casually discarded instruction book. Was that a smart move? No. Smart people realize that they can't be experts in everything. Sometimes, the best move is to reach out to a specialist and have them assist you with whatever project or goal you're trying to accomplish. Even better, engage them before you get started. Then, you won't get halfway into it and realize you should've had help all along. This is especially true for an Atlassian tool implementation. You don't want to start the process and then realize you're in over your head halfway to the finish line. Which leads me to...

2. It's better to seek help early on. If you go it alone, you could end up with a mess on your hands.

If my cat condo fiasco taught me anything, it's that I should seek help early and often when I'm doing something new. Implementing Atlassian for the first time is no different. There are a ton of things to consider. Should you deploy your Atlassian tools in an on-premise instance, or should you embrace "the way of the future" and adopt cloud as your deployment method of choice? What apps do you need to support your new tools? How do you train employees on how to use Jira and Confluence?

Isos has done hundreds of implementations for companies of all sizes. One thing we can say with absolute certainty is that if you go it alone while setting up your Atlassian tools, you will end up with a mess on your hands. You need someone there to provide strategic guidance, best practices, and overall expertise. Let us be your cheerleader, your swami, your teacher, and maybe even your therapist. It's what we do.

3. There are experts out there who know more than you do.

This is not meant as a slam, I promise. If you've researched Atlassian tools and have gone so far as to evaluate and purchase them, you know a fair amount about the products already. But, there are organizations out there, i.e. Atlassian Solution Partners like Isos Technology, that eat, breathe, and sleep Atlassian tools. They know far more about Atlassian than the average person ever would/should, and they have all the tips, tricks, best practices, and secret sauce to make your implementation go smoothly and efficiently.

Just think if I had hired a handyman or someone skilled in cat condo construction, I'd have gotten hours–nay, DAYS–of my life back!

4. You'll look like a hero and have more time to do your job!

So what would I have done with all that extra time? I could've gotten so many other things done! Dishes, laundry, shopping, exercising, even some work—the possibilities are endless, really.

Having more time to do what you do best, like your JOB—plus doing it faster, and doing it smarter—sounds like a good thing, right? Fortunately, helping you and your team excel with the Atlassian tools is why Isos Technology and other Solution Partners exist. Whether you need help with an initial Jira, Confluence, and/or Jira Service Management implementation, or you've already installed the tools and just need help with cleanup, maintenance, and best practices (hello Isos Managed Services!), we're here to help you out.

Be a hero. Do your job like a pro while we tend to your Atlassian stack. We’ll manage the tools so you can get more from them—more productivity, more innovation, and more time to do your job and focus on your core business. 

5. You'll increase ROI on your investment.

Chances are you spent quite a bit more on your Atlassian tools than I spent on my cat condo. But no matter how much you spend on new things, it's always nice to have maximum return on whatever investment you've made, whether it's a large or small one.

Atlassian’s robust tools provide countless solutions: Planning, tracking, supporting, collaborating, coding, and securing. How are you supposed to know if your organization is using the tools to the fullest extent? As an Atlassian user, it’s hard to know about all the ways the products can solve your problems. And with constant updates and acquisitions from Atlassian, there will always be something new to learn. 

Even if you're an Atlassian aficionado, it can be hard to conjure up all the potential solutions for a situation without a team of seasoned experts. Combining the collective brainpower of the Isos Technology team, we can think through all the creative solutions to help you get the most out of your Atlassian investment. 

Accepting that your organization could use some help in getting the most out of its Atlassian investment is the next step in maximizing the ROI of your Atlassian tools. Bring a trusted partner along on your team’s journey to maximize its potential. Decades of experience and open communication—fostered in a trusting environment that encourages great ideas—accelerate your pace.

Thinking of implementing Atlassian? Contact Isos today!

Interesting in learning more about how a Solution Partner like Isos Technology can help you maximize the ROI of your Atlassian investment? Read our awesome whitepaper, How to Get to Most Value from Your Atlassian Investment. Or better yet, contact us today! We're happy to get you and your organization up and running with the Atlassian tools so that you, too, can experience their power and sheer awesomeness. We hope to hear from you soon!