Don’t Let Messy Processes Get You Down! Standardize Them in Jira Service Management

The number one thing our clients tell us they love about Jira Service Management (JSM) is how flexible the system is. They don't have to conform to the tool—it can be adapted to conform to their processes.

Because the tool is so flexible, even processes that have a lot of variables can be standardized in it, and that means the processes go faster, there are fewer things happening outside the tool, and there’s a lot less friction between the people working on it.

Here's an example of a scenario that might sound familiar to you: Let's say a few people on your team are working together to resolve a ticket. Somebody sends an email. Another person makes a phone call. A third person updates a spreadsheet that's floating around in cyberspace, and then forwards it to someone else to update a column. A couple of people have a chat about the ticket in the break room, but there’s no place to document what was said.

Since nobody has visibility into all these moving parts, team members can’t really move forward without sorting through a bunch of emails for answers. Steps get missed. People make mistakes. It’s super frustrating for everyone trying to address the ticket and for the person who’s waiting…and waiting…for a resolution.

That's not exactly a process, is it?

That’s where JSM comes in. Using JSM, you can put some organizational rigor—a process—around those requests. The system is flexible enough and powerful enough to support any number of request types, the unique processes needed to address all the different steps for each one, and all the different people who need to work on it. And the information is all in one place, where anyone can look it up, see its status, and work on it, any time they want.

The Process of Standardization

At Isos, when we’re setting up JSM for a new client, the first thing our team does is get to know your business and existing processes. We do that by talking to stakeholders and team members, especially about their pain points, and we look at data. There can be quite a bit to figure out—since processes aren’t standardized and everyone’s take on them is a bit different. Sometimes, we have to build a consensus around what current processes are before we can figure out how to streamline them. The data is really helpful for understanding the different request types and which ones will need their own, unique processes.

When we’re building processes and workflows, we always try to build them at the right depth—nothing should be painful or overcomplicated, but they do need to get the job done. Our goal is to help you find that happy medium, where you’re capturing the information you need and incorporating the necessary steps, but the process is still efficient.

Once things are up-and-running on JSM, so much of that ambiguity and friction disappears. The process is standardized in the system so everyone can see all the specific request types, understand what steps to take for each one, and know when to hand things off. From that point, the team can even begin to make improvements or understand trends and issues at an organizational level.

Get Everyone on Your Team on the Same Page!

Standardization is the key to getting everyone working the same processes and speaking the same language. Not only do tickets get resolved faster, with greater efficiency, and less friction, it’s also easier for your company to scale as it grows—and easier to report out to management on all your hard work!

For more information about Jira Service Management, contact Isos Technology now!