SPK helps a leading nonprofit to streamline its internal IT support, while adopting best practice and saving money.
The Client
A socially-conscious nonprofit research center found its internal IT staff overloaded. It’s a small group—just four people—who were tasked with all of the support for all users within the organization. The pain was especially acute when it came to help-desk functions; their existing way of working was both cumbersome and costly. They knew they wanted to shift to a cloud based implementation of the Jira Service Management ticketing solution. But they didn’t know the best practice for implementing it. They lacked the time to try and set it up themselves (a conservative estimate put the effort at 16 hours, which they certainly didn’t have to spare). So they needed training. They needed help. They called SPK and Associates.
Task Management
The internal IT team had its hands full responding to day-to-day help-desk requests such as:
- Password resets
- Solving printer issues
- Fulfilling new computer requests
- Application support
- Installing new hardware (desktops, laptops, etc)
- Installing new software
And then there was the never-ending list of repetitive, recurring chores:
- Changing the backup tapes
- On-boarding
- Off-boarding
The small-scale system they were using simply lacked the flexibility that this organization needed.
Lowered Operating Cost
Saved Time
Optimized Setup
A New Way Of Working
This team knew that they wanted to move to the Atlassian Jira Service Management platform, in a cloud-based configuration. But they needed to get it up-and-running ASAP, without time for trial-and-error. Thus they wanted documentation on how to perform administrative tasks. They also sought instruction on how to maintain and evolve the new system for their future needs. This is where SPK stepped in. First, we collaborated with the team via a series of Zoom meetings; we posed questions to them via email.
Using their feedback to guide us, we then set up a cloud-based Jira Service Management account, domain, and project for them. We advised them on best practices for configuration. We trained their internal staff to make updates or changes as needed.
Better, Faster, Cheaper
Today, the new cloud-based Jira system is working wonders for this IT team. It adds the flexibility that their previous system lacked. It handles both the routine and one-off requests. Importantly:
- SPK and Associates saved this client some 16 hours of configuration time which they lacked the bandwidth to perform.
- We advised them on best practices and how to “future-proof” the setup.
- Even with its many advantages, the new system actually costs them less than their old system, especially with their nonprofit discount.
We were jazzed to be able to get up and running so quickly on Jira Service Management Cloud. We knew it would take us much longer, with a lot of trial and error, to do it ourselves. SPK saved us days of work and we knew we were implementing best practices. JSM saves our IT team hours of time each week.
Get a no-obligation initial assessment
Whether you’re trying to solve technical problems, implement new technology tools and strategies, or improve efficiency, SPK and Associates can be a key part of your strategy. We can provide a free, no-obligation initial assessment on almost any technology or engineering situation. Contact us today at (888) 310-4540 or info@spkaa.com.
