By Dick Stark

As a DevOps consultancy and Atlassian Solution Provider, our sales mantra is “It’s all about customer value.” You see, many Atlassian customers start out with a server running Jira under a developer’s desk, Soon, someone else adds Bitbucket. Then Confluence sprouts up somewhere. Many credit card swipes later Atlassian is branching out and before you know it, Atlassian is everywhere: developers, corporate IT, product managers, and even HR.  With no one in charge, and little administration, Jira starts to slow down. Suddenly, the Jira admin, who also manages many other tools, starts hiding under the same desk as the Jira server….

This Atlassian customer scenario is typical of many real-life situations where Jira grows without good controls and processes, and becomes mission critical, until it reaches a tipping point. This is the point where RightStar jumps in. After a quick discussion we determine that the prospect needs to “slow down to speed up,” and we offer an Atlassian Assessment and Advisory to assess the current use of Atlassian tools, identify opportunities, and apply best practices. Our Atlassian assessment methodology which is carried out in four main steps:

1. Determine the current state (As-Is) process and tools situation.
2. Determine the desired future state (To-Be) process and tool enhancements situation.
3. Define improvement actions to go from the As-Is to the desired To-Be situation.
4. Create a roadmap highlighting measurable steps of execution for attaining the To-Be state.

RightStar’s assessment process begins with on-site interviews with key stakeholders and participants. Then following the interviews, RightStar compiles a draft document and a reach back session to ensure the accuracy and value of the advisory document.

Included in the document is a listing and ranking of clearly defined milestones or Minimum Value Products (MVPs) which are used as guideposts to drive or enhance the current situation. An example of a Must Have MVP is to synch the Atlassian toolset with key processes for doing business.

The assessment also reports on Quick Wins along with longer term recommendations and a level of effort or work breakdown structure for moving forward. Examples of quick wins are shown above.

In summary, what do organizations expect from mission critical tools such as Jira? First, the tools must be integral to their business needs. Second, they must always be available, and third, good reporting and governance must prevail. RightStar’s mission is to be our customers’ expert advisor and return value back to the organization. An excellent advisory assessment delivers that value as long as the customer is able to quickly realize the results and outcomes they want to achieve.