Reading, UK

GLOBAL LOGISTICS AND SHIPPING COMPANY

Large-scale Cloud Migration for Shipping Giant

Case study at a glance

Discover how we consolidated tooling and operations within Atlassian Cloud for one of the largest shipping and logistics companies in the world.

Our client asked us to lead a migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud. Both tools had been in use across the organisation for some time, and teams had been free to choose their own working methodologies.

With 8,000 users across the organisation, processes and tools had become disconnected. It was time to standardise.

Our client wanted all team members working in Jira, in an Agile way. Here at Automation Consultants, we expertly guided them to this outcome.

The Challenge

An international enterprise with multiple tools and working methodologies across the organisation.

Large-scale migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud, including:

2.5k users

750k issues

150 projects

Small internal project team and tight timescales.

The Solution

We began with thorough analysis and scope definition.

Synchronised issues between Azure DevOps and Jira to deliver a phased migration.

Migrated Azure DevOps users into Atlassian Access.

Created 100s of new projects, workflows, and custom fields.

Configured scripts to convert ADO configuration into Jira Cloud.

Devised app migration pathways.

The Benefit

Development teams are now all tracking and delivering work within Jira Cloud.

All working methodologies and processes have been standardised and streamlined.

8,000 users now actively using Jira Cloud

99.95% uptime

$700,000+ saved in the first three years

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Introduction

We started working with our client, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, back in 2021.

After managing a previous successful migration (of around 4,000 users from Jira and Confluence Data Center to Cloud), we were asked to guide them through another project.

This time, it was to lead a large-scale work OS migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud.

Over the years, our client had given its development teams the choice to use either Jira or Azure DevOps. However, as the organisation grew, both tools became increasingly disconnected. This issue was compounded by the fact that teams had chosen to work in very different ways.

For continued collaboration, efficiency and the ability to scale, our client needed to standardise operations in Atlassian Cloud.

And, as an Atlassian Platinum Solutions Partner, Automation Consultants was the ideal team to deliver a successful outcome for them.

The Challenge

This was a large-scale migration, with almost three-quarters of a million issues to consider.

We also had to be mindful of the unique processes and challenges of each of the ~50 teams we would be guiding through this change.

Working with a global enterprise with multiple teams, tools, methodologies, we began with a period of robust analysis and scope definition.

The Solution

We engaged with client stakeholders and power users, from both Azure DevOps and Jira, to ensure that migrated data was accurate and sufficient.

Our comprehensive review of the Azure DevOps instance included:

Organisations
Projects
Work items
Users
Third party apps

Third party apps

To manage third-party apps, we established two different approaches. In the first instance, we educated migrating users on which native Jira capabilities could replace or replicate extended ADO functionality. Alongside this, we also recommended alternative Atlassian Marketplace apps that might be more appropriate.

Phased migration

Our client required a phased migration. To facilitate this, it was vital to synchronise issues between Azure DevOps and Jira in real-time.

Using a third-party app (which connected ADO and Jira projects with 2-way synchronisation), we designed mappings from Azure DevOps to Jira configuration.

Jira configuration

Alongside the migration of issues, there remained significant configuration work within Jira Cloud itself.

This included:

Migrating Azure DevOps users into Atlassian Access
Creating 100s of new projects
New workflows
New custom fields

To handle this excess of data efficiently and securely, we configured scripts to programmatically convert ADO configuration into Jira Cloud.

As an additional benefit of this project, we’ve since standardised these scripts to generate projects, issues, and other Jira configuration from a set of simple spreadsheets.

The Benefits

With the project completed in under nine months, our client now has all its development teams tracking and delivering work within Jira Cloud.

Successful outcomes include:

Streamlined and consistent working and operational processes
8,000 users across the organisation working in Jira Cloud
Atlassian Cloud features delivering continuous visibility across all value streams
99.95% uptime
Appropriate retention of all historical data
A firm, centralised foundation for future project management and delivery
Over $700,000+ saved in the first three years

No matter how large or complex the project, our focus remains fixed on maximising value and delivering long-term success for our client.

Ready to discuss your project?

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the work we delivered for our client to standardise their tooling and processes. If you’re facing similar challenges, or are preparing for a large-scale project, from Agile transformations to complex Cloud migrations, why not talk to us today?

As an Atlassian Platinum Solutions and Cloud Specialized Partner, our team team has the skill, knowledge and experience to guide your Atlassian Cloud migration to a successful outcome.

Want to find out more? Get in touch with us today and see how we can help your organisation unlock your potential, achieve your aims and unleash the extraordinary.