Veryon’s Migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud with Getint

Overview of Case Study

This case study examines the migration process from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud for Veryon, a company specializing in technology solutions for commercial, business aviation and MROs. The focus of this study is to showcase Getint's capabilities and superiority as a migration tool by highlighting the successful transition conducted by Veryon.

Client Overview

About Veryon

Veryon is a leading provider of information services and software solutions for the aviation industry. The company is dedicated to increasing aircraft uptime through cutting-edge technology that manages everything from maintenance and operations to manuals and diagnostics. Veryon's suite of solutions addresses critical challenges such as unscheduled repairs, part availability, and excessive paperwork, often resulting in aircraft downtime. Trusted by thousands of aircraft operators globally, Veryon's technology platform supports 25% of the world's commercial fleet and over 100 OEMs. This has enabled customers to achieve an average 23% reduction in downtime costs. Veryon drives innovation and efficiency in the aviation sector with a global team of over 450 professionals.

Key Stakeholders

Jim Cai - Director of Engineering

Nadun Bentharage - Director of Engineering

Migration Objective

Purpose of the Migration

Veryon recently acquired another company, necessitating the consolidation of data and operational processes into a single tool. The primary objective of this migration is to move from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud, thereby discontinuing the use of Azure DevOps. This consolidation aims to streamline operations, improve data management, and enhance overall efficiency by utilizing Jira Cloud's capabilities.

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes of the migration include:

1. Centralized Data Management: By migrating to Jira Cloud, Veryon aims to consolidate all project data, tasks, backlog stories, and features into a single, unified platform. This centralization is expected to improve data accessibility and management.
2. Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The migration is anticipated to streamline workflows and reduce the complexity associated with managing multiple tools. This will enable Veryon's teams to work more efficiently and effectively.
3. Improved Collaboration: Moving to Jira Cloud will facilitate better collaboration among Veryon's engineering and operational teams. The platform's features are designed to enhance team communication and coordination.
4. Cost Savings: By discontinuing the use of Azure DevOps and consolidating on Jira Cloud, Veryon expects to achieve cost savings associated with maintaining and operating multiple tools.
5. Seamless Transition: A key objective is to ensure that the migration process is smooth and minimally disruptive to ongoing operations. The goal is to achieve a seamless transition with minimal downtime and data integrity issues.

By achieving these outcomes, Veryon aims to enhance its technological infrastructure, improve operational workflows, and ultimately increase aircraft uptime through better maintenance and operations management.

Data Migration Specifics

Issue Types

The migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud for Veryon involved transferring the following types of data:

1. Tasks
2. Backlog Stories
3. Features

These data types encompass the essential elements of Veryon's project management needs, ensuring that all critical information was migrated to the new system.

Success Metrics

Definition of Success for the Migration

The success of the migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud for Veryon was defined by the following criteria:

1. Complete Data Migration: All necessary data, including tasks, backlog stories, and features, must be successfully migrated without any loss or corruption.
2. Advanced, Reliable, and User-Friendly Tool: The new tool (Jira Cloud) must be advanced, reliable, and easy to use, fulfilling Veryon's operational requirements.
3. High-Quality Support: Veryon requires excellent support from the vendor team to ensure smooth operation and quick resolution of any issues that arise during and after the migration.

Criteria for Measurement

The specific metrics used to measure the success of the migration included:

1. Data Integrity: Verification that all data was accurately and completely migrated from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud, maintaining its integrity and usability.
2. User Satisfaction: Feedback from Veryon's team regarding the ease of use, functionality, and performance of Jira Cloud compared to Azure DevOps.
3. Support Quality: Assessment of the support provided by the Getint team, including responsiveness, expertise, and overall helpfulness in addressing Veryon's needs and concerns during the migration process.

By meeting these success metrics, Veryon aimed to ensure a smooth and effective transition to Jira Cloud, enhancing their project management capabilities and overall operational efficiency.

Vendor Selection Process

Veryon embarked on a thorough vendor selection process to identify the most suitable tool for their migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud. The goal was to find a solution that was not only capable of handling their specific data migration needs but also advanced, reliable, and user-friendly.

Comparison of Exalate vs. Getint

During their selection process, Veryon evaluated multiple tools, including Exalate and Getint. Here is a brief comparison based on their experiences:

1. Exalate:
   • Installation Complexity: Veryon encountered several issues during the installation of Exalate. It required installing additional apps on both Jira and Azure DevOps, which added complexity.
   • Integration Setup: The setup process for Exalate was far from intuitive and involved multiple steps, including registering and verifying accounts, which was time-consuming and confusing.
   • Error Handling: The tool's error messages were not informative, making it difficult to troubleshoot issues. The integration process hung on several occasions without clear resolution steps, leading to frustration.
   • Support and Documentation: There was a lack of adequate support and documentation, which hindered Veryon's ability to resolve issues promptly.
2. Getint:
   • Ease of Installation: Veryon found Getint much simpler to install. The process was straightforward, requiring fewer steps and less technical knowledge.
   • Quick Setup: The integration setup with Getint was significantly faster and more intuitive. Veryon was able to get a complex MVP of the integration running within less than an hour.
   • User Experience: The tool provided a more user-friendly interface and clearer instructions, which made the overall process smoother and more manageable.
   • Support: Getint's support team was responsive and helpful, especially when Veryon encountered licensing limitations. The team provided quick resolutions and clear communication.

Reasons for Choosing Getint

Veryon ultimately chose Getint for their migration due to several key factors:

1. Simplicity and Speed: Getint's installation and setup process was much simpler and faster compared to Exalate. This reduced the time and effort required to get the migration started.
2. Intuitive Interface: The user-friendly interface and clear instructions provided by Getint made the migration process more manageable for Veryon's team.
3. Reliable Support: The responsive and helpful support from the Getint team ensured that any issues were quickly resolved, providing confidence and reliability in the tool.
4. Overall Experience: Veryon's overall experience with Getint was positive, with the tool meeting their expectations in terms of functionality, ease of use, and support quality.

By choosing Getint, Veryon ensured a smoother and more efficient migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud, aligning with their operational goals and technological needs.

Exalate Experience

Installation and Setup Challenges

Veryon's experience with Exalate began with installing the Jira app from the Atlassian Marketplace. However, this was only the first step. They also needed to install an additional app on the Azure DevOps side, which created an immediate barrier. The person managing Jira lacked the experience and permissions to manage the DevOps instance, which was the first friction point.

Detailed Steps of Exalate Integration

Here are the detailed steps Veryon had to perform to get the Exalate connection ready:

1. Install the Jira connector from the Atlassian Marketplace.
2. Install the DevOps connector from Visual Studio Marketplace.
3. Register in DevOps using Personal Access Token, email, contact name, organization, and phone number.
4. Verify the Exalate instance by clicking on the link in the email, then logging in again to DevOps using a username, password, and SMS code.
5. Initiate the connection from Jira.
6. Provide the destination instance URL.
7. Select the configuration type (Basic/Visual/Script).
8. Provide connection details: local instance short name, remote instance short name, and connection name.
9. Verify admin access on the DevOps side from Jira.
10. Accept the invitation on the Jira side.
11. Wait a few minutes while Exalate establishes the connection.
12. Proceed to test the integration by providing the entity type and entity URN.

Issues Faced During Integration

The setup process was complicated and far from intuitive, taking several days to complete. The most significant issues included:

• Complex Setup: The numerous steps required to establish the connection were cumbersome and confusing.
• User Confusion: At the "Provide Entity Type and Entity URN" step, the Veryon team believed they had to manually provide IDs of tasks to sync, which was impractical.
• Lack of Feedback: Once the connection was initiated, the tool hung on the "waiting for remote" part, providing vague error messages.
• Troubleshooting Difficulties: Attempts to troubleshoot using available documentation and online resources were unsuccessful, leading to further delays and frustration.

Impact of Exalate Issues on Veryon's Operations

The difficulties encountered with Exalate's setup and integration led to significant delays in the migration process. The team faced frustration due to unclear error messages and inadequate support, which ultimately caused them to abandon Exalate and look for an alternative solution.

Getint Experience

Installation and Setup Process

In contrast to Exalate, Veryon's experience with Getint was significantly smoother. Here are the steps taken to get the Getint connection ready:

1. Install the app via the Atlassian Marketplace.
2. Go to Workflows -> Create Integration.
3. Establish connection with Jira instance, providing URL and Personal Access Token.
4. Establish connection with DevOps instance, providing URL and Personal Access Token.
5. Use the Quick Build to set up the integration and test it by creating a new task in any of the systems.

Ease of Use and Intuitiveness

Getint's integration process was straightforward and intuitive, allowing Veryon to start the integration within minutes. The more complex MVP of the integration was up and running in less than an hour. The Quick Build feature was particularly useful, enabling a seamless setup and testing process.

Performance and Reliability

The performance of Getint was reliable, and the integration process was smooth. The only minor issue encountered was related to licensing limitations for premium features. However, this was quickly resolved by contacting Getint's support team.

Support and Customer Service Experience

Getint's support team was responsive and helpful. When Veryon needed to unlock premium features, the support team provided quick and effective assistance, ensuring that the migration process continued without significant interruptions.

Conclusion

Veryon's transition from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud, facilitated by Getint, demonstrated the tool's efficiency and user-friendliness. Despite initial challenges with Exalate, Getint's superior performance, ease of setup, and excellent support made it the ideal choice for Veryon's migration needs.

Comparison of Exalate and Getint

Key Differences in User Experience

1. Installation Process:some text
   • Exalate: The installation process for Exalate was complex and required multiple steps. Veryon needed to install connectors on both Jira and Azure DevOps, register with various credentials, and verify access through several layers of authentication. This complexity created immediate barriers and frustration.
   • Getint: The installation process for Getint was straightforward and user-friendly. Veryon only needed to install the app from the Atlassian Marketplace and set up connections through a simple, guided workflow.
2. Integration Setup:some text
   • Exalate: The setup for Exalate involved a long, detailed process that was not intuitive. It required manual input of entity types and URNs, and the error messages were vague and unhelpful, leading to significant confusion and delays.
   • Getint: Getint’s setup was much simpler. Using the Quick Build feature, Veryon was able to establish a connection and test the integration quickly. The process was clear, with minimal steps, and the interface was easy to navigate.
3. Error Handling and Troubleshooting:some text
   • Exalate: When issues arose with Exalate, the error messages were not informative, making it difficult for Veryon's team to troubleshoot. Attempts to resolve issues through documentation and online resources were unsuccessful, contributing to the decision to abandon Exalate.
   • Getint: Any issues encountered with Getint, such as licensing limitations, were resolved swiftly with the help of their support team. The clear communication and effective support made troubleshooting straightforward and stress-free.

Efficiency and Time to Value

• Exalate: The time required to set up and begin using Exalate was lengthy due to the complex installation and setup process. The time spent troubleshooting and resolving issues further delayed the migration, reducing the overall efficiency.
• Getint: Getint provided a rapid setup and integration process, with the more complex MVP of the integration running within an hour. This quick time to value allowed Veryon to proceed with their migration without significant delays.

Support and Documentation Quality

• Exalate: The support and documentation provided by Exalate were insufficient for Veryon’s needs. The lack of clear, helpful resources made it challenging to resolve issues independently, leading to a reliance on trial and error.
• Getint: Getint’s support was responsive and effective. When Veryon faced any issues, the support team provided timely assistance, and the documentation was clear and helpful, facilitating a smoother migration process.

Conclusion

In summary, Getint outperformed Exalate in several key areas, including ease of installation, user experience, efficiency, and support quality. The straightforward setup process, intuitive interface, and reliable support made Getint the ideal choice for Veryon’s migration from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud. By choosing Getint, Veryon ensured a smooth, efficient, and successful migration, aligning with their operational goals and technological needs.

Testimonial:

"The difference between Exalate and Getint is night and day. Despite our best efforts, including involving both Jira and DevOps admins and scouring the internet for solutions, we couldn't get Exalate to work. It was a frustrating and painful experience. In contrast, Getint was straightforward and intuitive. The UI was clear and self-explanatory, and the only time we needed to contact support was to get a quote for migration. Everything else was easily handled by our team. This ease of use and clarity is the most significant feedback we can give."

— Jim Cai, Director of Engineering, Veryon

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Q&A - Summary of the Case Study

Q1: What was the main focus of the case study?

A: The case study focused on the migration process from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud for Veryon, a technology solutions company in the aviation industry, and showcased Getint's capabilities and superiority as a migration tool.

Q2: Who is Veryon?

A: Veryon is a leading provider of information services and software solutions for the aviation industry, helping increase aircraft uptime through advanced technology for maintenance, operations, and diagnostics. The company supports 25% of the world's commercial fleet and over 100 OEMs.

Q3: Who were the key stakeholders in the migration?

A: The key stakeholders were Jim Cai and Nadun Bentharage, both Directors of Engineering at Veryon.

Q4: What was the primary objective of the migration?

A: The primary objective was to consolidate data and operational processes into a single tool, moving from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud to streamline operations, improve data management, and enhance overall efficiency.

Q5: What were the expected outcomes of the migration?

A: The expected outcomes included centralized data management, enhanced operational efficiency, improved collaboration, cost savings, and a seamless transition with minimal disruption.

Q6: What data types were migrated?

A: The migration involved transferring tasks, backlog stories, and features from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud.

Q7: What defined the success of the migration?

A: Success was defined by complete data migration, the new tool being advanced, reliable, and user-friendly, and high-quality support from the vendor team. Specific metrics included data integrity, user satisfaction, and support quality.

Q8: What was Veryon's experience with Exalate?

A: Veryon's experience with Exalate was challenging. The installation and setup process was complex, error messages were vague, and troubleshooting was difficult. This led to significant delays and frustration, prompting Veryon to seek an alternative.

Q9: How did Getint perform compared to Exalate?

A: Getint's installation and setup process was straightforward and intuitive, with a user-friendly interface and clear instructions. The integration was quick and reliable, and the support team was responsive and helpful, making Getint the preferred choice for Veryon's migration needs.

Q10: What were the key factors in choosing Getint over Exalate?

A: Veryon chose Getint for its simplicity and speed of installation, intuitive interface, reliable support, and overall positive user experience compared to Exalate's complex and frustrating process.

Q11: What was the overall conclusion of the case study?

A: The case study concluded that Getint outperformed Exalate in ease of installation, user experience, efficiency, and support quality, ensuring a smooth, efficient, and successful migration for Veryon from Azure DevOps to Jira Cloud.

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