With Zammad, Bioland brings more structure to its IT helpdesk and quality management

From Email Chaos to Efficient Ticket Management

Originally, Bioland's IT service team relied on a combination of phone and email to respond to and handle internal support requests. This involved extensive use of subfolders in a shared mailbox and email forwarding. However, this approach led to confusion and delays. "The email program simply lacked a feature to document workflows and open tasks. As a result, the IT helpdesk wasn't running as efficiently as we had hoped," explains Michaël Schmitt.

A turning point came with the decision to introduce a modern ticketing system. Michaël took on the project and created a detailed set of requirements. Three criteria were particularly important to him: "We wanted an open-source tool so we could host and customize it ourselves. Additionally, it needed to meet the highest data protection and security standards and be easy to use."

Zammad met all of Michaël's criteria, and he introduced the ticketing system at a team meeting. After the team was convinced, the tool was implemented. Michaël recalls, "The transition was relatively quick and smooth. After a brief introduction to the user interface and functions, we were able to start right away."

Achieving Greater Structure with Zammad

Within just a few weeks of implementing Zammad, the team was able to achieve greater transparency and organization. One feature, in particular, proved to be a game changer: the notes field. The ability to add notes directly into tickets significantly improved tracking and traceability. The team now uses this feature as a to-do list to document open items and next steps systematically, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently.

"Since we started using Zammad, our workflow in IT service management has become much more focused and streamlined. Requests are no longer overlooked or handled twice. Working with the ticketing system has created a clear structure, which has significantly improved the quality of our service," reports Michaël.

A Ticketing System with Many Uses

In addition to handling traditional support requests, the IT service team at Bioland also manages specific onboarding and offboarding processes. During onboarding, they provide software access, set up user accounts, and train new team members on the use of existing IT systems. Conversely, during offboarding, they are responsible for deactivating user accounts and retrieving work equipment.

Zammad has been integrated into these processes to facilitate communication and coordinate the various steps involved in onboarding and offboarding for the IT service team. Michaël and his team have implemented automation to streamline these tasks: "When a new colleague joins Bioland, a trigger is activated through Microsoft Forms, automatically generating a new ticket in Zammad. This ticket serves as a comprehensive roadmap for all necessary onboarding tasks within the service team. We've set up the same automation for the offboarding process as well," Michaël explains.

Recognizing the need for an audit-proof system that allows for tracking and supports communication with nearly 9,000 members, the quality management team also quickly saw the potential of Zammad. Since 2024, they have been using a dedicated instance of Zammad in QM to manage member inquiries and feedback, as well as to better distribute tasks within the team.

Through these diverse applications, Zammad has established itself as a valuable tool for Bioland, extending far beyond IT support to enhance efficiency and transparency across various areas of the organization.

The Greatest Value

"What stood out to me from the very beginning was the quick support from Zammad. I remember a particular situation where we hit a roadblock in the system and reached out to their helpdesk. We opened the ticket early in the morning, received an immediate response, and by the afternoon, our issue was resolved," praises Michaël.

It's not just Zammad's support that impresses; the Elastic Search feature also consistently delivers success moments for Bioland's entire IT service team. "Nothing gets lost in Zammad, which naturally means a lot of information accumulates. Elastic Search is a true efficiency booster for us. No matter how long ago it was, we can check in seconds whether a problem has already been reported by a colleague and what the current status is. This saves us a lot of time and prevents misunderstandings before they can even arise."

The future with Zammad: More efficiency in the entire service department

The positive experience with Zammad encourages Bioland to expand its use into other areas, such as the hotline: "The ability to quickly and effectively handle tickets, along with the comprehensive search function, would help our hotline staff resolve customer inquiries faster and optimize the entire support process. We see Zammad as a versatile tool that can provide valuable services far beyond just IT support."