With Zammad, the district administration of Hochsauerlandkreis cuts costs by 50% and doubles support efficiency

The Challenge: A Helpdesk System No One Wanted to Use

When technology becomes a roadblock rather than a facilitator, the entire organization feels the impact. That’s exactly what happened at the district administration of Hochsauerlandkreis with its previous ticketing system. "It was cumbersome, the interface was far from intuitive and the mandatory fields were simply overwhelming. In the fast-paced reality of our daily work, the system was more of a hindrance than a help," recalls Florian Schade.

"Frustration grew — not only within the IT team, but also among the more than 1,500 internal users across various departments and external partners."

As a result, hardly anyone used the system. Instead, requests flooded in via phone and email, creating chaotic workflows, scattered information, and mounting dissatisfaction.

Zammad as the Answer: Intuitive Usability Meets Open Architecture

The turning point came with the decision to introduce a new helpdesk solution. The requirements were clear from the start: “The new system had to be simple, clear, and intuitive. For us, user acceptance was the top priority.” Right from the initial test installation, Zammad sparked enthusiasm.

“When we saw how quickly and effortlessly we could connect our communication channels and tools via Zammad’s open interfaces, it was immediately clear: this was the flexible solution we had been searching for.”

Another major advantage was Zammad’s open architecture, which matched perfectly with the district administration's commitment to open-source technologies — already making up around 50% of its IT landscape.

From Outdated System to New Standard — A Smooth Transition

“The switch to Zammad was remarkably straightforward,” recalls Florian Schade. Onboarding the entire team also proved to be seamless. Compact 90-minute training sessions were all it took to get even colleagues without prior helpdesk experience up and running with confidence.

“Since introducing Zammad, email and phone inquiries have dropped significantly. It quickly became the new standard.”

Thanks to Zammad’s intuitive interface, user acceptance came naturally. "Everyone immediately started using it for new requests,” Florian Schade explains. “Zammad made it easy right from the start.”

The Results: Double the Efficiency, Half the Costs, and Unmatched User Acceptance

With Zammad, around 40 agents across various departments have completely reshaped and streamlined their workflows. Where previously information had to be gathered painstakingly from different sources, everything is now consolidated in one central place. This brings clarity, saves valuable time, and noticeably reduces bottlenecks in daily operations.

“User satisfaction has skyrocketed from zero to one hundred. Today, almost all requests are handled through Zammad, which makes our processes much more transparent and efficient.”

The financial impact has been just as impressive. By switching to Zammad, the district administration of Hochsauerlandkreis has significantly reduced its maintenance and support expenses — with optional workshops already included. “We’ve cut costs by about 50 percent while gaining far greater value at the same time,” summarizes Florian Schade.

Zammad in Action: Far Beyond the IT Helpdesk

Today, Zammad has become an integral part of numerous departments across the district administration of Hochsauerlandkreis, supporting a wide variety of tasks and use cases.

“Zammad has fundamentally transformed the way we work. It connects people, topics, and tasks across all levels — both internally and externally.”

The IT helpdesk is now a single point of contact for all requests, from minor issues to complex technical challenges. The platform has also become indispensable to the fire department’s control centre, where technical requests are logged, prioritized and dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Zammad is also used in projects and for cross-departmental task management, ensuring clear structures and smooth communication. Even external partners, such as Caritas and surveying offices, are fully integrated. Their email inquiries are automatically converted into tickets and handled smoothly within the system.

Looking Ahead: Zammad Grows with the District Administration's Needs

The success story is far from over. Plans for the next steps are already well underway. At the top of the list is the integration of additional specialist procedures, including those involving citizen services. “We want to process citizen requests through Zammad in the future as well. This would bring us even greater efficiency and transparency,” explains Florian Schade.

In addition, more departments are set to benefit from the helpdesk solution. “The more colleagues use Zammad, the greater the value for everyone. Word is spreading quickly — people are excited about it,” concludes Florian Schade.

Zammad has therefore become much more than just a tool for today’s challenges. It is a platform ready to support the district administration of Hochsauerlandkreis well into the future.