As an international technology company, PicoQuant supports its customers around the world. Its support operations are closely connected with internal processes, including after-sales, complaints management and cross-department collaboration. However, as complexity increased, the previous helpdesk solution reached its limits. Steffen Rüttinger, Head of Support, explains why PicoQuant chose Zammad to make a fresh start strategically.
The decision to choose Zammad was not just a technical one. It was a strategic move. We wanted a future-ready system that could integrate into our architecture without locking us into a single provider.
For around ten years, osTicket formed the backbone of PicoQuant’s support operations. "The system served its purpose in the beginning," Steffen recalls. "But over time, the software could no longer keep pace with our development and started to slow us down."
The biggest obstacle was the lack of integration options. An API was not available. This technological gap prevented a seamless connection to the existing system landscape and turned the helpdesk into a siloed solution.
In day-to-day operations, this had very tangible consequences: processes that should have been automated had to be coordinated manually. Without proper integration with CRM and ERP systems, information was scattered across multiple platforms. "This not only affected our ability to respond quickly, but also significantly increased the administrative workload for the teams involved."
When evaluating a successor system, PicoQuant reviewed a range of solutions on the market. While several platforms met the basic functional requirements, the strategic dimension ultimately tipped the scales in favor of Zammad. For Steffen Rüttinger, Zammad’s open-source core was the decisive factor in maintaining technological sovereignty.
Open source was a key factor for us because we didn’t want to end up in a situation where we were completely dependent on a single provider.
The combination of transparency, an active community, and access to the source code gave PicoQuant the confidence that the system could be adapted flexibly to its specific requirements without the risk of vendor lock-in.
A major part of the implementation was migrating existing data from the old system. In total, around 11,000 tickets were transferred to the new Zammad instance.
“We handled the import ourselves,” explains Steffen. “It wasn’t trivial, but thanks to the open API, we were able to build exactly the solution we needed.” Opting for a custom import approach was a direct result of the new technical flexibility that Zammad provided.
We booked both agent and administrator training with Zammad. That saved us a great deal of time internally because we could draw on the Zammad team’s expertise instead of having to build up that knowledge ourselves.
The rollout within the team was smooth and comparatively fast. Within just a few days, agents were already working productively in Zammad. Further refinements, such as workflows, triggers, and notifications, were then optimized step by step by the administrators during ongoing operations.
Today, PicoQuant generates the most value through the deep integration of Zammad with its CRM and ERP systems. Where information silos once prevailed, all the gears now mesh seamlessly. Customer data is automatically enriched when inquiries come in, giving agents immediate access to the entire history and relevant master data.
In the past, many processes ran separately. Today, we have the relevant information right in the ticket.
The positive change is particularly evident in complaint handling. The processing statuses from the ERP system are directly reflected in the ticket. This eliminates the need for time-consuming switching between different applications. The flow of information back into the organization has also improved, as support interactions are now visible to other departments in the CRM.
The structural improvements can now be quantified. PicoQuant has reduced the average handling time per ticket from around 3.5 hours to 2.5 hours. However, for the team, this is not the result of a single feature. It is the outcome of better, more efficient processes.
Efficiency comes naturally when the workflows are set up properly.
One major difference is internal communication. "In the past, we contacted developers by email or chat and had to keep track ourselves of whether and when they responded. Today, this communication happens directly within the ticket." This means that every interaction is documented within the context of the request. This reduces coordination effort and ensures that valuable knowledge no longer gets lost in private inboxes.
When it comes to AI, PicoQuant also prioritizes maximum flexibility and welcomes Zammad’s approach of allowing free choice of AI models.
We want to be able to decide for ourselves which AI model to use. Zammad doesn’t dictate a rigid path here, but offers an architecture that adapts to our requirements.
For PicoQuant, the transition to Zammad was more than just a system change. It marks the shift from an isolated solution to an integrated service platform that fits into the existing IT landscape and can evolve alongside it.
Thanks to more efficient processes, better integration, and full control over its own data, PicoQuant is now significantly more flexible and has laid a foundation capable of supporting future requirements.
