OSE Digital now uses Jira to master complex resource allocation and improve project predictability
See how Quirk helped them get there
Quick Facts
- Industry: Digital Agency & eCommerce Development
- Challenge: Complex resource management across multiple projects with limited visibility
- Solution: Integrated Atlassian suite with Tempo work management tools
- Outcome: Streamlined operations with real-time resource visibility and financial control
Executive Summary
OSE Digital, a leading Australian eCommerce development agency, faced growing operational complexity as their project portfolio expanded. With teams stretched across multiple projects and support tasks, they needed to transform their work management approach to maintain quality and scale efficiently. Quirk implemented a comprehensive Atlassian-based solution that consolidated multiple tools into a single source of truth, enabling real-time visibility and control over resources, time tracking, and project finances.
The Challenge: Seeing the Whole Picture
Initial State
When OSE Digital first engaged with Quirk, they were grappling with significant operational challenges. Their work management landscape was fragmented across multiple disconnected systems, including Jira, Harvest, and various spreadsheets, creating substantial administrative overhead. Team leaders had limited visibility into how resources were being allocated across projects and support tasks, making effective planning nearly impossible.
The situation was further complicated by the need for manual reconciliation between different tracking systems, consuming valuable time that could have been spent on delivery. Teams found themselves constantly context switching between different tools and struggling to manage their workloads effectively. Without clear prioritisation, support and project work often competed for the same resources, leading to delivery delays and team frustration.
Transformation Goals
Recognising these challenges, OSE Digital set clear transformation goals. They needed to simplify their time tracking and resource management processes while creating real-time visibility into team capacity and project progress. The organisation sought to enable data-driven resource allocation decisions and improve their project financial tracking and control. Crucially, they aimed to reduce the administrative overhead that was burdening their project managers and team leads, allowing these key staff to focus more on value-adding activities.
Our Approach: Creating Clarity
Discovery Phase
Our engagement with OSE Digital began with a comprehensive discovery phase to fully understand their operational landscape. We conducted detailed audits of their existing work management processes, carefully documenting pain points and inefficiencies. Working closely with their teams, we mapped out current workflows across both project delivery and support functions, gaining crucial insights into how work actually flowed through the organisation.
Through this analysis, we identified the critical integration points between their various systems where friction was highest. Simultaneously, we engaged with key stakeholders throughout the business to document their specific requirements and define clear success metrics that would guide our solution design.
Solution Design
With this deep understanding established, we developed a solution that would transform their work management capability. At its core, this involved consolidating their multiple standalone tools into a cohesive Atlassian ecosystem. We implemented the Tempo suite to provide comprehensive work management capabilities, ensuring all aspects of resource allocation and time tracking were covered.
To address the manual overhead that had been consuming so much team time, we designed automated workflows that streamlined key processes. Understanding that different stakeholders needed different insights, we created standardised reporting frameworks that delivered relevant information to each group while maintaining a single source of truth.
Implementation: Building the Solution
The successful transformation of OSE Digital’s work management capability required careful implementation of both technology and process changes.
Technology Stack
We built the solution around a carefully selected suite of integrated tools. Jira formed the foundation as the core work management platform, providing a robust base for all delivery activities. This was enhanced with the comprehensive Tempo suite: Timesheets for streamlined time tracking, Capacity Planner for sophisticated resource management, and Financial Manager for detailed project cost tracking. The ecosystem was completed with Slack, enabling efficient team communications and notifications throughout the delivery pipeline.
Process Transformation
The technology implementation was matched with significant process improvements across the organisation. We eliminated the reliance on manual spreadsheets by introducing automated capacity planning, giving teams real-time insights into resource allocation. Time tracking was directly integrated with work items, creating a seamless connection between effort and outcomes.
We established comprehensive real-time financial reporting capabilities, providing immediate visibility into project costs and resource utilisation. These improvements culminated in the creation of unified views that brought project and support work together, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation across all work types.
Results: Transforming Delivery Effectiveness
The implementation delivered substantial, measurable improvements across multiple aspects of OSE Digital’s operations.
Efficiency Gains
In terms of efficiency, the transformation eliminated the time-consuming task of manual reconciliation between systems, freeing up significant administrative capacity. Development teams experienced notably less context switching, allowing them to maintain focus on delivery. Time tracking became remarkably simpler with single-click logging, while resource allocation reporting was fully automated, reducing the overhead on team leads.
Operational Improvements
Operational improvements were equally significant. Teams gained real-time visibility into their capacity, enabling more effective work management. Resource allocation decisions became data-driven rather than based on gut feel, while project financial controls were substantially enhanced. Support task prioritisation also improved markedly, leading to better service delivery.
Business Impact
The business impact of these changes was clear and substantial. The accuracy of billable time capture increased significantly, directly affecting the bottom line. Project margins became easier to manage and monitor, while client communications improved through clear progress tracking. Perhaps most importantly, the enhanced capacity planning capabilities provided better insights for the sales pipeline, enabling more accurate resource forecasting and customer commitments.
Client Perspective
“What we’re able to see from an individual work level, a team work level, a status work level, a project level, even across planned versus actual, and how that can be managed financially within one place, as well as team information skills that we can attribute across the team…
We’ve gone from multiple spreadsheets to a single place where I can look at all of this.”
Michelle Picoto, Head of Growth – OSE Digital
Looking Forward
OSE Digital now has a scalable foundation for managing their growing project portfolio. The integrated solution provides:
- Clear visibility into resource capacity for sales planning
- Automated tracking of project finances and margins
- Data-driven insights for operational improvements
- Streamlined workflows for continued growth
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Modern work is complex, but managing it doesn’t have to be. We specialise in helping organisations turn operational complexity into streamlined, visible workflows that drive better business outcomes. Whether you’re struggling with resource allocation, project visibility, or system integration, we can help you build a more efficient, scalable way of working.
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