Case study: Outcome of European XFEL's Redmine upgrade

Before switching to Easy Redmine

Before implementing Easy Redmine, European XFEL relied on Redmine, supplemented by outdated Redmine plugins, for project and issue management. While functional, the previous solution posed several challenges, including:

•  Lack of comprehensive tools for handling diverse user roles and requirements.
•  Issues with outdated functionality, such as the inability to effectively manage issue templates.
•  Limited flexibility for integrating advanced features like Help Desk and task management.

These limitations made it increasingly difficult to handle the organisation’s large-scale and complex operations, which involve over 500 staff members and more than 1,000 visiting scientists annually.

Expectations from project management software

European XFEL sought a solution that would:

1.  Handle a high number of users, including staff and visiting scientists, while managing diverse access levels.
2.  Replace outdated issue templates with a modern, flexible solution for managing tasks and processes.
3.  Enable effective communication through a Help Desk system that integrates with email.
4.  Provide a knowledge base feature to centralise and share critical information.

 Company's requirements for Easy Redmine

The company required:

1. Be scalable to manage both internal and external users, with clear differentiation between roles.
2. Be cloud-based for ease of access, while reducing the organisation’s maintenance burden.
3. Offer visual and intuitive interfaces to accommodate users with varying technical skills.
4. Allow custom branding to align with the European XFEL’s identity.

Evaluation and results

The implementation of Easy Redmine has delivered substantial improvements, including:

1.  Scalable user management: Easy Redmine supports a large and diverse user base, including both licensed staff and external collaborators, with the flexibility to scale usage up or down as needed.
2.  Improved task management: The introduction of task templates replaced outdated issue templates, offering a more intuitive and customisable interface for managing processes.
3.  Efficient communication: The HelpDesk feature allows email-based ticket reporting, streamlining communication between internal users and external stakeholders.
4.  Knowledge base integration: Plans for implementing a Knowledge Base are in progress, providing a solution for centralising and sharing information organisation-wide.
5.  Custom branding and flexibility: Easy Redmine’s custom branding ensures a seamless user experience that aligns with European XFEL’s identity.

The most used features

1. Help Desk: Used for email-based ticket reporting, ensuring seamless communication with internal and external users.
2. Task Templates: Allows project-level template creation, replacing the outdated issue templates for managing recurring processes.
3. User Management: Supports over 1,800 active users with differentiated roles, ensuring scalability and accessibility.

Conclusion

By adopting Easy Redmine, European XFEL has successfully modernised its project management environment to support the scale and complexity of its international scientific operations. 

The platform’s flexible cloud deployment, intuitive tools, and scalable user management have empowered the organisation to improve collaboration, streamline communication, and lay the groundwork for future digital enhancements such as a centralised knowledge base. 

Easy Redmine has become a reliable cornerstone in European XFEL’s mission to enable cutting-edge research and innovation across borders.