catworkx behind the scenes: Our Operations & Support Services team for satisfied customers

Under the motto “Behind the scenes,” we want to give you an insight into what we do at catworkx, who works here, and why. Today, we would like to introduce you to our Operations & Support Services team (OSS for short). Our OSS team is the “first responder” for the Atlassian solutions used by our customers. They are the first point of contact if, for example, a running instance is no longer accessible. In addition to handling malfunctions and outages, they provide application support, advise customers on technical issues, and implement requirements. Their responsibilities are diverse, ranging from processing simple service tickets (such as importing certificates) to complex tasks and projects in the areas of sizing, monitoring, performance optimization, and application migration. You are an important point of contact for our customers and ensure that everything runs smoothly. We asked André from the OSS team why he enjoys working in this area and what makes it so special.

André: In addition to my duties as a service manager, which involve a lot of communication, planning, design, and, to some extent, implementation, I work—like the entire OSS team—on troubleshooting customer issues and performing root cause analyses. I provide support with the introduction of monitoring requirements and with technical issues, such as problems with user management (AD, LDAP, SAML, SSO) or user migrations. I try to support my colleagues with any questions they may have and, all in all, take things with a pinch of humor—don't find the culprit, find the solution.

André: Well, that's a tough one... Even though I feel younger in some ways, that question makes me feel extremely old (laughs). What exactly do you mean by tech stack? I work on a MacBook and an iPhone, I use Linux, and I can also navigate Windows servers with ease. It always depends on which system is best suited for the task at hand. For me, there's no religion, except maybe finding enough time to enjoy nature, listen to the birds (especially now in spring and summer), and get away from the technical world sometimes (winks).

André: There are a wide variety of tasks – you can work under the hood of the “Atlassian Stack” or delve deeper into “in-app” development. What I personally find particularly appealing is the fact that we can follow the growth of our company here: from a small business to a medium-sized enterprise. We experience this while helping to shape and improve their processes. I benefit from having worked in a large organization. There, I was able to gain experience, which I can now put to good use here. It is helpful to understand why some processes in large companies seem rigid and bureaucratic and sometimes take more time. One advantage of a “small” company is that it is more agile, allowing it to respond more flexibly to customers.

André: catworkx has developed from a “three-man team” into a medium-sized company, mainly because the entrepreneurs have always adapted to the current market situation and focused on the segments that are in demand. We live in the digital age, where half-lives are not measured in generations, but rather in annual cycles, adapted to the annual general meetings of shareholders. I think the OSS, the “service team,” has the best leadership duo in the company. Of course, they both have their quirks, but they know them. And they accept criticism, are constructive, and look for solutions—not problems.

Then there's the team itself: a mix of different types of people – there's never a dull moment. There are things to laugh about, things to get excited about (it would be boring without them), but above all, there is a very high level of technical expertise. This is important because, as the OSS team, we are responsible for acting as a quick and competent point of contact for customers in the event of malfunctions, problems, or inquiries. In the ITIL context, we would be described as a “service desk.” However, we don't just accept requests, we also process them ourselves, which means we also provide second-level and, in some cases, third-level support. In addition to these service tasks, we also carry out project work and may be involved in a project either in its entirety or in part. There's certainly no shortage of variety (winks).