CASE STUDY | Enterprise-Service-Management
Digital sovereignty, full data control and a siginficantly reduced workload: Clausthal University of Technology adopts OTOBO
- Introduction: 2021
- Users: approx. 80 active agents, including 35–40 based in the data centre
- Ticket volume: up to 10 years of historical data migrated; currently around 1,500 tickets per month
- Areas of use: IT, administration, institutes, facility management, library
Digital sovereignty, full data control and a clear reduction in team workload: following the end of life of OTRS 6, the data centre at Clausthal University of Technology chose OTOBO as a powerful open-source solution – benefiting from a smooth rollout, a familiar interface, and noticeably improved collaboration.
Starting point: a proven system reaches its limits
For around 15 years, Clausthal University of Technology relied on OTRS as its central ticketing system – both within the data centre and across administrative IT, facility management, and various institutes. However, growing performance bottlenecks, OTRS’s shift towards a cloud-first model, and the restriction of key features to the commercial edition led the university to begin searching for a successor in 2021.
The aim was to find a solution that could migrate all existing data, operate without a mandatory cloud setup, offer fair licensing terms, and remain technically future-proof.
“We had a huge amount of historical data in the system – we didn’t want to lose any of it. On top of that, the cloud model would have meant paying extra for many additional features, and the agent-based licensing would have driven up costs quickly,” recalls Martin Diedrich, Head of the IT Systems Department.
“We had a huge amount of historical data in the system – we didn’t want to lose any of it.”
Choosing OTOBO: familiar, open and flexible
After evaluating several alternatives – including Znuny, Zammad, ServiceNow, TOPdesk and Zendesk – the team chose OTOBO, an open-source fork with an active community and a clear long-term roadmap.
OTOBO stood out for its well-balanced overall package:
- Familiar usability – no additional training required for agents
- Complete data migration – including all messages, relationships and users
- No licensing fees – no agent-based pricing, no hidden costs or add-ons, and a test system included in the service agreement
- Full control – open-source foundation, no cloud requirement and no vendor lock-in
- Communication on equal footing
Equally important was the openness to collaboration:
“The direct communication and pragmatic mindset throughout the project really won us over,” says Diedrich.
“The direct communication and pragmatic mindset throughout the project really won us over.”
Smooth migration: straightforward from the outset
The migration of all data from OTRS 6 – including messages, customer relationships and user assignments – was completed quickly and without complications.
“As soon as the decision was made to go with OTOBO, I was completely at ease,” recalls the IT specialist. “There was absolutely no question that the migration would be straightforward.”
After just one day of downtime, the system was successfully transitioned. The prepared TU Clausthal design package with logo and CI was activated, and agents found themselves working in a familiar interface with well-known menus and navigation.
Even minor technical issues – such as a duplicate trigger in ticket notification events – were resolved quickly through close collaboration.
“This is where the benefits of open collaboration with the developers really show: the debugging was excellent – huge credit to the team,” Diedrich adds.
Broad adoption: from IT to facility management
Today, OTOBO is used across a wide range of departments at Clausthal University of Technology:
Around 80 active agents use OTOBO as a single point of contact (SPOC) to deliver IT support, handle requests related to lecture hall technology and recordings, and manage typical infrastructure incidents. In addition, they coordinate the central IT hardware procurement, and services such as maintenance work, cleaning, electrical work, carpentry, and hazardous materials storage.
Working with OTOBO: More structure, quicker solutions
Despite the familiar interface, OTOBO has opened up new possibilities for Clausthal University of Technology. In a review workshop following the migration, several adjustments were implemented that have noticeably eased day-to-day operations:
In addition to the hotline and email, tickets can now be created and viewed via the customer portal, which features a completely redesigned interface.
“That was very well received.”
A revised role concept ensures clearly defined responsibilities. Individually configured queues separate different areas of responsibility, while additional statuses – such as “Review needed” – help structure workflows and improve visibility when feedback is delayed.
Services and SLAs have replaced the previous prioritisation model, leading to more reliable processing times. Escalation mechanisms automatically flag tickets at risk of exceeding deadlines.
“The Escalation View is a huge help in day-to-day work. You can immediately see when a ticket has been sitting too long – for example, if a colleague forgot to hand something over before going on holiday. It’s incredibly practical,” adds Diedrich.
“The Escalation View is a huge help in day-to-day work. You can immediately see when a ticket has been sitting too long.”
Internal knowledge sharing has also improved with OTOBO: response templates provide standardised answers to recurring requests and support consistent communication. Specific solutions are documented directly within tickets, while more complex technical topics and operational procedures are recorded in the FAQ module. Because this information is centrally available and accessible to everyone, agents can find the right answers more quickly – “a significant added value”.
Martin Diedrich estimates that using a central ticketing system as a shared tool has reduced time spent by at least 50 per cent, largely thanks to the increased transparency of processes. This is particularly evident in cases that do not run smoothly, as all relevant information is consistently available within the ticket for everyone involved. In quality and complaint management, the ticket history also ensures full traceability of processes over time.
Diedrich estimates that the use of the central ticketing system has reduced time spent by at least 50 per cent.
Outlook and recommendation
Even at its current stage, Clausthal University of Technology demonstrates how a public university with limited resources can successfully build and run a modern, high-performance service platform – without compromising on digital sovereignty or usability.
Looking ahead, Diedrich and his colleagues have plenty of ideas for further development. As is often the case, time is the main limiting factor: further automation of processes using the workflow engine, expanding ITSM and asset management capabilities, and introducing a Kanban board to simplify dispatching are all on the agenda.
Diedrich’s recommendation to other institutions:
“Test, test, test. Think early about plugins, SLAs and automation – that’s where the real value lies. And don’t be afraid of escalations: it’s not about blame and shame. Escalations are simply a ticket’s way of making itself visible so that someone can take care of it.”
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