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Southwest Airlines

Soars to the Cloud: A Seamless, On-Budget Mega-Complex Migration


Client Overview
  • Company Name: Southwest Airlines
  • Industry: Aviation
  • Size: Over 10,000 users migrated
  • Key Business Focus: Delivering exceptional customer service and operational efficiency through cutting-edge technology.

Business Challenge

Southwest Airlines faced the challenge of migrating from Atlassian server platforms to Atlassian Cloud while ensuring business continuity and minimal disruption for over 10,000 users. The complexity of the migration was heightened by the need to integrate multiple applications, including Jira Align, and maintain critical workflows across teams. Without a structured approach, the transition risked inefficiencies, downtime, and potential operational bottlenecks.

Solution Implemented

Southwest Airlines partnered with Valiantys, a specialized Atlassian Platinum Solution Partner, to execute a structured cloud migration strategy. The process was divided into three phases to ensure minimal disruption:

  1. Migration of Jira projects associated with Jira Align and Xray.
  2. Transition of all other Jira projects and Confluence.
  3. Post-migration support to ensure users had immediate access to assistance.

From Action to Impact
  • Gaining leadership buy-in to secure resources and ensure smooth execution.
  • Comprehensive planning with user-centric approaches to pinpoint dependencies and mitigate bottlenecks.
  • Rigorous testing, including unit tests, integrated testing, and full migration simulations.
  • Stakeholder communication through regular updates and engagement sessions.
  • Dynamic contingency planning to address unexpected migration challenges proactively.
  • Hypercare support, including a dedicated post-migration "war room" for immediate troubleshooting.
  • Jira Align for enterprise agility.
  • Jira Software for project management.
  • Confluence for knowledge sharing.
  • Xray for test management and quality assurance.
  • Atlassian Cloud for scalability, security, and performance optimization.

Key Actions Taken
  • Gaining leadership buy-in to secure resources and ensure smooth execution.
  • Comprehensive planning with user-centric approaches to pinpoint dependencies and mitigate bottlenecks.
  • Rigorous testing, including unit tests, integrated testing, and full migration simulations.
  • Stakeholder communication through regular updates and engagement sessions.
  • Dynamic contingency planning to address unexpected migration challenges proactively.
  • Hypercare support, including a dedicated post-migration "war room" for immediate troubleshooting.

Atlassian Products
& Features Used
  • Jira Align for enterprise agility.
  • Jira Software for project management.
  • Confluence for knowledge sharing.
  • Xray for test management and quality assurance.
  • Atlassian Cloud for scalability, security, and performance optimization.
Business Impact & Results

The migration delivered substantial benefits to Southwest Airlines:

  • Operational continuity: The phased approach minimized disruption, ensuring employees could continue their work seamlessly.
  • Enhanced scalability & security: Cloud infrastructure improved agility, compliance, and resilience.
  • Efficiency gains: Automated processes and improved collaboration boosted team productivity.
  • User satisfaction: Proactive training and support ensured a smooth transition, with end-users quickly adapting to the new environment.

 

"The collaboration between Southwest Airlines, Valiantys, and Atlassian was instrumental in our seamless cloud migration. With meticulous planning, rigorous testing, and a strong support system, we successfully transitioned without impacting business operations."

Mathew Ercoline Sr. Project Manager, Southwest Airlines

 

Learn from Southwest’s Success

10 Tips from the On-Schedule, On-Budget Mega-Complex Migration

sw-10-tips-tn

 

From legacy systems to a modern cloud environment—Southwest’s migration journey was as complex as it was successful. In this guide, we share how Southwest Airlines used smart planning, collaboration, and Atlassian tools to deliver a massive cloud migration—on-schedule and on-budget.

Learn how to bring the same precision to your next migration.

 

 
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