Rethinking ITSM migration: 5 myths you need to let go of
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Rethinking ITSM migration: 5 myths you need to let go of
Stephen Laurin
Published on July 28, 2025
3 min read
Stephen Laurin
Published on July 28, 2025
3 min read
Clean-slate thinking for long-term transformation
Migrating your ITSM platform isn’t just about swapping tools—it’s about redefining how your organisation delivers value through service. Yet many teams fall into common traps that lead to missed opportunities, duplicated inefficiencies, and rigid implementations.
At Adaptavist, we’ve worked with organisations across industries to modernise their ITSM environments. The most successful transformations happen when teams embrace clean-slate thinking—rebuilding their service desk with flexibility, scalability, and long-term agility in mind.
Here are five myths we commonly see in ITSM migrations—and what real-world transformations have taught us about moving beyond them:
Myth 1: Lift-and-shift is safer than starting fresh
Reality: It just moves legacy issues into a new system.
It can feel safe to replicate your existing workflows and structures in a new platform. But this often means dragging along the very complexities that made your old tool unmanageable.
Smart IT teams break that cycle by leaving outdated customisations behind and focusing on scalable design and ITIL-aligned workflows from day one.
They didn’t migrate the mess—they cleaned it up.
Myth 2: Clean-slate means starting from zero
Reality: It means redesigning with purpose, not erasing progress.
A clean-slate approach doesn’t throw everything out—it gives you the chance to choose what to bring forward and what to leave behind.
With Adaptavist’s help, many organisations consolidate fragmented systems into one cloud-native solution that spans departments, regions, or functions.
Myth 3: You can’t change too much or you’ll lose user adoption
Reality: Users want clarity, not clutter.
Trying to maintain legacy familiarity often leads to rebuilding confusing interfaces and bloated workflows. Successful teams focus on usability, speed, and simplicity—and pair it with training and enablement to make adoption stick.
Change didn’t hinder adoption—it accelerated it.
Myth 4: Migration is just a tool project
Reality: It’s a people project with long-term impact.
Migration is often scoped as a tooling initiative—but the most impactful transformations treat it as a foundation for business change. Beyond implementation, building internal capability is key—whether that’s through enablement, training, or a dedicated Centre of Excellence.
The platform was just the starting point—the real win was internal capability.
Myth 5: You can transform without process redesign
Reality: New tools don’t fix broken processes.
Success doesn’t come from JSM (or any tool) alone—it comes from aligning tools, processes, and business goals. From automated triage to real-time SLA visibility, the most effective teams build service management for people—not just platforms.
When your process and platform are designed together, visibility and impact follow.
Final thoughts: don’t just migrate—transform
Every ITSM migration is a chance to rethink, redesign, and re-empower.
If you’re planning a move to JSM Cloud (or any other platform), ask yourself:
- Are we lifting old problems into a new system?
- Are we building for short-term comfort or long-term scale?
- Are we enabling our teams to own and evolve the platform?
Looking to rethink your ITSM approach?
Written by
Service Management Practice Team Lead
With extensive experience in business consulting, Stephen has assisted organisations of various sizes in implementing and improving service management practices. He excels at navigating complex implementations in the Atlassian ecosystem, with a primary focus on practicality and efficiency.
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