Streamlined structures: The building blocks of binge-worthy planning

Managing the complexities of a global streaming empire requires powerful tools. When a global streaming service came calling to Tempo for help with balancing their workflows and tight deadlines – we had exactly the answer they needed to suit their scale. 

Enter Structure PPM, a game-changer for engineering and planning operations. While they have requested to remain anonymous, their story of how an enterprise project and program management tool made serious upgrades to multi-million companies' workflows is a real one.

We spoke with their senior software operations lead for engineers about how Structure became an indispensable part of their Jira ecosystem.

Challenges before Structure

Their engineer, who we’ll call Erin Janeer, was a seasoned Jira admin with over 21 years of experience, 

“I had no prior experience with Structure,” Janeer recalled. “But it quickly became clear how essential it was for our planning and reporting.” 

They faced several key challenges:

• Lack of hierarchical data visualization: Without a clear way to view dependencies and roll-ups, teams struggled to align on priorities.

• Inefficient planning workflows: Quarterly planning and release management lacked the flexibility needed to adapt to changing priorities.

• Data silos: Important information was scattered across teams, making it difficult to maintain data hygiene and ensure consistent reporting.

5 ways Structure helped

1. Enhanced custom views and reporting

Structure allowed this major streaming platform to create custom views tailored to various workflows, from bug triage to executive reporting. 

Janeer highlighted the flexibility: “We’ve built a 4-level hierarchy: Story, Epic, Capability, and Initiative. This enabled detailed roll-ups and progress tracking. It’s something we couldn’t achieve with Jira Dashboards alone.”

In addition, Structure’s reporting capabilities allow them to surface key metrics using custom formulas. 

“The ability to roll up data and define custom metrics provides insights that directly inform leadership decisions,” Janeer explained.

2. Continuous planning and iteration

Continuous planning is a cornerstone of  operational strategy. Janeer noted that Structure’s flexibility supports this approach by enabling dynamic updates to their plans. 

“With Structure, we can easily adapt our quarterly plans as priorities shift,” he said. “Having a clear view of our progress at all levels – from engineers to executives – makes continuous planning seamless and effective.”

3. Streamlined quarterly planning

Using Structure’s grouping and folder functionalities, Janeer’s teams efficiently organized their quarterly plans. 

“We group features by priority and break them down into capabilities,” he explained. “This setup gives leadership a clear view of progress and priorities for the quarter and keeps everyone on track.”

4. Improved data hygiene

Janeer emphasized the role of Structure in maintaining data hygiene: “Grouping by certain fields instantly highlights missing data. With actionable insights, we ensure our data is clean and reliable for decision-making.”

5. Time-saving formulas

Formulas in Structure have become a vital tool. “We use them to pull custom field data, apply custom colors, and calculate progress,” Janeer noted. “It’s a huge time-saver compared to manual data manipulation in Excel.”

Cloud-first strategy

To stay on top of the industry, this streaming service is a cloud-first business. Two years ago, Janeer’s job was to migrate their Jira data without compromising data integrity. As a Jira veteran going back to Jira server 2.0, he misses the speed and power of DC, but recognises that cloud is the future.

He added: “Cloud migration brought new features and eliminated administrative burdens like backups and downtime.”

Benefits of cloud

• Seamless updates: Frequent updates ensure that Janeer and his team always has access to the latest features and improvements. “The continuous updates and UI improvements in cloud enhance our user experience,” he added.

• Increased agility: Cloud-first means Janeer can adapt faster to changes. “We’ve reduced downtime and boosted productivity by moving to the cloud,” he explained.

• Focus on innovation: By eliminating server management overhead, teams can dedicate more time to strategic initiatives. “Cloud frees us to focus on the big picture,” Janeer said.

Migration success

Despite initial concerns about data integrity during migration, this company found success using a CSV-based approach. 

“The Jira Cloud Migration Assistant created too much noise,” Janeer noted. “With CSV migration, we ensured a clean and efficient transfer of data, including attachments and comments.”

Structure Cloud has since enabled them to maintain the functionality they rely on while improving overall performance and accessibility.

Results and ROI

Since adopting Structure, Janeer and his team has seen tangible improvements in project delivery timelines and efficiency throughout the entire company. 

“We’ve reduced planning time and improved data accuracy across the board,” Janeer shared. “The enhanced visibility and streamlined processes have led to faster decision-making and smoother collaboration across teams.”

Additionally, the shift to Structure Cloud has further amplified these benefits. “Being cloud-first has significantly improved our results,” Janeer emphasized. “The seamless integration, real-time updates, and reduced overhead have improved the way we manage our work.”

From day-to-day operations to executive-level reporting, Structure has become an indispensable tool, delivering both time savings and better alignment across teams.

Structure: A game-changing force

Structure has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of this company's planning and reporting processes. “Structure excels in its core design and delivers tremendous value,” Janeer concluded. “It’s an indispensable tool for teams across our organization, saving countless hours and providing the clarity we need to succeed.”

For organizations considering Structure, Janeer offered this advice: “Invest the time to explore its full potential. Start small, but don’t hesitate to experiment with advanced features like formulas and grouping.” 

He also emphasized the importance of learning on the job: “We’ve learned the most by solving real-world problems with Structure. It’s a tool that grows with you.”

With over 3,000 Structures created in just two years, this streaming service continues to rely on Structure PPM to orchestrate their projects and deliver world-class entertainment to audiences everywhere.