Using a Design Science Research methodology, the project progressed through iterative phases, from identifying pain points and success factors via a survey and literature review, to designing and implementing the framework and finally evaluating the results. A follow-up survey showed that users experienced noticeable improvements in coordination, visibility and process structure. Statistical validation using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test confirmed that many of these improvements were significant. The study contributes both practical and theoretical insights. On the practical side, it provides a functional Jira setup that enhances project management within an IT environment. On the theoretical side, it provides a real-world example of how agile principles can be applied in distributed teams managing various and small projects.

Overall, the findings suggest that with appropriate implementation, configuration and support, tools like Jira and Confluence can help distributed teams work more effectively.