How a clinical research team uses a Jira Microsoft 365 integration

A decision may begin in an Outlook email, continue in a Microsoft Teams conversation and result in an action tracked in Jira. A Jira Microsoft 365 integration can keep this chain of communication connected when several departments and external partners are involved.

At Atlassian Team ’26 in Anaheim, Ellen Gruebbeling and Amber Stueve explained how their clinical research team at Washington University School of Medicine addresses this challenge. The team supports an Alzheimer’s clinical trial and works with finance, regulatory colleagues, internal functional groups, third-party vendors, contractors and Contract Research Organization users.

The opinions Ellen and Amber shared are their own and do not represent or imply endorsement by Washington University. Their experience shows how relevant communication can be easier to find without forcing everyone to work in the same tool.

The challenge: Work and communication were separated

Jira provides the team with a structured place to coordinate work, responsibilities and progress. However, much of its daily communication takes place in Outlook and Microsoft Teams. Keeping everyone informed through email alone was difficult. Copying every stakeholder into every message created inbox noise. Leaving people out made it harder for them to understand the latest status, previous decisions and outstanding action items. The team needed a way to make relevant communication accessible from the Jira work item while allowing colleagues to continue using Outlook and Teams.

How the Jira Microsoft 365 integration supports the clinical research workflow

Using Microsoft 365 for Jira, the team connects relevant Outlook email conversations with Jira work items. Team members can review the latest email updates from Jira without being copied into the complete thread. Previous email exchanges can also be connected to a work item. This helps preserve the history behind a decision and reduces the need to copy messages or summaries manually.

Microsoft Teams supports a similar workflow. Users can start a Teams conversation from a Jira work item and keep that conversation associated with the work being discussed. This is particularly useful when an item needs someone’s attention. Instead of relying only on a Jira notification, the team can contact that person through Microsoft Teams, a tool they already use throughout the day.

What changed for the clinical research team with the Jira Microsoft 365 integration

Ellen and Amber described several practical improvements:

• Team members can check the latest status without searching through separate email threads.
• Finance, regulatory teams and other stakeholders gain better visibility into relevant decisions.
• Conversations and resulting action items are easier to connect with the work in Jira.
• Documentation requires less manual copying between systems.
• Users can continue working in Outlook and Microsoft Teams.

The main benefit is not simply having more information in Jira. It is making the right context available to the people responsible for the work.

The adoption lesson: Find champions in every group

Ellen and Amber described several practical improvements. Team members can check the latest status without searching through separate email threads, while finance, regulatory teams and other stakeholders gain better visibility into relevant decisions. Conversations and resulting action items are easier to connect with the work in Jira, and documentation requires less manual copying between systems.

At the same time, users can continue working in Outlook and Microsoft Teams. The main benefit is not simply having more information in Jira. It is making the right context available to the people responsible for the work.

What Jira administrators can learn from this use case

Organizations considering a similar setup should:

1. Start with a workflow where missing context regularly causes delays, repeated questions or incomplete documentation.
2. Define which emails and Teams conversations should be connected to Jira.
3. Review who can access the Jira work item and its associated communication.
4. Involve both Jira and Microsoft 365 administrators.
5. Identify champions in leadership and each participating functional group.
6. Provide targeted guidance instead of expecting every team to adopt the workflow at the same pace.
7. Review the process after launch and adjust it based on user feedback.

The next step is to translate the agreed process into a consistent setup. Separate guides cover Jira actions available in Outlook and the ways users can work with Jira items through Microsoft Teams. In Jira Cloud, administrators can also prepare Presets for common scenarios, setting elements such as recipients, message content, access levels and built-in-automation in advance. Users can then choose an appropriate configuration instead of rebuilding the same communication workflow each time.

Information governance still matters

Clinical research environments may have strict requirements for confidentiality, privacy, retention and auditability. Connecting Outlook or Teams content to Jira does not replace these obligations. Each organization must determine which information may be connected to Jira, who may access the relevant work items and which records must remain in another approved system. It should also define how long connected communication remains available and whether a separate validated system continues to serve as record. The appropriate security, privacy, regulatory and records management stakeholders should be involved in these decisions.

Bringing Jira work and Microsoft 365 communication together

A Jira Microsoft 365 integration helps teams connect structured Jira work with relevant Outlook and Microsoft Teams communication. The Washington University example shows that the goal is not to move every conversation into Jira. It is to make important context accessible where the work is managed.

Successful adoption also depends on clear access rules, leadership support and champions in each participating group. With those elements in place, users can continue working in familiar Microsoft 365 tools while Jira provides the structure behind their work.