configuring email communications

[Jacques Ferland]

Hello!

CONTEXT

My business is using Jira Service desk in some departments, but not all of them yet. We are in the process of implementing Jira in all our depts, but meanwhile we need to get things done of course...

Sometimes a dept using Jira needs to collaborate with another department that are still using only email (or another ticket management system).

What would be the best approach? We thought we could use the REPORTER field in a ticket with the department email to allow bi-directional communications between JIRA and the external department. 

PROBLEM: When creating a ticket in Jira, and then fill the REPORTER field with the correct email, the external dept receives the notifications but their email reply is not being fed back into the jira ticket as a comment. 

In my live Jira environment, I seem to be able to communicate with external people. When they write an email to our helpdesk, it creates a ticket in Jira and I can discuss with the reporter (and the email specified in the CC fields).  

Is this connexion not established when internally creating a ticket instead of creating it after receiving an external mail?

Thanks.