IT Project Strategies

Transcription

1 IT Project Strategies How to Get Your Projects Done! AACRAO Tech 2012 Sue Eveland, University Registrar University of Oregon

2 Today s Session: Everyone seems to be long on ideas and short on IT resources to implement. Everyone has lists of projects waiting to be assigned; these take a back seat to a university s big projects such as CRM or Data Warehouse implementations. What strategies can you use to get Central IT to do your projects first? This session describes the service request process at UO and shows how the Registrars Office has successfully strategized to get RO projects to the top of the list, assigned and completed.

3 University Projects Take Priority O Moving everyone to Exchange O Replacing Identity Management system O Implementing Integrated Data and Reporting O Implementing CRM O Doing the usual upgrades and maintenance O SIS O imaging O degree audit O scheduling

4 BUT.. O There has to be time O To fix problems O To enhance/streamline processes O To make progress on smaller projects O To implement new functionality in the products we own O To take leaps with technology to stay on the cutting edge

5 Limited Resources O IT has to have the right people on staff for the work O RO has to have the right people on staff for partnering once the SR is assigned O The appropriate staff in each office has to have time in common to do the work

6 How SR System Works O Selected staff in core offices O to Director of Enterprise Administrative Computing O SR is logged O At some point, SR is assigned O SR is tracked, worked on, tested, put into production O SR is finished and officially closed

7 How SR system works O SRTRAKR: Service Request Tracking system O In Progress O Pending O Completed

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9 Submitted but not assigned

10 Submitted and assigned in progress

11 Submitted, assigned, and completed

12 How SR system works O Selected users create an submission O Director of Enterprise Administrative Services logs the SR into SRTRAKR O Director assigns SRs to programmers; SRTRAKR launches notifications O Director sends excel list every 2 weeks to update progress on SRs O Director closes SRs upon completion; SRTRAKR launches notifications

13 SR Submission Elements O Short title of the SR O Provide way to serve photo ID s in DuckWeb O AP upload process doesn t recognize parameter 5 O Describe the problem (give examples) or the project and provide specs O Name the main contact in our office O Name a second contact O State a date needed by O For projects: set a priority (1-4)

14 Project categories O Broken O Routine Work Orders O Small Projects O Big Projects

15 Project categories O Broken submit without approval O Routine Work Orders submit without approval O Small Projects submit only with approval and prioritization O Big Projects submit only with approval and prioritization

16 Broken O Need immediate/near immediate relief O Typically get logged and assigned at the same time O Examples: O Signature not printing on official transcripts O EDI Smart not sending/receiving transcripts O Link Errors in DuckWeb Registration O Duplicate PIDMS

17 Routine Work Orders O Routine requests that occur each term or each year O Time Sensitive, thus requested a few weeks ahead O Some more complicated than others O Examples: O Roll Summer Part of Term Dates O Update Data Warehouse to New Term O Turn off/on nightly Degree Audit Refresh routines O Export Class Schedule records to 25Live O ASUO and Faculty Elections O Set up FIG and Orientation Sign-ups

18 Small Projects O Require only a day or two of programming and no meetings O Nice to have but not critical O Can be fit in between Big Projects

19 O Examples: Small Projects O Add data elements to existing objects in Student Data Warehouse O Create a PDF Menu Item for direct access to Degree Audit O Add search button to Banner Report Parameters (to look up faculty ID numbers from the report) O Add a data element to an extract (for Alumni, Bboard) O Do a piece of programming for Degree Audit

20 Big Projects O Require several meetings with IT, RO and other involved partners to: O discuss the problems and desired outcomes O brainstorm ideas O work through iterations O Add significant functionality to a process O Often involve several platforms: O Banner O Self-serve O Take a lot of hours Data Warehouse Imaging

21 Big Projects O Examples: SWRLAWS: O A new three-tabbed form in Banner for the Law School which enabled them to divest themselves of all excel and paper records O Class Rank O Order of the Coif O Requirement completion O Some data now shows in self-serve O For students O For faculty and advisers O Some data now travels to Student Data Warehouse

22 Big Projects O Examples: Self-Serve Complete Withdrawal O Self-Serve process for students O Collects reasons, last date of attendance O Provides Warning Messages O Blocks certain students who need advising O Data stored in Banner in new tables O Query and Maintenance functionality in new Banner form O Data travels to Student Data Warehouse

23 Big Projects O Examples: Implement Wait-listing O Figure out how baseline works, what parameters can be set O Set up a pilot group/pilot term O Work out bugs/issues O Write error reports O Add additional Self-serve functionality (allow faculty to view waitlist) O Send data to Student Data Warehouse

24 Big Projects O Other Examples: O Serve ID Photos on class lists and adviser forms in self-serve O Emergency Form in Self-Serve for Dean of Students O Implement AVOW PDF Transcripts O Create App process for Nat l Student Exchange O Automate Major Changes O Return to baseline on Course Deducts

25 Functional Areas O Degree Audit O Registration/Academic History O Academic and Classroom Scheduling O Data Warehouse O Imaging O EDI O DuckWeb

26 Broken or Routine Items Small projects Degree Audit Registration/Ac ademic History Academic and Classroom Scheduling Data Warehouse Imaging Big projects EDI DuckWeb

27 People Registrar s People O 8 Assistant Registrars O 2 Associate Registrars O 1 University Registrar O Some support staff who help with testing IT s People O Banner Programmers O Middleware Programmers O Functional Experts O Data warehouse O Imaging O Degree Audit

28 Prioritizing O Recognize that Broken functionality takes precedence over all other O Recognize/accept that you can only do a few BIG projects a year O Recognize that no projects will be assigned during upgrade periods (so don t ask unless it s a true emergency) O Recognize that the way to get a lot of small projects done is to keep a variety of them on the list at all times

29 Prioritizing O Recognize that you need to spread the selections of Big and Small projects across your staff and IT s programming staff. O Recognize that people will take vacations, have emergencies, resign. O Recognize that cycles in the office will prevent some people from working on projects during certain times of the year

30 Strategy O Keep balance of Routine Requests and Small Projects with a few Big Projects in the pending queue at all times O Keep a healthy number and variety of Small Projects in the queue O Across RO staff O Across programming staff O Across functional systems

31 Current Pending List O 35 items total O Big Projects: 5 O Law School upload from ACES O Add Grad Specializations to transcripts O Return to baseline on course detail O Return to baseline for Min/Max Hours O Automate Repeat Processing O Small Projects: 30

32 Current Pending List O 35 items total O Sue: 11 (I will be sharing!) O Brian: 8 O Estelle: 6 O Mike: 4 O Jim: 2 O Chris: 2 O Laura: 1 O Kari, the other Jim, Kathleen: 0

33 Current Pending List O 35 items total O Banner: 14 O Self-Serve: 7 O Degree Audit: 6 O Student Data Warehouse: 2 O Imaging: 2 O Scheduling: 1 O Cross-platform: 3

34 Being a Good Partner O Write Service Requests in a standard format with complete and concise information O Complete set of specs with screen shots if helpful (attached in a word doc if need be) O State the contact person and a back-up O State a realistic need by date O For projects without a need by date, state a priority number if already determined O Be ready/responsive when clarification or additional information is needed

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38 SR Report Arrives Bi-Weekly O Save in central location for managers O Review status of in-progress items O Review items on pending list to ensure O Each have a priority O Each priority is still correct O Remind contacts to stay on it

39 Review SR List Often O Review what s in progress by RO Staff O Review what s pending by RO Staff O Review for items that cross the functionality (not all degree audit, not all Scheduling) O Ensure all SR projects have a priority number (several #1 s not all for the same programmer or same RO staff; several #2 s )

40 Managing In-House Idiosyncrasies O Biting off more than one can chew O Not recognizing the octopus nature of some big (and at times small) projects O Needing more patience not waiting for the right information, the right solution, the right timing O Wanting to program ad nauseum

41 Meet With Director Regularly O Review projects in progress O Re-prioritize SR s O Discuss bigger picture O Share information/concerns O Build a relationship of trust and partnership

42 Determine a Ten-Year RO Roadmap for O Implement PDF Transcript service O Business Intelligence UO s Integrated Data Warehouse O Upgrade to u.achieve (Java platform) O CRM O 25 live (web version of R25 including public calendars) O Mobile Apps O Investigate course planners (shows schedule possibilities to students, might be used to predict demand) Continued.

43 Determine a Ten-Year RO Roadmap for O Catalog/Curriculum Management System O Create a Third-Party login for Parents O Implement Preferred First Name O ID pictures in Banner/serve through DuckWeb O Automate Repeat Processing O Automate Major Changes O Do Something about GradWeb

44 RO s Roadmap O Implement Online grading O Implement Online grade changes, uploading grades from excel, anonymous grading for Law School O Implement National Student Clearinghouse Services (student self-serve, degree verify) O Implement Pre-requisite checking O Implement EDI O Purchase and Implement Document Imaging (implement in core offices, roll out to partners) O Implement Wait-listing O Transition Transfer Articulation from AO to RO

45 RO s Roadmap O Implement Degree Audits O Implement Resource 25/25Live (use in RO and roll out to many partners) O Set/implement a UO Address standard O Continuously improve the Student Data Warehouse O Convert from SSN to Generated ID s O Implement Portal/BlackBoard/Luminous (we are using Bboard, but not as a portal; we have self-serve but not as a portal)

46 Prepare to Deal with the Unexpected Projects O Faculty policy changes/projects O I to F policy O Academic Standing changes O Enforce Time Conflicts O First time Registration Pin O Online Course evaluations O Administrative policy changes/projects O Fee assessment changes O Credit card payment for services to non-enrolled student O Cease printing the schedule of classes and catalog

47 Keep a Wish List O Create a culture of using technology to solve problems and improve service/accuracy/speed O Log ideas from staff, faculty, students, partners, from meetings, complaints, s O Simple Excel sheet O Short description of the idea and who submitted O List an RO Lead on the project O Indicate whether you need IT support or not

48 Keep a Wish List O Review list frequently with managers O Share list with lead programmers from time to time O Pull items off list and submit as small projects

49 Being a Good Partner in General O Serve on their Search Committees when asked O Include them on your IT position search committees O Attend regularly and participate fully in all work groups, user meetings, RFP processes O Follow through when you say you ll do something.

50 Being a Good Partner in General O Invite them to your quarterly partner meetings O Let them know when you ll be out of town and who s the go-to person in the meantime. O Let IT directors know when the programmers have done a good job. O Say thank you. Say thank you (again).

51 It s the Little Things that Add Up O Invite them to your office potlucks or BBQ s O Go to lunch with them now and then O Buy their kids girl scout cookies and flower bulbs and chocolate bars O Buy them an adult beverage after work some evening O Always say Great Job! And THANK YOU!

52 What s Important? O Shared vision O Communication O Relationships O Operating from a basis of trust O Leaning forward O Having a positive attitude and a Can-Do philosophy

53 Questions/Comments? Contact me: Sue Eveland, University Registrar