Building Organizational Capacity in the Management of a University Enterprise System EDUCAUSE Mid Atlantic Regional Conference 2006.

Building Organizational Capacity in the

Management of a

University Enterprise System

EDUCAUSEMid Atlantic Regional Conference

2006

Building Organizational Capacity

in the Management

of a University Enterprise System

EDUCAUSEMid Atlantic Regional Conference

2006

Copyright Robert J. McBride 2006. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

Presenter• Robert J. McBride

Associate Vice President for Campus

Information Systems

New Jersey City University

• 33 Years Experience in Higher Education• Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Enrollment

Management• Project Manager – PeopleSoft Implementation

Discussion Points• Introduction to New Jersey City University• Chronology of Enterprise System Development• Challenges and Response• Principles of Building Organizational Capacity• BOC Applied to the Management of an

Enterprise Information System• Dialogue

IntroductionNew Jersey City University

• Founded in 1929 as the New Jersey State Normal School at Jersey City• Became New Jersey State Teachers College in 1935 and Jersey City State

College in 1968• Achieved University Status in 1998 with Present Name• Offers 27 Baccalaureate Degree Programs and 16 Graduate Degree and

Certificate Programs through Colleges of Arts and Science, Education, and Professional Studies

• Current Enrollment of 6,000 Undergraduate Students and 2,800 Graduate Students

• Predominantly Commuter, Majority of Students Over Age of 25 • Located in New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area • Urban Mission – Pride of Place (Geography and Community)• Online Masters Programs in Accounting and Educational Technology• Cooperative Education• Gothic Knights

ChronologyEnterprise Information System

• Initial License Agreement with PeopleSoft in November 1998• Student Administration - First Go-Live in Release 7.5

– Admissions – September 1999– Student Records – October 1999 (for Spring 2000)– Student Financials – November 1999– Financial Aid – January 2001– Upgrade to Rel 7.6 in 2000

• Financials – Second Go-Live in Release 7.5– General Ledger and Accounts Payable - February 2001– Purchasing – February 2002

ChronologyEnterprise Information System

• Project GothicNet (July 2003 – November 2004)– Upgraded Financials and Student Administration (now Campus Solutions)

Production Systems to the PeopleSoft Internet Architecture– Added Academic Advisement, Contributor Relations, eProcurement

• Implemented the Human Resources Management System• Developed the Campus Portal with Single Sign-On to PS Applications• Deployed Collaborative (Self-Service) Applications to Undergraduate &

Graduate Students, Faculty, and Staff:– View & Update personal information, find class schedules, view paycheck and

benefit information– Enroll in a class, perform degree audit, apply for and view financial aid, make a

payment via credit card– View class rosters, record grades, advise students

Successes

Successes

SuccessesGothicNet Distinct Users by Month

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

April

May

June Ju

ly

Augus

t

Septe

mbe

r

Octob

er

Novem

ber

Decem

ber

Janu

ary

Febru

ary

Mar

ch

Month

Nu

mb

er

2004-05

2005-06

Successes• Industrial-Strength Product• Shared Platform Across the Enterprise• Access through Role-Based Portal• High-Powered Infrastructure• Several Ubiquitous Self-Service Applications for

Many Constituents• User Base

– Adequate access to PCs– Enough bandwidth– Sufficient Internet comfort

Challenges• Balancing Production Support, Patch Application, Tools Upgrades,

and New Development• Prioritizing Projects• Maintaining a State of Readiness• Standards• Skills Development• Knowledge Growth• Adequacy of Governance and Management Frameworks• Fully Transitioning from a Set of Departmentally-Based, Paper-

Driven Processes to Service-Oriented, Web-Enabled University Acting in a Culture of Evidence

• Moving on the Path to a Sustained Transformation, versus Addressing Incremental Improvements

• Getting the Most Out of Our Systems Investment• Ensure It Is An Asset Rather Than a Liability

Challenges

“Introducing new technology is never enough. The big spurts in productivity come when a new technology is combined with new ways of doing business…The same thing is happening today with the flattening of the world. Many of the ten flatteners have been around for years. But for the full flatenning effects to be felt, we needed not only the ten flatteners to converge but also something else. We needed the emergence of a large cadre of managers, innovators, business consultants, business schools, designers, IT specialists, CEOs, and workers to get comfortable with, and develop, the sorts of habits that could take advantage of this new, flatter playing field. In short, the convergence of the ten flatteners begat the convergence of a set of business practices and skills that would get the most out of the flat world. And then the two began to mutually reinforce each other.”

The World is Flat (Thomas Friedman)

Response• Build Our Capacity to Use and Innovate

• Maintain a State of Strategic Readiness to Address Our Vision with Optimal Success

• Create an Environment of Continuous Renewal and Enhancement

• Pursue Our Value Agenda

Action• Inaugurate and Sustain the GothicNet

Program

• Commission with a Charter that Uses the Principles of Building Organizational Capacity

• Power of People, Process, and Technology

Building Organizational Capacity• Advanced by NACUBO• Conceptual and Practical Tool that Institutions

May Use to Strengthen Their Administrative Core

• Can be Applied to Both Large- and Small-scale Initiatives

• Encourages Institutions to Think and Act as Systems in Creating the Conditions Needed for These Initiatives to Succeed

Building Organizational Capacity• Set of Eight Interrelated Elements

– Purpose– Governance– Structure– Policies– Processes – Information– Infrastructure – Culture

• Dynamic Interplay• Numerous Feedback Loops and Interactions• BOC Provides Context for Understanding Components

Purpose• BOC Element

– Mission, goals, and objectives of the initiative– Clearly stated, communicated, and understood– Clarity of purpose often taken for granted

• GothicNet Program– Position business requirements as driver for change– Integrate business needs and system planning– Unify system development under one organizational entity– Improve efficiencies and stewardship – Support the University’s Mission and Strategic Plan – Redesign processes to create holistic, client-centered service

(internal and external)– Sustain and enrich two strategic assets

• what we do• what we know

Governance• BOC Element

– Entity or decision-makers that will govern the initiative – Clearly defined, charged, and its authority accepted

• GothicNet Program– GothicNet Task Force

• program steering committee• representatives from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs,

Graduate Studies, Enrollment Management, Human Resources, Controller’s Office, Deans’ Offices, and Information Technology Services

• Address cross-functional areas

Governance• GothicNet Program

– Task Force Led by the Associate Vice President for Campus Information Systems

– Consists of several Coordinating Groups• Campus Community• Contributor Relations• Enrollment Services• Financials & Supply Chain Management• Human Capital Management• Reporting and Data Warehouse• Web Advisory Council• System Management

Structure• BOC Element

– Aspects of the initiative that support its purpose

• GothicNet Program– Development Plan

• Value Agenda• IT Strategic Plan • University Plan

– Development Methodology• Decide, Define, Design, Develop, and Deploy• Process redesign• Team-based project management• Project Manager, Functional Analyst, Develop, User• Executive Sponsor, Steering Committee (Coordinating Group)

Policies• BOC Element

– Decisions that are necessary to enable the initiative– Identified, made, and communicated

• GothicNet Program– Development managed through the GothicNet

Program – Prioritization by GothicNet Task Force– Rules for Prioritization of Efforts– Stay as “vanilla” as possible

Processes• BOC Element

– Activities associated with the initiative– Responsibilities of all parties involved in the activities

• GothicNet Program– Plan Development Process– Development and Support Request Process– Issue Reporting and Resolution– Patch Fix Application – Upgrades

Information• BOC Element

– Aspects of the initiative are communicated

• GothicNet Program– Designation of team membership– Meeting schedule– Communication through portal– Information dialogues

• Formal presentations• Informal sessions

Infrastructure• BOC Element

– Initiative’s assets (funding, hardware, physical space, etc)

• GothicNet Program– Matrix Organization

• Campus Information Systems – project management, functional analysts

• Information Technology Services – developers, database/system/network administration

• Core Users – process requirements, testing, training, perform

– Adequate Skills• Application Expertise• Methodology Expertise (such as Process Mapping, Project

Management)

– Network and Server Environments and Code Line– Budget for System Development

Culture

“The most common strategy aims at improving management. Modern mythology promises organizations will work splendidly if well managed. Managers are supposed to have the big picture and look out for their organization’s overall health and productivity. Unfortunately, they have not always been equal to the task, even when armed with computers, information systems, flowcharts, quality programs, and a panoply of other tools and techniques. They go forth with this rational arsenal to try to tame our wild and primitive workplace. Yet in the end irrational forces most often prevail.”

Reframing Organizations (Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal)

Culture• BOC Element

– Legacies and traditions that conflict with the initiative's purpose

– Addressed using one or more of the eight elements (e.g., information)

– Culture can be mitigated or incorporated

• GothicNet Program– Legacy of homegrown systems– Preference for tactical planning – Units focused on own development needs

Culture• GothicNet Program

– Underestimated downstream effects and minimized cross-functional impact of business decisions

– “Pay-as-you-go” learners – Accepting “prioritization”– Automate first/design later– Skeptical of process re-engineering paradigm

Cross-Element Considerations• Recognize Cross-Functional Purpose • Active Goal-Sharing in Task Force• Joint Planning• Extend the Planning Horizon• Visible Support from Key Stakeholders• Communicate• Active Coordinating Groups

• Effective Exchange of Knowledge Enables Continuous Improvement of Skills of Core and End Users and Central Units

Cross-Element Considerations• Accept the Idea of Changing Business Process First

Instead of Customizing

• Broaden the Circle of Concern – Concept of System Stewardship

• Integrating Development Plan with University Strategic Plan Will Assist in Prioritization

• One Plan

• Define and Accept Planning, Development, and Support Paths

• Using Process Mapping Technique as Core of Development Methodology to Reinforce Goals of Re-engineering

Plan Development Process• University Strategic Planning Council

– Articulated 10 Strategies– Vision 2010– Strategy 8: Use Technology Pervasively

• IT Strategic Planning Council– Identifying Goals and Objectives to Implement

Strategies• GothicNet Task Force

– Establish Value Agenda – Formulate Strategic Initiatives to Achieve Goals &

Objectives– Proceed with Development and Enhancement

Activities

Prioritization Rules• Strategic Initiative

– Must Contribute to Achievement of Goals & Objectives

• Development & Enhancement Activities– Must Achieve Strategic Initiative– Or:

• Mission-Critical• Process-Critical• Compliance-Critical• Foundation Tool (e.g., Academic Standing,

Graduate Degree Audit)

Value Agenda• Derive Value from the Strategic Asset Represented by

Our Database of Names and Addresses of Our Constituents, and Communicate with Them Efficiently and Effectively

• Know Fully the Extent of Our Students Participation in Co- and Extra-Curricular Activities

• Streamline and Personalize the Recruitment of Prospective Students

• Support Our Learners More Effectively in the Achievement of Their Goals

• Recognize and Reward High Achievers, and Provide Feedback to Those Who Help Us Recruit Them

• Effectively Use Our Faculty Resources• Optimize the Use of Classroom Space and Make Event

Schedules Widely Available

Value Agenda• Make the Process of Paying for Tuition and Fees Easier• Capture Information on Prospective Sustainers That Will

Allow Us to Create Stronger Relationships• Give Administrative Units the Ability to More Effectively

Manage Their Budgets, and Increase Our Stewardship Capabilities

• Acquire Talent More Effectively, and Service Our Employees Better

• Closely Integrate the Public and Portal websites, and Create an Enterprise Portal that Delivers Easily Accessible Information and Service to Our Community

• Gather More Data, and Provide Tools to Effectively Create Information

• Keep the Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise Applications in Optimal Condition

Strategic Initiatives• Charter using the Principles of Building Organizational

Capacity– Purpose (affirm the future in the present)– Governance (assign to Coordinating Group)– Structure (who will execute the processes)– Policies (identify necessary decisions early)– Processes (procedures and software features)– Information (training, team communication)– Infrastructure (team resources)– Culture (identify risks)

• Criterion - Must Contribute to Achievement of Goals & Objectives

Development and Enhancement Activities

• Follow five phase methodology – Decide– Define– Design– Develop– Deploy

• Criterion - Must Achieve Strategic Initiative

Example - Strategic Initiatives• Proof of Concept

– Utilize Classroom Space Efficiently– Manage and Publish Event Schedules

• Development Project– Resource/Schedule 25 Academic and Event

Scheduling Software – Integration with Oracle PeopleSoft– Web Viewer

Summary

• Used Principles of BOC in Creating a Program to Develop and Execute a Systems Development Plan

• Used Principles of BOC to Charter the Initiatives Associated with the Plan

For More Information• NACUBO website (http://www.nacubo.org)

– Building Organizational Capacity Knowledge Network• Business Officer (December 2005)

– Working More Effectively by Building Organizational Capacity

• Process Mapping– Orion Development Group– www.odgroup.com

• Robert J. McBride– [email protected]– 201.200.3057

Final Thoughts

“Ignoring the questions of IT support models (which we believe many institutions are doing today) will almost always result in the natural evolution of what we call the haphazard model, not no model. People will find ways to get the support they need. Positions will be created, decisions will be made, and support will be provided. Costs will be high, support will be inconsistent and inefficient, and staff will naturally take independent and inconsistent positions in important technical and support issues. These institutional discontinuities will result in a wide variety of problems ranging well beyond first level waste….Once a haphazard model has become well established, it can be difficult to replace because of intense vested interests in the status quo, even if the status quo is acknowledged as being inadequate.”

Distributed Computing Support (McClure, Smith, and Lockard) in Renewing Administration: Preparing Colleges and Universities for the 21st Century (Oblinger and Katz, Editors)

Final Thoughts

“Modern organizations often rely too much on engineering and too little on art in searching for attributes such as quality, commitment, and creativity. Art is not a replacement for engineering but an enhancement. Artistic leaders and managers see beyond today’s reality to new forms that release untapped individual energies and improve collective performance. The leader as artist relies on images as well as memos, poetry as well as policy, reflection as well as command, and reframing as well as refitting.”

Reframing Organizations (Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal)

Dialogue