LANE IT JEDI PROGRAM ENTERPRISE-LEVEL PROJECTS
1. DEGREELANE 2. STREAMLANE
3. FASTLANE 4. ANALYSELANE
5. SUSTAINLANE 6. DIGITALCAMPUS
7. AGILELANE 8. ATUDE
The software and hardware system implementations described below provide a modern toolchest to aid the larger enterprise level projects which focus on streamlining operations, speeding up computing at all levels, upgrading our reporting/analysis development and delivery capabilities, bringing our enterprise hardware and software versions up to current, well-supported levels, enabling better transparency and movement towards degree/certificate completion for our students, improving our web-based systems across the campus, and improving project management skills within the IT department and across the campus.
1. DEGREELANE
a. Problem: Lane wants to implement mandatory academic planning and provide a way for students to monitor their progress towards a degree or certificate. Ellucian’s degreeworks product is made to solve these problems and has been implemented by many colleges and universities in Oregon and around the world. The executive dean of student affairs was the executive sponsor of this project.
b. Goal: Enable Self-service planning and degree audits by staff and students. The Degreeworks planning tool allows students to propose a schedule and compare that to their degree requirements and determine if specific classes will help them in accomplishing their goals.
c.Outcome: Enable a central repository for an academic plan for each student that is always accessible and contains the comments of counselors, and advisors. Self-service planning and degree audits by students. Degreeworks implementation necessitates a thorough cleansing of student data and data entry processes. This part of the project alone could be worth the cost because it will affect all of our future reporting at the college. The tool is highly strategic as it focuses on student progression and completion.
c.Timeframe to implement: 12-14 months including data scrubbing/cleansing/scribing.
d. What to learn? Ellucian Degreeworks software, some departmental workflows, Banner workflow, Argos reporting, business process redesign, enterprise system implementation methodologies, project management
2.STREAM LANE (Using Banner Workflow Module, or web services, and/or systems analysis-process mapping)
a. Problems: Several processes around the college involve paper documents needing to be routed from one department to another for approval. Often documents get lost or stalled at someone’s desk. Some banner processes are cumbersome and involve entering small amounts of data in several different screens. A third problem is lost organizational knowledge as people retire. We need a system that captures and documents how to do certain processes. The CIO was the executive sponsor of this project after assessing needs around the college.
b. Solution: The banner workflow product enables automating many work processes . Banner Workflow is an open, flexible tool that automates, simplifies, and directs the flow of information across your entire institution. Business events—a new hire or a student applying for admission, for example—trigger the appropriate business process logic, rules, and conditions. Activities that once required manual triggers—notifications, approvals, and other processes—happen automatically, speeding completion of tasks while ensuring consistency and accuracy. The results are more efficient operations, better customer service, and better information in the hands of the people who need it.
c.Outcome: A robust workflow programming environment that allows us to streamline processes, and improve communications across the college.
d.Timeframe to implement: Initial implementation: 4 months Programming for particular workflows: Varies
e. What to learn? Ellucian Workflow product, understand current workflows in different departments or across departments that can be improved, Web development frameorks, workflow diagramming, project management, systems analysis, flow and process charting. Learn BDMS (banner document management system).
3.FAST LANE
a. Problem: Lane has many older computers that are slow. In addition, there are different versions of operating system, patch levels, virus software, and even applications on machines around the campus. Spyware, bloatware, and viruses do clutter some machines. There are limited funds for equipment replacement that come throughout the year.
b. Solution: Put a sustainably fast computer on every desk. Use Solid State drives where appropriate to speed up older computers and extend their life. Streamline support operations by using a standardized image that can be updated, and restored remotely. Eliminate virus/spyware problems by utilizing Deep Freeze and Igloo software to freeze software images.
b.Outcome: A fast, stable, PC computer on (almost) every desk. This project will upgrade 1200 computers at 1/8 the cost of a normal upgrade. The upgrade will make the current computer faster than a new computer.
c.Timeframe to implement: 12-16 months
d. What to learn? Igloo, deep freeze, imaging, remote control software, helpdesk software, how to install a SATA III drive, how to configure a printer, PaperCut, Windows profiles and file locations, Novell filer, Novell file architecture, customer service, end-user application support, how to train users
4.ANALYZE LANE (Data Reporting Tools: Selection & Development)
a. Problem: Lane lacks self-service, department-level reporting. It also lacks an easy to use report creation and scheduling tool that allows report generation, letter generation, and email generation to user-specified sub-populations. Our current Oracle reporting application called Discoverer is old and complex. Product support is hard to obtain. It is rarely used anymore by colleges and universities in Oregon and throughout the world. Lane needs a more approachable, easy to use data reporting tool, designed for the education industry, for users throughout the college. This project involves the purchase of Evisions Argos for business intelligence.
b.Outcomes: Dashboards, reports, liberation ofrelevant banner data to trained end users. Argos has a commons areas where hundreds of community colleges and universities share reports, dashboards and data blocks they have developed for use with Banner and ODS. Argos is also the reporting engine for Ellucian’s Degreeworks product. Longitudinal reporting off of the ATD, Occurs, and other data sets will be possible at the departmental level, a level not provided by ATD.
c.Timeframe to implement: 4-6 months
d. Cost: $55,050 one time cost includes 2 weeks of on-site training (Funding Source: LASR fund)
Yearly Maintenance: $12,200
e. What to learn? Argos report writing, Argos Datablock building, using the Argos commons, Argos security, ODS, database normalization, banner tables, query optimization, TOAD, SQL. Entity relationship diagramming, Systems requirements definition and analysis skills
5. SUSTAINLANE (Widening LANES)
a. A series of projects that stabilize and upgrade hardware and software to prepare for the other major LANE projects.
b.Outcome: Fast stable servers, and operating environment to build upon. Bring banner, and Oracle up to current version levels (we are over 3 years behind on some upgrades)
c. Timeframe to implement: 3-4 months
d. What to learn? Oracle Linux, Linux systems
administration, Oracle Forms, Discoverer, Argos, Banner XE,
ODS, Luminis 5, Drupal, Moodle 2, R25, 25Live
different banner module tables, SQL
6.THE DIGITAL CAMPUS
a. This project will enhance student success by streamlining, enhancing, and improving the comprehensive online engagement of students engaging with Lane via the web.
Problem: The college maintains multiple web sites, portals, and systems for students to navigate – most of which operate independently of one another in appearance, navigation, authentication, and function. Simultaneously, many sites offer overlapping functions – student communications, online collaboration, discussion forums, online community, etc. – The college web site, myLane, Moodle, Library, Knowledge Network (blogs), Content Repository (pending), etc.
This establishes a cluttered and uncoordinated online student experience that generates student misunderstanding and reflects poorly on the college.
This project adopts student-centric strategies to unify and coordinate Lane web properties so the online student experience is as seamless and consistent as possible.
b. Outcomes: explore and establish a single-sign-on (SSO) strategy for all web properties, and systems i.e. users should only have to login once to get to everything web. Explore and establish standards, process and protocols for web application development and web services, i.e. get our act together on where we're investing our time and energy when clients ask us to create. Develop new strategies for moving Lane's online presence toward a more cohesive, student-centric, user friendly, seamless environment, i.e. break down silos and be a rockstar.
c. Timeframe to implement: 9-12 months
d. What to learn? Sibboleth, BEIS, Novell Identity manager, Groovy & Grails, Ruby on Rails, other web frameworks, Drupal, LightRay, Luminis, Ellucian workflow, Argos, etc.
7. AGILELANE
a. As IT professionals, we are constantly inundated with requests to support new projects, ideas, software, hardware, and other technological needs of the college. Requests come in from all directions, the priority is always HIGH for everything, and we are all constantly overloaded with work. This project involves developing flexible but standardized, efficient and organized systems, training and procedures to manage technology projects, as well as providing a means to assist in balancing workloads and help focus work on the projects that are truly high priority.
b. Outcomes: Project leadership training courses for IT project leads, project "toolkit" (systems, templates and software tools to help leads manage projects), project portfolio management to help balance the workload and provide I.T. management with the information they need to direct and balance workloads and priorities. Personalized mentoring on leading projects from a certified Project Management Professional.
c. Timeframe to implement: 12 months (with on-going training and support after implementation)
d. What to learn? Basic project management principles/philosophies, communications trainings, teamwork and team facilitation training.
Suggestions:
- Some of your heads might be spinning and you may be wondering how can I do anything more than what I am already doing – I’m at capacity right now. My answer is Use the force! Take initiative. Use thinking, technology, and training to lighten your load.
- If you are a programmer, think about training some of the end-users you support in the maintenance activities you do for them. Then make it their responsibility so you have time to do the things only you can do (i.e. not the things other mortals or muggles can do). Write a better script that can be run by mortals (i.e. not only by Jedi IT programmers), so you can pass a time consuming activity off to the functional people in the department you support.
- If you are a technician, blast forward with FASTLANE implementations so we can standardize, stabilize, and protect the computers we support. Like climbing a mountain it takes a lot of effort to get up to the top. But once at the top, it will be downhill afterwards (i.e. It will give you more time once this gets done).
- If you are an administrative assistant, figure out how to streamline workflows wherever possible. Talk to other departments, share your ideas on what might make your job easier with your manager.
- If you are a LAN or systems administrator, figure out how you can push more basic administration to end-users or technicians, etc. Identify new tools that will simplify your job. Redesign the file storage at Lane so you don’t need to be involved in every request for a shared storage area. Enable end-user password resets. Figure out ways to enable self-service where it makes sense. Talk to your manager about your best ideas to streamline. Setup routine maintenance that prevents meltdowns from happening.
- If you work with software imaging for end-users or labs, work with Tana to collect all the software you need from departments so you have it when you need it. Ask your manager to push the CIO to get processes established so imaging can begin earlier in the quarter without last minute surprise changes from faculty. Establish a library of deployable images. Learn, configure, and recommend tools that make your job easier. Seek feedback continually from technicians and end-users so your images get better and better over time. Learn how to make packages and push packages and updates out automatically.
- Whoever you are or whatever you do, please Use the force! Take initiative. Use thinking, technology, and training to lighten your load so you can develop yourself professionally.