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Strategic Technology Vision and
Road Map 2015: IT Strategic Plan
- Living Document -
Houston Community College System
Information Technology Department
October 28, 2005 – Version 1.0
Strategic Technology Road Map 2015
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................9
1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map........................................................................................................................................................ 11
1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map..................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS.................................................................................................................................................. 12
1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process................................................................................................................................................. 12
1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map ................................................................................................................................................. 14
1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map................................................................................................................................................. 14
2.0 CURRENT SITUATION – NOW....................................................................................................................................15
2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS ................................................................................................................................................................... 15
2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective.............................................................................................................................................. 16
2.1.2 Industry Perspective.................................................................................................................................................................. 17
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2.1.3 College Perspective .................................................................................................................................................................. 17
2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective...................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.1.5 Competitive Landscape ............................................................................................................................................................ 18
2.2 Organization and Management Processes................................................................................................................................................. 18
2.3 Business Applications ................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.4 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
3.0 FUTURE SITUATION – VISION ...................................................................................................................................25
3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Accommodate Current Programs and Growth .............................................................................. 26
3.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 27
3.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 27
3.4 Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model............................................................................................ 27
3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively ............................................................................................... 28
3.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime ....................................................................................... 28
Houston Community College System 3
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4.0 SOLUTION PLAN – TIMELINE ....................................................................................................................................29
4.1 Short-Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08 “Back to Basics” ................................................................................................................................... 29
4.2 Medium-Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11 .......................................................................................................................................................... 30
4.3 Long-Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14 ............................................................................................................................................................... 31
5.0 SOLUTION PLAN – SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................32
5.1 Portal Technology ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
5.2 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
5.3 What is a Portal ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
5.4 Portal Architecture....................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal............................................................................................................................................... 34
6.0 SOLUTION PLAN – STRATEGIES & INITIATIVES TO DELIVER...............................................................................37
6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure for Growth .......................................................................................................................... 37
6.1.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 37
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6.1.2 Future Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 37
6.1.3 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 38
6.1.3.1 Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks ............................................................................................... 38
6.1.3.2 Develop an Architecture Refresh and Upgrade Strategy Including Capacity Planning ............................................ 38
6.1.3.3 Enhance Communications and Collaboration Services............................................................................................ 39
6.1.3.4 Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP and Network Convergence.............................................................. 39
6.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 40
6.2.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 40
6.2.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 40
6.2.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 41
6.2.4 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 42
6.2.4.1 Create and Implement Enterprise IT Planning Group............................................................................................... 42
6.2.4.2 Formalize and Implement Business Technology Workgroups.................................................................................. 42
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6.2.4.3 Investigate Potential Outsourcing Alternatives ......................................................................................................... 44
6.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 45
6.3.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 45
6.3.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 45
6.3.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 46
6.3.4 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 47
6.3.4.1 Develop Enterprise Portal Strategy to Leverage Technology to Automate Manual Processes................................ 47
6.3.4.2 Implement Project Management Office..................................................................................................................... 47
6.3.4.3 Initiate Enterprise Process Reengineering of High Payback Areas.......................................................................... 48
6.4 Transform Organization Structure to Internal Service Company Model ..................................................................................................... 50
6.4.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 50
6.4.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 50
6.4.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 51
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6.4.4 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 52
6.4.4.1 Reconfigure Applications Development Group......................................................................................................... 52
6.4.4.2 Develop Contingent Staffing Plan ............................................................................................................................. 53
6.4.4.3 Consolidate College and Administrative Technicians into Services Unit.................................................................. 53
6.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively............................................................................................... 54
6.5.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 54
6.5.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 54
6.5.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 54
6.5.4 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 55
6.5.4.1 Conduct IT Skills Review and Assessment............................................................................................................... 55
6.5.4.2 Implement Project Management Certification Program ............................................................................................ 55
6.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime....................................................................................... 56
6.6.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 56
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6.6.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
6.6.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 57
6.6.4 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 58
6.6.4.1 Identify Management and Managed Network (Active Directory) .............................................................................. 58
6.6.4.2 Implement Comphrehensive Disaster Recovery ...................................................................................................... 58
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Executive Summary
1. Reinvigorate the Network Infrastructure to Accommodate
Current Programs and Future Growth
Seventy-five percent of Houston Community College executives
agree that HCCS has a strong strategic plan in place, according to 2. Lead and Support Continuous Business Process
surveys conducted between October 2004 and January 2005. Improvement
Conversely, just 17% agree that people at all levels understand their
role in implementing the strategic plan. In a similar survey, "82% of 3. Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service
Fortune 500 CEO's surveyed indicated that they feel their Company (ISCo) Model
organization did an effective job of strategic planning. However, only
14% of the same CEO's indicated that their organization did an 4. Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services
effective job of implementing the strategy" according to Forbes. The Anywhere, Anytime
common theme and the challenge for all organizations is execution.
Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015 lays the ground 5. Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly
work to help HCCS information technology execute better and deliver and Effectively
value. Through the vision of the Chancellor, an integral part of HCC
transformation strategy is to Improving IT, which is one of the eleven 6. Maximize Value of Technology Investments
1
(11) strategies set forth by the Chancellor. To advance these
strategies, we have identified six (6) core objectives that are relevant Urgency of the Technology Road Map: Competition & Accountability
and can provide a return on investment to the institution: Competitors are making a concentrated effort to recruit new students
by providing an attractive alternative to HCCS. They are doing this
1
(1) Completion of the Capital Improvement Plan, (2) Annexation, through aggressive marketing, simplified business processes
(3) Improving Financial Aid, (4) Enhancing Learning Support, (5) Tracking Student Progress,
(6) Emphasizing Retention, (7) Implementing Clusters, (8) Improving our Capital Campaign, enabled by technology and creating technology capabilities that
(9) Strengthening Recruitment, (10) Improving IT, and (11) Colleges to Standards
students want.
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The Houston Community College System Information Technology Implement best business practices that are repeatable
Department exists to support the information technology needs of the (e.g. project management disciplines and technology
student, faculty and administrators. Unprecedented complexity development maturity by improving IT capabilities)
combined with funding a dynamic environment for new and
competing ideas, demands a fresh approach to HCCS’ core business Strategic Network Consulting (SNC) was hired to assist the Houston
processes, the structure of information technology services and a Community College System (HCCS), to guide the implementation of
critical look at IT’s ability to execute. Thus, the road map will help IT Governance and strategic planning. An integral component of IT
create an atmosphere where information technology professionals Governance is a strategic technology business plan or road map that
create value as business problem solvers working side-by-side with serves as a guide and a point of reference from which the System
faculty and administrators to identify, prioritize and execute the right makes decisions about technology investments and the role of
things at the right time in the right way for the right cost. By doing so, technology at HCCS. Without a plan, governance processes
HCCS will be able to: become nothing more than a battle of individual interests rather than
a focused approach to build capabilities that allow HCCS to be more
Manage growth and complexity (e.g. collaboration to competitive. The initial points of the recommendation by SNC
support CIP) included the following:
Control costs (e.g. establishing an enterprise business and Strategic Alignment – Aligning all the current and future IT
technical architecture that is the foundation for the future to products and services with the System vision and needs.
work across the enterprise and in an integrated way) Value Delivery – Concentrating on improving
Improve the work culture and service delivery capabilities revenue/expenses while providing valuable IT products
of IT professionals (e.g. capitalize on system-wide IT and services for the organization.
knowledge and capabilities) Risk Management – The current practice for safeguarding
IT assets, disaster recovery and continuity planning for the
business units.
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Resource Management – Utilizing people, knowledge and Advances the System towards the elusive goal of
technical infrastructure fully to obtain the value of existing business-technology alignment;
resources. Identifies gaps and weaknesses that the System may
Performance Measurement – The tracking, monitoring and experience to transform and deliver much needed
measuring of IT products and services. strategic capabilities to remain competitive; and
Presents broad brush stroke of timelines for technology
As a result, SNC suggested that rather than outsourcing or pursuing investments over time through 2015; IT leadership
other alternatives, that IT Governance was the appropriate path for recognizes that technology evolves rapidly and cost
HCCS. To be sure, IT Governance is the responsibility of the board estimates are subject to dramatic price shifts.
of directors and executive management. IT Governance is an
integral part of enterprise governance and consists of the leadership 1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map
and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the IT The intended audience for the Technology Roadmap includes the
department helps build capabilities that help extend the strategies Board of Trustees and Chancellor, our students, Vice Chancellors,
and objectives of the organization. College Presidents, faculty members department heads, department
employees, campus IT instructional leaders, and educational
1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map partners with whom HCCS is collaborating to establish new
The purpose of this technology road map is several fold and benefits programs.
HCCS in the following ways:
Provides transparency into IT so users know and
understand existing constraints, the direction of the IT
organization and the long-term vision for technology;
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The IT group in an open forum discussed these core problems to
1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map
kick-off the 2005-06 fiscal year in September 2005. This is important
The strategic technology road map is designed to illustrate a game
because the focus of what IT staff works on is fragmented today.
plan that shows a pathway to strengthen HCCS capabilities and
This fragmentation leads to many projects and activities that start but
competitiveness while helping to build new ones that may not exist
few that the group completes. Based on recent technology failures,
today. Readers should use the road map as a guiding document to
poorly performing IT projects along with the poor system
help galvanize and build consensus around business priorities to
performance during the 2005 fall enrollment, we believe these issues
improve resource allocation and help establish the most effective
represent the most pressing and strategic business problems for
funding options. As such, this is a dynamic document that should
HCCS. Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map is geared towards
evolve and change over time to reflect updates in thinking as well as
addressing these problems by identifying technology opportunities
new realities that the organization will face.
that improves these problems head-on.
1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS 1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process
To achieve a modicum of success, IT departments need to focus and October 2004 was the launch of the IT Governance Implementation
establish boundaries within this focus, while also being flexible to project. Executive and administrator intelligence data gathering took
changing needs. Based on the work performed up to this point, we place from October 2004 through February 2005; a single individual
have narrowed the focus to three core business problems as shown led and delivered the entire IT Governance and strategic planning
in the graphic below. outcomes for the System. IT staff participated in an employee survey
1 2 3 in December 2004. During the project start-up period, we learned
Difficult with that previous attempts at IT strategic planning did not involve IT staff
Declining Limited
Which to Do and did not obtain in-depth business input. Prior IT planning
Enrollment Capital
Business
exercises were largely an effort to “link” technology projects with
strategic planning efforts in hopes of showing alignment to various
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strategies promulgated by the Chancellor. This approach might be Brown-Paper Planning Map 2005 thru 2015
sufficient when there is a high degree of credibility and trust between
the IT department and user groups. This is not the case today.
Therefore, much of the IT efforts to establish IT governance and
develop a strategic plan focused on building credibility, and
consensus building, which often-times does not fit neatly into the
project plan. As part of IT’s alignment efforts the following activities
also took place:
Strategic Alignment Summit, April 2005
IT Leadership Strategic Planning, August 2005
IT Governance & Investment Council Charter approved by
Chancellor, Dr. Bruce Leslie, August 2005
Developed “brown-paper” strategic planning map with IT To address this leadership void, and help guide the planning and
staff, and IDCs using 10 year outlook August through governance effort, five core principles were applied throughout this
September 2005. project:
Conduct small group sessions with IT functional areas IT Governance and Planning Principles for HCCS:
October 2005 Governance mechanisms should reflect prevailing culture
Focus on shared accountability for results and shared
Building confidence that IT can deliver becomes even more responsibility for implementation
problematic since the IT organization is without a permanent IT Full participation by business management and leadership
executive. Governance processes must be practical and actionable
Complete senior management buy-in and sponsorship
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1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map 1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map
The following individuals and groups have played an integral role in The IT Road Map represents the de facto plan for the IT Department
shaping the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015, because of their at HCCS. This plan is designed to encompass the current three
energy and passion to contribute to HCCS long-term success. goals and eleven (11) strategies, but is also forward-looking in the
Dr. Bruce Leslie, Chancellor and Sandra Lebron, IDC – Southeast design and organization to accommodate changing goals and
Sponsor of IT Governance Project
Daler Wade, Director – Human strategies of the institution. In other words, the path IT is on will
Irene Porcarello, Vice Chancellor of Resources
Student Success and Sponsor remain consistent for the next five (5) years. The strategic
Sheila Briones, Communications –
IT Governance & Investment Council System technology road map is organization in the following way:
Members:
Stephen Levey, Executive Director
Bill Meyer, IT Interim Director, Chair Distance Education
2.0 Current Situation
Becky Giot, Executive Director Finance Patti Carlton, HCC Foundation – System
Michael Edwards, Faculty Senate Judy Cantwell, Public Service Librarian 3.0 Future Situation - Vision
President 2004-05 – Southeast
David Wilcox, Faculty Senate President Stephen Levey, Executive Director,
2005-06 Distance Education 4.0 Solution Plan – Timeline
Beverly Walker-Griffea, Dean of IT Department Groups:
Student Services – Central
Infrastructure Services & Support 5.0 Solution Plan - Summary
Joanne Lin, Dean – Southeast
Applications Development
Charles Hebert, Assoc. VC – System
Telecommunications 6.0 Solution Plan Details
Madeline Burillo, Continuing Education
- System Enterprise Services 1. Strategy Overview
Butch Herod, Dean – Northwest Individual Colleges 2. Current Situation
Norma Perez, Dean – Health Sciences College Presidents 3. Objectives & Value to Enterprise
Larry Mers, Director – Southwest Instructional Design Coordinators 4. Initiatives to Delivery
Linda Comte, IDC – Northeast
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2.0 Current Situation – Now
The IT Department is at a severe cross roads that will require
important decisions of potentially large investments in technology
combined with sweeping organizational change that will have far
reaching impact. This section provides in detail, the current situation
of the technology environment at HCCS:
Competitive Situation for IT at HCCS
Organization and Management Processes
Business Applications
Network Infrastructure
2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS
However, according to senior executives across the System and tech
Within the central IT department at 3100 Main, and IT activities at the
savvy students, IT should deliver services and operate in a strategic
colleges, IT is viewed and treated as a support function and thus IT
mode as the graphic depicts. However, the road to becoming a
operates in support mode as shown in the graphic to the right.
strategic powerhouse requires a major turnaround for the institution
and in particular the IT function. This is essential because doing so
will build the needed “muscle” within IT with the investments that the
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infrastructure requires and improving how the group organizes, students do this manually. Competitors have this
plans, delivers services and new business capabilities that capability today.
accelerate growth. Below, we outline the perspectives and input of Allow ‘dual-credit’ students to pay online. Basic customer
what an organization needs from a viable technology organization service issues and ease of doing business; today, HCC
from five competitive views: has 1,300 out of district dual credit students.
Automate Financial Aid: nothing is electronic; students get
Senior Management Perspective their check 6-8 weeks after the semester starts.
Industry Perspective Competing institutions allow the student to get their check
HCCS - College Perspective the next day.
HCCS - Internal IT Staff Perspective Students should be in learning communities with
Competitive Landscape instructors playing a more substantial role in facilitating
rather than being a “sage on stage”.
2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective Technology should play an important role regardless of
Below is a summary of the perspective from the highest levels of location regardless of the city, state or country
executive management at HCCS, when asked how the organization Need business intelligence capabilities; there is lack of
should execute its business in ten years and do so without failure: ability to access meaningful information from core systems
and difficult to report accurate information.
Have every conceivable interaction online for students; Have a vision with each classroom being completely wired
make their experience transparent and enjoyable whether in the new facilities
in-person or online.
Provide everything on the Web: For example: Implement
installment contract online for student approval: today,
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2.1.2 Industry Perspective Video Streaming: the bandwidth issue still plagues all
To compound the need for a higher performing IT organization, the video streaming protocols as well as video downloads.
higher education industry provides a set of clear challenges that will Instructors can never be sure whether students are going
continue to hinder HCCS’ competitive stance if IT is not strengthened to be able to access video material on our servers because
and overall skills upgraded. The Ten IT Challenges for the Next 10 of bandwidth restrictions or because some campuses have
Years include: a much smaller "pipe" than others.
1. Collaboration: Seeking tools that 6. Big Systems: Living with Fewer File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP is commonly used to
are easy to use Customizations manage and transmit large files for classroom projects
2. Wireless Networks: Looking for 7. Course Management: Colleges
most notably computer science. Frustrating delays and
reliability and pervasiveness push for an open approach
3. Managing Bandwidth: Packet 8. Security: Threats will get worse
service outages caused by lack of bandwidth are common.
shapers controlling the flow 9. Digital Archiving: Ensuring storage WebCT - Whiteboard - Chat: Distance education and
4. Distance Education: Keeping up space and access hybrid class students have a difficult time using these tools
with exploding demand 10. Intellectual Property: Digital
simultaneously at some campuses due to bandwidth
5. Fund Raising: Managing Data is a copyright law is ripe for revision
key task
restrictions, especially during peak periods, and they are
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, January
often nearly unusable for students attempting to work from
30, 2004
outside the LAN.
2.1.3 College Perspective
Horizon Live: This software package is optimized for online
Based on hands-on experiences at the colleges, new learning
delivery of instruction. It works fairly well, but often there
technologies and methods of distribution have not been successful at
are delays and interrupted service, especially when
the colleges due to the current network infrastructure. Specifically,
application sharing and video presentations are in use.
the Instructional Design Coordinators (IDCs) paint a compelling
Sometimes the connection from one campus will lag far
picture that shows how the industry challenges cited above are
behind that of another campus, causing confusion and
haunting HCCS today and prevent them from doing business in a
frustration among students.
mode that is preferred by today’s student.
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Classroom to Classroom Collaboration: Collaboration in Fear, Uncertain and Instability Due to Concerns of Outsourcing
Inertia and Low Morale
teaching, with two or more classrooms working under the
Missing or Weak Project Sponsorship
instruction of one or more professors but able to Lack of Clarity on How to Focus Limited Resources (financial and people)
communicate in real time, has been tried several times and
consistently fails. The reason is usually lack of quality and 2.1.5 Competitive Landscape
lack of reliability due to the inability of the HCCS network Business Threats Technology Opportunities
to sustain video and audio links. Competitors are Getting Stronger, Leverage Internal Knowledge and
more Agile and Listening to Skills
Real-Time Connections to Super Computer Centers:
Students Create Human Capital
Running calculations and programs by directly linking to HCCS is Not the Only Game in Management Strategy
supercomputing centers is possible, and some schools, Town—Students Have Options Get Active with External
even some high schools, do it routinely. When the colleges Continued Management Relationships and Expand Existing
Uncertainty in IT Relationships (e.g. Time Warner,
have tried, the limitation of the existing bandwidth prevents
Increasingly Poor Public Image— Gulf Coast Consortium, GHP)
direct connections, so the program or activity is queued to Losing Stature Renovate Broken Processes
run overnight rather than in real-time. Approach to Decision Making and Develop Higher Quality Internal
Political Agendas Protract Taking Communication
2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective Action and Collaboration
Retention and Recruitment of Improve Service Level
Further, according to the IT Staff Survey, conducted in December
Talent Performance Internally
2004, there is even greater cause for immediate change as outlined Brain Drain for Opportunities Implement Project Management
in the key findings shown below: Office
Source: IT Strategic Planning Summit, SWOT
IT Priority Misalignment and Poor Execution
Analysis Conducted April 22, 2005
Increased Use of Outside Technology Vendors
2.2 Organization and Management Processes
Project Missteps and Minimal Accountability
Unprepared Team Members The current organization structure for IT at HCCS does not serve the
Extreme Priority Stress dynamic needs of today’s learner and administrative consumer of
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technology in the most effective way. Across the System, differing operation were more consistent and truly standards based. In
approaches are in use to perform common business processes. As another example, each of the colleges except for Northeast College
a result, HCCS experiences and will continue to experience, has implemented Active Directory. Active Directory allows system
inconsistent service delivery at the colleges (e.g. registration, administrators to monitor user behaviors, provide authentication to
marketing, etc); the complexity will increase exponentially as new enhance HCCS’ overall security and management of network
buildings come online over the next 18-36 months as the Capital devices (e.g. printers, PDAs) and resources (e.g. software
Improvement Plan (CIP) unfolds. distribution and distribution of patch updates, etc). Each instance of
Active Directory is different in terms of scope, naming conventions in
To illustrate, what should be a common technical capability that use and operating systems (e.g. both Windows 2000 in use and
virtually all corporate learners and many students expect today is Windows 2003).
wireless access to the Internet. Today, one can access the Internet
wirelessly at the Town & Country campus and at the Southwest Another illustration reveals that the service model in use to provide
campus. To do so at Town & Country, the user must first have their PC technical support does not provide the most responsive and
laptop configured by the network administrator at the campus; this helpful approach to end-users. The current technical support model
means the user has to take their machine to technical support for the distinguishes between administrative IT technicians and college IT
computer to be configured to access the Internet wirelessly. By technicians. For example, if an administrator at a college
contrast, when visiting the Southwest campus, the user is not experiences a technical problem, and the college technician is
required to have their laptop configured to access the Internet; the available to resolve they are not allowed to trouble shoot the
user can access the Internet and roam freely with no restrictions. administrators PC. The administrator must wait for an administrative
To be sure, there is not a high degree of coordination amongst the IT technician to arrive to resolve the problem. This is a typical model
colleges to standardize or to create consistent approaches for the for technical support in higher education. However, there is a
delivery of basic services such as accessing the Internet wirelessly. notable trend away from these divisions of labor in favor of providing
There is likely a financial cost savings if the disparate modes of more collaborative, team-oriented support.
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Arguably, the most critical aspect of a successful IT function is
people. The current processes for development, mentoring, role and
skills alignment and compensation reveal an IT department that has
structural as well as cultural impediments to achieving greatness.
For example, salary increases tend to be equitable adjustments that
reflect across the board increases; increases typically do not reflect
an individual’s performance or contributions to the success of HCCS.
The data from the IT staff survey also shows concern about the lack
of willingness to share bad news with managers or information that is
not favorable involving a project.
To support these feelings, the graphic to the right reveals that 60%
responded with Not at All and 22% responded with occasionally Overall, the need to take a proactive stance to improve human
when asked if they believe that “people receive promotions based on resource practices within IT will become more prominent as baby
merit and performance instead of favoritism or politics.” boomers choose retirement from now through 2015. This will also
impact outsourcing providers as well who could face staffing
shortages of qualified technical staff, which could potentially make
outsourcing certain functions cost prohibitive if talent is difficult to
identify and recruit successfully. What’s more, the current
operational success of many critical IT systems, in general, rests on
the shoulders of individual heroics from a few key individuals. This
can be attributed to, in part, to a non-existent “bench” of back-up staff
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or protégés on which to rely. In summary, the overall People Student Administration
Capability Maturity in the graphic below reflects the IT department’s Finance
current practices and behaviors that would support a Level 1 Human Resources
maturity.
The applications development group operates predominantly—almost
100% in a support mode today. On project related opportunities, the
group continues to operate in functional silos and thus tends to have
a myopic view of the applications rather than a holistic view of how to
work across the applications to better integrate data and develop
new business capabilities.
IT is here
today.
2.3 Business Applications
Business applications are technologies that enable faculty members,
The applications development group works on building new business
and administrators to perform their respective duties and allow
capabilities or functionality based department-driven interests, which
students and vendors to conduct transactions successfully. HCCS
tends to exacerbate the silo-based approach; the group tends to not
employs an application development group that is organized around
plan for and implement horizontally or across these silos. This is the
the functional modules that comprise the PeopleSoft system. The
crux of the challenge for the application development function at
functional modules in use at HCCS include:
HCCS to improve the ability to meet the needs of business users and
students successfully.
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To illustrate, providing “self-service” functionality to users is a most important priorities within and across the value chain. Rather
capability that most technology users expect instead of manual than a unified front, IT group priorities tend to be random based on
processes. Self-service functions exist for students to register and to what is important to a particular department or individual. The upside
complete financial aid forms; internally, however, the same cannot be is that with IT Governance slowly taking hold, there will be a greater
said for an employee who wants to change their W2— this remains a focus on initiatives that provide the greatest financial return on
manual activity. Further analysis reveals that vendors do not enjoy investment and help improve our attractiveness to students and
a complete digital experience that is self-service, during the corporate customers. To be sure, this is where the proverbial bets
procurement process when doing business with HCCS. are placed and careers are made in terms of which technology
Procurement processes today remain manual and paper driven direction accelerates performance or does not.
events rather than high performance e-commerce experiences that
make HCCS easy with which to conduct business. Activities from
document management and distribution to processing transactions
such as invoicing and payments continue to be manual exercises.
In another illustration, the database design for how data is captured
and organized varies greatly between the core modules within
PeopleSoft and does not allow for simple integration between
modules. In other words, IT support is virtually always required to
assist departments with creating reports to assist executives with
decision-making.
The graphic to the right depicts the educational value-chain. The By contrast, if the selected priorities do not provide the return on
strategic difficulty that HCCS experiences is with determining the investment in the business case that was presented to senior
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management, career disaster can be the result, assuming there is Support Services (e.g. help desk)
accountability for the outcomes. Telecommunications
2.4 Network Infrastructure
The various modes of communicating as shown in the graphic below
The technology infrastructure is the defacto backbone of HCCS
reflect the need for an infrastructure that is always on, always
ability to create new learning opportunities rapidly, satisfy the
available and virtually always safe. The future is now in terms of
explosive growth of distance education and fulfill student and
these expectations. In fact, with the explosive growth of distance
administrator needs for mobile computing and much more. Today,
education programs, success or failure can often be attributed to the
the network infrastructure at HCCS does not provide the level of
“network infrastructure.” Simply put, the various components and
reliability, capacity, security, and stability to meet the increasingly
overall architecture that comprise the HCC network are not up to the
demanding expectations of Generation Y and corporate learners. To
task to meet the demands that are being placed on the network,
ensure there is an understanding of what we mean by technology
today.
infrastructure, we outline the areas that comprise the technical
infrastructure based on the organization of the Infrastructure &
Systems Support (ISS) group, which includes:
Network Management and Monitoring
Storage
Desktop Systems
Disaster & Continuity Planning
Mobile and Wireless Computing
Security
Website Development and Management
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For example, 38% of the existing switches in use are greater than making more distance education and minority learners is
programs necessary. increasing
five years and should be replaced in order to deliver on a higher
Higher-education learner profiles, Academic emphasis is shifting
bandwidth network. The need to replace this becomes even more including online, information-age, from course-completion to
urgent with the construction of new facilities and building upgrades to and adult learners, are changing competency
existing structures. This is important because these older switches Knowledge and information are Faculty tenure is being
growing exponentially. challenged, allowing for more
do not accommodate higher bandwidth applications and do not
There is a shift in organizational non-traditional faculty roles in
possess the security features that a far flung college operation structure toward decentralization. distance education.
requires. The age of the hardware is important for two reasons: 1) Education is becoming more Instruction is becoming more
end of life, which means no further support by the vendor and 2) seamless between high school, learner-centered, non-linear,
college, and further studies. and self-directed.
does not support Quality of Service (QoS). QoS would enable HCCS
Technological fluency is becoming Technological devices are
to provide better service through directing network traffic more a graduation requirement. becoming more versatile and
effectively. This is done by either raising the priority of traffic flow More courses, degrees, and ubiquitous.
over the network or limiting the priority of another flow. Without this universities are becoming Lifelong learning is becoming a
available through distance- competitive necessity.
ability, it becomes competitive suicide as HCCS is simply unable to
education programs. The distinction between
provide the services described previously. Need for effective course- distance and local education is
management systems are disappearing.
Thirty-Two Trends Affecting Distance Education
growing. Source: Online Journal of Distance
To sharpen the focus even more on the current situation of the Learning Administration, Volume VI,
Number III, Fall 2003
HCCS technology infrastructure, we identified 32 trends that impact
The impact to HCCS triggers an important strategic decision for the
distance education. We present a relevant sample of these trends:
System. Expand the capabilities of the network infrastructure now, or
Current higher education Students are shopping for
jeopardize the dramatic enrollment gains experienced in distance
infrastructure cannot courses that meet their
accommodate the growing college- schedules and circumstances. education at HCCS and potentially hurt the increase of offline or
aged population and enrollments, The percentage of adult, female, classroom students, which is the core business of HCCS.
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3.0 Future Situation – Vision
Focus on Learning and Student Support
Community Building
In contrast to the current situation, the pathway IT should pursue will Organizational Stewardship
push the envelope and promote a level of creativity and imagination
If viewed in the appropriate context, as a guide to greatness, this
that prospective students and faculty members expect from a
road map possesses the flexibility to endure future changes in the
progressive thinking and behaving institution of higher education.
institutions goals and strategic focus. We believe that the six
Our starting point stems from the vision established by the IT group:
strategies we outline below facilitate the advancement of the 11
strategies or provide the enabling tools and information to make high
quality decisions that the administration and Board of Trustees can
rely. HCCS can realize a future state by adopting the six broad
strategies outlined below:
1. Reinvigorate the Network 4. Provide Access to
Infrastructure to Accommodate Educational Opportunities
Current Programs and Future and Services Anywhere,
Growth Anytime
2. Lead and Support Continuous 5. Develop Human Capital
Business Process Improvement Strategy that Builds Skills
3. Transform Organizational Model Quickly and Effectively
to Internal Service Company 6. Maximize Value of
Reviewed and Accepted by P.G.A.L. Program Managers of Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP), September 2005
Model Technology Investments
The vision connects squarely with the Chancellor’s transformation
model and thinking, which includes the three goals of:
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To advance toward the vision successfully requires keen focus. education. Higher education’s access to network services and
Thus, the approach to fulfilling the IT strategy emphasizes “back to information assets—whether they support core missions of research
basics” as the focal point for implementing the technology road map. and teaching or business administration are increasingly central to
Moreover, since the organization is applying a long-term view with an enhancing reputation, competitiveness, client satisfaction, business
eye towards 2015, it is vital to make crisp, well thought decisions performance, revenue and accountability. 2 In fact, institutions that
through careful analysis with available data at the time, while not report a higher quality network infrastructure have in common the
second-guessing decisions down the road, because technology will following best practices:
evolve—something better always comes along. They key to the
future for HCCS is to plan for adaptability in our people, processes Consider the network to a strategic resource
and technology. The technology plan we put forth accomplishes this. Have a primary network goal of providing leading-edge
performance and services
3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Do not consider inadequate funding to be a barrier to the
Accommodate Current Academic delivery of networking services
Programs and Facility Growth Have formal, comprehensive policies and procedures that
cover networking issues; enforce those policies and
The core mission to reinvigorate HCCS’ network infrastructure is to update them regularly
empower boundary less opportunities for programmatic growth, Provide more redundancy measures for the central
student accessibility, mobility, reliability and security. Thus, the network
initiatives that drive this strategy provides a pathway to meet and Have a disaster recovery plan for the institutions’ data-
exceed the needs of all stakeholders. networking capabilities 3
2
Providing a reliable, secure, adaptable, scalable, and fault-tolerant Educause, Information Technology Networking in Higher Education Campus Commodity
and Competitive Differentiator, February 2005.
data communications network has become fundamental in higher 3
Ibid. p2
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3.2 Maximize Value of Technology community members. There are initiatives in progress or on the
Investments drawing board to improvement process performance. We believe,
however, that HCCS will have to adopt a more comprehensive
The key for this strategy is to leverage information technology by strategy to drive continuous process improvement and eliminate
requiring a common IT oversight capability, or governance, that financial waste. Technology can certainly help accelerate
ensures equal and proper involvement of all areas of the System in improvements, but to achieve lasting success, broad and deep
IT investment decision making and value determination. Because IT organizational change is required.
is a service provider, continual feedback from our stakeholders
concerning direction and performance is critical to success. IT
3.4 Transform Organizational Model to
should aggressively pursue putting in place appropriate controls and
Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model
oversight for the planning, acquisition and deployment of information
technology; this also applies to the colleges spending patterns. This The central point of this strategy is to provide a practical approach to
is a critical step to ensure maximum value is received from each IT deliver IT services that are comparable to an outsourcing provider of
investment. IT services. Outsourcing IT is a popular topic of discussion for many
leaders and organizations have varying levels of success. Before
3.3 Lead and Support Continuous Business HCCS considers such a dramatic move, there should be a firm grasp
Process Improvement on what contributes to the success of an outsourcing agreement.
Therefore, by transforming the current model of IT would provide
The focal point of this strategy is to improve how HCCS executes in
greater insight into the types of services and levels of performance
all client-facing interactions in both internal administrative processes
that senior management should expect in addition to which areas are
and external-facing business processes that shape the total
best suited for this approach. Internal service provider IT groups can
customer experience for students, vendors, corporate partners and
improve credibility and largely shape their destinies by adopting a
competitive service delivery model. This requires:
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3.6 Provide Access to Educational
An external focus on the customer, with all that implies in Opportunities and Services Anywhere,
terms of identifying customer needs and meeting them with Anytime
a sound, competency-based service portfolio
The development of business and financial management The central theme for this strategy is mobility and availability. Simply
capabilities put, be open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week for
Sensitivity to the behaviors brought on by organizational students, faculty members, vendors and administrators or slowly
change and the ability to manage them watch enrollment decline even more. Currently, HCCS does not
Political sophistication 4 have a 24x7 uptime policy for the main domain www.hccs.edu.
There are times when the site is unavailable, and typically for various
maintenance tasks. As the system, students and the community
3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that
become more dependent on IT capabilities, a 24x7 policy must
Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively
become a standard for HCCS. 5
The core of this strategy is to develop a comprehensive approach to
workforce management that ensures IT has the right skills at the right
time and by having the right people in the right jobs. To support this,
5
there is a systematic need for real-time development and training Website System Architecture, Prepared by eSiteful Corporation September 3, 2003
opportunities.
4
Gartner Research, Running IS Like a Business: Introducing the ISCo Model, January 2003.
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4.0 Solution Plan – Timeline
4.1 Short Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08
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4.2 Medium Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11
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4.3 Long Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14
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5.0 Solution Plan – Summary
administrators and students simultaneously. Conversely, the
network infrastructure is of value if there is an easy to use interface
We have discussed and examined the existing challenges and gaps with relevant applications that are accessible from anywhere,
to meet those challenges above. Now, we present the solution plan anytime and on any device that allows people to have it their way.
to meet the existing and future business needs of HCCS. This
5.3 What is a Portal?
Solution Plan ties together the six core strategies by setting a
A portal is a Web site or conglomeration of Web sites that offers a
technological and business direction to guide the organization that
single point of access or gateway to an organization’s content,
centers on two core areas: portal technology and a high performance
services, applications, communication tools, virtual communities and
network infrastructure.
more. Based on this definition, HCCS has a number of major portal
sites from which students access the System. Below, we provide the
5.1 Portal Technology
types of services and functionality students, faculty and alumni want
Our solution plan centers on simple concepts that we see today
and expect from a portal.
when we logon to Yahoo, MSN, or commercial portals. The thought
Communication of Events and Activities (to device of
process that drives the need for a portal solution is based on
choice and alerts)
feedback and current initiatives that are either in progress or being
Customizable for Personalized Views
contemplated. In short, the portal is the galvanizing force to provide
Video Clips of Board Meetings
the types of capabilities that technology users want and expect.
Giving History for Donors
Find Old Classmates
5.2 Network Infrastructure
Video of Facilities and Faculty for Prospective Students
To unleash the powerful ideas for what to do with our technology
Ability to Instant Message Classmates
dollars requires a strong network infrastructure that is reliable,
View Payroll Information (e.g. pay stubs)
available, robust and always on. Thus, the portal only works if there
Change W2, marital status, add/change beneficiaries
is a high powered network to meet the diverse needs of faculty,
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Send E-Mail enterprise portals in higher education is not new. This is, however,
Single User ID and Login from Anywhere new for HCCS and provides the type of experience students, faculty
Ability to use wireless web on phone or PDA and administrators expect. Since portal technology has matured and
Course updates and unique learning events stabilized, virtually all higher education institutions including our
Executive blogs for quick communications to staff about stiffest competition are moving in the direction of building enterprise
conferences and events attended. portals or already have a portal in full operation. The key reasons to
Vendor registration and monitoring of RFP process, develop a portal include:
electronic payments, track payment status, view invoice
history Speed to Market to Drive New Programs
Billing and financial aid account management Ability to Grow and Adapt to Changing Conditions
Schedule events or meeting space at HCCS facilities Ease of Use for Technologist and Business Users
Promote Customization for Personalized Experience (think
Even more interesting and exciting is how much the organization is MSN, Yahoo, online banking portals)
intuitively focusing on already; the project roadmap has simply not Real-Time Data and Reliable Infrastructure that is Always
been framed to expand portal capabilities, but rather, what we see is On (e.g. RFP alerts to E-Mail, Business Intelligence to the
a focus on individual or departmental project requests. To illustrate, PDA)
6
the existing project list in the Finance area include various “pieces” Promotes High-Quality Collaboration and Communications
of what would exist in a total portal experience. Collectively these (e.g. web blogs, Pod casts, instant messaging, file sharing,
projects would provide self-service capabilities for both students and address book sharing via tools such as Plaxo)
for vendors that do business with HCCS. To be sure, this direction of
6
a) Student eCard Project, b) Process Open Purchase Orders
c) Contract Entry via PS Purchasing System
d) Requisition Workflow
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5.4 Portal Architecture The focus and energy behind this strategic technology road map is
designed to create excitement about delivering valuable services
through information technology. The adoption of portals is an
important competitive strategy for higher education. Our competitors
are doing so at a rapid pace and they are gaining more experience
with portals. The types of services listed above are real and
happening today at both community colleges and four-year
institutions. Here is a list of current portal/websites at HCCS:
Online Student Services Northeast College
Southeast College Southwest College
Central College Northwest College
Coleman College
The websites in operation at the Colleges do not provide a true portal
experience at this time. It is, however, important to point out that
Source: IBM each website is trying to bring to students helpful information in a
single location.
The reasons listed above to develop a portal, point directly to the
need to turn the ship sooner, to create value for students, faculty, 5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal?
administrators, vendors and regulators, rather than wait. HCCS A single point of access to all resources associated with the
current pathway to building business capabilities through individual portal domain
project requests at the department or college level simply does not A personalized user experience
work to bring integrated capabilities in an easy to use way. Federated access to hundreds of data types and
repositories, both aggregated and categorized
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Collaboration and user integration capabilities 5.6 Example of Enterprise Portal and Features
Integration with applications and workflow systems.
Therefore, the opportunity exists to deliver a unifying approach that
can help all stakeholders readily understand how to interact with and
conduct business with HCCS in a user-friendly way. By making this
strategic shift to executing on a portal strategy, the capabilities that
users are requesting can become part of the portal road map rather
than department driven initiatives. In the illustration to the right, we
show a high-level portal infrastructure that depicts examples of portal
functionality that HCCS can implement.
The planning, design and architecture behind an enterprise portal will
determine the long-term success and viability of a portal. For
example, the University of Houston custom built their portal
Unlike other enterprise-wide applications intended to improve the
application; while it provides a broad range of capabilities and
bottom line, portals tend to live up to vendor's promises and, more
services, it is labor intensive and requires a large number of
often than not, begin to save companies money as soon as they go
resources to support. By comparison, portal technologies make it
live. According to a Delphi Group study 7 , only 2% of portal
affordable to provide endless capabilities as well as provide a
installations failed to return any ROI. The Delphi report, which looked
platform to integrate existing business applications. The challenge
at hundreds of installations, found that 22% of firms reported ROIs
for HCCS: which technology platform should be adopted on which to
between 21% and 50%, while 18% of installations returned over
build out the portal strategy? HCCS has invested in three portal
platforms: PeopleSoft Portal, Oracle Portal and Vignette.
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100%. But, as with most IT implementations, there is a caveat
emptor: poor planning prior to installation will negate management's
reasons for installing the portal in the first place and probably lead to
poor ROI.
7
Datamation, Planning Key to Portal ROI by Allen Bernard February 14, 2003
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6.0 Solution Plan Strategies &
Develop an Architecture Refresh & Upgrade Strategy
including Capacity Planning
Initiatives to Deliver
6.1.2 Future Vision
6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Build the infrastructure foundation to provide the following important
Infrastructure for Growth benefits.
The network infrastructure is, without question, the most important
Support instructional technologies such as video streaming
component of an institution of higher education. Without a reliable
on a large scale, virtual classrooms, eLearning, improved
network infrastructure it is difficult to perform basic tasks such as
Distance Education, IP video and voice conferencing, and
registering for classes online. Therefore, the network infrastructure
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
is the most critical component of the “back to basics” game plan.
6.1.1 Overview of Strategy Position the institution to meet the needs of our students.
To reinvigorate the network infrastructure successfully is a several
year strategic program with a broad range of supporting initiatives. Enable the Institution to be more competitive in the higher
These initiatives include the following: education marketplace.
Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks
Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan
Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP, and
Network Convergence
Enhanced Messaging Services with Collaboration
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6.1.3 Initiatives to Deliver Southwest College Stafford Learning Hub
Northeast College Science, Eng, & Tech. Building
6.1.3.1 Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Southeast College Felix Morales Renovation
Area Networks Central College San Jacinto Renovation
Source: CIP Program Managers, Projects
For the past several years, a number of instructional applications Approved and Budgeted
have been developed to provide improved learning tools for students.
6.1.3.2 Develop an Architecture Refresh and
These include video files that must be streamed over the network, as
Upgrade Strategy Including Capacity
well as various distance learning curricula. Because of bandwidth
Planning
limitations within the network, many of these applications had to be
constrained or blocked because of interference with other The current IT environment contains various types of hardware from
applications or the inability to deliver the services on the scale the desktops to the servers hosting business and educational
required. These limitations have also served to limit the growth of applications. The critical objective of the architecture refresh and
these tools and place HCC at a distinctive disadvantage in a highly upgrade strategy is to promote standardization and to ensure that the
competitive, higher education marketplace. To facilitate this process, Colleges and HCCS departments and their users have sufficient
the CIP program managers call for an extensive network upgrade to computing resources and equipment to do their jobs effectively while
support the new construction of buildings and renovated structures. ensuring the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO). The
The campuses include: network gear, which includes switches and routers are an importance
Southwest Loop Expansion piece of the refresh strategy; as we described earlier, 38% of the
Central College Learning Hub/Science Building existing network hardware is over fives (5) years in age and at the
Southwest College Missouri City Academic Center end of its useful life.
Southeast College Learning Hub
Northeast College Learning Hub
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HCCS IT will work collaboratively with the colleges and departments web conferencing, secure instant messaging, increased storage
to perform equipment inventories and then work to refresh any quotas, and improved manageability.
outdated hardware / software in a systematic way. Having consistent
standards for hardware and software deployment will allow IT to help 6.1.3.4 Upgrade Phone System to Support
departments in keeping infrastructure up to date on a continuous CIP, VoIP, and Network Convergence
basis and ease support.
The Meridian telephone system, in its current state, provides limited
support for VoIP. It is also vulnerable to disasters because an
6.1.3.3 Enhance Communication and
interruption in service of the main power system at 3100 Main will
Collaboration Services
result in a system wide telephone outage at most of the campuses.
The existing email system is over five years old and will cease to be PGAL, the program management firm, has developed plans to
supported by Oracle within twelve months. It has limited capability provide Voice over IP (VoIP) services at the new CIP buildings by
and does not support important services such as integration with leveraging the investment in the Meridian System, but the system will
Outlook Calendar and various wireless devices such as PDAs and not support this in its current state. In addition, the current system
email enabled cell phones. Because of network security requires a separate voice network to provide voice services to the
considerations, this platform does not support instant messaging campuses. By upgrading the Meridian Telephone System to support
today. There is also no web conferencing service in place to allow VoIP, IP trunks, and converge of the voice and data networks, HCCS
collaboration across the institution. The limitations of the current stands to benefit by taking advantage of: convergence of the voice
system create severe limits on email storage quotas, which and data networks resulting in reduced network costs, and improved
contribute further to the difficulty in managing this system. The reliability and survivability of voice services at HCC.
objective is to upgrade the existing Oracle Mail system to a platform
that will enable collaboration. The services that will be provided
include Outlook email and calendar integration, increased storage,
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6.2 Maximize Value of Technology today. To illustrate, wireless access to the Internet should be a
Investments common technical capability that all corporate learners and many
students expect today. For security reasons, a mobile user at the
6.2.1 Strategy Overview Town & Country campus must first have their laptop configured by
To maximize the value of technology investments effectively, the network administrator at the campus; this means the user has to
Houston Community College System (HCCS) is implementing IT carry their PC (laptop) to technical support for configuration. By
Governance. The System has established a 15-member IT contrast, when visiting the Southwest campus, the user is not
Governance & Investment Council to oversee this process. In required to have their laptop configured to access the Internet; the
addition, as an integral part of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), user can access the Internet and roam freely with no restrictions.
HCCS is following a centralized planning approach to create
ubiquitous technology environments at the new facilities to eliminate To be sure, there is not a high degree of active and ongoing
redundancies and allow for staff to serve multiple campuses with coordination amongst the colleges to standardize or to create
supporting technologies and tools in a consistent way. consistent approaches for the delivery of basic services such as
accessing the Internet wirelessly. In another example, each of the
colleges except for Northeast College has implemented Active
6.2.2 Current Situation
Directory. Active Directory allows system administrators to monitor
HCCS currently approaches its investment in technology in a
user behaviors, provide authentication to enhance HCCS’ overall
fragmented manner. Each college determines their needs and
security and management of network devices (e.g. printers, PDAs)
solutions in a silo, with no enterprise oversight or approval process
and resources (e.g. software distribution and distribution of patch
for investments. The same applies to administrative decisions
updates, etc). Each instance of Active Directory is different in terms
regarding technology decisions and purchases. Fragmented
of scope, naming conventions in use and operating systems (e.g.
decision-making virtually guarantees a weak return on investment
both Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 are in use).
and financial waste due to redundant projects and potentially
competing standards or not adhering to standards, which is the case
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Another illustration reveals investments in two, potentially competing 6.2.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise
portal software products in PeopleSoft Portal and Vignette Portal. To support maximizing the value of IT investments, IT’s objectives
Both expenditures to date account for just under $1 million in total include ensuring the following happens:
expenditures with no portal strategy or projects planned around the
portal. Value propositions for all IT related initiatives tied to core
strategies
The PeopleSoft business system provides an extraordinary vehicle Reduced planning and approval cycle times based on
on which to maximize technology investments. Today, capabilities formal project submission guidelines
that could benefit across all functional modules, which includes
human resources, finance and student administration are planned for Enterprise wide IT strategic plan and road map
separately rather than viewed as an opportunity to provide end-to-
end capabilities. For example, self-service functionality is available Fully engage instructional IT areas in distance education,
to students via the Internet. In contrast, self-service concepts to college instruction and faculty members
support and manage vendors are not; illustrations include RFP
alerts, ability to set electronic signatures and payments as well as
creating a way to allow vendors to manage their accounts online.
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6.2.4 Initiatives to Deliver and the most appropriate options for training (e.g. online, classroom,
conferences, etc). The result is a single line item for training that is
6.2.4.1 Create and Implement Enterprise Planning fact-based and represents an accurate picture of the needs going
Group forward and not what took place last year. This would also apply to
IT expenditures for new technologies rather than individual or
The Enterprise Planning Group (EPG) is a small group comprised of departments interests to support more squarely performance-based
IT, Finance & Administration, Student Services, Facilities and budgeting principles.
College representation. The EPG would provide needed intelligence
and synthesize key strategic issues on what stakeholders require 6.2.4.2 Formalize and Implement Business
Technology Workgroups
from IT in an integrated and consistent way. During the CIP this
planning function is being outsourced to a 3rd party vendor; it would,
The initial group of business-technology workgroups is to ensure that
however, benefit the organization to have multiple members
HCCS can deliver on the promise of technology investments and
participate actively in this process and begin to establish a model of
realize a return on the investment in a consistent way. The objective
self-sufficiency when the construction projects start. This would also
for these workgroups is to perform the necessary analysis, risk
provide invaluable set of competencies in preparation for another
assessment and develop approaches to mitigate risk by involving the
bond election potentially, in the years ahead.
right stakeholders to examine and make decisions. For example,
there is an emerging need to establish a portal strategy that requires
In addition, we have observed that during the budget process, the
the organization to place a “bet” on how HCCS will compile, manage,
EPG would be in a position to synthesize “strategic” needs and help
share, collaborate as well as the best way to perform real-time
prepare budget justification requests. For example, rather than four
transactions. Below, we provide a diagram of the types of
or five different group line items for training, the EPG would identify
technology workgroups that would benefit from the collective
the types of skills in need based on the technology direction,
expertise of dedicated workgroups.
identifies the relevant skills to support the direction of the System,
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policies, standards development and strategic planning. This group
will be responsible for preparing and presenting strategic issues to
the CET, the IT Governance & Investment Council or other decision
making bodies with supporting business plans or business cases to
educate, inform or help facilitate decision-making.
2. Research and Client Services
The outcome for this workgroup is to allow both instructional and
administrative workgroups to focus on their core competencies by
providing independent analysis using primary and secondary
research tools and methods for the most effective solution. By
allowing this model to thrive, there should be consideration given to
funding a test environment for new technology innovation, research
and planning that incorporates new learning and educational tools for
competitive advantage; this would eliminate “rogue” activities and the
The initial workgroups are standing committees that target specific adoption of new tools that do not follow standards.
areas where significant performance gaps exist across the institution.
3. Project Management Services
The recommended workgroups to launch include:
The outcome for this workgroup is to provide an increased level of
predictability and confidence that both the business and IT will
1. Technology Vision & Architecture Group
deliver technology projects in an organized and predictable manner.
Outcomes for this workgroup is to support the strategy and direction
of the colleges and to provide capabilities that enable business and
educational change in a consistent and well-thought way through
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6.2.4.3 Investigate Potential Outsourcing
Alternatives
skills in communication, negotiation, project management, team building, and managing
change.
IT will continue to face pressure to outsource in order to reduce costs
and improve service performance. Business imperatives should be
at the center of any outsourcing strategy. The institutions leaders
should be ready to argue that outsourcing is a decision that is based
primarily on complementing core competencies and maximizing
business value. When the organization meets business goals, the
financial savings usually follow suit. If a sound business argument
cannot be made, outsourcing may not be the best course of action.
8
For more detail on how to approach outsourcing see footnote below:
8
Focus on Business Value: An understanding of business goals should form the focus for
your IT outsourcing decisions. Identify your organization's core competencies and look into
outsourcing options that will complement the things your company is good at already. Be
prepared to change as business needs change.
Plan Infrastructure In-House: Never outsource planning - this is your department's
responsibility. Define the standards and architecture for all software and hardware choices in-
house. Remember to do this in conjunction with line managers from all departments so that
you can fully understand their needs and ensure buy-in for your outsourcing solution.
Look for Rapid Delivery: An Internet year lasts only two to three months - the days of long
development schedules are over. Turning to outsourcing options like Application Service
Providers (ASPs) is one way for ensuring rapid application delivery.
Build a High-Performance IT Team: With outsourced services, it's more important than ever
to have a lean, mean IT team in place. Outsourcing doesn't just give the business units a chance
to build core competencies - the IT department must climb on board too. Technological
changes won't ease up and could have a much bigger impact on an IT team pared down due to
outsourcing. Investment in training is a must.
Build Effective Relationships: It's critical to manage your relationship with any supplier. In
the case of outsourcing, this skill is even more important since your dependence on the
outsourcer to meet critical business needs and provide high value while doing so is even more
explicit. Identify individuals on both sides that are skilled at building relationships. Look for
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6.3 Lead and Support Business Process In terms of conducting daily business activities there is no single,
Improvement common way of doing business. To illustrate further, meetings are
set up today with administrative staff calling other staff to determine if
6.3.1 Strategy Overview the meeting participants are available; this process uses an out
HCCS business processes have evolved naturally over time resulting dated calendaring (Oracle) system that is not used by everyone
in more complex workflows, overlaps between business processes, across the system in a consistent way. For students, the process is
and reduced efficiency in the use of time and resources. Current painful and does not take advantage of web-based technologies fully.
business processes prohibit any enterprise business system (e.g. For example, financial aid processes continue to lack the automation
PeopleSoft, SunguardSCT, and SAP) from achieving its promised students expect in the digital era.
level of performance and efficiency gains. Systematically
reengineering business processes and developing new capabilities
delivered through a portal framework will create the value sought by
HCCS leaders responsible for the investments in these large,
expensive systems.
6.3.2 Current Situation
Virtually every aspect of conducting business at HCCS involves
paper and inordinate numbers of manual process steps. For
example, the recently approved Room Scheduling project identified
up to 13 steps to schedule a classroom or meeting room at the
colleges. What’s more, the project team discovered that the process
is largely manual and extremely paper-intensive.
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6.3.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise
The first step to implementing an enterprise portal is developing a
detailed strategy that will guide the efforts of the System. We outline
the core objectives of this strategy:
Create accepted standards for business process analysis
and improvement to roll-out in “receptive” areas
Improved customer service coordination and continuity of
outcomes (e.g. even service levels regardless of location)
Collaboration due to data sharing across the enterprise by
combining technology with updated business processes
allows for improved collaboration and higher productivity
across departments
Better labor productivity through better processes, which
means fewer rush jobs, fewer interruptions, less rework,
and less overtime
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6.3.4 Initiatives to Deliver Research and examine higher education portals and
leverage industry best practices for planning, staffing and
6.3.4.1 Develop Enterprise Portal Strategy to funding
Leverage Technology to Automate Establish a timeline to roll out new capabilities and
Manual Processes services
By establishing a detailed enterprise portal strategy to automate 6.3.4.2 Implement Project Management Office
manual processes systematically, can create significant cost savings
The scale and velocity of change is difficult for even the largest
for the institution. The portal strategy is used as the focal point for
organizations. For HCCS, the scope and speed needed to be
planning and rolling out business automation projects to reduce the
successful combined with the relative complexity calls for a
“rogue” projects that may not integrate well with the desired technical
dedicated group whose primary focus is execution and accountable
architecture. By adopting the portal approach, there is a clear and
for results.
specific road map for what capabilities can be expected and when.
Here is an initial, high-level game plan to approach this initiative:
Decide what services or business capabilities to offer
online and to automate
Enlist the support of Marketing & Communications to
provide guidance on how the portal should look and feel for
improved navigation
Develop and implement 24x7 support strategy and The project management office or PMO as this is commonly referred,
supporting policy and relevant service outcomes indicators is designed to guide the execution of projects and provide a
in lieu of traditional service level agreements (SLAs) mentoring capability to all HCCS staff that requires project
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management support. To be sure, this group is about building 6.3.4.3 Initiate Enterprise Process
internal capabilities rather than taking on the task of managing Reengineering of High Payback
projects on behalf of user departments. For example, the Website Areas
Content Management project would fall into the “volatile” category
Prior to making investments in PeopleSoft upgrades or exploring
according to the graphic above. To achieve success, this category of
alternatives, HCCS must embark on an initiative to reengineer
project calls for:
specific business processes.
a) Limiting time horizons;
b) Building options and
c) Eliminating under-performing elements (e.g. sponsorship)
To address this and ensure a higher probability of success, the
renewed sponsor and driving business department is conducting a 6-
week prototype and creating a tight scope to ensure early success.
With the volume of technology and business initiatives that HCCS
needs to implement during the back-to-basics period, HCCS must be
able to execute consistently. To keep pace with competitors,
combined with the technical complexity, and cross-functional process
impacts, requires a more formal and focused effort to deliver and This would be a multi-year effort, but would pay huge dividends in
thus the need to implement a project management office (PMO). simplifying business and allow for greater staffing flexibility in the
years ahead. For example, several IT projects in the que focus on
improving the purchasing and procurement process. Reengineering
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key areas combined with implementing portal technologies makes
this a high payback opportunity for the institution. To underscore this
point, vendor products in both existing PeopleSoft modules and 3rd
party vendors have mature product offerings in this area, so the
organization is not tied to the confines of PeopleSoft functionality.
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doing the wrong job for their skill competencies. To illustrate, it is
6.4 Transform Organization Structure to
common practice for a high-level developer to administer security
Internal Service Company Model
policies as a function of the application development group.
6.4.1 Strategy Overview Current High-Level Leadership Structure
The internal service company (ISCo) model helps to deliver the
business value of IT by relentlessly focusing on customer needs and
outcomes rather than activities. IT organizations seeking to become
an ISCo must hone value, work processes, relationships, pricing and
marketing acumen. According to all of the data received during focus
groups, planning sessions and individual contributions, this is one of
few ways to release value within the IT organization that means
something to its users. The essence of this strategy is to provide the The current organizational behavior stresses “order fulfillment” and
structure and accountability that HCCS would experience if IT were “reacting” to requests from a variety of sources, which include faculty
outsourced to a third party firm. members, administrators, external vendor-driven, daily administrative
users and the Board of Trustees. For example, the current
6.4.2 Current Situation organization shows System Strategic Planning, IT Strategic
Planning, and Customer Relations and Communications reporting to
The current organization structure does not reflect the manner in
the Director, Enterprise Services. These services are not performed
which IT needs to deliver services in the future. The IT group at
today, and team members focus largely on budget, contract
HCCS has instinctively recognized this and is beginning to evolve
monitoring and intranet activities.
from simply taking orders to becoming a “service provider” by
partnering with power users of the PeopleSoft business system, for
example; however, there are instances where the wrong person is
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6.4.3 Objectives and Value to Organization Future Organization Model – Illustration Purposes
What is unique about the ISCo model of service delivery is the
concept of “zones of responsibility” shown in the graphic to the right.
This means that team members who do not work in a particular role
can be called on to support and serve in other areas that may not be
their primary area of responsibility; indeed, this is taking place today
across IT—especially so in the ISS area. By applying the ISCo
model, the IT group can achieve the following objectives:
Eliminate internal divisiveness
Validate the IT organization's internal capabilities and
change its personality
Focus and expand IT credibility by adding more value to the
business through building business capabilities that support
students
Become more actively involved in key business operations
through IT-enabled processes
"Level the playing field" with external providers to compete
Prove the service value that IT can deliver across HCCS
Facilitate the transformation from support mode to
turnaround mode and ultimately to strategic mode of
operation.
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6.4.4 Initiatives to Deliver are designed, built and integrated into the existing systems. Below,
we provide a before and after picture of the group reconfiguration:
6.4.4.1 Reconfigure Applications Development
Group Before: Current Service Delivery Model
The applications development (AD) group does not provide the level
of support and business building capabilities needed to keep HCCS
competitive. Due to the pace, scale and scope of change to provide
new capabilities effectively, the current organization simply is unable
to meet the pressing demands of the institution. The AD group
provides implementation and development support to the PeopleSoft
application. For the organization to transition successfully to a
portal-based model to deliver new technology capabilities, a full
reconfiguration of this group is required.
The current organization model is designed to provide support and
maintenance for the PeopleSoft administrative system, which
includes: Finance & Administration, Human Resources and Student
Administration. Based on our analysis of the existing backlog of
support requests, the staffing limitations both in terms of skill and the
number, and the current salary scale, HCCS is not on the road to The net result with the current model does not allow for new business
competitiveness without wholesale change in how new capabilities capabilities to come online in a consistent and predictable way;
capabilities that include vendor e-commerce, integrated portal for
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students, self-service tools for administrators or business intelligence 6.4.4.2 Develop Contingent Staffing Plan
for more effective decision making.
The speed to deliver new business capabilities requires a deep pool
After: Proposed Service Delivery Model of external service providers who can quickly and effectively provide
the best talent at a fair price. The IT group would benefit from having
a pool of firms that provides the identified skills the organization
needs for projects. In addition, by developing standard agreements
with vendors, HCCS can negotiate conversion percentages in the
event HCCS chooses to bring on a contractor full-time.
6.4.4.3 Consolidate College and Administrative
Technicians into Services Unit
The current model of delivering technical support would not be
competitive when compared to an outsourcing provider. The
opportunity is to realign and upgrade technology tools and training to
provide seamless service from any technician that is available. This
would require an upgrade of technology tools that would allow
integrated services between the help desk and field technician that is
rapid. For example, when a service request call comes to the help
desk, the help desk representative can dispatch the most convenient
resource via wireless transmission rather than waiting for a pre-
designated technician to respond. (e.g. lab technician)
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6.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that related projects in progress, the IT group does not have a single
Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively person who is involved with the local chapter of the Project
Management Institute (PMI). Moreover, the organization more often
6.5.1 Strategy Overview than not must look to the outside for project management expertise.
Enterprises and their business processes are increasingly complex This lack of skills in project management, results in project delays
and interconnected. They must continually adapt to changing and poor vendor management to assist with creating accurate scope
business models, economic pressures and expansive opportunity documents and statements of work.
across geographic and organization boundaries. Employees are
taking on more responsibility, working longer hours, and dealing with 6.5.3 Objectives and Value to Organization
more-complex decisions and actions. These changes place even The objectives and value of having an effective human capital
greater demands on employees who are classified as knowledge management strategy in place are typically not apparent during
workers and will increase the likelihood that people will work budget time. However, the objectives we outline make the case for
collaboratively, just in time, and within or across multiple teams. having an effective human capital strategy:
HCCS, in turn, must redesign work processes, re-examine
performance plans, and reward systems for the IT organization to Much improved workforce planning and resource allocation
remain viable over the next ten years. Deeper “bench” of talent
Reduces reliance on external consultants
6.5.2 Current Situation Creates a more attractive work place because staff feel
During the SWOT analysis and subsequent meetings, we learned valued and not taken for granted
that the IT group can perform much better by leveraging internal Enables the organization to take advantage of newer
knowledge and skills, getting more active with external relationships technologies for faster time to market with programs
with which HCCS has in place. (e.g. Gulf Coast Consortium, Greater
Houston Partnership). With all of the IT projects and business
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6.5.4 Initiatives to Deliver 6.5.4.2 Implement Project Management
Certification Program
6.5.4.1 Conduct IT Skills Review and Current IT skills become even more important as the organization
Assessment migrates to a portal strategy for developing and rolling out new
business capabilities. Managers are in a much better position to
Managing your organization's human resource assets through
evaluate the feasibility of a project, explain the risks when shifting
ongoing IT skills assessment can provide crucial insight for IT
resources or make a solid case for hiring a contractor temporarily.
leaders and their teams. This insight in turn provides a framework for
By having a project management certification program can yield the
more accurately defining project scope, as well as identifying and
following benefits:
mitigating risk; armed with this information the IT group can make
better decisions and improve its bottom line. Without an accurate
Provides a benchmark for recruitment, training and
picture of existing skills and new skills required, risk management
development of project management staff.
becomes a concern. Projects may not be completed on time, or
Compliments and enhances other technical or business
systems may not function properly when completed.
qualifications by demonstrating that an individual is also
competent in the crucial ability to manage projects.
According to Gartner Research, 75 percent of projects that fail do so
Through participation in the certification process,
because improperly skilled people were working on the project. The
individuals enhance their confidence in their project
human capital of skilled IT professionals and managers has become
management and general business knowledge.
increasingly critical to the success of an organization's mission.
Provide confidence to HCCS leaders that the IT group can
handle business efficiently and cost effectively.
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6.6 Provide Access to Educational This becomes especially important in support of the capital
Opportunities and Services Anywhere, improvement plan (CIP).
Anytime
6.6.2 Current Situation
6.6.1 Strategy Overview
Access to educational opportunities and the ability to conduct
Technology users in higher education expect to conduct business
administrative tasks is uneven and fragmented at best. HCCS
anytime of day or night with the expectation that the systems are up
currently does not have a 24x7 uptime policy. The network does not
and running. For the majority of users, they want:
have an authentication platform for those staff and outsiders who
access the HCCS network. This means that someone with the
Access to many services from one workstation
appropriate level of knowledge can lurk around the HCCS network
Access the same services from many devices
and go undetected. In addition, with the limited bandwidth that IT is
Location independence
able to provide, distance education tools may not work properly or
Wired office network connection
the user may have delays at best.
Wireless network cafés at all locations
Wireless LAN throughout the campus
Access from home office and
Out of town
The central IT at 3100 Main and all of the Colleges recognize the
importance of this trend, which is now expected from everyone that
interfaces with HCCS. Our strategy is to create a consistent pathway Furthermore, users must apply six different logons to access:
that the institution can follow and replicate across all HCCS facilities. PeopleSoft HR b) PeopleSoft Student Administration c) PeopleSoft
Finance d) LDAP for Oracle E-Mail e) Radius server for Dial-In and f)
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VPN access as shown in the graphic above. LDAP is a software Allows students to share, collect, provide feedback, poll
protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and and distill facts based on individual preferences
other resources such as files and devices in a network.
Go “get” classroom the classroom instruction and
6.6.3 Objectives and Value to Organization supporting materials needed with key word searches from
The objectives and value to HCCS are numerous and include a any device
sample of relevant items:
Radio frequency identification (RFID) in the libraries:
o Rapidly scan shelves for books that are missing or
misplaced, thus saving time. Patrons can use their
library cards for self-checkout, saving on employee
costs. Reduces the complexity of outdated, manual
book-tracking systems. Helps automate the return of
library materials. Acts in conjunction with security
gates to prevent theft of materials and media.
Improved workforce productivity in managing remote staff
Faster feedback on performance with students at high-
peak periods
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6.6.4 Initiatives to Deliver project was cancelled and the equipment intended for installation at
Westgate was moved and installed at the 3100 Main Data Center.
The lack of a disaster recovery plan exposes the institution to
6.6.4.1 Identity Management and Managed
significant risk in the event of a natural disaster or power outage.
Network
Current generators can last approximately 6 hours and likely less if
Providing a centrally managed system with distributed control will put to the test. HCCS should engage a consulting company to assist
provide enterprise-wide authentication, authorization, and accounting with the development of the plan. Involve all business units within
and single sign-on capability. This will enable the implementation of HCC to ensure that the risks are addressed in an acceptable
a managed network. Implement a system-wide directory service with manner.
a domain structure that will support the identity management needs
of HCC and support the mobility of our student, faculty, and staff
community across all colleges and administration. The
implementation will include management tools that will aid with
trouble response, software upgrades and patches, and asset
inventory and management.
6.6.4.2 Implement Comprehensive Disaster
Recovery
HCC does not have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan for the
Institution. A business continuity plan was developed and approved
by the Board that addressed some of the elements of disaster
recovery, with plans to utilize space at the Westgate campus. This
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