Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services

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1 a s t r at egy paper fr om Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services Helping higher education institutions stay competitive and deliver better results to students and staff SHUTTERSTOCK

2 Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services Helping higher education institutions stay competitive and deliver better results to students and staff Growing Competition Drives Change in the Business of Higher Education Can t I just do that on your website? That s a question college and university staff members are increasingly hearing from students, parents and colleagues who call with an information or service request. Behind that short, simple question are greater expectations for service and responsiveness across all higher education operations. And those expectations are leading to changes in operational procedures as institutions look to move away from paper records, time-consuming tracking and retrieval of paper files, desk-to-desk handoffs of documents and manual data processing tasks. Forward-thinking institutions know they can gain a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining students by delivering responsive online access to information and services. Today s students have had digital access to information and services since they were kids, and they ll rightfully expect these same capabilities from the college or university they choose, says Dr. Rhonda Kyncl, assistant dean of the University of Oklahoma s College of Arts and Sciences. 1 Doing more online can also help prevent tuition increases, which are often the deciding factor in a student s choice of schools. Being sensitive to student costs is important to the university, says John Hermes, vice president for Information Technology at Oklahoma Christian University. 2 By using a central system for our student records and doing more online, we ve been able to keep tuition costs down. IT and business administrators alike note that going online means moving beyond basics like accepting admissions applications through a Web form. But how can an institution go more digital in the face of static (or declining) budgets and staff levels? How can online documents meet government and institutional mandates for records management and retention? What are the best ways to Today s students have had digital access to information and services since they were kids, and they ll rightfully expect these same capabilities from the college or university they choose. Dr. Rhonda Kyncl, Assistant Dean, University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences replace inefficient, paper-based processes and, perhaps, an aging content management system? Institutions are taking on these challenges by implementing new enterprise content management (ECM) systems. By carefully choosing an ECM system, a college or university can obtain powerful ways to deliver online access to information and services, improve business operations and service delivery, and gain optimal IT value for strained department budgets. SHUTTERSTOCK 2 Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services

3 A Shared Services Model for Content and Processes Any higher education institution, public or private, has a diverse set of departments that handle essential services for students such as admissions, registration, financial aid and advising. Other departments run essential business operations such as accounting, purchasing, human resources and grants management. In an ECM system, some departments may need relatively simple tools, like those for searching and accessing documents. Others will need content that integrates with data from other information systems. And some or all departments may want to create consistent, automatic processes for their most commonly repeated tasks. By offering ECM as a shared service at the institutional level, IT can cost-effectively meet the varied needs of individual business departments, while also preserving the departments independence and flexibility for managing content, processes and services. As a shared service, an ECM system maintains and secures electronic documents and files in one repository and can streamline business processes across departments. Yet even when centralized, a flexible ECM solution allows for the department-level customization and process control that is essential for improving operational efficiency and delivering tailored services to students. The shared services model isn t new; it has long been used by IT departments to deliver standard applications such as . For IT, shared services offer the advantages of using common technology resources as well as repeatable processes. The institution benefits from the substantial cost savings and return on investment (ROI) multiplier that can be achieved when a single integrated system is leveraged across several departments and many users. Over time, higher education IT departments have often engaged in a tug-of-war with the business departments they serve regarding the optimal balance of autonomy and control over data and business systems. On the IT side are institutional and regulatory mandates that set requirements for factors such as work efficiency, records management, data privacy and systems security. On the business side are the autonomy-craving departments that in the past had the budgets and de facto permission to invest in their own IT systems for specialized needs such as content management. These departments are used to doing things on their own and worry about a loss of internal control. However, many The shared services model isn t new; it has long been used by IT departments to deliver standard applications such as . For IT, shared services offer the advantages of using common technology resources as well as repeatable processes. student-facing departments (e.g., admissions and financial aid) use identical information and documents in the course of their work so why not give those users an easy way to share? Delivering specialized business applications as shared services is a way to end the tug-of-war and keep both IT and business departments happy. Student and Staff Services That Benefit from Enterprise Content Management Numerous business processes and content management tasks, both within departments and across entire higher education institutions, can benefit from automation with an ECM system. (See Beneficiaries of ECM System Automation on page 4.) Disaster recovery is an oft-overlooked service that is significantly improved by online content within a single ECM system. In fact, the primary motivator for Dr. Kyncl to implement ECM at the University of Oklahoma s College of Arts and Sciences was a broken water pipe that came perilously close to flooding the staff services office. If the flooding in our building had moved in a little different direction, we would have lost all of our student records, says Kyncl. It was the wake-up call we needed to move our records from paper to online. SHUTTERSTOCK 3

4 Beneficiaries of ECM System Automation Institutional Business Student Services Human Resources Contracts and grants management Accounts payable Correspondence management Purchasing Facilities management Records management Disaster recovery Student advising Financial aid Registrar records for student enrollment Admissions Faculty records for tenure and promotion Personnel actions Employment and continuing education records Share More Content and Processes; Deliver More Services Implementing an ECM system as the institutional standard, and delivering its capabilities to departments as a shared service, brings benefits to individual users, departments and the institution as a whole. Better delivery of more services. Easier access to information and automated processes for routine business activities frees departments to develop new services that can be delivered in innovative ways. For example, the University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences is able to support student advising appointments outside of the office because staff can use a laptop or mobile device to access student records via the university s ECM system. Meanwhile, at Oklahoma Christian University, staff can answer a student s question while they are on the phone, says Hermes. There s no need to go find the student s file and call them back. Having one online content system provides a single source of information that is accessible to staff in multiple departments, helping them answer student questions and requests quickly with the confidence that data is current and accurate. In the event of a disaster or campus closure, a central ECM system supports business continuity by providing quick online access to documents and work processes. Online records eliminate the risk of loss that comes with paper documents and files. Better decision-making. With online data and documents from a central ECM system, institutional leaders have greater access to the information needed for strategy and planning. Decisions can be made more quickly because less data is maintained in isolated, department-level systems or in paper files that require inefficient and time-consuming manual research. Reduced cost and administrative demand. ECM as a shared service eliminates the expense of implementing, supporting and maintaining separate content management systems in multiple departments. Shared services also make more efficient use of IT resources such as servers, networks and storage systems, reducing overall operations costs. Monthly or per-user charges for shared ECM services allow for simpler, more predictable budgeting by departments. Online documents mean departments can reduce costs for paper, printing, file handling and storage, while also reclaiming file rooms as office space. Eliminating paper has additional benefits for example, by moving student records online, Oklahoma Christian University also eliminated the need for off-site file storage and the tedious weeks spent moving around old files each summer. Higher efficiency and productivity. With a central ECM system, departments are able to leverage processes, document templates and resources developed by others to streamline their own work. Because documents are maintained online, the system can accept materials that are submitted electronically, such as recommendation letters for students, financial aid documents from parents, reimbursement requests from employees and invoices from vendors. 4 Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services

5 We can serve students better, and right away, because no file can be held captive on someone s desk, says Kyncl. Integration with enterprise resource planning (ERP), student information systems (SIS) and accounting software further improves information access and allows for additional ways to make routine tasks more automated and productive. In turn, this productivity reduces the institution s business costs and supports better delivery of the services that matter most to students and staff. Improved compliance and information security. A central online document repository improves an institution s ability to comply with requirements for records retention, data privacy and security. The repository also eliminates the costly and unproductive physical duplication of documents and data across multiple departments. A central ECM system makes it easier to control individual user access to files, documents and tasks, while also opening access to selected information as a service. For example, both current and prospective students can be given access to check the status of their degree progress or admissions records and then submit any needed documents directly into their electronic file. Starting Up and Getting Everyone On Board To foster success, IT can apply several strategies for planning a new ECM system and encouraging adoption across the institution. As planning begins, meet with departments individually to assess their needs for improving information management and business processes. These discussions are likely to identify content and activities that are common across departments (e.g., for purchasing or employee hiring tasks). Analyze these commonalities for potential standardization of automated processes, documents and Web forms that can be used by all departments. Even for content that has some variations in format and usage across departments, it is possible to create plans for standardizing data and centralizing storage and access in an online repository and unified ECM system. Developing a shared service takes work and planning to anticipate the needs of the organization so that the offering can be scaled across multiple departments, says Judith Lewis, senior IT manager at Texas A&M University. It s also important for IT to realize that it takes planning at the local campus or department level to implement a shared service offering. 3 A Paradigm Shift for IT: From Cost Center to Value Provider Shared services belie the perspective that IT is simply a source of hardware and software, instead showcasing IT as a provider of diverse services that meet common business needs. Traditionally, IT has been viewed as a provider only for basic systems such as , and not necessarily capable of delivering more complex services (such as content management) that require a great deal of department-level customization. IT s role as a service provider may also change the handling of department budgets, from a system of direct-cost accounting to subscription-based service charges. This change means leaving behind the traditional model that is calculated to recover the direct costs of hardware and software used by the department. Instead, IT will increasingly use a value-based pricing model with a single, stable budget charge (e.g., monthly or based on the number of users, documents stored, etc.) for the services delivered. A shared services budget is typically calculated to amortize all costs for service delivery over the long term, including hardware, software, maintenance, upgrades, and network and server infrastructure. However, the charges should be competitive with the pricing of alternative providers in order to be attractive to departments. Competitive charges will also reflect the economies of scale IT is able to realize from shared services. Learn from a Pilot Project After developing an initial plan, implement a pilot project that solves a relatively simple content management issue in one or two departments. This project can help demonstrate the value of ECM to other departments and provide valuable insight into issues around implementation, user training and support. Later, with plans in place and lessons learned from the pilot project, it s time to begin ECM system rollout. Do one office or department at a time so they can be a model for the rest of the institution, recommends Hermes. If you can demonstrate success, those initial users will become champions for the system and other offices will come begging for a spot on your implementation list. 5

6 Snapshots: ECM as a Shared Service Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma City Students: 2,271 Implemented in 2010, a central ECM system now stores records for multiple departments, including Student Financial Services, Admissions, Accounts Payable, General Counsel and the Registrar. Key ECM Benefits: Helped to maintain stable tuition levels Realized payback on system investment within first year Improved service and responsiveness to students and parents Eliminated need for dedicated file rooms and off-site storage Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas, and other locations Students: 120,000+ A document management committee at the flagship campus in College Station selected a preferred ECM system that is now used as a shared service by numerous departments and campuses. Key ECM Benefits: Reduced costs by eliminating need for individual department systems Increased productivity by eliminating paper-based processes Improved security for protecting access to documents and confidential data Improved compliance with requirements for document retention University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences Norman, Okla. Students: 7,000 (undergraduates) An ECM system allows the College s Academic Services Office to electronically store and retrieve student records for determining degree eligibility and providing advising services. Other university departments, including legal services and financial services, also use an ECM system. Key ECM Benefits: Improved ability to deliver in-office and mobile advising services with efficient, online access to student records Provided confidence of complete and secure student files Reduced risk of document loss due to natural disaster Eliminated need for student employees to move files to and from storage room facebook wikipedia 6 Adopting Enterprise Content Management with Shared Services

7 Motivate Adoption in Core Business Departments Sometimes ECM adoption by individual departments needs a little encouragement. When talking with department heads and employees, Kyncl recommends framing it as an opportunity to make processes more efficient, save resources and make real change, for the better, in the way we do things. Support from executive-level administrators as sponsors of the move to ECM is a top-down motivator for getting reluctant departments on board. On the other hand, a bottom-up approach can also be effective, by creating a sense of ownership within and among the departments for how content is managed and which processes are automated in the ECM system. It is important for the department to choose a motivated person who will serve as a change agent and spearhead their ECM implementation, says Lewis. Time should be provided in that person s schedule to develop the department s strategic plan based on its specific business processes. Consider creating a steering committee with senior representatives from multiple departments to define standards and serve as internal advocates to promote ECM adoption. Part of the committee s work may be to determine how decision-making and control will be defined for IT and individual departments. For example, IT may need to control document storage in order to comply with records management requirements, while departments can control which specific types of documents and data are stored. The steering committee may also want to define standards for automated processes and content templates that are commonly used across multiple departments. Educating users is also critical for reducing the anxiety that comes with a new system. Involve front-line employees from the beginning so there aren t any surprises for them, says Kyncl. Help them imagine the best-case scenario. Be sure to provide easy access to information and training materials, such as creating a dedicated website section that links to support resources and FAQs. Texas A&M University, notes Lewis, has created an online community of practice where users and administrators can help one another become more skilled in the use of ECM in their departments. Implementing an ECM system as the institutional standard and delivering its capabilities to departments as a shared service brings benefits to individual users, departments and the institution as a whole. A Change Opportunity That Makes a Difference The trend is clear: Higher education institutions will need to move more information and services online to meet the expectations of all stakeholders and remain competitive in an increasingly digital age. And staff and faculty are not the only ones impacted by the shift to ECM and shared services. Doing so sends an important message to students, says Kyncl. It says that the university is making an investment in them and how much we value them. Additional Information Texas A&M University website for ECM users: laserfiche.tamu.edu SHUTTERSTOCK Endnotes 1. Center for Digital Education interview with Dr. Rhonda Kyncl, April 1, Center for Digital Education interview with John Hermes, April 3, Center for Digital Education interview with Judith Lewis, April 9,

8 SHUTTERSTOCK Since 1987, Laserfiche has used its Run Smarter philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 32,000 organizations worldwide including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies use Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management. For more information, visit The Center for Digital Education is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy and funding. Along with its research services, CDE issues white papers and conducts the annual Digital School Districts and Digital Community Colleges surveys and award programs as well as hosting events across the K-12 and higher education arena. CDE also supports the Converge media platform comprised of the quarterly themed Converge Special Reports, Converge Online, and custom publishing services e.republic. All rights reserved.