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| UCCSC 2002: Improving Life Through Technology | UC Berkeley: July 28-30 |
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Why You Need an Enterprise e-Strategy, Not Just a Portal |
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| Location: | Chevron Auditorium | ||
| Date: | Monday, July 29 | ||
| Time: | 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM | ||
| Speaker: | Jack McCredie, Associate Vice Chancellor & CIO, University of California, Berkeley | ||
| e-mail: | McCredie@uclink.berkeley.edu | ||
Background Notes and References
Abstract
The thesis of this presentation is that a modern university needs a comprehensive strategy defining the role of information technology (IT) in
accomplishing its mission. Although a portal may be an important component of this strategy, it should be considered within a broader planning context. I
will use several examples (both positive and negative) from the e-Berkeley Initiative to illustrate the importance of developing a university e-Strategy.
Technology is only part of the solution!
Introduction
The primary reason for research universities to invest heavily in information technology in general, and Internet-based resources specifically, is to
improve the quality of on-campus learning, teaching, research, and administration. Today faculty and students demand first-rate access to electronic
information resources throughout the world, not just to local physical and electronic campus resources. Core functions such as networked access to library
materials, advanced simulations, research data, and communications with colleagues around the globe are clearly basic to teaching and research missions.
Many students include a serious evaluation of a campus’s electronic information infrastructure in their decisions about which school to attend. In
addition, easy to use, flexible, online administrative applications help to manage organizations effectively.
Another important reason to make significant Internet-based investments is engagement with large external constituencies such as alumni, K-12 communities, non-resident students, and professionals throughout the world. Computer-based content for outreach and engagement is a current reality for many institutions.
Enterprise portals play an important role in enabling our constituents to navigate the complex electronic information infrastructures that are clearly as important to modern universities as their libraries. Coupled with powerful content management tools, an enterprise portal can become a key component in an organization’s information technology strategy. However, it is important not to put the cart before the horse - it is vital for each institution to develop a strategic shared vision about the role of IT in supporting its mission and goals. Management can then develop this vision into an e-strategy, a plan, and an IT budget for the college or university.
The current e-business and portal environment in higher education - what do high-level managers see and think about portals and e-business?
- Just for fun - Airplane Introduction to improper planning
http://www.405themovie.com/Home.asp - Katz, R.N. & Associates, Web Portals & Higher Education, EDUCAUSE and NACUBO, Jossey-Bass, 2002
- Chaotic environment - dot.com collapse, consolidation, more to come, the Gartner hype cycle.
http://www4.gartner.com/Init - Cost overruns and performance disappointments with enterprise administrative system developments.
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/06/2002060601t.htm - University of Michigan abandons its portal.
http://chronicle.com/free/2002/04/2002041101t.htm
Illustrative corporate disappointments from the UC Berkeley experience
- CommonFind
http://www.commonfind.com/6-5-2001-news.html - ZUniversity
http://www.znmstate.com/ - Hungrymindsuniversity (Wiley Publishing)
http://www.hungrymindsuniversity.com/ - Izio
http://www.izio.com/news/001116.htm - Prometheus
http://company.blackboard.com/prometheus/ - I-Drive
http://idrive.berkeley.edu/ - DEC/Compaq
http://thenew.hp.com/
The current UC Berkeley information technology environment
- Solid networking infrastructure, but with growing deferred maintenance requirements.
http://www.net.berkeley.edu/ - Major enterprise administrative computing initiative underway for several years (PeopleSoft financials installed 1999 & 2000 and Human Resource
Management System going live in July 2002.
http://www.bai.berkeley.edu/ - Commitment to engaging K-12 community using Internet-based resources through the Interactive University Project
http://interactiveu.berkeley.edu:8000/IU/ - Major statewide education and research networking initiatives (CENIC, CalREN 2, ONI, and the Digital California Project)
http://www.cenic.org/
UC Berkeley portal initiatives - no enterprise portal yet, but several exploratory projects underway.
- Haas School of Business - Metadot shareware implementation http://myhaas.berkeley.edu/
http://www.metadot.net/metadot/index.pl - PeopleSoft HR/Enterprise Portal
http://www.peoplesoft.com/corp/en/ent_strat/articles/ent_portal.asp - Cal Alumni Association
http://www.alumni.berkeley.edu/@cal/@cal_info_page.asp - BAI Reporting Portal
http://granite.berkeley.edu/BR_Portal/loginBRP.cfm - UPortal evaluation
http://mis105.mis.udel.edu/ja-sig/uportal/
Strategic planning environment at UC Berkeley
- Not a strong tradition of centralized academic planning
- University of California New Business Architecture 2010
http://www.ucop.edu/irc/nba/ - UC Berkeley campus draft strategic academic plan (2002)
http://spc.vcbf.berkeley.edu/document/SPCWorkingPaper.pdf - e-Berkeley campuswide initiative
http://eberkeley.berkeley.edu/ - Planning for Information Systems & Technology at UC Berkeley
http://ist.berkeley.edu/Vision98/
More about the campuswide e-Berkeley initiative - vision and illustrative funded projects 2001-02
- Chancellor’s video
http://eberkeley.berkeley.edu/images/berdahl.mo - Overview of the nine projects selected for 2001-02 funding
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Nov_Dec2001/news.eberkeley.html - Course webcasting and video archive
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/ - Travel system
- E-Grades
http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Acad/egradeinst.html - Course management system
http://www-slc.uga.berkeley.edu/facultyguide/technology/faq_23.html - Online credit card processing
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Nov_Dec2001/svcs.ccprocess.html - Research protocol system
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Summer2002/svcs.reps.html - Online graduate admissions system including fee payment via credit card
http://bearlink.berkeley.edu/sis/grad.html - System and Network Security Office
http://socrates.berkeley.edu:2002/ - Several departmentally supported projects (e.g. Sure pay, Parking and fines, AirBears wireless, Active directory infrastructure, Books in a box, etc.)
Illustrative Lessons learned
- Support and buy-in from senior levels is an absolute must - get the IT programs aligned with the university mission and goals
- Campuswide IT architecture is a must.
http://istpub.berkeley.edu:4201/bcc/Nov_Dec2001/infr.earch.html - Enterprise system implementations are harder and more expensive to implement, maintain, operate, and upgrade than anyone thought.
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem9943.html - Get the processes fixed before moving to implement IT solutions
- Manage your customization process
- Recognize that ongoing projects require ongoing funding and then do not begin projects if you cannot sustain them
- Under-promise and over-deliver
- More collaboration with peer universities is a must (within the University of California http://www.ucop.edu/irc/jog/, JSTORE, http://www.jstor.org/, JA-SIG http://www.ja-sig.org/, etc.)
- Etc. etc. etc.