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