Consolidating Systems for Streamlined IT Operations

As organizations grow and become more sophisticated over time, operational procedures must also evolve to support expanding needs. From repetitive everyday tasks to long-term projects to strategic initiatives, virtually any process or approach is fair game for evaluation in an attempt to achieve greater efficiency. Technology provides a vast array of systems to aid such endeavors, but even the best-laid plans can ultimately lead to diminishing returns.

It’s common to bring in a technology solution to address a certain need. But what happens when multiple systems are put in place—each one focused on a single function? Over time, a collection of disparate technologies, each with a highly specialized purpose, can create cumbersome processes, which was the case at Buffalo State College (BSC).

BSC faced a scenario where three or four different systems were needed to carry out a task. BSC’s Resources for Information, Technology, and Education (RITE) Support Desk had what was even described as “a hodgepodge of systems” to accomplish different things. RITE’s Technology Planning and Outreach Team had the same problem and experienced slowdowns throughout the execution and governance of projects.

With RITE’s overall productivity hindered, the user experience of customers, clients, and stakeholders was being negatively impacted. Multiple systems, each with limitations, slowed the processes involved in providing technology services and getting projects off the ground. Looking for a way to streamline support desk and project management operations, BSC ultimately moved to consolidate the functions of its home-grown system. In doing so, this allowed BSC to migrate ticketing, resource planning, asset tracking, change management, and project management into one unified platform.

Read the case study featuring BSC to get the full story of how they streamlined IT operations with a single platform that provides both IT Service Management and Project Portfolio Management.