Students, faculty, and staff are more reliant on technology than ever before. Simply put, they don’t just want technology to work for them – they fully expect it.
As colleges and universities strive to keep up with a rapidly evolving technological landscape, many are struggling with resource constraints and lack of proper support systems. The focus is now on IT organizational maturity. To support the EdTech Explosion, service management, and project teams need to become nimbler, better equipped, and more transparent.
Are schools ready?
Higher Ed IT departments are struggling with limited resources and the pressure continues to mount with a constant influx of new users (i.e., students, faculty, and staff) expecting a seamless technology experience. However, there is good news for colleges and universities looking for answers—resources can be better optimized by bringing service management and projects together.
Where is your IT department on the maturity model scale? Ad-Hoc with no defined measures? Or maybe you have some process or system in place to control your requests. No matter where you land, there is always room for improvement. Here are the five levels of the maturity model defined:
- Level 1: Ad-Hoc/Discord – No system or processes. The organization is operating with emails and manual processes.
- Level 2: Some Order – Minimal processes for intake and tracking, but not well defined or tracked. Workflows are typically absent, and expectations for service levels are often unmanageable.
- Level 3: Defined Process – Defined system with resource tracking and auditing. There are definite departures from the process. Workflow is integrated into the system, and some level of control exists.
- Level 4: Repeatable – Highly defined system with embedded workflow and resource optimization. Expectations are tightly managed, and there is the ability to manage resources and workloads in real-time.
- Level 5: Optimized – The entire system is calibrated and can adjust as needed. There is an iterative feedback loop that allows for the organization as a whole to adapt to provide optimal service.
Moving Up
As enrollment at colleges and universities increases and demand grows each year, IT departments must put themselves in a position where they can overcome a lack of process and move up in the IT maturity model. But to do all this while also enhancing service delivery, the right tools and technology must be in place.
IT Service Management (ITSM) is a solution capable of helping Higher Ed IT organizations better manage processes and advance to a higher IT maturity level. Modern ITSM solutions offer much more than the ability to generate service tickets. A reliable ITSM platform provides universities and colleges with the tools needed to move up on the maturity scale. For instance, those positioned at Level 1 or 2 can utilize ITSM to create defined workflows, and in turn, improve the efficiency of processes to move up to Level 3.
Efficiency and Optimization
As a Higher Ed institution rises through IT maturity levels, it becomes more efficient in its use of resources and reduces unnecessary costs.
While everyone wants to optimize their procedures and processes, this is not always possible without adding new technology solutions. ITSM gives Higher Ed institutions the platform to optimize systems and resources, ultimately helping meet organizational goals.
To learn more about the IT maturity model and service management, read the complete study on Higher Ed IT maturity.