STN-3000.01: Standardizing Information Technology Services (ITS) Internal Systems

STANDARD SUMMARY

Intended Audience: All Information Technology Services (ITS) employees, Procurement, and Contracts
Standard Owner: ITS Senior Leadership

In order to promote efficiency and collaboration within Information Technology Services (ITS), and to help keep costs low for the university, ITS will designate certain systems as the standard way of performing an organization-wide function.

The process for selecting and approving the standard system, or obtaining authorization to use something other than the ITS standard for a particular function, is described in detail in the full document. For the complete standard, click "Full Document" tab at top of page.

The current ITS-wide organizational functions and their standard systems are:

• Training and learning management: Instructure Canvas
• Email: Microsoft 365/Exchange Online
• Communication and collaboration: Microsoft Teams
• Individual file storage: OneDrive for Business
• Department file storage: Sharepoint Online
• Ticketing and service management: Atlassian Jira Service Desk
• Knowledge management: Atlassian Confluence
• Code repository and version control: Git
• Asset inventory: LANSweeper

FULL DOCUMENT

Intended Audience: All Information Technology Services (ITS) employees; Procurement, and Contracts
Standard Owner: ITS Senior Leadership

1. Definitions

ITS Senior Leadership: Vice Provost for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer (VPIT/CIO), Director of Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS), Director of Enterprise Application Services (EAS), Director of Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS), Director of Information Security

ITS Leaders/Managers: Anyone in ITS (including Senior Leadership) who supervises other staff or has lead responsibility for a major functional area of ITS operations:

• Assistant and Associate Directors.
• Managers with direct reports.
• PMO Project Managers, ATUS Software Services Manager, IT Security Manager,
  Digital Media Center (DMC) Manager.

ITS-wide Operational Functions: Services and activities that impact operations across ITS teams, and that collect or generate data that are used for scheduling, prioritization, resource allocation, and other operational planning activities across the ITS organization. ITS-wide operational functions include:

• Incident tracking and response.
• Service requests, records, and billing.
• Task, project, and portfolio management.
• Asset inventory.
• Budgeting and expense tracking.
• Training and professional development tracking and assessment.
• Internal ITS communications.

Standardized System: A common set of technologies and processes, adopted and endorsed by ITS as the official way to conduct a particular ITS-wide operational function in order to promote efficiencies and improve service delivery.

For example, Jira Service Desk is the standardized system for ticket tracking and response. If an ITS department wishes to use a different set of technologies and processes to track tickets, it must do so in a manner that satisfies the conditions of this Standard.

Not all operational functions common to ITS will merit the use of a standardized system. ITS Leaders and Managers reserve the right to select technologies and practices within their areas of responsibility, so long as ITS Senior Leadership has not identified a standardized system to serve that operational function.

RACI: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. A matrix for defining roles, expectations, and authority for assigning and performing tasks.

• Responsible: Those who do the work to complete the task.
• Accountable: The party who ensures the prerequisites of the task are met, delegates the work to those responsible, approves  completion of the task, and is ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion of the task.
• Consulted: Those whose opinions are sought—typically subject matter experts—and with whom there is two-way communication.
• Informed: Those who are updated on progress, often only upon completing the task.

2. Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this standard is to define the process for the adoption of standardized systems across ITS. Using standardized systems will help ITS:

• Adopt practices that are repeatable and scalable, and that lead to predictable outcomes.
• Automate repetitive tasks and eliminate redundant tasks.
• Collect, measure, report, and act on data that is consistent, accurate, relevant, comprehensive, and accessible.
• Reduce costs by eliminating technologies that have redundant functionality and data.
• Promote operational efficiencies and improve service delivery to the university.

3. Scope

This standard applies to all ITS departments and functions.

4. Operating Standards

ITS Senior Leadership will identify and adopt standardized systems for each ITS-wide operational function.

Any ITS Director may authorize the use of an exception to the standard system, after consulting with ITS Senior Leadership, documenting the justification, and clearly identifying what data (if any) will be synchronized between the exception system and the standard system. No ITS team will adopt exceptions to the approved standardized systems without documented approval to do so.

ITS Senior Leadership will periodically review the list of standardized systems and approved exceptions, as part of the ongoing planning and operations of the organization. Any ITS employee may recommend changes in systems to their leadership as part of normal planning and operations.

5. RACI Chart for Adopting Standardized Systems and Approving Exceptions

The chart below defines the responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed parties for tasks related to the selection, adoption, and exception of standardized systems for ITS-wide operational functions.

Change Log