The Future of Technology’s Impact on Higher Education

Corporate Headquarters: 5642 North 2nd St. | Rockford, IL 61111 Main 779-423-6890 | www.aptris.com

Higher Education Whitepaper

HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR'S SERVICE MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMATION

rganizations in virtually every industry have been challenged by a perpetual proliferation of new Otechnologies and evolving consumer demands. In

higher education, administrators have had to be exceptionally swift in their management of new services and IT environments, especially given the increasing volumes of enrollments across the nation.

Whereas certain universities might approach novel IT as a challenge, disruption or threat, others are taking a proactive and advantageous view of the technology. The latter, for obvious reasons, will most often yield positive results, while the former can quickly impair the school’s ability to support its student and faculty bodies on the technology level.

Before diving into the ways in which administrators can tackle the unique challenges of IT service management in higher education environments, though, it might be helpful to first understand the impetus for the modern technological revolution. With a well-rounded perspective on pressure points and user expectations, university administrators will be better positioned to efficiently deploy comprehensive service management solutions.

CATALYSTS FOR SERVICE MANAGEMENT DEMAND

here is no denying that necessity is the mother of invention, and certain technologies that have been Tcreated and delivered in the past several years are

further evidence of this idiom. Rising enrollment rates, increased economic turbulence and expanded demand for quality education after high school as a result of the American employment situation presented the higher education administrators with a variety of challenges.

Aside from new technology, administrators and other university leaders must be able attract and retain a greater diversity and higher volume of students than ever before, all on a tight budget.

One study from Aon Hewitt revealed that HR professionals and administrators in universities are charged with findings ways to do more with less. When speaking in broad terms, this is where service management demand finds its clearest catalyst for growth.

The diverse IT needs of a university’s population, including administrative staff, faculty and students, requires the organizations to support different types of entities with varied needs and service level agreements (SLAs). Traditional IT is as antiquated in higher education as any other sector, as needs now involve facilities management, audio and visual service, resource management and project management.

Regardless of what types of majors and degrees a university might offer, students, faculty and administrators expect their chosen schools to be leaders in technology. With flexibility and a little creativity, universities can be successful in these undertakings. So, in all, the expanding need for flexible, diverse, fluid, efficient and affordable IT service management is driving transformation in the higher education sector.

UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITIES

ne study from the PA Consulting Group revealed that student experience is the new competitive Obattleground for higher education. This should

lead administrators to ask the question: What defines a strong student experience?

In terms of technology, experience can be most closely tied to the support of student-selected devices, platforms and software. Additionally, a report from Ed Tech Magazine pointed out that the most competitive educational environments are those that work to personalize the learning process for each student. According to the study, new technologies present the ability to overcome individual challenges on a case-by-case basis through the creation of profiles and customized solutions that yield more consistent “concept mastery.”

Corporate Headquarters: 5642 North 2nd St. | Rockford, IL 61111 Main 779-423-6890 | www.aptris.com2

Corporate Headquarters: 5642 North 2nd St. | Rockford, IL 61111 Main 779-423-6890 | www.aptris.com

Furthermore, the consumerization and proliferation of cloud computing, mobility and new service delivery models are changing the way higher education facilities look at IT. Although not all service management capabilities are associated with technology, students, teachers and other employees are using personal smart phones and tablets more often than ever before. This means that service management programs must cater to a broad range of operating systems, such as iOS, Android and Windows, as well as platform types.

The Ed Tech Magazine report projects the classroom of the future to integrate cloud computing, learning analytics, game-based learning, personalized learning environment, open content and mobile learning, all into one fluid and well-rounded user experience.Higher education executives who want to provide the best experience for administrators, faculty and students must find service management platforms that meet their unique needs and objectives.

FINDING THE RIGHT SERVICE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM TO GAIN LEVERAGE

hile there are a number of aspects that should be factored into the service management Wselection process, administrators must find

cutting-edge platforms that meet the expectations of today's tech-savvy customers.

Service management systems must be progressive in the sense that they are able to keep up with the evolving needs of various user profiles. If service management platforms do not meet the mobile or cloud needs of administrators, students and faculty, colleges may find that their service management capabilities are weaker than what is required to run a functional higher education facility.

Aptris, a leading provider of flexible ITSM that has served the higher education sector for more than a decade, works with colleges and universities across the country to improve processes and enhance service management. From its immense experience in the field, Aptris has learned firsthand that higher education IT organizations must acquire and sustain leverage to

establish a high-tech reputation for the campus.

The Aptris approach to world-class service management includes a combination of higher education experience and leading-edge technologies, the proprietary implementation of methodologies such as Aptris SmartStart Approach to ServiceNow, as well as best practices templates ITIL expertise and practical measures to ensure high returns on investment project deliverables.

Aptris understands that leading technologies and processes are essential, but that the most desirable experiences come from a transcendence of simple high level service provisioning. A comprehensive and integrated approach to ITSM that works from the smallest details to the broadest aspects of the university’s specific administrative needs is what separates a great higher education facility from a leading force in the sector.

Leveraging ServiceNow and other tools, Aptris takes a highly tailored approach to each university to create and sustain a world-class service management process that drives attraction, retention and excellence in higher education.

About Aptris

Aptris brings together more than 15 years experience in process consulting, training and implementation of leading ITSM solutions such as ServiceNow. Aptris helps its 300+ clients raise the bar for world-class Service Management solutions, delivering smarter processes and smarter tools.

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