Strategic Technology Roadmap Houston Community College 2005

Strategic Technology Vision and Road Map 2015: IT Strategic Plan - Living Document -

Houston Community College System Information Technology Department

October 28, 2005 �– Version 1.0

Strategic Technology Road Map 2015

Houston Community College System Final - Version 1.0 Date: 10/28/2005

2

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................9

1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map........................................................................................................................................................ 11

1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map..................................................................................................................................................... 11

1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS.................................................................................................................................................. 12

1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process................................................................................................................................................. 12

1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map ................................................................................................................................................. 14

1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map................................................................................................................................................. 14

2.0 CURRENT SITUATION �– NOW....................................................................................................................................15

2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS................................................................................................................................................................... 15

2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective.............................................................................................................................................. 16

2.1.2 Industry Perspective.................................................................................................................................................................. 17



3

2.1.3 College Perspective .................................................................................................................................................................. 17

2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective...................................................................................................................................................... 18

2.1.5 Competitive Landscape ............................................................................................................................................................ 18

2.2 Organization and Management Processes................................................................................................................................................. 18

2.3 Business Applications ................................................................................................................................................................................. 21

2.4 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

3.0 FUTURE SITUATION �– VISION ...................................................................................................................................25

3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Accommodate Current Programs and Growth .............................................................................. 26

3.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 27

3.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 27

3.4 Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model............................................................................................ 27

3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively ............................................................................................... 28

3.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime....................................................................................... 28



4

4.0 SOLUTION PLAN �– TIMELINE ....................................................................................................................................29

4.1 Short-Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08 �“Back to Basics�” ................................................................................................................................... 29

4.2 Medium-Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11 .......................................................................................................................................................... 30

4.3 Long-Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14 ............................................................................................................................................................... 31

5.0 SOLUTION PLAN �– SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................32

5.1 Portal Technology ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

5.2 Network Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

5.3 What is a Portal ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

5.4 Portal Architecture....................................................................................................................................................................................... 34

5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal............................................................................................................................................... 34

6.0 SOLUTION PLAN �– STRATEGIES & INITIATIVES TO DELIVER...............................................................................37

6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure for Growth .......................................................................................................................... 37

6.1.1 Strategy Overview..................................................................................................................................................................... 37



5

6.1.2 Future Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 37

6.1.3 Initiatives to Deliver................................................................................................................................................................... 38

6.1.3.1 Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks ............................................................................................... 38

6.1.3.2 Develop an Architecture Refresh and Upgrade Strategy Including Capacity Planning ............................................ 38

6.1.3.3 Enhance Communications and Collaboration Services............................................................................................ 39

6.1.3.4 Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP and Network Convergence.............................................................. 39

6.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments............................................................................................................................................... 40


6.2.2 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 40

6.2.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise .............................................................................................................................................. 41


6.2.4.1 Create and Implement Enterprise IT Planning Group............................................................................................... 42

6.2.4.2 Formalize and Implement Business Technology Workgroups.................................................................................. 42



6

6.2.4.3 Investigate Potential Outsourcing Alternatives ......................................................................................................... 44

6.3 Lead and Support Business Process Improvement.................................................................................................................................... 45





6.3.4.1 Develop Enterprise Portal Strategy to Leverage Technology to Automate Manual Processes................................ 47

6.3.4.2 Implement Project Management Office..................................................................................................................... 47

6.3.4.3 Initiate Enterprise Process Reengineering of High Payback Areas.......................................................................... 48

6.4 Transform Organization Structure to Internal Service Company Model ..................................................................................................... 50






7


6.4.4.1 Reconfigure Applications Development Group......................................................................................................... 52

6.4.4.2 Develop Contingent Staffing Plan............................................................................................................................. 53

6.4.4.3 Consolidate College and Administrative Technicians into Services Unit.................................................................. 53

6.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively............................................................................................... 54





6.5.4.1 Conduct IT Skills Review and Assessment............................................................................................................... 55

6.5.4.2 Implement Project Management Certification Program............................................................................................ 55

6.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime....................................................................................... 56




8




6.6.4.1 Identify Management and Managed Network (Active Directory) .............................................................................. 58

6.6.4.2 Implement Comphrehensive Disaster Recovery ...................................................................................................... 58


Executive Summary Seventy-five percent of Houston Community College executives

agree that HCCS has a strong strategic plan in place, according to

surveys conducted between October 2004 and January 2005.

Conversely, just 17% agree that people at all levels understand their

role in implementing the strategic plan. In a similar survey, "82% of

Fortune 500 CEO's surveyed indicated that they feel their

organization did an effective job of strategic planning. However, only

14% of the same CEO's indicated that their organization did an

effective job of implementing the strategy" according to Forbes. The

common theme and the challenge for all organizations is execution.

Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015 lays the ground

work to help HCCS information technology execute better and deliver

value. Through the vision of the Chancellor, an integral part of HCC

transformation strategy is to Improving IT, which is one of the eleven

(11) strategies set forth by the Chancellor.1 To advance these

strategies, we have identified six (6) core objectives that are relevant

and can provide a return on investment to the institution:


9

1 (1) Completion of the Capital Improvement Plan, (2) Annexation, (3) Improving Financial Aid, (4) Enhancing Learning Support, (5) Tracking Student Progress, (6) Emphasizing Retention, (7) Implementing Clusters, (8) Improving our Capital Campaign, (9) Strengthening Recruitment, (10) Improving IT, and (11) Colleges to Standards

1. Reinvigorate the Network Infrastructure to Accommodate

Current Programs and Future Growth

2. Lead and Support Continuous Business Process

Improvement

3. Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service

Company (ISCo) Model

4. Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services

Anywhere, Anytime

5. Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly

and Effectively

6. Maximize Value of Technology Investments

Urgency of the Technology Road Map: Competition & Accountability

Competitors are making a concentrated effort to recruit new students

by providing an attractive alternative to HCCS. They are doing this

through aggressive marketing, simplified business processes

enabled by technology and creating technology capabilities that

students want.



10

The Houston Community College System Information Technology

Department exists to support the information technology needs of the

student, faculty and administrators. Unprecedented complexity

combined with funding a dynamic environment for new and

competing ideas, demands a fresh approach to HCCS�’ core business

processes, the structure of information technology services and a

critical look at IT�’s ability to execute. Thus, the road map will help

create an atmosphere where information technology professionals

create value as business problem solvers working side-by-side with

faculty and administrators to identify, prioritize and execute the right

things at the right time in the right way for the right cost. By doing so,

HCCS will be able to:

Manage growth and complexity (e.g. collaboration to

support CIP)

Control costs (e.g. establishing an enterprise business and

technical architecture that is the foundation for the future to

work across the enterprise and in an integrated way)

Improve the work culture and service delivery capabilities

of IT professionals (e.g. capitalize on system-wide IT

knowledge and capabilities)

Implement best business practices that are repeatable

(e.g. project management disciplines and technology

development maturity by improving IT capabilities)

Strategic Network Consulting (SNC) was hired to assist the Houston

Community College System (HCCS), to guide the implementation of

IT Governance and strategic planning. An integral component of IT

Governance is a strategic technology business plan or road map that

serves as a guide and a point of reference from which the System

makes decisions about technology investments and the role of

technology at HCCS. Without a plan, governance processes

become nothing more than a battle of individual interests rather than

a focused approach to build capabilities that allow HCCS to be more

competitive. The initial points of the recommendation by SNC

included the following:

Strategic Alignment �– Aligning all the current and future IT

products and services with the System vision and needs.

Value Delivery �– Concentrating on improving

revenue/expenses while providing valuable IT products

and services for the organization.

Risk Management �– The current practice for safeguarding

IT assets, disaster recovery and continuity planning for the

business units.


Resource Management �– Utilizing people, knowledge and

technical infrastructure fully to obtain the value of existing

resources.

Performance Measurement �– The tracking, monitoring and

measuring of IT products and services.

As a result, SNC suggested that rather than outsourcing or pursuing

other alternatives, that IT Governance was the appropriate path for

HCCS. To be sure, IT Governance is the responsibility of the board

of directors and executive management. IT Governance is an

integral part of enterprise governance and consists of the leadership

and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the IT

department helps build capabilities that help extend the strategies

and objectives of the organization.

1.1 Purpose of the Technology Road Map The purpose of this technology road map is several fold and benefits

HCCS in the following ways:


11

Provides transparency into IT so users know and

understand existing constraints, the direction of the IT

organization and the long-term vision for technology;

Advances the System towards the elusive goal of

business-technology alignment;

Identifies gaps and weaknesses that the System may

experience to transform and deliver much needed

strategic capabilities to remain competitive; and

Presents broad brush stroke of timelines for technology

investments over time through 2015; IT leadership

recognizes that technology evolves rapidly and cost

estimates are subject to dramatic price shifts.

1.2 Audience for the Technology Road Map The intended audience for the Technology Roadmap includes the

Board of Trustees and Chancellor, our students, Vice Chancellors,

College Presidents, faculty members department heads, department

employees, campus IT instructional leaders, and educational

partners with whom HCCS is collaborating to establish new

programs.


1.3 How to Use the Technology Road Map The strategic technology road map is designed to illustrate a game

plan that shows a pathway to strengthen HCCS capabilities and

competitiveness while helping to build new ones that may not exist

today. Readers should use the road map as a guiding document to

help galvanize and build consensus around business priorities to

improve resource allocation and help establish the most effective

funding options. As such, this is a dynamic document that should

evolve and change over time to reflect updates in thinking as well as

new realities that the organization will face.

1.4 Three Core Business Problems for HCCS To achieve a modicum of success, IT departments need to focus and

establish boundaries within this focus, while also being flexible to

changing needs. Based on the work performed up to this point, we

have narrowed the focus to three core business problems as shown

in the graphic below.


12

The IT group in an open forum discussed these core problems to

kick-off the 2005-06 fiscal year in September 2005. This is important

because the focus of what IT staff works on is fragmented today.

This fragmentation leads to many projects and activities that start but

few that the group completes. Based on recent technology failures,

poorly performing IT projects along with the poor system

performance during the 2005 fall enrollment, we believe these issues

represent the most pressing and strategic business problems for

HCCS. Thus, the Strategic Technology Road Map is geared towards

addressing these problems by identifying technology opportunities

that improves these problems head-on.

1.5 Technology Planning Approach & Process October 2004 was the launch of the IT Governance Implementation

project. Executive and administrator intelligence data gathering took

place from October 2004 through February 2005; a single individual

led and delivered the entire IT Governance and strategic planning

outcomes for the System. IT staff participated in an employee survey

in December 2004. During the project start-up period, we learned

that previous attempts at IT strategic planning did not involve IT staff

and did not obtain in-depth business input. Prior IT planning

exercises were largely an effort to �“link�” technology projects with

strategic planning efforts in hopes of showing alignment to various

DecliningEnrollment

1

Difficult withWhich to Do

Business

2

LimitedCapital

3

DecliningEnrollment

1

DecliningEnrollment

1


Business

2


Business

2

LimitedCapital

3

LimitedCapital

3


strategies promulgated by the Chancellor. This approach might be

sufficient when there is a high degree of credibility and trust between

the IT department and user groups. This is not the case today.

Therefore, much of the IT efforts to establish IT governance and

develop a strategic plan focused on building credibility, and

consensus building, which often-times does not fit neatly into the

project plan. As part of IT�’s alignment efforts the following activities

also took place:

Strategic Alignment Summit, April 2005

IT Leadership Strategic Planning, August 2005

IT Governance & Investment Council Charter approved by

Chancellor, Dr. Bruce Leslie, August 2005

Developed �“brown-paper�” strategic planning map with IT

staff, and IDCs using 10 year outlook August through

September 2005.

Conduct small group sessions with IT functional areas

October 2005

Building confidence that IT can deliver becomes even more

problematic since the IT organization is without a permanent IT

executive.

Brown-Paper Planning Map 2005 thru 2015

To address this leadership void, and help guide the planning and

governance effort, five core principles were applied throughout this

project:

IT Governance and Planning Principles for HCCS:

Governance mechanisms should reflect prevailing culture

Focus on shared accountability for results and shared

responsibility for implementation

Full participation by business management and leadership

Governance processes must be practical and actionable

Complete senior management buy-in and sponsorship


13



14

1.6 Contributors to the Technology Road Map The following individuals and groups have played an integral role in

shaping the Strategic Technology Road Map 2015, because of their

energy and passion to contribute to HCCS long-term success.

Dr. Bruce Leslie, Chancellor and Sponsor of IT Governance Project Irene Porcarello, Vice Chancellor of Student Success and Sponsor IT Governance & Investment Council Members: Bill Meyer, IT Interim Director, Chair Becky Giot, Executive Director Finance Michael Edwards, Faculty Senate President 2004-05 David Wilcox, Faculty Senate President 2005-06 Beverly Walker-Griffea, Dean of Student Services �– Central Joanne Lin, Dean �– Southeast Charles Hebert, Assoc. VC �– System Madeline Burillo, Continuing Education - System Butch Herod, Dean �– Northwest Norma Perez, Dean �– Health Sciences Larry Mers, Director �– Southwest Linda Comte, IDC �– Northeast

Sandra Lebron, IDC �– Southeast Daler Wade, Director �– Human Resources Sheila Briones, Communications �– System Stephen Levey, Executive Director Distance Education Patti Carlton, HCC Foundation �– System Judy Cantwell, Public Service Librarian �– Southeast Stephen Levey, Executive Director, Distance Education IT Department Groups: Infrastructure Services & Support Applications Development Telecommunications Enterprise Services Individual Colleges College Presidents Instructional Design Coordinators

1.7 Organization of the Technology Road Map The IT Road Map represents the de facto plan for the IT Department

at HCCS. This plan is designed to encompass the current three

goals and eleven (11) strategies, but is also forward-looking in the

design and organization to accommodate changing goals and

strategies of the institution. In other words, the path IT is on will

remain consistent for the next five (5) years. The strategic

technology road map is organization in the following way:

2.0 Current Situation

3.0 Future Situation - Vision

4.0 Solution Plan �– Timeline

5.0 Solution Plan - Summary

6.0 Solution Plan Details

1. Strategy Overview

2. Current Situation

3. Objectives & Value to Enterprise

4. Initiatives to Delivery



15

2.0 Current Situation �– Now The IT Department is at a severe cross roads that will require

important decisions of potentially large investments in technology

combined with sweeping organizational change that will have far

reaching impact. This section provides in detail, the current situation

of the technology environment at HCCS:

Competitive Situation for IT at HCCS

Organization and Management Processes

Business Applications

Network Infrastructure

2.1 Competitive Situation at HCCS Within the central IT department at 3100 Main, and IT activities at the

colleges, IT is viewed and treated as a support function and thus IT

operates in support mode as shown in the graphic to the right.

However, according to senior executives across the System and tech

savvy students, IT should deliver services and operate in a strategic

mode as the graphic depicts. However, the road to becoming a

strategic powerhouse requires a major turnaround for the institution

and in particular the IT function. This is essential because doing so

will build the needed �“muscle�” within IT with the investments that the



16

infrastructure requires and improving how the group organizes,

plans, delivers services and new business capabilities that

accelerate growth. Below, we outline the perspectives and input of

what an organization needs from a viable technology organization

from five competitive views:

Senior Management Perspective

Industry Perspective

HCCS - College Perspective

HCCS - Internal IT Staff Perspective

Competitive Landscape

2.1.1 Senior Management Perspective Below is a summary of the perspective from the highest levels of

executive management at HCCS, when asked how the organization

should execute its business in ten years and do so without failure:

Have every conceivable interaction online for students;

make their experience transparent and enjoyable whether

in-person or online.

Provide everything on the Web: For example: Implement

installment contract online for student approval: today,

students do this manually. Competitors have this

capability today.

Allow �‘dual-credit�’ students to pay online. Basic customer

service issues and ease of doing business; today, HCC

has 1,300 out of district dual credit students.

Automate Financial Aid: nothing is electronic; students get

their check 6-8 weeks after the semester starts.

Competing institutions allow the student to get their check

the next day.

Students should be in learning communities with

instructors playing a more substantial role in facilitating

rather than being a �“sage on stage�”.

Technology should play an important role regardless of

location regardless of the city, state or country

Need business intelligence capabilities; there is lack of

ability to access meaningful information from core systems

and difficult to report accurate information.

Have a vision with each classroom being completely wired

in the new facilities



17

2.1.2 Industry Perspective To compound the need for a higher performing IT organization, the

higher education industry provides a set of clear challenges that will

continue to hinder HCCS�’ competitive stance if IT is not strengthened

and overall skills upgraded. The Ten IT Challenges for the Next 10

Years include:

1. Collaboration: Seeking tools that

are easy to use

2. Wireless Networks: Looking for

reliability and pervasiveness

3. Managing Bandwidth: Packet

shapers controlling the flow

4. Distance Education: Keeping up

with exploding demand

5. Fund Raising: Managing Data is a

key task

6. Big Systems: Living with Fewer

Customizations

7. Course Management: Colleges

push for an open approach

8. Security: Threats will get worse

9. Digital Archiving: Ensuring storage

space and access

10. Intellectual Property: Digital

copyright law is ripe for revision

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, January

30, 2004

2.1.3 College Perspective Based on hands-on experiences at the colleges, new learning

technologies and methods of distribution have not been successful at

the colleges due to the current network infrastructure. Specifically,

the Instructional Design Coordinators (IDCs) paint a compelling

picture that shows how the industry challenges cited above are

haunting HCCS today and prevent them from doing business in a

mode that is preferred by today�’s student.

Video Streaming: the bandwidth issue still plagues all

video streaming protocols as well as video downloads.

Instructors can never be sure whether students are going

to be able to access video material on our servers because

of bandwidth restrictions or because some campuses have

a much smaller "pipe" than others.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP): FTP is commonly used to

manage and transmit large files for classroom projects

most notably computer science. Frustrating delays and

service outages caused by lack of bandwidth are common.

WebCT - Whiteboard - Chat: Distance education and

hybrid class students have a difficult time using these tools

simultaneously at some campuses due to bandwidth

restrictions, especially during peak periods, and they are

often nearly unusable for students attempting to work from

outside the LAN.

Horizon Live: This software package is optimized for online

delivery of instruction. It works fairly well, but often there

are delays and interrupted service, especially when

application sharing and video presentations are in use.

Sometimes the connection from one campus will lag far

behind that of another campus, causing confusion and

frustration among students.



18

Classroom to Classroom Collaboration: Collaboration in

teaching, with two or more classrooms working under the

instruction of one or more professors but able to

communicate in real time, has been tried several times and

consistently fails. The reason is usually lack of quality and

lack of reliability due to the inability of the HCCS network

to sustain video and audio links.

Real-Time Connections to Super Computer Centers:

Running calculations and programs by directly linking to

supercomputing centers is possible, and some schools,

even some high schools, do it routinely. When the colleges

have tried, the limitation of the existing bandwidth prevents

direct connections, so the program or activity is queued to

run overnight rather than in real-time.

2.1.4 Internal IT Staff Perspective Further, according to the IT Staff Survey, conducted in December

2004, there is even greater cause for immediate change as outlined

in the key findings shown below:

IT Priority Misalignment and Poor Execution

Increased Use of Outside Technology Vendors

Project Missteps and Minimal Accountability

Unprepared Team Members

Extreme Priority Stress

Fear, Uncertain and Instability Due to Concerns of Outsourcing

Inertia and Low Morale

Missing or Weak Project Sponsorship

Lack of Clarity on How to Focus Limited Resources (financial and people)

2.1.5 Competitive Landscape Business Threats

Competitors are Getting Stronger,

more Agile and Listening to

Students

HCCS is Not the Only Game in

Town�—Students Have Options

Continued Management

Uncertainty in IT

Increasingly Poor Public Image�—

Losing Stature

Approach to Decision Making and

Political Agendas Protract Taking

Action

Retention and Recruitment of

Talent

Brain Drain for Opportunities

Source: IT Strategic Planning Summit, SWOT

Analysis Conducted April 22, 2005

Technology Opportunities

Leverage Internal Knowledge and

Skills

Create Human Capital

Management Strategy

Get Active with External

Relationships and Expand Existing

Relationships (e.g. Time Warner,

Gulf Coast Consortium, GHP)

Renovate Broken Processes

Develop Higher Quality Internal

Communication

and Collaboration

Improve Service Level

Performance Internally

Implement Project Management

Office

2.2 Organization and Management Processes The current organization structure for IT at HCCS does not serve the

dynamic needs of today�’s learner and administrative consumer of



19

technology in the most effective way. Across the System, differing

approaches are in use to perform common business processes. As

a result, HCCS experiences and will continue to experience,

inconsistent service delivery at the colleges (e.g. registration,

marketing, etc); the complexity will increase exponentially as new

buildings come online over the next 18-36 months as the Capital

Improvement Plan (CIP) unfolds.

To illustrate, what should be a common technical capability that

virtually all corporate learners and many students expect today is

wireless access to the Internet. Today, one can access the Internet

wirelessly at the Town & Country campus and at the Southwest

campus. To do so at Town & Country, the user must first have their

laptop configured by the network administrator at the campus; this

means the user has to take their machine to technical support for the

computer to be configured to access the Internet wirelessly. By

contrast, when visiting the Southwest campus, the user is not

required to have their laptop configured to access the Internet; the

user can access the Internet and roam freely with no restrictions.

To be sure, there is not a high degree of coordination amongst the

colleges to standardize or to create consistent approaches for the

delivery of basic services such as accessing the Internet wirelessly.

There is likely a financial cost savings if the disparate modes of

operation were more consistent and truly standards based. In

another example, each of the colleges except for Northeast College

has implemented Active Directory. Active Directory allows system

administrators to monitor user behaviors, provide authentication to

enhance HCCS�’ overall security and management of network

devices (e.g. printers, PDAs) and resources (e.g. software

distribution and distribution of patch updates, etc). Each instance of

Active Directory is different in terms of scope, naming conventions in

use and operating systems (e.g. both Windows 2000 in use and

Windows 2003).

Another illustration reveals that the service model in use to provide

PC technical support does not provide the most responsive and

helpful approach to end-users. The current technical support model

distinguishes between administrative IT technicians and college IT

technicians. For example, if an administrator at a college

experiences a technical problem, and the college technician is

available to resolve they are not allowed to trouble shoot the

administrators PC. The administrator must wait for an administrative

IT technician to arrive to resolve the problem. This is a typical model

for technical support in higher education. However, there is a

notable trend away from these divisions of labor in favor of providing

more collaborative, team-oriented support.


Arguably, the most critical aspect of a successful IT function is

people. The current processes for development, mentoring, role and

skills alignment and compensation reveal an IT department that has

structural as well as cultural impediments to achieving greatness.

For example, salary increases tend to be equitable adjustments that

reflect across the board increases; increases typically do not reflect

an individual�’s performance or contributions to the success of HCCS.

The data from the IT staff survey also shows concern about the lack

of willingness to share bad news with managers or information that is

not favorable involving a project.

To support these feelings, the graphic to the right reveals that 60%

responded with Not at All and 22% responded with occasionally

when asked if they believe that �“people receive promotions based on

merit and performance instead of favoritism or politics.�”


20

Overall, the need to take a proactive stance to improve human

resource practices within IT will become more prominent as baby

boomers choose retirement from now through 2015. This will also

impact outsourcing providers as well who could face staffing

shortages of qualified technical staff, which could potentially make

outsourcing certain functions cost prohibitive if talent is difficult to

identify and recruit successfully. What�’s more, the current

operational success of many critical IT systems, in general, rests on

the shoulders of individual heroics from a few key individuals. This

can be attributed to, in part, to a non-existent �“bench�” of back-up staff


or protégés on which to rely. In summary, the overall People

Capability Maturity in the graphic below reflects the IT department�’s

current practices and behaviors that would support a Level 1

maturity.


21

2.3 Business Applications Business applications are technologies that enable faculty members,

and administrators to perform their respective duties and allow

students and vendors to conduct transactions successfully. HCCS

employs an application development group that is organized around

the functional modules that comprise the PeopleSoft system. The

functional modules in use at HCCS include:

Student Administration

Finance

Human Resources

The applications development group operates predominantly�—almost

100% in a support mode today. On project related opportunities, the

group continues to operate in functional silos and thus tends to have

a myopic view of the applications rather than a holistic view of how to

work across the applications to better integrate data and develop

new business capabilities.

IT is here today.

The applications development group works on building new business

capabilities or functionality based department-driven interests, which

tends to exacerbate the silo-based approach; the group tends to not

plan for and implement horizontally or across these silos. This is the

crux of the challenge for the application development function at

HCCS to improve the ability to meet the needs of business users and

students successfully.


To illustrate, providing �“self-service�” functionality to users is a

capability that most technology users expect instead of manual

processes. Self-service functions exist for students to register and to

complete financial aid forms; internally, however, the same cannot be

said for an employee who wants to change their W2�— this remains a

manual activity. Further analysis reveals that vendors do not enjoy

a complete digital experience that is self-service, during the

procurement process when doing business with HCCS.

Procurement processes today remain manual and paper driven

events rather than high performance e-commerce experiences that

make HCCS easy with which to conduct business. Activities from

document management and distribution to processing transactions

such as invoicing and payments continue to be manual exercises.


22

In another illustration, the database design for how data is captured

and organized varies greatly between the core modules within

PeopleSoft and does not allow for simple integration between

modules. In other words, IT support is virtually always required to

assist departments with creating reports to assist executives with

decision-making.

The graphic to the right depicts the educational value-chain. The

strategic difficulty that HCCS experiences is with determining the

most important priorities within and across the value chain. Rather

than a unified front, IT group priorities tend to be random based on

what is important to a particular department or individual. The upside

is that with IT Governance slowly taking hold, there will be a greater

focus on initiatives that provide the greatest financial return on

investment and help improve our attractiveness to students and

corporate customers. To be sure, this is where the proverbial bets

are placed and careers are made in terms of which technology

direction accelerates performance or does not.

By contrast, if the selected priorities do not provide the return on

investment in the business case that was presented to senior


management, career disaster can be the result, assuming there is

accountability for the outcomes.

2.4 Network Infrastructure The technology infrastructure is the defacto backbone of HCCS

ability to create new learning opportunities rapidly, satisfy the

explosive growth of distance education and fulfill student and

administrator needs for mobile computing and much more. Today,

the network infrastructure at HCCS does not provide the level of

reliability, capacity, security, and stability to meet the increasingly

demanding expectations of Generation Y and corporate learners. To

ensure there is an understanding of what we mean by technology

infrastructure, we outline the areas that comprise the technical

infrastructure based on the organization of the Infrastructure &

Systems Support (ISS) group, which includes:


23

Network Management and Monitoring

Storage

Desktop Systems

Disaster & Continuity Planning

Mobile and Wireless Computing

Security

Website Development and Management

Support Services (e.g. help desk)

Telecommunications

The various modes of communicating as shown in the graphic below

reflect the need for an infrastructure that is always on, always

available and virtually always safe. The future is now in terms of

these expectations. In fact, with the explosive growth of distance

education programs, success or failure can often be attributed to the

�“network infrastructure.�” Simply put, the various components and

overall architecture that comprise the HCC network are not up to the

task to meet the demands that are being placed on the network,

today.


For example, 38% of the existing switches in use are greater than

five years and should be replaced in order to deliver on a higher

bandwidth network. The need to replace this becomes even more

urgent with the construction of new facilities and building upgrades to

existing structures. This is important because these older switches

do not accommodate higher bandwidth applications and do not

possess the security features that a far flung college operation

requires. The age of the hardware is important for two reasons: 1)

end of life, which means no further support by the vendor and 2)

does not support Quality of Service (QoS). QoS would enable HCCS

to provide better service through directing network traffic more

effectively. This is done by either raising the priority of traffic flow

over the network or limiting the priority of another flow. Without this

ability, it becomes competitive suicide as HCCS is simply unable to

provide the services described previously.

Thirty-Two Trends Affecting Distance Education

To sharpen the focus even more on the current situation of the

HCCS technology infrastructure, we identified 32 trends that impact

distance education. We present a relevant sample of these trends:

Current higher education

infrastructure cannot

accommodate the growing college-

aged population and enrollments,

making more distance education

programs necessary.

Students are shopping for

courses that meet their

schedules and circumstances.

The percentage of adult, female,

and minority learners is

increasing

Higher-education learner profiles,

including online, information-age,

and adult learners, are changing

Academic emphasis is shifting

from course-completion to

competency

Knowledge and information are

growing exponentially.

There is a shift in organizational

structure toward decentralization.

Faculty tenure is being

challenged, allowing for more

non-traditional faculty roles in

distance education.

Education is becoming more

seamless between high school,

college, and further studies.

Instruction is becoming more

learner-centered, non-linear,

and self-directed.

Technological fluency is becoming

a graduation requirement.

More courses, degrees, and

universities are becoming

available through distance-

education programs.

Need for effective course-

management systems are

growing.

Technological devices are

becoming more versatile and

ubiquitous.

Lifelong learning is becoming a

competitive necessity.

The distinction between

distance and local education is

disappearing.

Source: Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, Volume VI, Number III, Fall 2003

The impact to HCCS triggers an important strategic decision for the

System. Expand the capabilities of the network infrastructure now, or

jeopardize the dramatic enrollment gains experienced in distance

education at HCCS and potentially hurt the increase of offline or

classroom students, which is the core business of HCCS.


24


3.0 Future Situation �– Vision

In contrast to the current situation, the pathway IT should pursue will

push the envelope and promote a level of creativity and imagination

that prospective students and faculty members expect from a

progressive thinking and behaving institution of higher education.

Our starting point stems from the vision established by the IT group:


25

The vision connects squarely with the Chancellor�’s transformation

model and thinking, which includes the three goals of:

Focus on Learning and Student Support

Community Building

Organizational Stewardship

If viewed in the appropriate context, as a guide to greatness, this

road map possesses the flexibility to endure future changes in the

institutions goals and strategic focus. We believe that the six

strategies we outline below facilitate the advancement of the 11

strategies or provide the enabling tools and information to make high

quality decisions that the administration and Board of Trustees can

rely. HCCS can realize a future state by adopting the six broad

strategies outlined below:

1. Reinvigorate the Network

Infrastructure to Accommodate

Current Programs and Future

Growth

2. Lead and Support Continuous

Business Process Improvement

3. Transform Organizational Model

to Internal Service Company

Model

4. Provide Access to

Educational Opportunities

and Services Anywhere,

Anytime

5. Develop Human Capital

Strategy that Builds Skills

Quickly and Effectively

6. Maximize Value of

Technology Investments Reviewed and Accepted by P.G.A.L. Program Managers of Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), September 2005



26

To advance toward the vision successfully requires keen focus.

Thus, the approach to fulfilling the IT strategy emphasizes �“back to

basics�” as the focal point for implementing the technology road map.

Moreover, since the organization is applying a long-term view with an

eye towards 2015, it is vital to make crisp, well thought decisions

through careful analysis with available data at the time, while not

second-guessing decisions down the road, because technology will

evolve�—something better always comes along. They key to the

future for HCCS is to plan for adaptability in our people, processes

and technology. The technology plan we put forth accomplishes this.

3.1 Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure to Accommodate Current Academic Programs and Facility Growth

The core mission to reinvigorate HCCS�’ network infrastructure is to

empower boundary less opportunities for programmatic growth,

student accessibility, mobility, reliability and security. Thus, the

initiatives that drive this strategy provides a pathway to meet and

exceed the needs of all stakeholders.

Providing a reliable, secure, adaptable, scalable, and fault-tolerant

data communications network has become fundamental in higher

education. Higher education�’s access to network services and

information assets�—whether they support core missions of research

and teaching or business administration are increasingly central to

enhancing reputation, competitiveness, client satisfaction, business

performance, revenue and accountability.2 In fact, institutions that

report a higher quality network infrastructure have in common the

following best practices:

Consider the network to a strategic resource

Have a primary network goal of providing leading-edge

performance and services

Do not consider inadequate funding to be a barrier to the

delivery of networking services

Have formal, comprehensive policies and procedures that

cover networking issues; enforce those policies and

update them regularly

Provide more redundancy measures for the central

network

Have a disaster recovery plan for the institutions�’ data-

networking capabilities3

2 Educause, Information Technology Networking in Higher Education Campus Commodity and Competitive Differentiator, February 2005. 3 Ibid. p2



27

3.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments

The key for this strategy is to leverage information technology by

requiring a common IT oversight capability, or governance, that

ensures equal and proper involvement of all areas of the System in

IT investment decision making and value determination. Because IT

is a service provider, continual feedback from our stakeholders

concerning direction and performance is critical to success. IT

should aggressively pursue putting in place appropriate controls and

oversight for the planning, acquisition and deployment of information

technology; this also applies to the colleges spending patterns. This

is a critical step to ensure maximum value is received from each IT

investment.

3.3 Lead and Support Continuous Business

Process Improvement

The focal point of this strategy is to improve how HCCS executes in

all client-facing interactions in both internal administrative processes

and external-facing business processes that shape the total

customer experience for students, vendors, corporate partners and

community members. There are initiatives in progress or on the

drawing board to improvement process performance. We believe,

however, that HCCS will have to adopt a more comprehensive

strategy to drive continuous process improvement and eliminate

financial waste. Technology can certainly help accelerate

improvements, but to achieve lasting success, broad and deep

organizational change is required.

3.4 Transform Organizational Model to Internal Service Company (ISCo) Model

The central point of this strategy is to provide a practical approach to

deliver IT services that are comparable to an outsourcing provider of

IT services. Outsourcing IT is a popular topic of discussion for many

leaders and organizations have varying levels of success. Before

HCCS considers such a dramatic move, there should be a firm grasp

on what contributes to the success of an outsourcing agreement.

Therefore, by transforming the current model of IT would provide

greater insight into the types of services and levels of performance

that senior management should expect in addition to which areas are

best suited for this approach. Internal service provider IT groups can

improve credibility and largely shape their destinies by adopting a

competitive service delivery model. This requires:


An external focus on the customer, with all that implies in

terms of identifying customer needs and meeting them with

a sound, competency-based service portfolio

The development of business and financial management

capabilities

Sensitivity to the behaviors brought on by organizational

change and the ability to manage them

Political sophistication4

3.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively

The core of this strategy is to develop a comprehensive approach to

workforce management that ensures IT has the right skills at the right

time and by having the right people in the right jobs. To support this,

there is a systematic need for real-time development and training

opportunities.


28

4 Gartner Research, Running IS Like a Business: Introducing the ISCo Model, January 2003.

3.6 Provide Access to Educational Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime

The central theme for this strategy is mobility and availability. Simply

put, be open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week for

students, faculty members, vendors and administrators or slowly

watch enrollment decline even more. Currently, HCCS does not

have a 24x7 uptime policy for the main domain www.hccs.edu.

There are times when the site is unavailable, and typically for various

maintenance tasks. As the system, students and the community

become more dependent on IT capabilities, a 24x7 policy must

become a standard for HCCS.5

5 Website System Architecture, Prepared by eSiteful Corporation September 3, 2003

http://www.hccs.edu/


4.0 Solution Plan �– Timeline

4.1 Short Term 2005-06 thru 2007-08


29


4.2 Medium Term 2008-09 thru 2010-11


30


4.3 Long Term 2011-12 thru 2013-14


31



32

5.0 Solution Plan �– Summary

We have discussed and examined the existing challenges and gaps

to meet those challenges above. Now, we present the solution plan

to meet the existing and future business needs of HCCS. This

Solution Plan ties together the six core strategies by setting a

technological and business direction to guide the organization that

centers on two core areas: portal technology and a high performance

network infrastructure.

5.1 Portal Technology Our solution plan centers on simple concepts that we see today

when we logon to Yahoo, MSN, or commercial portals. The thought

process that drives the need for a portal solution is based on

feedback and current initiatives that are either in progress or being

contemplated. In short, the portal is the galvanizing force to provide

the types of capabilities that technology users want and expect.

5.2 Network Infrastructure To unleash the powerful ideas for what to do with our technology

dollars requires a strong network infrastructure that is reliable,

available, robust and always on. Thus, the portal only works if there

is a high powered network to meet the diverse needs of faculty,

administrators and students simultaneously. Conversely, the

network infrastructure is of value if there is an easy to use interface

with relevant applications that are accessible from anywhere,

anytime and on any device that allows people to have it their way.

5.3 What is a Portal? A portal is a Web site or conglomeration of Web sites that offers a

single point of access or gateway to an organization�’s content,

services, applications, communication tools, virtual communities and

more. Based on this definition, HCCS has a number of major portal

sites from which students access the System. Below, we provide the

types of services and functionality students, faculty and alumni want

and expect from a portal.

Communication of Events and Activities (to device of

choice and alerts)

Customizable for Personalized Views

Video Clips of Board Meetings

Giving History for Donors

Find Old Classmates

Video of Facilities and Faculty for Prospective Students

Ability to Instant Message Classmates

View Payroll Information (e.g. pay stubs)

Change W2, marital status, add/change beneficiaries


Send E-Mail

Single User ID and Login from Anywhere

Ability to use wireless web on phone or PDA

Course updates and unique learning events

Executive blogs for quick communications to staff about

conferences and events attended.

Vendor registration and monitoring of RFP process,

electronic payments, track payment status, view invoice

history

Billing and financial aid account management

Schedule events or meeting space at HCCS facilities

Even more interesting and exciting is how much the organization is

intuitively focusing on already; the project roadmap has simply not

been framed to expand portal capabilities, but rather, what we see is

a focus on individual or departmental project requests. To illustrate,

the existing project list6 in the Finance area include various �“pieces�”

of what would exist in a total portal experience. Collectively these

projects would provide self-service capabilities for both students and

for vendors that do business with HCCS. To be sure, this direction of


33

6 a) Student eCard Project, b) Process Open Purchase Orders c) Contract Entry via PS Purchasing System d) Requisition Workflow

enterprise portals in higher education is not new. This is, however,

new for HCCS and provides the type of experience students, faculty

and administrators expect. Since portal technology has matured and

stabilized, virtually all higher education institutions including our

stiffest competition are moving in the direction of building enterprise

portals or already have a portal in full operation. The key reasons to

develop a portal include:

Speed to Market to Drive New Programs

Ability to Grow and Adapt to Changing Conditions

Ease of Use for Technologist and Business Users

Promote Customization for Personalized Experience (think

MSN, Yahoo, online banking portals)

Real-Time Data and Reliable Infrastructure that is Always

On (e.g. RFP alerts to E-Mail, Business Intelligence to the

PDA)

Promotes High-Quality Collaboration and Communications

(e.g. web blogs, Pod casts, instant messaging, file sharing,

address book sharing via tools such as Plaxo)

http://www.plaxo.com/


5.4 Portal Architecture


34

The reasons listed above to develop a portal, point directly to the

need to turn the ship sooner, to create value for students, faculty,

administrators, vendors and regulators, rather than wait. HCCS

current pathway to building business capabilities through individual

project requests at the department or college level simply does not

work to bring integrated capabilities in an easy to use way.

The focus and energy behind this strategic technology road map is

designed to create excitement about delivering valuable services

through information technology. The adoption of portals is an

important competitive strategy for higher education. Our competitors

are doing so at a rapid pace and they are gaining more experience

with portals. The types of services listed above are real and

happening today at both community colleges and four-year

institutions. Here is a list of current portal/websites at HCCS:

Online Student Services

Southeast College

Central College

Northeast College

Southwest College

Northwest College

Coleman College

The websites in operation at the Colleges do not provide a true portal

experience at this time. It is, however, important to point out that

each website is trying to bring to students helpful information in a

single location.

Source: IBM

5.5 What Distinguishes a Website from a Portal? A single point of access to all resources associated with the

portal domain

A personalized user experience

Federated access to hundreds of data types and

repositories, both aggregated and categorized

http://studentservicesonline.hccs.edu/

http://secollege.hccs.edu/onlineservices.htm

https://spinweb.hccs.edu/PS8SAHOME/index.asp

http://www.hccs.edu/necollege/Services/admission.htm

http://swc2.hccs.edu/swc/0506/admiss/

http://nwc.hccs.edu/services/admission.html

https://spinweb.hccs.edu/PS8SAHOME/index.asp


Collaboration and user integration capabilities

Integration with applications and workflow systems.

Therefore, the opportunity exists to deliver a unifying approach that

can help all stakeholders readily understand how to interact with and

conduct business with HCCS in a user-friendly way. By making this

strategic shift to executing on a portal strategy, the capabilities that

users are requesting can become part of the portal road map rather

than department driven initiatives. In the illustration to the right, we

show a high-level portal infrastructure that depicts examples of portal

functionality that HCCS can implement.

The planning, design and architecture behind an enterprise portal will

determine the long-term success and viability of a portal. For

example, the University of Houston custom built their portal

application; while it provides a broad range of capabilities and

services, it is labor intensive and requires a large number of

resources to support. By comparison, portal technologies make it

affordable to provide endless capabilities as well as provide a

platform to integrate existing business applications. The challenge

for HCCS: which technology platform should be adopted on which to

build out the portal strategy? HCCS has invested in three portal

platforms: PeopleSoft Portal, Oracle Portal and Vignette.

5.6 Example of Enterprise Portal and Features

Unlike other enterprise-wide applications intended to improve the

bottom line, portals tend to live up to vendor's promises and, more

often than not, begin to save companies money as soon as they go

live. According to a Delphi Group study7, only 2% of portal

installations failed to return any ROI. The Delphi report, which looked

at hundreds of installations, found that 22% of firms reported ROIs

between 21% and 50%, while 18% of installations returned over


35


100%. But, as with most IT implementations, there is a caveat

emptor: poor planning prior to installation will negate management's

reasons for installing the portal in the first place and probably lead to

poor ROI.

7 Datamation, Planning Key to Portal ROI by Allen Bernard February 14, 2003


36


6.0 Solution Plan Strategies & Initiatives to Deliver

6.1 Strategy: Reinvigorate Network Infrastructure for Growth

The network infrastructure is, without question, the most important

component of an institution of higher education. Without a reliable

network infrastructure it is difficult to perform basic tasks such as

registering for classes online. Therefore, the network infrastructure

is the most critical component of the �“back to basics�” game plan.

6.1.1 Overview of Strategy To reinvigorate the network infrastructure successfully is a several

year strategic program with a broad range of supporting initiatives.

These initiatives include the following:

Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local Area Networks


37

Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan

Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP, and

Network Convergence

Enhanced Messaging Services with Collaboration

Develop an Architecture Refresh & Upgrade Strategy

including Capacity Planning

6.1.2 Future Vision Build the infrastructure foundation to provide the following important

benefits.

Support instructional technologies such as video streaming

on a large scale, virtual classrooms, eLearning, improved

Distance Education, IP video and voice conferencing, and

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Position the institution to meet the needs of our students.

Enable the Institution to be more competitive in the higher

education marketplace.


6.1.3 Initiatives to Deliver 6.1.3.1 Upgrade of the HCC Wide and Local

Area Networks


38

For the past several years, a number of instructional applications

have been developed to provide improved learning tools for students.

These include video files that must be streamed over the network, as

well as various distance learning curricula. Because of bandwidth

limitations within the network, many of these applications had to be

constrained or blocked because of interference with other

applications or the inability to deliver the services on the scale

required. These limitations have also served to limit the growth of

these tools and place HCC at a distinctive disadvantage in a highly

competitive, higher education marketplace. To facilitate this process,

the CIP program managers call for an extensive network upgrade to

support the new construction of buildings and renovated structures.

The campuses include:

Southwest Loop Expansion

Central College Learning Hub/Science Building

Southwest College Missouri City Academic Center

Southeast College Learning Hub

Northeast College Learning Hub

Southwest College Stafford Learning Hub

Northeast College Science, Eng, & Tech. Building

Southeast College Felix Morales Renovation

Central College San Jacinto Renovation

Source: CIP Program Managers, Projects Approved and Budgeted

6.1.3.2 Develop an Architecture Refresh and Upgrade Strategy Including Capacity Planning

The current IT environment contains various types of hardware from

the desktops to the servers hosting business and educational

applications. The critical objective of the architecture refresh and

upgrade strategy is to promote standardization and to ensure that the

Colleges and HCCS departments and their users have sufficient

computing resources and equipment to do their jobs effectively while

ensuring the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO). The

network gear, which includes switches and routers are an importance

piece of the refresh strategy; as we described earlier, 38% of the

existing network hardware is over fives (5) years in age and at the

end of its useful life.



39

HCCS IT will work collaboratively with the colleges and departments

to perform equipment inventories and then work to refresh any

outdated hardware / software in a systematic way. Having consistent

standards for hardware and software deployment will allow IT to help

departments in keeping infrastructure up to date on a continuous

basis and ease support.

6.1.3.3 Enhance Communication and Collaboration Services

The existing email system is over five years old and will cease to be

supported by Oracle within twelve months. It has limited capability

and does not support important services such as integration with

Outlook Calendar and various wireless devices such as PDAs and

email enabled cell phones. Because of network security

considerations, this platform does not support instant messaging

today. There is also no web conferencing service in place to allow

collaboration across the institution. The limitations of the current

system create severe limits on email storage quotas, which

contribute further to the difficulty in managing this system. The

objective is to upgrade the existing Oracle Mail system to a platform

that will enable collaboration. The services that will be provided

include Outlook email and calendar integration, increased storage,

web conferencing, secure instant messaging, increased storage

quotas, and improved manageability.

6.1.3.4 Upgrade Phone System to Support CIP, VoIP, and Network Convergence

The Meridian telephone system, in its current state, provides limited

support for VoIP. It is also vulnerable to disasters because an

interruption in service of the main power system at 3100 Main will

result in a system wide telephone outage at most of the campuses.

PGAL, the program management firm, has developed plans to

provide Voice over IP (VoIP) services at the new CIP buildings by

leveraging the investment in the Meridian System, but the system will

not support this in its current state. In addition, the current system

requires a separate voice network to provide voice services to the

campuses. By upgrading the Meridian Telephone System to support

VoIP, IP trunks, and converge of the voice and data networks, HCCS

stands to benefit by taking advantage of: convergence of the voice

and data networks resulting in reduced network costs, and improved

reliability and survivability of voice services at HCC.



40

6.2 Maximize Value of Technology Investments

6.2.1 Strategy Overview To maximize the value of technology investments effectively,

Houston Community College System (HCCS) is implementing IT

Governance. The System has established a 15-member IT

Governance & Investment Council to oversee this process. In

addition, as an integral part of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP),

HCCS is following a centralized planning approach to create

ubiquitous technology environments at the new facilities to eliminate

redundancies and allow for staff to serve multiple campuses with

supporting technologies and tools in a consistent way.

6.2.2 Current Situation HCCS currently approaches its investment in technology in a

fragmented manner. Each college determines their needs and

solutions in a silo, with no enterprise oversight or approval process

for investments. The same applies to administrative decisions

regarding technology decisions and purchases. Fragmented

decision-making virtually guarantees a weak return on investment

and financial waste due to redundant projects and potentially

competing standards or not adhering to standards, which is the case

today. To illustrate, wireless access to the Internet should be a

common technical capability that all corporate learners and many

students expect today. For security reasons, a mobile user at the

Town & Country campus must first have their laptop configured by

the network administrator at the campus; this means the user has to

carry their PC (laptop) to technical support for configuration. By

contrast, when visiting the Southwest campus, the user is not

required to have their laptop configured to access the Internet; the

user can access the Internet and roam freely with no restrictions.

To be sure, there is not a high degree of active and ongoing

coordination amongst the colleges to standardize or to create

consistent approaches for the delivery of basic services such as

accessing the Internet wirelessly. In another example, each of the

colleges except for Northeast College has implemented Active

Directory. Active Directory allows system administrators to monitor

user behaviors, provide authentication to enhance HCCS�’ overall

security and management of network devices (e.g. printers, PDAs)

and resources (e.g. software distribution and distribution of patch

updates, etc). Each instance of Active Directory is different in terms

of scope, naming conventions in use and operating systems (e.g.

both Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 are in use).


Another illustration reveals investments in two, potentially competing

portal software products in PeopleSoft Portal and Vignette Portal.

Both expenditures to date account for just under $1 million in total

expenditures with no portal strategy or projects planned around the

portal.

The PeopleSoft business system provides an extraordinary vehicle

on which to maximize technology investments. Today, capabilities

that could benefit across all functional modules, which includes

human resources, finance and student administration are planned for

separately rather than viewed as an opportunity to provide end-to-

end capabilities. For example, self-service functionality is available

to students via the Internet. In contrast, self-service concepts to

support and manage vendors are not; illustrations include RFP

alerts, ability to set electronic signatures and payments as well as

creating a way to allow vendors to manage their accounts online.

6.2.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise To support maximizing the value of IT investments, IT�’s objectives

include ensuring the following happens:

Value propositions for all IT related initiatives tied to core

strategies

Reduced planning and approval cycle times based on

formal project submission guidelines

Enterprise wide IT strategic plan and road map

Fully engage instructional IT areas in distance education,

college instruction and faculty members


41


6.2.4 Initiatives to Deliver


42

6.2.4.1 Create and Implement Enterprise Planning Group

The Enterprise Planning Group (EPG) is a small group comprised of

IT, Finance & Administration, Student Services, Facilities and

College representation. The EPG would provide needed intelligence

and synthesize key strategic issues on what stakeholders require

from IT in an integrated and consistent way. During the CIP this

planning function is being outsourced to a 3rd party vendor; it would,

however, benefit the organization to have multiple members

participate actively in this process and begin to establish a model of

self-sufficiency when the construction projects start. This would also

provide invaluable set of competencies in preparation for another

bond election potentially, in the years ahead.

In addition, we have observed that during the budget process, the

EPG would be in a position to synthesize �“strategic�” needs and help

prepare budget justification requests. For example, rather than four

or five different group line items for training, the EPG would identify

the types of skills in need based on the technology direction,

identifies the relevant skills to support the direction of the System,

and the most appropriate options for training (e.g. online, classroom,

conferences, etc). The result is a single line item for training that is

fact-based and represents an accurate picture of the needs going

forward and not what took place last year. This would also apply to

IT expenditures for new technologies rather than individual or

departments interests to support more squarely performance-based

budgeting principles.

6.2.4.2 Formalize and Implement Business Technology Workgroups

The initial group of business-technology workgroups is to ensure that

HCCS can deliver on the promise of technology investments and

realize a return on the investment in a consistent way. The objective

for these workgroups is to perform the necessary analysis, risk

assessment and develop approaches to mitigate risk by involving the

right stakeholders to examine and make decisions. For example,

there is an emerging need to establish a portal strategy that requires

the organization to place a �“bet�” on how HCCS will compile, manage,

share, collaborate as well as the best way to perform real-time

transactions. Below, we provide a diagram of the types of

technology workgroups that would benefit from the collective

expertise of dedicated workgroups.


The initial workgroups are standing committees that target specific

areas where significant performance gaps exist across the institution.

The recommended workgroups to launch include:

1. Technology Vision & Architecture Group

Outcomes for this workgroup is to support the strategy and direction

of the colleges and to provide capabilities that enable business and

educational change in a consistent and well-thought way through

policies, standards development and strategic planning. This group

will be responsible for preparing and presenting strategic issues to

the CET, the IT Governance & Investment Council or other decision

making bodies with supporting business plans or business cases to

educate, inform or help facilitate decision-making.

2. Research and Client Services

The outcome for this workgroup is to allow both instructional and

administrative workgroups to focus on their core competencies by

providing independent analysis using primary and secondary

research tools and methods for the most effective solution. By

allowing this model to thrive, there should be consideration given to

funding a test environment for new technology innovation, research

and planning that incorporates new learning and educational tools for

competitive advantage; this would eliminate �“rogue�” activities and the

adoption of new tools that do not follow standards.

3. Project Management Services

The outcome for this workgroup is to provide an increased level of

predictability and confidence that both the business and IT will

deliver technology projects in an organized and predictable manner.


43


6.2.4.3 Investigate Potential Outsourcing

Alternatives


44

IT will continue to face pressure to outsource in order to reduce costs

and improve service performance. Business imperatives should be

at the center of any outsourcing strategy. The institutions leaders

should be ready to argue that outsourcing is a decision that is based

primarily on complementing core competencies and maximizing

business value. When the organization meets business goals, the

financial savings usually follow suit. If a sound business argument

cannot be made, outsourcing may not be the best course of action.

For more detail on how to approach outsourcing see footnote below:8

8 Focus on Business Value: An understanding of business goals should form the focus for your IT outsourcing decisions. Identify your organization's core competencies and look into outsourcing options that will complement the things your company is good at already. Be prepared to change as business needs change. Plan Infrastructure In-House: Never outsource planning - this is your department's responsibility. Define the standards and architecture for all software and hardware choices in-house. Remember to do this in conjunction with line managers from all departments so that you can fully understand their needs and ensure buy-in for your outsourcing solution. Look for Rapid Delivery: An Internet year lasts only two to three months - the days of long development schedules are over. Turning to outsourcing options like Application Service Providers (ASPs) is one way for ensuring rapid application delivery. Build a High-Performance IT Team: With outsourced services, it's more important than ever to have a lean, mean IT team in place. Outsourcing doesn't just give the business units a chance to build core competencies - the IT department must climb on board too. Technological changes won't ease up and could have a much bigger impact on an IT team pared down due to outsourcing. Investment in training is a must. Build Effective Relationships: It's critical to manage your relationship with any supplier. In the case of outsourcing, this skill is even more important since your dependence on the outsourcer to meet critical business needs and provide high value while doing so is even more explicit. Identify individuals on both sides that are skilled at building relationships. Look for

skills in communication, negotiation, project management, team building, and managing change.


6.3 Lead and Support Business Process

Improvement

6.3.1 Strategy Overview HCCS business processes have evolved naturally over time resulting

in more complex workflows, overlaps between business processes,

and reduced efficiency in the use of time and resources. Current

business processes prohibit any enterprise business system (e.g.

PeopleSoft, SunguardSCT, and SAP) from achieving its promised

level of performance and efficiency gains. Systematically

reengineering business processes and developing new capabilities

delivered through a portal framework will create the value sought by

HCCS leaders responsible for the investments in these large,

expensive systems.


45

6.3.2 Current Situation Virtually every aspect of conducting business at HCCS involves

paper and inordinate numbers of manual process steps. For

example, the recently approved Room Scheduling project identified

up to 13 steps to schedule a classroom or meeting room at the

colleges. What�’s more, the project team discovered that the process

is largely manual and extremely paper-intensive.

In terms of conducting daily business activities there is no single,

common way of doing business. To illustrate further, meetings are

set up today with administrative staff calling other staff to determine if

the meeting participants are available; this process uses an out

dated calendaring (Oracle) system that is not used by everyone

across the system in a consistent way. For students, the process is

painful and does not take advantage of web-based technologies fully.

For example, financial aid processes continue to lack the automation

students expect in the digital era.


6.3.3 Objectives & Value to Enterprise The first step to implementing an enterprise portal is developing a

detailed strategy that will guide the efforts of the System. We outline

the core objectives of this strategy:

Create accepted standards for business process analysis

and improvement to roll-out in �“receptive�” areas

Improved customer service coordination and continuity of

outcomes (e.g. even service levels regardless of location)

Collaboration due to data sharing across the enterprise by

combining technology with updated business processes

allows for improved collaboration and higher productivity

across departments

Better labor productivity through better processes, which

means fewer rush jobs, fewer interruptions, less rework,

and less overtime


46


6.3.4 Initiatives to Deliver 6.3.4.1 Develop Enterprise Portal Strategy to

Leverage Technology to Automate Manual Processes

By establishing a detailed enterprise portal strategy to automate

manual processes systematically, can create significant cost savings

for the institution. The portal strategy is used as the focal point for

planning and rolling out business automation projects to reduce the

�“rogue�” projects that may not integrate well with the desired technical

architecture. By adopting the portal approach, there is a clear and

specific road map for what capabilities can be expected and when.

Here is an initial, high-level game plan to approach this initiative:

Decide what services or business capabilities to offer

online and to automate

Enlist the support of Marketing & Communications to

provide guidance on how the portal should look and feel for

improved navigation

Develop and implement 24x7 support strategy and

supporting policy and relevant service outcomes indicators

in lieu of traditional service level agreements (SLAs)

Research and examine higher education portals and

leverage industry best practices for planning, staffing and

funding

Establish a timeline to roll out new capabilities and

services

6.3.4.2 Implement Project Management Office The scale and velocity of change is difficult for even the largest

organizations. For HCCS, the scope and speed needed to be

successful combined with the relative complexity calls for a

dedicated group whose primary focus is execution and accountable

for results.

The project management office or PMO as this is commonly referred,

is designed to guide the execution of projects and provide a

mentoring capability to all HCCS staff that requires project


47


management support. To be sure, this group is about building

internal capabilities rather than taking on the task of managing

projects on behalf of user departments. For example, the Website

Content Management project would fall into the �“volatile�” category

according to the graphic above. To achieve success, this category of

project calls for:

a) Limiting time horizons;

b) Building options and

c) Eliminating under-performing elements (e.g. sponsorship)

To address this and ensure a higher probability of success, the

renewed sponsor and driving business department is conducting a 6-

week prototype and creating a tight scope to ensure early success.

With the volume of technology and business initiatives that HCCS

needs to implement during the back-to-basics period, HCCS must be

able to execute consistently. To keep pace with competitors,

combined with the technical complexity, and cross-functional process

impacts, requires a more formal and focused effort to deliver and

thus the need to implement a project management office (PMO).

6.3.4.3 Initiate Enterprise Process Reengineering of High Payback Areas

Prior to making investments in PeopleSoft upgrades or exploring

alternatives, HCCS must embark on an initiative to reengineer

specific business processes.

This would be a multi-year effort, but would pay huge dividends in

simplifying business and allow for greater staffing flexibility in the

years ahead. For example, several IT projects in the que focus on

improving the purchasing and procurement process. Reengineering


48


key areas combined with implementing portal technologies makes

this a high payback opportunity for the institution. To underscore this

point, vendor products in both existing PeopleSoft modules and 3rd

party vendors have mature product offerings in this area, so the

organization is not tied to the confines of PeopleSoft functionality.


49


6.4 Transform Organization Structure to Internal Service Company Model

6.4.1 Strategy Overview The internal service company (ISCo) model helps to deliver the

business value of IT by relentlessly focusing on customer needs and

outcomes rather than activities. IT organizations seeking to become

an ISCo must hone value, work processes, relationships, pricing and

marketing acumen. According to all of the data received during focus

groups, planning sessions and individual contributions, this is one of

few ways to release value within the IT organization that means

something to its users. The essence of this strategy is to provide the

structure and accountability that HCCS would experience if IT were

outsourced to a third party firm.

6.4.2 Current Situation The current organization structure does not reflect the manner in

which IT needs to deliver services in the future. The IT group at

HCCS has instinctively recognized this and is beginning to evolve

from simply taking orders to becoming a �“service provider�” by

partnering with power users of the PeopleSoft business system, for

example; however, there are instances where the wrong person is

doing the wrong job for their skill competencies. To illustrate, it is

common practice for a high-level developer to administer security

policies as a function of the application development group.

Current High-Level Leadership Structure

The current organizational behavior stresses �“order fulfillment�” and

�“reacting�” to requests from a variety of sources, which include faculty

members, administrators, external vendor-driven, daily administrative

users and the Board of Trustees. For example, the current

organization shows System Strategic Planning, IT Strategic

Planning, and Customer Relations and Communications reporting to

the Director, Enterprise Services. These services are not performed

today, and team members focus largely on budget, contract

monitoring and intranet activities.


50


6.4.3 Objectives and Value to Organization What is unique about the ISCo model of service delivery is the

concept of �“zones of responsibility�” shown in the graphic to the right.

This means that team members who do not work in a particular role

can be called on to support and serve in other areas that may not be

their primary area of responsibility; indeed, this is taking place today

across IT�—especially so in the ISS area. By applying the ISCo

model, the IT group can achieve the following objectives:


51

Eliminate internal divisiveness

Validate the IT organization's internal capabilities and

change its personality

Focus and expand IT credibility by adding more value to the

business through building business capabilities that support

students

Become more actively involved in key business operations

through IT-enabled processes

"Level the playing field" with external providers to compete

Prove the service value that IT can deliver across HCCS

Facilitate the transformation from support mode to

turnaround mode and ultimately to strategic mode of

operation.

Future Organization Model �– Illustration Purposes




52

6.4.4.1 Reconfigure Applications Development Group

The applications development (AD) group does not provide the level

of support and business building capabilities needed to keep HCCS

competitive. Due to the pace, scale and scope of change to provide

new capabilities effectively, the current organization simply is unable

to meet the pressing demands of the institution. The AD group

provides implementation and development support to the PeopleSoft

application. For the organization to transition successfully to a

portal-based model to deliver new technology capabilities, a full

reconfiguration of this group is required.

The current organization model is designed to provide support and

maintenance for the PeopleSoft administrative system, which

includes: Finance & Administration, Human Resources and Student

Administration. Based on our analysis of the existing backlog of

support requests, the staffing limitations both in terms of skill and the

number, and the current salary scale, HCCS is not on the road to

competitiveness without wholesale change in how new capabilities

are designed, built and integrated into the existing systems. Below,

we provide a before and after picture of the group reconfiguration:

Before: Current Service Delivery Model

The net result with the current model does not allow for new business

capabilities to come online in a consistent and predictable way;

capabilities that include vendor e-commerce, integrated portal for


students, self-service tools for administrators or business intelligence

for more effective decision making.

After: Proposed Service Delivery Model


53

6.4.4.2 Develop Contingent Staffing Plan

The speed to deliver new business capabilities requires a deep pool

of external service providers who can quickly and effectively provide

the best talent at a fair price. The IT group would benefit from having

a pool of firms that provides the identified skills the organization

needs for projects. In addition, by developing standard agreements

with vendors, HCCS can negotiate conversion percentages in the

event HCCS chooses to bring on a contractor full-time.

6.4.4.3 Consolidate College and Administrative Technicians into Services Unit

The current model of delivering technical support would not be

competitive when compared to an outsourcing provider. The

opportunity is to realign and upgrade technology tools and training to

provide seamless service from any technician that is available. This

would require an upgrade of technology tools that would allow

integrated services between the help desk and field technician that is

rapid. For example, when a service request call comes to the help

desk, the help desk representative can dispatch the most convenient

resource via wireless transmission rather than waiting for a pre-

designated technician to respond. (e.g. lab technician)



54

6.5 Develop Human Capital Strategy that Builds Skills Quickly and Effectively

6.5.1 Strategy Overview Enterprises and their business processes are increasingly complex

and interconnected. They must continually adapt to changing

business models, economic pressures and expansive opportunity

across geographic and organization boundaries. Employees are

taking on more responsibility, working longer hours, and dealing with

more-complex decisions and actions. These changes place even

greater demands on employees who are classified as knowledge

workers and will increase the likelihood that people will work

collaboratively, just in time, and within or across multiple teams.

HCCS, in turn, must redesign work processes, re-examine

performance plans, and reward systems for the IT organization to

remain viable over the next ten years.

6.5.2 Current Situation

During the SWOT analysis and subsequent meetings, we learned

that the IT group can perform much better by leveraging internal

knowledge and skills, getting more active with external relationships

with which HCCS has in place. (e.g. Gulf Coast Consortium, Greater

Houston Partnership). With all of the IT projects and business

related projects in progress, the IT group does not have a single

person who is involved with the local chapter of the Project

Management Institute (PMI). Moreover, the organization more often

than not must look to the outside for project management expertise.

This lack of skills in project management, results in project delays

and poor vendor management to assist with creating accurate scope

documents and statements of work.

6.5.3 Objectives and Value to Organization The objectives and value of having an effective human capital

management strategy in place are typically not apparent during

budget time. However, the objectives we outline make the case for

having an effective human capital strategy:

Much improved workforce planning and resource allocation

Deeper �“bench�” of talent

Reduces reliance on external consultants

Creates a more attractive work place because staff feel

valued and not taken for granted

Enables the organization to take advantage of newer

technologies for faster time to market with programs


6.5.4 Initiatives to Deliver 6.5.4.1 Conduct IT Skills Review and

Assessment

Managing your organization's human resource assets through

ongoing IT skills assessment can provide crucial insight for IT

leaders and their teams. This insight in turn provides a framework for

more accurately defining project scope, as well as identifying and

mitigating risk; armed with this information the IT group can make

better decisions and improve its bottom line. Without an accurate

picture of existing skills and new skills required, risk management

becomes a concern. Projects may not be completed on time, or

systems may not function properly when completed.

According to Gartner Research, 75 percent of projects that fail do so

because improperly skilled people were working on the project. The

human capital of skilled IT professionals and managers has become

increasingly critical to the success of an organization's mission.

6.5.4.2 Implement Project Management Certification Program

Current IT skills become even more important as the organization

migrates to a portal strategy for developing and rolling out new

business capabilities. Managers are in a much better position to

evaluate the feasibility of a project, explain the risks when shifting

resources or make a solid case for hiring a contractor temporarily.

By having a project management certification program can yield the

following benefits:

Provides a benchmark for recruitment, training and

development of project management staff.

Compliments and enhances other technical or business

qualifications by demonstrating that an individual is also

competent in the crucial ability to manage projects.

Through participation in the certification process,

individuals enhance their confidence in their project

management and general business knowledge.

Provide confidence to HCCS leaders that the IT group can

handle business efficiently and cost effectively.


55


6.6 Provide Access to Educational

Opportunities and Services Anywhere, Anytime

6.6.1 Strategy Overview Technology users in higher education expect to conduct business

anytime of day or night with the expectation that the systems are up

and running. For the majority of users, they want:

Access to many services from one workstation

Access the same services from many devices

Location independence

Wired office network connection

Wireless network cafés at all locations

Wireless LAN throughout the campus

Access from home office and

Out of town

The central IT at 3100 Main and all of the Colleges recognize the

importance of this trend, which is now expected from everyone that

interfaces with HCCS. Our strategy is to create a consistent pathway

that the institution can follow and replicate across all HCCS facilities.

This becomes especially important in support of the capital

improvement plan (CIP).

6.6.2 Current Situation

Access to educational opportunities and the ability to conduct

administrative tasks is uneven and fragmented at best. HCCS

currently does not have a 24x7 uptime policy. The network does not

have an authentication platform for those staff and outsiders who

access the HCCS network. This means that someone with the

appropriate level of knowledge can lurk around the HCCS network

and go undetected. In addition, with the limited bandwidth that IT is

able to provide, distance education tools may not work properly or

the user may have delays at best.

Furthermore, users must apply six different logons to access:

PeopleSoft HR b) PeopleSoft Student Administration c) PeopleSoft

Finance d) LDAP for Oracle E-Mail e) Radius server for Dial-In and f)


56


VPN access as shown in the graphic above. LDAP is a software

protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and

other resources such as files and devices in a network.

6.6.3 Objectives and Value to Organization The objectives and value to HCCS are numerous and include a

sample of relevant items:

Radio frequency identification (RFID) in the libraries:

o Rapidly scan shelves for books that are missing or

misplaced, thus saving time. Patrons can use their

library cards for self-checkout, saving on employee

costs. Reduces the complexity of outdated, manual

book-tracking systems. Helps automate the return of

library materials. Acts in conjunction with security

gates to prevent theft of materials and media.

Improved workforce productivity in managing remote staff

Faster feedback on performance with students at high-

peak periods

Allows students to share, collect, provide feedback, poll

and distill facts based on individual preferences

Go �“get�” classroom the classroom instruction and

supporting materials needed with key word searches from

any device


57




58

6.6.4.1 Identity Management and Managed Network

Providing a centrally managed system with distributed control will

provide enterprise-wide authentication, authorization, and accounting

and single sign-on capability. This will enable the implementation of

a managed network. Implement a system-wide directory service with

a domain structure that will support the identity management needs

of HCC and support the mobility of our student, faculty, and staff

community across all colleges and administration. The

implementation will include management tools that will aid with

trouble response, software upgrades and patches, and asset

inventory and management.

6.6.4.2 Implement Comprehensive Disaster Recovery

HCC does not have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan for the

Institution. A business continuity plan was developed and approved

by the Board that addressed some of the elements of disaster

recovery, with plans to utilize space at the Westgate campus. This

project was cancelled and the equipment intended for installation at

Westgate was moved and installed at the 3100 Main Data Center.

The lack of a disaster recovery plan exposes the institution to

significant risk in the event of a natural disaster or power outage.

Current generators can last approximately 6 hours and likely less if

put to the test. HCCS should engage a consulting company to assist

with the development of the plan. Involve all business units within

HCC to ensure that the risks are addressed in an acceptable

manner.

Documents

Strategic Technology Roadmap Houston Community College 2005