Unify IT in the Education Sector

The intersection of local insight and organizational excellence.

Analyst perspective

Create a shared vision for IT unity in education.

IT departments in the education sector are faced with the challenge of providing cost-efficient, effective services while the technologies themselves become more complex and expensive. Many CIOs face the additional challenge that technology services have different providers within the same institution, raising costs and increasing risks.

The quest for unified IT systems and services represents a complex yet critical endeavor. The diversity in approaches, from centralized to distributed models, reflects the nuanced needs of educational institutions. Centralization may promise operational efficiency and improved security, yet it risks overlooking the unique requirements of individual faculties. Conversely, distributed systems preserve autonomy but can lead to redundancy and vulnerabilities.

Ultimately, a successful unification lies not in the structure but in a shared vision for IT service delivery, underscored by collaborative decision-making. Strategic planning and communication are paramount, ensuring that guiding principles align with institutional goals. This approach, emphasizing efficiency and customization, offers a roadmap for institutions navigating a balance between collective efficiency and individual needs.

Mark Maby
Principal Research Director for Education
Info-Tech Research Group

Executive summary

Info-Tech Insight
Unification is the seamless integration of services, delivered at the right level and location in the organization. It is a unified vision to the benefit of the institution's financial health and academic wellbeing.

Wasted resources is a top concern in today's education environment

IT organizations in education are facing resource and service challenges:

Many education institutions face significant waste due to duplicate services and lack of collaboration.

Fear drives the decision-making that sustains a wasteful approach. There exists a pervasive fear of losing autonomy and in-house functionality when faced with the prospect of unifying IT services.

Graduation rates are a good indicator of the value of investments. As seen in the graphic to the right, spending on administration has two to five times less effect on graduation rates than spending on instruction. This drives a need to reduce administrative costs.

To reduce waste, IT leaders must embrace IT unification. IT leaders in education are seeking innovative, practical, and efficient strategies to transition to IT unification without losing institutional individuality.

Develop the right balance between what makes sense to be distributed and what must be centralized. There's no silver bullet and each institution should find their own path.

Change in graduation rates with a 1% spending increase (by type)

Source: ACTA, 2021

*The data were not significant for student services in public institutions.

Unifying IT creates multiple improvements

Implementing unified IT helps organizations improve service quality and control costs.

Unified IT reduces duplication and waste
Example: A school system has multiple IT departments performing similar functions using similar human resources and technology. They reduced costs by combining the IT departments into a single entity and sharing the services.

Unified IT enables multiple institutions to share a single high-quality service provider
Example: Institution A has more advanced data center operations than institution B. Leveraging the more advanced services of institution A benefits institution B. B.

Unified IT increases capacity to handle equal or greater volumes at lower costs per unit
Example: Local institutions will each have a registration cost per students. In an IT unification model, that cost per student declines for all institutions.

Gauge whether IT unification is worth pursuing

Ask these three questions to find out if it's worth providing IT unification in the institution:

1. Are you solving unmet needs?
Is there a specific need in the institution(s) that existing service providers don't accommodate?

2. Will sharing the service improve the way users access the service?
Will your product offer a more effective channel or process (such as a self-service ticketing system)?

3. Will you be providing service capabilities that your customers can't currently deliver as effectively on their own?

If you can answer yes to any of the above questions, you should pursue IT unification.

IT unification applies to different education structures

Education IT organizations face a greater diffusion of responsibility than other industries.

System office
Higher education system offices are typically an administrative organization supporting a family of multiple affiliated universities and colleges that are often distributed geographically. These system offices often have an IT component sharing services with some (or all) of the member institutions in the system.

Enterprise IT
In many higher education institutions, IT is delivered by multiple IT organizations. In these organizations there is usually one centralized IT department and several distributed IT departments that provide localized services. Local IT usually provides services unique to a single unit or faculty, while enterprise IT provides services common to one or more units and faculties.

Mandated services
In many jurisdictions the government mandates the use of shared service organizations to deliver specific services to educational institutions, often at the K-12 level of education. These services are designed to reduce the taxpayer burden for education costs.

IT unification doesn't have to mean complete centralization

Within education, what services are shared is a selective process that identifies which services would bring about the greatest benefits without sacrificing the individual needs of its diverse group of stakeholders.

While centralization of all IT is possible in education institutions, it may not be a viable approach for smaller colleges.

When complete centralization is implemented at larger institutions, many faculty stakeholders feel that their individual needs are not met.

Selective adoption of shared services can be accomplished without complete centralization.

Shared service agencies enable collaboration and efficiencies

Shared service agencies, such as Regional Information Centers (RICs) in New York State and BCNET in British Columbia, share a common goal of providing collaborative IT services to their respective educational institutions.

Greater cost efficiency: Both types of agencies aim to deliver cost savings to their member institutions through economies of scale, allowing for more affordable access to technology, services, and professional development opportunities.

Increased range of services: They offer a wide array of services, including network connectivity, security, procurement, and professional development tailored to members' needs.

Allowance for voluntary participation: Membership and participation in these agencies are typically voluntary, allowing institutions to opt into services based on their specific needs and budgetary constraints.

Stronger governance and accountability: These agencies are governed by boards or advisory councils that include representatives from the member institutions, ensuring that services align with the needs of the community they serve.

Flexible funding and support: Funding models differ, but they are usually supported by a ratio of participation fees and government funding.

Consider the legislative environment: The agencies operate under different legislative environments that shape their services and compliance requirements.

Offerings from shared service agencies

BCNET services for higher education institutions

• Network services
• Procurement
• Private cloud hosting
• Cybersecurity services
• Professional development and training
• Shared systems and technology
• Security information management services

RIC services for K-12 school districts

• Technology support services
• Network connectivity
• Security services
• Professional development
• Procurement services
• Instructional technology services
• Data services

Case study: IT unification at Case Western Reserve University

A university unified IT services to great financial benefit

INDUSTRY
Higher Education

SOURCE
Case Western Reserve University, 2019

Case study: Creation of a shared data platform at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

A US university system implemented a shared platform to increase flexibility for students to take courses between the cohort of institutions

INDUSTRY
Higher Education

SOURCES
Interview; Inside Higher Ed, 2021

A vision for unified IT can be realized in multiple ways

Emphasize the vision of integration when negotiating with distributed IT

Distributed IT varies in its influence and order

Distributed IT can be formalized with an organized structure, budget, and reporting structure. The IT department for an administrative or academic department are typical examples.

Shadow IT is another form of distributed IT, but it is unformalized with no organized structure, budget, or reporting structure.

Distributed IT creates a lack of coordination among technologies in the institution, creating inefficiencies and disrupting the risk posture.

Coordination with distributed IT is easier to achieve when it is formalized and more challenging when it is disorganized.

This blueprint has benefits not only for IT but for the larger institution

Track metrics

Track metrics throughout the project to keep stakeholders informed

	Before unifying IT	While unifying IT	After unifying IT
% of stakeholder satisfaction with IT
% of stakeholder satisfaction with the value of IT
IT budget as a percentage (%) of institutional revenue
Total recurring savings ($) after unifying IT
Total one-time savings ($) after unifying IT
% of institutional leaders that view IT as a business partner
% satisfaction with the effectiveness of IT capabilities
Record other metrics specific to the selected services for sharing.
Insight summary Overarching insight Unification is the seamless integration of services, delivered at the right level and location in the organization. It is a unified vision to the benefit of the institution's financial health and academic wellbeing. Phase 1 insight Buy-in with key stakeholders is imperative before moving forward with IT unification. Without the support of key stakeholders, the project can be undermined before it even starts. Phase 2 insight Use the institutional strategy to assess the current state of IT services. The objective of unifying IT goes beyond simple cost savings. It should support the overall educational and academic mission of the institution. Phase 3 insight Economies of scope attribute benefits to different services when they share an underlying service, like security or technical architecture. These benefits are as important as economies of scale when deciding what services to centralize and what to keep distributed. Phase 4 insight A shared mode of governance facilitates IT unification even while some services remain distributed and decentralized. Tactical insight When consolidating a service from different IT units, remember to aggregate to the highest service level: if one service desk is 24/7, the shared service will be 24/7. Use the Education IT Unification Workbook to record your activities Each step of this blueprint is accompanied by supporting deliverables to help you accomplish your goals: Education IT Unification Workbook Use this workbook to record: Stakeholder interviews Mission, vision, and guiding principles Service definitions Service allocations Transition costs Governance structure Supporting diagnostics and research Info-Tech's diagnostics collect the data you need to align IT with the institution: IT Management & Governance CIO Business Vision CEO-CIO Alignment This blueprint also leverages the following research from Info-Tech's library: Higher Education Industry Reference Architecture K-12 Education Industry Reference Architecture Design and Build a User-Facing Service Catalog Establish a Service-Based Costing Model Visualize the IT Operating Model Optimize IT Governance for Dynamic Decision Making Info-Tech offers various levels of support to best suit your needs DIY Toolkit Guided Implementation Workshop Consulting "Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful." "Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track." "We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place." "Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project." Diagnostics and consistent frameworks are used throughout all four options. Info-Tech Consulting provides seasoned consultants who follow a research-based approach to develop practical, actionable, unbiased outcomes Research-backed methodology Our proven approach, backed by leading research across multiple industries, provides the blueprint of success to push boundaries and continue to provide seamless services to clientele. Our activities and deliverables are tailored to meet the needs of clients to identify long lasting solutions that will ensure competitiveness in the marketplace. Experienced consulting team With a client-driven approach, our team focuses on clients' needs and future outlooks. A wealth of diverse backgrounds allows our team to bring experience across a multitude of areas including organizational governance, organization design, market intelligence, workforce planning, and organization strategy. A client's challenge is our team's opportunity to be part of the journey and help clients become more successful and competitive in the marketplace. Practical solutions When working with clients, we ensure that we put in the time to truly understand the nuances of a client to provide practical solutions based on their unique needs. Our consultants formulate recommendations and solutions that provide clear direction to clients, with emphasis on activities that align with capabilities, timelines, and culture. Guided Implementation What does a typical GI on this topic look like? Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Call #1: Scope requirements, objectives, and your specific challenges. Call #2: Create guiding principles, mission, and vision. Call #3: Identify high-priority capabilities, priority services. Call #4: Establish service descriptions. Call #5: Assess the benefits of sharing or distributing services. Call #6: Calculate economies of scale. Call #7: Identify the operating model. Call #8: Document governance. Call #9: Determine your transition approach and team. Call #10: Build a roadmap. A Guided Implementation (GI) is a series of calls with an Info-Tech analyst to help implement our best practices in your organization. A typical GI is 8 to 12 calls over the course of 4 to 6 months. Workshop overview Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Activities Clarify your mandate Describe your current state Assess the IT current state Bridge the gap and create the strategy Next steps and wrap-up (offsite) 1.1 Create the mission and vision 1.2 Identify the guiding principles 1.3 Document the institutional context 1.4 Identify high-priority capabilities 2.1 Gather and stack the services 2.2 Compile a list of priority services 2.3 Establish common service descriptions 2.4 Construct a limited IT service catalog 3.1 Assess the benefits of sharing and distributing priority services 3.2 Calculate the benefits of economies of scale 3.3 Identify your IT operating model 4.1 Document governance 4.2 Determine the transition approach and team 4.3 Build a roadmap 5.1 Complete in-progress deliverables from previous four days 5.2 Set up review time for workshop deliverables and to discuss next steps Deliverables Mission and vision statements Guiding principles List of high-priority capabilities Service categories List of priority services Service descriptions Limited IT service catalog Documented benefits of sharing or distributing services Costs of sharing IT operating model Governance model Defined working group Roadmap Completed Education IT Unification Workbook IT unification roadmap Contact your account representative for more information. workshops@infotech.com 1-888-670-8889 Info-Tech's methodology for unifying IT in education 1. Clarify Your Mandate 2. Describe Your Current State 3. Determine Your Future State 4. Plan Your Roadmap Phase steps Interview stakeholders Define drivers List the key stakeholders Group stakeholders into categories Prioritize your stakeholders Plan to communicate Create the mission and vision Identify the guiding principles Document the institutional context Identify high-priority capabilities Gather and stack the services Compile a list of priority services Establish common service descriptions Construct a limited IT service catalog Assess the benefits of sharing and distributing priority services Calculate the benefits of economies of scale Identify your IT operating model Document governance Determine the transition approach and team Build a roadmap Phase outcomes Unifying IT will disrupt the status quo. Some people will welcome the changes while others will resist. Before moving forward with any plans for unification, you must first overcome objections and gain a consensus. With limited resources, IT should only focus on capabilities and processes that are of strategic importance to the mission of the institution. Prioritized services should be shared or distributed according to their inherent benefits. The operating model should then be defined according to how those services are deployed. An effective governance model will allow for a deliberate decision-making process as you enact the roadmap toward unification. The intersection of local insight and organizational excellence. × × Email Infographic Name Email Message Submit About Info-Tech Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations. What Is a Blueprint? A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems. Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project. Table of Contents Jump to a section Back to Top ────────── Share on Social Unlock Research Share on Social Select Social Platform: Cancel Share on Social Select Social Platform: Cancel Need Extra Help? Speak With An Analyst Get the help you need in this 4-phase advisory process. You'll receive 10 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership. Guided Implementation 1: Clarify your mandate Call 1: Scope requirements, objectives, and your specific challenges. Call 2: Create guiding principles, mission, and vision. Guided Implementation 2: Describe your current state Call 1: Identify your high-priority capabilities and priority services. Call 2: Establish service descriptions. Guided Implementation 3: Determine your future state Call 1: Assess the benefits of sharing or distributing services. Call 2: Calculate economies of scale. Call 3: Identify the operating model. Guided Implementation 4: Plan your roadmap Call 1: Document governance. Call 2: Determine your transition approach and team. Call 3: Build a roadmap. Author Mark Maby Contributors Rala Kathiresan, President and Chief Information Officer, BCNET Srinivas Gotety, Executive Director - Enterprise Applications & Digital Solutions, Millersville University Keith Halman, Associate Vice Chancellor and CIO, Texas Tech University System John Bass, Chief Operating Officer, Association of Educational Service Agencies Madalyn Romano, Assistant Director - Strategic Planning, Lower Hudson Regional Information Center Michael Milligan, Managing Director - Communication & Collaboration, University of Massachusetts Peter Mosinskis, Deputy Chief Information Officer, California State University Office of The Chancellor Gregory Smith, Chief Operating Officer, University of Waterloo Chris Rooney, Business Services Director, AESA Unlock Unify IT in the Education Sector Get Instant Access Our systems detected an issue with your IP. If you think this is an error please submit your concerns via our contact form. This content is exclusive to members. Get instant access by signing up! Our systems detected an issue with your IP. If you think this is an error please submit your concerns via our contact form. Search Code: 104539 Last Revised: May 1, 2024 TAGS: shared services, IT centralization, IT collaboration, service catalog, operating model, IT governance, service-based costing, shared service agencies, system offices, higher education, school districts, distributed IT, shadow IT, federated IT, One IT, university, college Show Details Book an Appointment IT Research & Advisory Services Our systems detected an issue with your IP. If you think this is an error please submit your concerns via our contact form. Visit our Exponential IT Research Center Over 100 analysts waiting to take your call right now: 1-519-432-3550 x2019 © Info-Tech Research Group | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Title Please confirm the appointment time and click Schedule. ### DATE START ### Cancel Schedule