all the moving parts: designing a merged library/it organization educause mid-atlantic regional...
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All the Moving Parts: Designing a Merged Library/IT Organization
EDUCAUSE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
January 10, 2006
Presenters
Todd A. Heckman
Partner, Smart and Associates, LLP Robert Renaud
Vice President & CIO, Dickinson College
Agenda
Institutional Context Factors Leading to Reorganization Key Decisions Organizational Design Initial Outcomes Key Learnings Web Site
Institutional Context
Institutional Context
Budget problems in the 1990s New leadership Dickinson College Strategic Plan,
FY 2001-2005 Focus on measurable outcomes
Factors Leading to Reorganization
Strategic Plan review in 2004: Budget balanced Selectivity increased National visibility enhanced Library organization stabilized IT services issues identified
Smart Associates engagement
Key Decisions
Decision to merge, April 2004 Decision to adapt initial design to
Dickinson culture Decision to create CIO position Decision to keep existing units essentially
intact Decision to use summer to implement
initial changes
Primary User InterfacePrimary User Interface
College Governance StructureCollege Governance Structure
Dickinson College Strategic PlanDickinson College Strategic Plan
Campus NetworkCampus Network
Functional ApplicationsFunctional Applications
Administrative Academic
How the strategy is managed & translated
Primary First Line Response to Campus
How the unique departmental
requirements are supported by technology
The common foundation for driving economies of scale
The primary driver for technology strategy
Organizational Design
Organizational Design
Primary User InterfacePrimary User Interface
College Governance StructureCollege Governance Structure
Dickinson College Strategic PlanDickinson College Strategic Plan
Campus NetworkCampus Network
Functional ApplicationsFunctional Applications
Administrative Academic
CIO
InstitutionalSystems
InfrastructureSystems
AcademicTechnology
UserServices
President
LibraryServices
Organizational Design
LIS Departments Academic Technology Services Infrastructure Systems Institutional Systems Library Services User Services
LIS Cross Functional Teams Global Education and Language Instruction Web Design and Management
Organizational Design
Administrative
Initial Outcomes
New management team in place Decision to replace ERP Migration to new network OS WiFi deployment Broad deployment of PDAs Dramatic gains in front line service Integrated Web presentation
Initial Outcomes
Staff pushback Resistance to integrated Web site Confusion over library Poor alignment with governance
structure Space and logistics problems
Key Learnings
Manage expectations at all levels Align organization with governance
structure Involve staff in decisions affecting
worklife Separate organization and public face Understand cultures within merged
organization
Key Learnings
Manage expectations at all levels Tension between need to absorb change
and show results Poor understanding of rationale Challenge of communicating to divergent
groups
Key Learnings
Align organization with governance structure Initial LIS structure incompletely mapped
to faculty committees Gaps caused miscommunication Committee structure changed in Fall 2004
Key Learnings
Involve staff in decisions affecting worklife Issue of speed of changes History of little change New CIO, new directors Issue of work space
Key Learnings
Separate organization and public face Fallacy of one to one matching of
organizational structure and services Case study of the library as brand Role of the Web
Key Learnings
Understand cultures within merged organization Neither library nor IT side is monolithic Divergent professional cultures Inheriting past baggage
Web Site
Key Learnings
Understand cultures within merged organization Neither library nor IT side is monolithic Divergent professional cultures Inheriting past baggage
Key Learnings
Understand cultures within merged organization Neither library nor IT side is monolithic Divergent professional cultures Inheriting past baggage
Key Learnings
Understand cultures within merged organization Neither library nor IT side is monolithic Divergent professional cultures Inheriting past baggage
Key Learnings
Understand cultures within merged organization Neither library nor IT side is monolithic Divergent professional cultures Inheriting past baggage
Questions and Comments
All the Moving Parts: Designing a Merged Library/IT Organization
EDUCAUSE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference
January 10, 2006