technology consulting in the community

Technology Consulting in the Community

Spring 2017

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvaniawww.cmu.edu/tcinc

Stephen Yuan

International Society for

Bipolar Disorder

Final Consulting Report

International Society for Bipolar Disorder Page 1 of 19 Stephen Yuan, Student Consultant May 4, 2017

Final Consulting Report

Stephen Yuan, Student Consultant Christina Paternoster, Community Partner

[email protected] [email protected]

I. Executive Summary In Spring 2017, Stephen Yuan worked with Christina Paternoster, the Program Manager of the International Society for Bipolar Disorder (ISBD), seeking to improve the technological processes of the organization. This report serves to identify the consulting approach taken, what outcomes have been established, and recommendations moving forward for the organization.

ISBD is a non-profit organization that focuses on the awareness, research, and education on bipolar disorder. The mission statement of ISBD:

The mission of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) is to foster international collaboration in education and research. The intent of this collaboration is to advance the treatment of bipolar disorders and to improve outcomes and the quality of life for those living with bipolar disorder and their caregivers.

In order to meet its mission, ISBD conducts annual conferences, hosts webinars, sponsors a World Bipolar Day Event, organizes task forces, and uses its day to day activities to provide for the advancement of treatment for bipolar disorder. These programs and activities have been backed up with a diverse and abundant technological infrastructure. The current network and tech support are provided for by UPMC. Prior to the consulting engagement, ISBD relied on Microsoft Enterprise software, which is also provided for by UPMC. The majority of all other applications are web applications used by each member of the organization in order to organize events, better communicate with other members, and maintain ISBD’s website.

The primary task for the consulting engagement was the establishment of a central communication business system. The three main business aspects considered were email, calendar, and storage. Prior to the consulting engagement, ISBD used Microsoft Outlook for emails and planning and used Dropbox for cloud based storage and file sharing. The issue with the email lied in that each member of the organization utilized two emails – an isbd.org email domain which was hosted by Mail Enable and a upmc.edu email domain which was

mailto:[email protected]



part of the UPMC system. Certain members of the organization believed that utilizing the isbd.org email would better support outreach, but other members did not trust the hosting of Mail Enable. This resulted in the organization’s clients receiving emails from dissimilar email addresses at different times with various people. The calendar had issues with some members being unable to see events and attendees, and a disapproval of Microsoft calendar’s interface. Dropbox came with security problems because some members were unable to obtain permissions from UPMC to use Dropbox due to past security breaches. Therefore, not everybody would have access to seeing files posted on Dropbox. The range of issues with emails, calendars, and storage led the consultant to plan and implement a new central business system.

In order to address the lack of a central communication system, the consultant utilized the Google for Nonprofits’ Google Suite business system. The consultant created a Google Suite for the organization, and assisted in migrating existing information and applications from Mail Enable, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Calendar, and Dropbox to the G Suite. The consultant updated the MX records, CNAME records, and added a DKIM authentication protocol to the new Gmail accounts. The consultant made individual accounts for each member of the organization and a central email group where all members of the organization can be contacted. The consultant further ensured the maintainability of the system by troubleshooting issues in email and calendar, and instructed the organization on how to contact Google Cloud Services Support in the future.

Another task that the consulting engagement produced was a recommendation and plan from the consultant for project management. The organization was finding themselves having difficulties with organization during tight scheduling, in particular balancing big projects and small projects. The organization experimented with Asana in the past, but was not fond of the interface. The consultant recommended using Smart Sheets which uses a spreadsheet interface, but no implementation was conducted because the organization wanted to use existing systems until after the annual conference in May. Therefore, a plan for migration was proposed by the consultant.

Towards the end of the consulting engagement, the consultant provided two recommendations moving forward for ISBD. First, the consultant recommended using Google Sites to promote interaction among the organization’s members and task forces. Having a site dedicated to communication for each task force not only increases interaction and transparency for what activities the task forces are doing, but also motivates task forces to see what other groups may be focusing on.

The second recommendation was for increased technology planning using Lucid Chart. Currently, the organization has no technology planning process, and using a flowchart graphic designing software could be a great starting point to accomplishing this goal.

This report will highlight in further detail about the goals and motivation of ISBD, the scope and outcomes of the engagement, and the reasons for the recommendations given.


II. About the OrganizationOrganizationISBD was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1999 by University of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic Department Chair Dr. David Kupfer alongwith Dr. Ellen Frank. The launch took place as part of the 3rd International Conference onBipolar Disorder. The Society has since launched a series of annual conferences taking placearound the world, with the 19th annual conference taking place in Washington DC May 2017.

ISBD offers membership to the public, and shares a library of webinars, conference slides,and newsletters to its members. The member population has grown to over 700 membersrepresenting nearly 60 countries. ISBD members receive an annual subscription to BipolarDisorders: An International Journal of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, a peer reviewedscientific journal with the purpose of education on issues and news on bipolar disorder. Thejournal is published with eight issues per year, and includes research relevant to the clinicalaspects and treatment of bipolar disorder.

The Society further offers research programs and awards, such as the Samuel GershonAwards for Junior Investigators for original research manuscripts and the Mogens SchouAwards for distinction in the field of psychiatry and the treatment of bipolar disorder. ISBDalso sponsors a number of task forces – including active task forces such as “Bipolar Disorderin Older Adults” and “Role of Lithium in Bipolar Disorders.”

Many parts of ISBD both physically and technologically are largely tied to UPMC, and somecurrent and future technological goals are to migrate certain applications away. Theconnection between ISBD to UPMC at present is very strong, and UPMC supplies a variety ofresources. UPMC leases office space which includes linkage to their network for hard diskspace (including remote server access), licensed software applications, internet access, emailsystems, phone, fax, free support from the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic’s ITsupport team for hardware issues, and backup and restoration of file systems.

Programs and ActivitiesOne of the main focuses of ISBD is the planning and execution of their annual conference.The conference covers the mission of the organization by providing awareness, education, andresearch opportunities on bipolar disorder. The conference requires many months ofpreparation – including preparing logistics, finding speakers, awards, and many others.

In order for the conference to be run efficiently, effective communication tools are critical.Currently, most of the planning is done through Microsoft Outlook’s email client andMicrosoft’s calendar system, in conjunction with other external communication applicationssuch as Dropbox, Google Forms, and Survey Gizmo. ISBD further coordinates their effortswith a congress organizer who they have hired and managed, and the organizer providessupport with marketing, abstract submission, registration, and on site logistics for conferenceactivities. ISBD also organizes a separate website for each year’s conference (i.e.isbd2017.com).

Staff


Currently, the staff is led by Chad Daversa, who works alongside Christina Paternoster, Jill Olds, and Jen Schuchman. Chad is the Executive Director of ISBD, Christina is the Program Manager, Jill is the Membership & Outreach director, and Jen is the Administrative & Outreach Assistant.

I am working primarily with Christina. She is mostly in charge of managing the day to day logistics of the society. She works with a number of applications to provide surveys, organize webinars, provide support for the website, and many others. Christina also organizes the society’s education and research activities which includes: assisting with overall conference organizing, planning and managing “small meetings” that are held on site during the conference, booking and hosting webinars throughout the year, coordinating patient scholarships for conference attendance, announcing and coordinating the organization’s awards and the award ceremony, and managing the research efforts of the 8 task forces and Women’s Initiative.

Technology Infrastructure and Usage As a whole, the organization is well versed on reliant on technological infrastructure. The current network, Microsoft Enterprise software, and tech support are provided for by UPMC. The majority of all other applications are web applications used by Chad, Christina, Jill, and Jen in order to organize events, better communicate with members, or maintain ISBD’s website.

The technology that was utilized and worked with during the consulting engagement include Name Secure – the DNS host that ISBD uses, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Microsoft Office, the V Drive, and the Content Management System through Blue Archer. Prior to the consulting engagement, ISBD utilized Mail Enable for their email services. A further description of all the technological applications that ISBD can be found in the Appendix.

Technology Management When there are system issues or larger scale problems, UPMC IT support can manage the IT. Smaller internal problems are usually just handled by whoever is in the office. Usually this would be Jill and Jen. Jill creates the videos to be housed on the website, works directly with NeonCRM and Blue Archer, etc. and Jen updates the website.

As the staff at ISBD mentioned, there isn’t much of a planning process. The staff usually discusses issues either as they arise or in their annual staff retreat. Technology is mostly managed by Jill and Jen, and as problems arise, they are discussed and addressed on a case to case basis. Technology planning at ISBD is also constrained by the security and budget restrictions of UPMC.

Information Management Information and data are managed by NeonCRM, a web-based fundraising, event planning, and membership system. Jill manages the NeonCRM database, while all staff members have access. Typically, information management is overseen by the Executive Director who ensures policies are in place to manage how information is collected, stored, and used and to ensure this is in compliance with applicable laws. ISBD receives payment information through Paypal, so no credit card details are stored in the Society’s database or offline. The


society has a document retention policy that guides how long information must be kept and when it can be disposed of. Those members who have agreed to share their information with other members have made their information available through the membership directory, which is password protected. Information imported into the database from conference attendees is used to promote future conference attendance and membership, and ISBD does not offer this information for sale to third parties or share that information electronically outside of the organization.

As noted elsewhere, ISBD uses Passpack for password management and email communications are catalogued, archived, or disposed of as needed or dictated by a document retention policy. All files are stored on ISBD’s network drive, which is accessible only to their staff, and is backed up by the University of Pittsburgh.

ISBD has also recognized that they are still learning about Neon’s capabilities. Neon has been a huge improvement from the previous database that they used.

Internal and External Communication Internal communication is typically conducted face to face if everyone is in the office. Staff members also email each other, text if it’s important and they’re out of the office, or use Go-To-Meetings or phone calls if someone is out of the office for extended periods of time. When the staff attends conferences they use What’s App since not everyone has a cell phone plan that allows international texting.

As far as external communication goes, ISBD uses a large number of different applications. The society has a website (isbd.org) that was created and is currently maintained by Blue Archer. The website manages much of the external communication – from membership with the society, to registering for upcoming events and conferences, to member benefits such as viewing webinars. The staff emails their members individually or for small group messages (conference steering committee, task forces, etc), use MailChimp for mass communication with members or those who have signed up to receive webinar announcements. For meetings involving more than one person they again use Go-To-Meeting. The organization also texts certain members if they are working closely on projects. In the past they have also used Skype (with their personal accounts) if Skype is easier for certain members. Furthermore, ISBD is also working on blog posts to communicate with members. Currently there is no platform for members to communication with other members broadly besides email. Announcements are also posted on ISBD’s Facebook and Twitter.

All documents are stored on the organization’s local V drive. There is no official procedure for what is saved in Dropbox, which is used mostly to keep copies of documents outside individuals may need to access. For instance, Dropbox folders have been set up for some task forces who have expressed interest in using one. To share documents for review by the Awards Committee, Christina keeps copies of all pertinent information in their folder. Not all members of the Awards Committee have access to Dropbox though so she also creates PDF’s of the same documents to circulate.


III. Google Suites as a Central Communication System Motivation Assessing, implementing, and testing Google Suites as a business system for ISBD was the primary task and objective for the consulting engagement.

The annual conference that ISBD runs every year requires extensive collaboration in both planning and execution. Whether it be finding speakers, arranging hotels, reserving venues, or other logistics planning, the staff at ISBD found themselves running into problems with some of the previous communication applications. These problems that ISBD faces with derived from three primary areas – emails, calendars and planning, and storage and sharing.

Previously, ISBD relied on Microsoft Outlook for the majority of their emails. Within Outlook, each member had an isbd.org email in addition to a upmc.edu email. The two accounts appeared together in Outlook, but were not linked. The email address book and listservs/group emails were also not connected in any way. For example, if one member created a listserv for “Elderly Adults Group,” another member would not be able to access this group on his/her Outlook account. Personal emails were also used when functions specific to an email service could not be accessed via Outlook. For example, Christina used her personal Gmail account to create and send Google Forms to her members since the Google App was not otherwise accessible by sending an email via Outlook.

Calendars and planning were conducted through the Microsoft Calendar Application. The issue with the calendar application was that when one member created an event, another member could view the event – but could not see many important details such as attendees. There was also no central calendar that was designated for all office members to update.

Storage and sharing among the office has typically been through the local V drive. When files are to be shared with parties outside the office, ISBD has been using Dropbox, which is restricted by UPMC due to security issues so that one would need an exception in order to use it. Due to this, only two of the four members were able to obtain an exception and can access Dropbox. The combination of email, calendar, and file sharing had significantly hindered internal and external communication at ISBD. The difficulties in communication lead to wasted time and redundancy in workload. A central, user-friendly, more cooperative system could reduce or eliminate these issues in communication and provide for a better path towards reaching the mission of ISBD.

Through our consulting engagements, the system that we decided to utilize to reach our goals was the Google for Nonprofits system. One alternative that we considered briefly was Microsoft 365, but the following factors were considered to choose Google’s application system:

• Gmail is more robust and more user friendly with a more powerful search function

• Google still maintains the ability to load and save files in Microsoft file format

• Google offers more cloud-based collaboration tools

• Google’s cloud-based tools are easier to access remotely through different devices


Outcomes We decided that the most appropriate business communication system was Google Suites. In order to implement this, each user would migrate their information and applications from Mail Enable, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft’s Calendar, and Dropbox to the Suite.

The DNS MX records and all associated records are now linked to Google’s system. Three out of four members are now actively using Gmail’s cloud based interface as their primary email client. The fourth member, Chad, is also using Gmail’s email services, but using the Microsoft Outlook client to view these emails.

Google’s cloud based email and calendar interfaces presents both advantages and disadvantages. Christina has praised the inclusion of a world clock which alerts clearly which parts of the world are currently in work hours and which parts are not. This alert is useful for ISBD because they work with many international members and clients. The calendar has also been remarked as being more usable because it does not bear the bug of some members being unable to view attendee lists as with Outlook. However, Christina also noted that since Gmail operates in the browser, she cannot drag out an individual email window without having to open a new tab.

The Gmail system was created, enabled, and migrated from Mail Enable using a series of protocols which included the following:

1. Since the domain is hosted by Name Secure and not Google, we verified the domain by adding a TXT verification record.

2. Next, Mail Exchange and CNAME records were updated from Mail Enable’s services to Google’s services, and allowed the propagation to complete.

3. In order to verify DomainKeys Identified Mail and SPF domain records, we created a new DNS record so that email recipients can query in order to retrieve a public key.

4. We updated the TXT records on NameSecure, and allowed the second propagation to complete.

5. Finally, we went back to the G Suites Admin Console to authenticate the DKIM and SPF records.

While the first two steps were necessary to activate the Gmail service, the other three steps were used to set security protocols to correctly mark emails as spam.

The consultant also setup an email [email protected] that is connected to other members’ emails. That is to say, when [email protected] is contacted, all members will receive the email and anybody can choose to reply to the sender. The consultant made sure that the process to create this account was clear to the organization so that the organization can do something similar in the future should they find the need.

Google Calendar has also increased the organizational capacity of ISBD. Google Calendar no longer had unintended limits on what users could see the attendees list on each event. The consultant also assisted in creating a central office calendar where all members could update and view events. Members were no longer forced to dig through another member’s personal event calendar to find certain events.



In regards to using the Drive as part of the Suite, the members of ISBD are putting off the decision until after May this year. With the big annual conference coming during that time, the organization wants to maintain all files currently on Dropbox to stay there until then. After the conference, the organization will decide how much of the Drive they will utilize. The Drive presents two clear advantages. First, since Dropbox is currently blocked off for Jen due to UPMC security regulations, only three out of four members actually have access to Dropbox on their computers. Second, Drive allows for files to be shared within the Suite. This means that when a user wishes to attach a file that they have stored in the cloud to an email or calendar event, the files are easily accessible and do not have to be uploaded again. There are however risks to using the Drive. First, the organization is used to using Dropbox and used to Dropbox’s sharing and storage procedures. Second, the Drive provides less storage space. This storage space can however be upgraded with a $10 fee per user.

Each member has also been trained to use the Google Suite’s Administrator Console. On this console, users can be managed (i.e. adding, renaming, changing access and privileges of each user), usage of different applications services can be tracked, which applications can be selected to integrate, and data migration tools are available to use.

Sustainability can be measured in two ways – personal constraints and technical constraints. From a personal constraints perspective, the Google Suites seems well liked among the organization. If the organization continues to use the many applications that Google Suites offers, it should continue to stay in the system. From a technical constraint perspective, there are many records and authentication protocols that the email service undergoes. Be it that the organization needs to change something, Google Suites Support and NameSecure Support are both very helpful. The two customer support services offer the tools to maintain these outcomes as technically sustainable.

IV. Smart Sheets to Improve Organization and Planning Motivation Given the existing systems of ISBD, there was never really an application that allows the organization to “work backwards.” That is to say, when a long-term project is in progress, the organization wants to be able to adapt that project to smaller projects that come up along the way. Typically, the annual conference is the large project, and smaller projects such as scheduling webinars will arise, and there is no way to effectively accommodate for these frequent, sporadic smaller events.

Previously, the organization has tried to work with Asana and Trello, but has found little success in the extensibility of the software to their work processes. Christina has also complained about how Asana focuses on “flashy interfaces that look easy to use,” but provide little to actually improve organization.

Further motivation came from Google Suite – since the Suite offers a “Marketplace” similar to an App Store. In the Marketplace, members of the Suite can access third party applications and integrate them easily to the Suite business system. The Marketplace offers a variety of


applications – including accounting, graphic design, human resources and legal, web development, and in this case project management. Organization members were therefore more inclined to try a new project management software since G Suite allows for the easy integration.

Outcomes The organization made it clear that they did not have the time or capacity to include a project management software during the consulting engagement. With the annual conference in early May, the organization wanted to keep all their projects in familiar locations as opposed to using a new software. Keeping this in mind, the consultant focused on choosing the right project management software, as opposed to actually implementing a solution.

The consultant selected, evaluated, and discussed with the organization two software – Smart Sheets and G Queues. The two software were first chosen because they were the most popular among G Suite users. The consultant analyzed the software by reading user reviews, watching tutorials, and reading functionality specifications, and created a table to evaluate the two software based on functionality, usability, and cost. The consultant presented his findings with the organizations, and we concluded that the functionality of the two software was similar. Both were able to satisfy key functional requirements of the organization – of producing alerts, easy collaboration, syncing with Google calendar and Google Drive, and scalable to a small organization. The difference in cost was also a negligible amount. Usability however was the deciding factor. The organization believed that the drag-and-drop user interface of G Queues was too similar to Asana – which they had deemed not useful. Smart Sheet’s spreadsheet interface closely resembled that of Microsoft Excel, a software the organization is very comfortable using. For these reasons, we decided to pursue using Smart Sheets for project management.

The consultant then developed a straightforward plan for steps to use Smart Sheets. The plan can be executed after the organization finishes their annual conference in May, so they will have more time to use the software and experiment with its capabilities. The plan outlined how to install the software, how to integrate the software into the Google Suite, and some basic functionalities that should be of use.

V. Recommendations Vision The International Society for Bipolar Disorders can use technology effectively to reach and inspire all people worldwide affected by or interested in Bipolar Disorder. The technological vision of ISBD is currently being upheld with the strong technology infrastructure foundation that the organization started with, and continued during the consulting engagement. This section will outline two recommendations as strategies and goals that have been proposed to promote and sustain the vision of the organization.


Goal 1: To Plan, Collaborate, and Share Externally Using Google Sites ISBD can further interact with the organization’s members, donors, and task forces using Google Sites. It is important to note that using Google Sites is not intended to replace or replace any traffic that goes into the current website (isbd.org). The majority of the current website is devoted to outreach and providing information and contact methods to people outside the organization. Members (people who are not new to the organization) therefore have little incentive to visit the website, so a Google Site could allow new interactions.

Google Sites hold an advantage in technological capabilities for interaction compared to Blue Archer’s Content Management System for website creation because of the easy integration with Google’s applications. For example, a Google Site can easily embed Google content, such as Google Calendar, Google Hangout, Google Forms, Google Slides, etc. Not only would these services increase members’ interaction with the organization, but also members’ interactions amongst themselves.

An increased amount of interaction can help the organization reach their mission in many ways:

• Members can feel like they’re receiving more services and feedback


• Members can develop increased interests in the research topics that the organization or other members are focused on

• Members can keep up to date with activities and events concerning ISBD

• ISBD can better stay connected with its members to promote awareness The aforementioned members would likely focus on the task forces of ISBD that collaborate on research projects concerning bipolar disorders. Seeing more of the efforts from these task forces may also increase interest for other members to join these task forces.

The table below outlines the steps towards a successful implementation of Google Sites. The left hand column states the action or task to be accomplished, the middle section talks about how this task is going to be executed, and the right hand column approximates an amount of resources required whether it be time or money.

Strategies Implementation Step Remarks Resources

Expended

Decision on what Task Forces are most relevant to interaction and collaboration

ISBD runs eight task forces.

One site may be able to encompass all eight groups with separate pages for each group.

Alternatively, some groups may be more willing to use the site than others. For example, perhaps smaller groups would prefer to collaborate through email because it is more efficient and more convenient.

Free

Time for discussion among ISBD over where to use Sites

Time for discussion among task forces if they would be on board to use Sites

Decision on Classic Sites or New Sites

New Sites is Google’s recent (2016) redesign of their Site Creation software. Both services are available for use. Some Differences are highlighted below.

Classic Sites is able to be viewed and edited through any G Suite supported browser. New Sites requires Chrome.

Classic Sites storage limit is 10GB, with a maximum attachment size of 20MB. New Sites storage limit is included in G Suite Drive storage space.

New Sites features an increased variety of themes to construct the basic design of the site.

Classic Sites allows for features such as commenting to pages, changing a site URL, and changing group permissions. These features have yet to be introduced in New Sites.

Free (with Google for Nonprofits)

Time for discussion among ISBD over which features are more relevant or important

Create and Design Google Site

The process to create and design a site starts with creating a site on the Google Sites page, having logged onto the isbd.org account.

Themes can then be selected and the URL can be customized for the site.

Free unless additional storage space is required. Prices may vary according to which Site.


The Design process is well-guided and easy to use. Further instructions can be found on: https://support.google.com/sites/answer/98081?hl=en

Time to familiarize with Google Sites’ Content Management System.

Manage Google Site by adding additional relevant features

Useful Google Applications that can be added include, but are not limited to, Google Forms, Google Slides, and Google Hangout.

Real time chat rooms can also be implemented and embedded into Sites using third-party applications. Further instructions can be found here:

http://www.islonline.com/technology/integrations/google-sites.htm

Free for all Google Applications and most Third-Party Applications

Deploy Site to Interact with Members

Google Sites’ Content Management System allows a Site to be published when necessary fields are complete.

Permissions to own, edit, and view these sites can be organized using the CMS.

Free to publish and share

Expected Outcomes The expected outcomes should overall be popular, though there may also be associated risks. First, the organization would continue its trend of being a tech savvy organization. Since the site is intended to increase the organization’s interaction with its members, the site would promote ISBD’s technologically pro-active image. Programs and task force management would be made more efficient, and people from outside the task forces could become more interested in what the task forces are doing.

The main risk is that task forces are so busy, and the groups do not have time to interact with the site. Most of the task force members are full-time employed doctors, and are extremely busy with day-to-day activities. Therefore, adding a new platform may deter task force members to communicate because they are more likely to check their personal emails as opposed to the new ISBD site.

Goal 2: To Promote Technology Planning and Organization Using Lucid Chart ISBD can utilize Lucid Chart or a similar diagram graphic-designer software to create charts to (1) increase office organization and technology planning and (2) market out to educational resources or social media content. Many members of ISBD are big on including graphics and visuals to work processes in the office. Especially during the busier months of conference planning, ISBD can use Lucid Chart to plan their business activities and illustrate to their members what activities are happening.

One of the key aspects of the mission of ISBD is to educate and raise awareness of bipolar disorder. Making diagrams and flow charts are critical to educational resources. Flow charts could also illustrate where funds go after donations. When a member decides to donate money to ISBD, if he/she can see very clearly exactly where this money is going to go, he/she will likely be more inclined to give more based on personal connections.

https://support.google.com/sites/answer/98081?hl=en




Having gotten to know the members of ISBD, I believe that the group benefits from and delights in elegantly designed material as opposed to plain spreadsheets or documents. Including Lucid Chart brings in an easy and fun to use software that could really bring high spirits to many office members. Flow charts can define job tasks, the role of each member for a particular project, or the steps towards reaching a goal.

Pricing is done on a case-by-case basis for nonprofit organizations. There may be a good chance that Lucid Chart could be free of charge because of the educational objectives of ISBD.

Strategies Implementation Step Remarks Resources Expended

Determine Pricing/Utilize Free Trial

Pricing can vary because Lucid Chart determines pricing for nonprofit organizations on a case by case basis. The cost could be anywhere from Free to $20/month. The $20/month subscription is for the team package of three users.

Time for using the free trial and determining viability

Subscribe to Membership for the Software

Subscribing to membership for Lucid Chart is a two-step process.

First the application must be added onto the Google Suite, through Google Marketplace. This would allow the users to access Lucid Chart from their Google accounts.

Next, subscriptions to membership can be done on the Lucid Chart website (lucidchart.com)

Free - $20/month

Prepare and Discuss uses for the Lucid Chart

Some ideas proposed for using Lucid Chart include advertising, organizational task management, and educational purposes. Lucid Chart can be used to create a variety of different graphical displays, and the organization can determine these utilizations.

Time to prepare and discuss use of software.

Create Flow Charts using Lucid Chart

Creating flow charts involves getting used to the interface and exploring the capabilities. Upon creation, the flowcharts can be printed out for marketing purposes perhaps at UPMC, or sent in emails to members to engage the members on what the organization has its efforts focused on.

Time taken to design and implement graphical displays

Expected Outcomes Creating straightforward and helpful diagrams that show work processes can greatly improve organizational capacity in the organization, especially if the organization grows in the future. Having tasks and roles clearly defined in a flowchart helps each member to know their part in a big project. Flowcharts can also help external members and individuals interested in ISBD to know what the organization is doing, and where their efforts lie. Members can be aware of progress of the organization in terms of activities, and people visiting the website can view where their donations are headed. All of these outcomes can help ISBD to reach their mission and the stated technological vision.


Risks involved with using this software is mostly the investment in terms of money and time. Although there are foreseen benefits to using the software, Lucid Chart stands more as a “nice to have” rather than a “must have” within the organization. If the organization finds that they do not have the time to utilize Lucid Chart, the software may be a waste of money and resources.

VI. About the Consultant Stephen Yuan is a student at Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Information Technology Strategy program. Yuan graduated from his undergraduate studies at the College of William and Mary in May 2016. Yuan plans to start as a consultant for Deloitte Consulting in their IT consulting practice at Washington DC in September 2017.


Appendix A

Existing Technology Usage Technology Category of Technology Usage

Adobe Acrobat Pro

PDF Client Used to create, edit, and markup PDF documents

Asana Project Management Software

Used to organize projects within the organization

Citrix Receiver Remote Access Used to remote into their desktops

Dropbox Storage and file sharing Used to store and share files mostly with people outside staff

Gmail Email Used personally when Google Apps are required

Google Forms Surveys/Form Manager Used in a more simpler context to collect information about certain topics.

GoToMeeting Video Presentations Meetings within and outside office participants involving more than 2 participants

GoToWebinar Video Presentations Meetings held primarily for training

MailChimp Mass Emailing Used to send information to large groups of people (Friends newsletter, Member announcements, Fundraising materials)

Microsoft Calendar

Calendar Used to plan dates and track day to day activities

Microsoft Outlook

Email Primary email client used by all members of ISBD

Movavi Video Editing Used to edit video

Neon CRM/Database Management

CRM designed to manage data from memberships; data about member body is stored here.

PassPack Password Manager Stores and secures all passwords for other applications.

Slideshare Hosted slide software For displaying slides in an accessible way on their website

Survey Gizmo Surveys/Form Manager Conduct surveys and creates presentations based on the survey results/analysis

UPMC Licensed Windows 7 Enterprise

Operating System Includes UPMC licenses Microsoft software

UPMC Network Network/Connection Access to the shared network drive, internet and MS Exchange email.

V Drive Storage Used to store the bulk of files; managed by UPMC.


Vimeo Video Storage Used to store videos (webinars, educational materials, marketing materials, etc.)

Website Content Management through Blue Archer

Web Design & Development

Outsourced to create and maintain the isbd.org website.

New Technology Usage Technology Category of Technology Usage

Google Suites Business System Used to manage other parts of the business system – including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and SmartSheets, and can continue to expand

Gmail Email Service Used to communicate internally and externally

Google Calendar Calendar/Planning Used to plan activities and organize events

Drive Storage and file sharing Used to store and share files mostly with people outside staff

SmartSheets Project Management Used to manage projects, have alerts during deadlines, and meet milestones in work


Implementation Plan for ISBD

Stephen Yuan

Notes

1. Smartsheet is a project management software intended to increase work capacities at ISBD.

2. Smartsheet will be explored and tested after the ISBD annual conference in May. 3. This plan is suggested to serve as a guideline for how to use Smartsheet. Actual

timelines and utilization will vary.

Proposed Plan

Time after Trial Begins Actions

One Week Christina and Jill install and begin exploring capabilities of Smartsheet. Since usability is our main focus, assessment of such an attribute can only be achieved by actually using the software.

Two Weeks Certain small projects can be managed using Smartsheet. These sheets should now be shared with Chad and Jen, as well as any other potential stakeholders.

Three Weeks Assessments should be made on whether or not the pricing is reasonable based on the capabilities offered by Smartsheet. One important thing to keep in mind is how well the individual account can be used with other collaborators. Since having just one account would drastically reduce pricing, the organization should test how well collaboration can be done with one main account.


Four Weeks Larger scaled projects can be placed on to Smartsheet. This is an important time of transition because if the organization feels that the software is reliable and usable, projects can start to be increasingly migrated on to Smartsheet. A further assessment of how maintainable the software is should be done.

After trial ends Pay for one of the options listed below, as a non-profit organization price. Projects should already be on Smartsheet, and capabilities should already be well known.

Installation

1. Sign in to Google Suites Account 2. Visit the G Suite Marketplace or https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/ 3. Search for “Smartsheet” on the search bar at the top, and click on the Install button within

Smartsheet. This will add Smartsheet to the G Suite and can be further managed via http://www.admin.google.com

4. A trial version can be used without credit card information for up to 30 days.

Pricing

Smartsheet provides discounts for Non-profits. During the check out process, the organization should inform Smartsheet about the causes of the organization.

• Individual $145/year (or $12.08/month)* • Team $149/year (or $12.42/month) • Business $249/year (or $20.75/month)

*Paid users can invite an unlimited number of free collaborators. Free Collaborators can edit sheets and reports, attach documents, set alerts, and participate in discussions. However, they cannot create or own sheets the way a paid user can.

Further information on pricing can be found on https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing-chat

How to Set Up a Sheet

1. Create a new sheet by clicking the “+” symbol at the top or click “Import” to import data from an Excel file or Google Spreadsheet.

https://gsuite.google.com/marketplace/

http://www.admin.google.com/

https://www.smartsheet.com/pricing-chat


2. Double click a sheet type in the left pane to create a new sheet.3. Enter a name for the sheet in the Name field.4. Further instructions can be found on https://www.smartsheet.com/videos/how-set-sheet

Smartsheet Support

Visit https://www.smartsheet.com/contact-us-sales?fts=homepage-enterprise-contact-us to contact support about Smartsheet or call (855) 824-2221.

https://www.smartsheet.com/videos/how-set-sheet

https://www.smartsheet.com/contact-us-sales?fts=homepage-enterprise-contact-us

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