Implementing Electronic Document Management in a Community College

Setting

Recommendations for Success

Chuck Zettler, Director of Information Technology Project Management, Palm Beach Community College

October 29, 2008

Overview

Environment Challenges and Objectives Project Timeline Conducting a Technology Needs Assessment Project Analysis Methodology Results Recommendations for Success What to Look for in a Vendor

Palm Beach Community College

Serves one of the largest counties in Florida

Approximately 47,000 students Comprehensive community college Urban, multi-campus environment One hour drive b/w some campuses Two failed attempts at implementing

EDM

Challenges

(Continued)

Challenges

4 million mission-critical documents — paper format only

Located in Hurricane Alley Separation of campus locations Objectives:

– Reduce paper – Provide Web self service– Retain some paper-based processes (Continued)

Challenges (Continued)

Paper-based processes – Hindered services– Made work distribution cumbersome (multiple

campuses)– Required numerous phone calls to verify information– Led to customer service inequities

Unstructured information (PDFs, emails, web pages, scanned images) — not organized or managed

Objectives

Disaster recovery (three hurricanes in two years)

Remote, simultaneous Web access to information

Improved efficiency Ability to retrieve, track,

share, revise, and distribute documents within / throughout all campuses (Continued)

Objectives (Continued)

Improved privacy measures Distribution of work via automated workflow Quicker turnaround time for students and

staff Reduced incidence of lost/misplaced files Enhanced student and administrative

services– Scan documents at the point of receipt

Project Timeline

March 2004 – Formed college-wide committee

December 2004 –RFQ for consulting services

January 2005 – Analysis and planning contract awarded to IMERGE Consulting

(Continued)

Project Timeline (Continued)

October 2005 – Business Case/Value Proposition: Student Services

November 2005 – Financial commitment from Board of Trustees

December 2005 – Issued RFP for EDM system

(Continued)

Project Timeline (Continued)

November 2006 – Contract awarded to Optical Image Technology for implementation of DocFinity suite

April 2007 – “Go Live”– Registrar & Financial Aid

June 2008 – “Go Live”– Human Resources

2009 – Accounts Payable 2010 – Academic Departments

Conducting a Technology Needs Assessment

Identify – Problems– Current state

– Future state

– Gap Analysis

Create roadmap to the future

(Continued)

Conducting a Technology Needs Assessment (Continued)

Involve stakeholders Document your processes Establish realistic timeline Be sensitive to effects of change Match technology requirements to needs of

users– Point of entry scanning

Process Analysis: Identify the following:

Desired outcome of each flow

People involved in each flow

Decisions that affect processes (and the people who make them)

Assets needed– Images– COLD reports– Data from other systems – Etc. (Continued)

Process Analysis (Continued)

Identify time constraints (for flows or individual steps)

Designate reporting metrics

Map work distribution– Business requirements– Business rules

Results

Multi-Phase Implementation– Phase I: Student Services

Admissions & Registration Financial Aid

– Phase II: Business Services Human Resources & Payroll Purchasing, Receiving and Accounts Payable Contracts & Reporting

– Phase III: Academics(Continued)

Results (Continued)

Phase I – Student Services– Installed scanners college-wide– Developed workflow applications for:

Registration & Admissions Financial Aid

– Year 1 Scanned over 500,000 documents Went from a 4-week backlog at some campuses

to 1 day turnaround college-wide(Continued)

Student Services Scan Station

Registrar – Transcript Workflow

XXXXXXXXX WILSON, WOODROW

XXXXXXXXX SMITH, SUSAN

XXXXXXXXX WATERS, JEFFREY

XXXXXXXXX COOLDEGE, CALVIN

XXXXXXXXX BROWN, CHARLES

XXXXXXXXX MONK, THELONEUS

XXXXXXXXX KOTULA, ERICA

XXXXXXXXX HADEN, MARTIN

XXXXXXXXX CAMPBELL, AMANDA

XXXXXXXXX THUMMA, JAMES

XXXXXXXXX SHAFFER, CHAD

XXXXXXXXX MCDERMID, FRANCES

XXXXXXXXX JONES, ERIC

XXXXXXXXX SANDERS, GRAHAM

XXXXXXXXX FELDMAN, SYLVIA

XXXXXXXXX SCHWEITZER, ALBERT

XXXXXXXXX WILSON, WOODROW

XXXXXXXXX SMITH, SUSAN

XXXXXXXXX WATERS, JEFFREY

XXXXXXXXX COOLDEGE, CALVIN

XXXXXXXXX BROWN, CHARLES

XXXXXXXXX MONK, THELONEUS

XXXXXXXXX KOTULA, ERICA

XXXXXXXXX HADEN, MARTIN

XXXXXXXXX CAMPBELL, AMANDA

XXXXXXXXX THUMMA, JAMES

XXXXXXXXX SHAFFER, CHAD

XXXXXXXXX MCDERMID, FRANCES

XXXXXXXXX JONES, ERIC

XXXXXXXXX SANDERS, GRAHAM

XXXXXXXXX FELDMAN, SYLVIA

XXXXXXXXX SCHWEITZER, ALBERT

Transcript Process Steps

XXXXXXXXXX

THOMPSON, PERRY

1

XXXXXXXXXX

THOMPSON, PERRY

1

Results (Continued)

Can meet higher volumes during peak registration, hiring, and accounting cycles

Process information quicker, without adding additional staff

Create process integration between structured data and unstructured information

– Financial Aid Verification– Components can be submitted separately

(Continued)

Results (Continued)

Reporting tools can monitor:– Student document status at any given time – Processing levels of different campuses

Adjustments can be made to processing levels Overall improvements:

– Accurate gauge of productivity levels– Improved work distribution– Centralization of work activities– Improved productivity– Converted file rooms (Continued)

Results (Continued)

Implemented Point of Entry “Quick” Scanning– Streamlines student services– Imports student information

immediately – Reduces need for data entry– Paper documents are:

Scanned Assigned a document type Sent to file or used to initiate a

workflow process

Recommendations for Success: Project Planning

Plan, plan, plan Time spent:

– 85% in project analysis and planning

– 15% in execution

Followed college- accepted Project Methodology

Emphasized Design over Build

Initiator/Executive Sponsor, Project Manager & Business Analysts

Initiator/Executive Sponsor, Project Manager & Business Analysts

Project Manager, Business Analysts & Project Team

Project Manager, Business Analysts & Project Team

Project Manager, Business Analysts & Project Team

Project Manager, Business Analysts & Project Team

PBCC Project Management Process Steps

InitiateProject Initiation Worksheet Completed By Initiator & Executive Sponsor

Project Description Goals and Objectives Business Case Key Deliverables

Full Project Charter/Scope Completed by IT PM/BA & Initiator and Approved by Executive Sponsor & IT Director

Project Goals and Objectives Deliverables - Identify All In-Scope Items Key Milestones with Target Dates Assumptions and Constraints Known Risks Success/Acceptance Criteria- How will you measure success? Key Stakeholders Project Team Members with Roles & Responsibilities Systems Affected

Screened Ideas

PlanCreate the Project Plan - PM/BA

Work Breakdown Structure - Project Plan Communications Plan Risk Management Plan Resource Plan

Project Execution & Control

Manage to the Project Plan

Status Reports/Minutes Issues/Decision Log Change Management Log

CloseCloseout the Project Document Lessons Learned Report Project Success Document "Brought Forward" Items for Future Projects Release the Team

Approved Projects

Active Projects

Annual IT Project Roadmap IT Management Project Status Meetings Monthly Status Update Meetings with Key Business Owners

Project Portfolio MonitoringProject Portfolio Monitoring

Recommendations for Success: Assembling a Project Team

Involve executive managers, users from all stages of the process, and technical staff

Focus on shared objectives and trustSponsoring committee — senior managers

– Issues escalation – Resource management

Implementation team– End users – IT technicians

Project Team Define

Project LeaderChuck Zettler

Implementation Team

Chuck Zettler, Dir IT Project Management, Reporting & Business Analysis - ChairAlex Calderon, IT Microcomputer SpecialistDavid Bodwell, Director of Financial AidJennifer Devine, Project AnalystAmy McDonald, IT Business AnalystEd Mueller, Acting College RegisterJulie Reiman, Campus Fin Aid Co-ord – LW Geoff Schlakman, Dir IT Enterprise SystemsPaula Souza, Campus Registrar – BRBob Voelker, IT Document System Analyst Suzanne Watson, OIT Project Manager, Consulting and TrainingKevin Cojanu, IT Help Desk Manager

Training & Support -Campus TeamsAmy McDonald, ChairElla Cassidy, Registrar DistrictKevin Cojanu, IT Help DeskJanet Cosher, Financial Aid LWShirley Diah, Financial Aid BRJennifer Donn, Financial Aid DistrictIrene Johnson, Advisement LWRonnie Malave, Registrar PBGRoz McFarland, Registrar GladesCarol Oleska, Registrar LWFelicia Phair, Financial Aid PBGChristine Sheppard, Financial Aid BRKen Schwartz, Registrar LW

Cherly Philippeaux, Registrar BR

Sponsoring CommitteeResponsible for overall project direction, staff resource allocation and policy decisions. Reports to the VP/Provosts

Deans of Student Services Scott MacLachlan, Palm Beach Gardens, ChairFreddie Bennett, Glades Leonard Burton, Boca RatonPenny McIsaac, Lake Worth

Tony Parziale, Chief Information Officer

IT SteeringChuck Zettler, Director IT Project Management, Reporting and Business Analysis, ChairGeoff Schlakman, Director IT Enterprise SystemsMike Merker, Dir IT Infrastructure

Recommendations for Success: Setting the Project Scope

Choose a scalable solutionBegin with a manageable projectClearly define and document all deliverables

(Continued)

For ExamplePhase I: Registrar – Point of entry quick scan and three workflow applications

• Applications • Transcripts • Limited access documents

For ExamplePhase I: Registrar – Point of entry quick scan and three workflow applications

• Applications • Transcripts • Limited access documents

Recommendations for Success: Create Detailed Function and Requirements Documentation

Document as is process flows Create to be process flows Build prototypes Test and validate using actual end users Do not allow end user managers or technical

staff to impede results for end users Stay focused on process improvement

(Continued)

Recommendations for Success: Initial Implementation

Select small area to implement Keep scope narrow Motivate staff Recognize the need to adjust to change Set success criteria Celebrate success! Feed people! (Continued)

Recommendations for Success: System & Process Integration

Look for ability to– Integrate with legacy systems– Integrate with different departments and campuses– Pull data from administrative systems – Push data where it is needed

System and processes should:– Be well integrated – Support each other

(Continued)

Recommendations for Success: Roll-out and Support

Be prepared:

– Scale the roll-out so that it is manageable

– If you are moving from paper-based to online processes, have support channels in place

(Continued)

Recommendations for Success: Factors to Consider

Short-term needs vs. long-term goals

Departmental vs. enterprise-wide solution

Budget Timeline

Recommendations for Success: Check customer references

Look to organizations of a similar size Ask your vendor for references from:

– New customers– Implementing customers– Long-term customers

What to Look For in a Vendor

Questions to ask when choosing a technology vendor:– Customer install base size– Higher education experience– Financial status– Support levels– Product road map– Corporate culture– User group support

(Continued)

What to Look For in a Vendor

Technology road map Application APIs Licensing model Support and maintenance

costs Patch and upgrade schedule Availability of professional

services Compatibility with institution’s

technical standards and infrastructure

(Continued)

What to Look For in a Vendor

Total document management Strong web presence In-house development and integration of

software Open architecture/link with various 3rd-party

applications A truly integrated suite of ECM products

– We chose the DocFinity suite, by Optical Image Technology

(Continued)

ROI Considerations

Hard-dollar ROI– Money saved on physical storage space, space rental, filing

cabinets, and records management staff– Faster turnaround time

Soft-dollar ROI– Increased employee productivity/efficiency– Ability to process student materials more quickly– Increased student satisfaction– Improved document security and recovery

Questions:

Chuck ZettlerDirector of Information Technology Project Management Palm Beach Community Collegeph: 561.868.3240email: zettlerc@pbcc.eduwww.pbcc.edu