Transcript Unified Communications Model Framework

Building and Implementing a Repeatable Framework for
Campus Communications
Practical Application of a Framework to Inform Customers and
Manage Expectations
Blake Adams
Director of User Services
University of West Georgia
Building and Implementing a Repeatable Framework for
Campus Communications
Overview
• Background
• Shared Challenges
• What we can we do?
• Building and Implementing a Framework
• Case Study/ Communications Framework – Implementing at
UWG
• Challenges, Lessons learned, Emerging Trends
• Conversation
My Background
• Director of User Services
• 20 years of experience in
Customer Service, 15 in
Information Technology
About West Georgia
A comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia
Founded in 1906 as ‘Fourth District A&M School’
11,700 students, and over 1,100 faculty/staff.
ITS has about 60 full time staff, and many student employees.
We provide all of the technology support for campus – Banner, e-mail, campus
web presence, desktop support, classroom and AV support, campus computer
labs, the data & telephone networks, etc.
Shared Challenges
What challenges are you facing in
communication right now?
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Customer Needs Growing
Department Resources Shrinking
Expectations Increasing – Speed to Resolution of Issue/Request
Methods of Communication Continuously Changing
– How do you tailor every message to every customer in a one to many medium?
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Customers and Services Providers – are we speaking the same language?
How much is too much, or not enough?
No one with in IT holding the title of “Communicator”
We are Tasked With Planning for the Unplanned
Failure to Communicate = Reputational Risk
What can we do about the Challenges we Face?
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Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
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Strategic Communication Plan
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Twitter
Facebook
Sharepoint
Text Messaging
Face to Face
Partnerships within your department
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Announce Planned Outages of Service
Record Unplanned Outages of Services
Publish a Standing Maintenance Schedule
Email Alternative – Mass Communication
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What do you do? What services do you provide or support?
How can a customer find the status of the services?
Calendar of Maintenance
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Templates (Consistency), Clarified expectations, etc
Clarify Service Offerings
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How do we speak to our users?/How do they listen? (Know your audience)
Build relationship and trust
Allow Subject Matter Experts to focus on Subject Matter
Customer Service/Service Desk/Help Desk – Must focus on communication
Drive Help/Service Desk functions from inbound function (reactive) to outbound (proactive) function.
How do we tackle the problem?
How do we implement all of these changes?
“Hint” – Here’s the framework
Building a Framework
A well though out, repeatable plan
Not this
This
Building a Framework
Brainstorm First
Organize Second
A shotgun approach will not
work
Building a Framework
A solo mission will not work.
Building a Framework
Find – or be – a champion.
• Communicate the Vision
• Review progress
• Bring in the right help at
the right time
• Break down barriers
Building a Framework
Organize based on quick wins/low hanging fruit
Follow by bigger picture ideas.
Building a Framework
Plan for a culture shift.
• Get buy in.
• Be patient.
Building a Framework
Deploy, Market, Revise, Repeat.
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
Service/Status Page – The Customer’s Home Base for
Information
http://status.westga.edu
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
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Brand name and describe Enterprise/Mission Critical Services
Establish informal OLAs for communications and handoff
Build Calendar of Maintenance (Scheduled Events/Outages)
Status Page
Anchor
Tools
Service Interruption Message (SIM)
Communication Templates (Format and Content)
Branded Closings
Defined ownership of status page and SIM updates
Defined Announcement Frequency
Service Level Guidelines – Communication
Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed
E-MAIL RELIANCE: HIGH
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
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Formalize OLAs for communication/handoff/response/resolution
Social Media Integration
– RSS Feeds
– Twitter
– Facebook
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Online Customer Self Service
– Right Sized “Service Catalog”
– Top FAQs Published and Visible (easy to find)
– Integrated/Subscribeable- Global Issue Communication
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Service Level Guidelines – Services – Fully defined SLGs for each branded service
New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed
E-MAIL RELIANCE: Moderate
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
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Service Desk Level Monitoring of Mission Critical Services
Mission Critical Emergency Text Messaging (Opt In)
Standardized, documented communication procedures
3rd Party System/Services Support Agreements
Comprehensive review of Service Level Agreements, Operating Level Agreements,
3rd Party Agreements
New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed
E-MAIL RELIANCE: Low
A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications
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Mobile Application Integrations (Status Updates)
Knowledge Level Management
– Frequently Asked Questions – Extended
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Research New Communication Channels, Consider for Inclusion
New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed
E-MAIL RELIANCE: Supplemental
Lessons Learned and Emerging Trends
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Develop an IT Strategic Communication Plan.
Automation is improving, consider adding where appropriate.
Leverage texting by capturing cell phone numbers during registration.
Distinguish between what customer wants to know and what you want customer
to know.
Craft the same message in different voices (styles) for different audiences. Speak
the language they understand.
Manage internal IT communication as well as external communication.
Consider how much time you can put into social media monitoring before using it
as a venue for communication.
Thank you!
Now let’s continue our conversation…