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The University of Wisconsin-Madison: Modernizing a Campus by Committee
8/22/2003
4. Remember: Measure Success
After an exhausting IT upgrade, measurement is usually the last thing on an organization’s mind. However, evaluation of one’s system could not be more important. At Wisconsin, we have invested heavily in our PeopleSoft project. We had buy-in from the highest levels, and we wanted to demonstrate the beneficial return on the university’s investment. Prior to and throughout the implementation, we conducted surveys and focus groups to learn what end users desired in the new system. Post-implementation, and now again post-upgrade, we have conducted additional surveys of our entire end-user community. As a result, we have been able to distill valuable reports on the success of the ISIS project and on subsequent upgrade efforts.
In hindsight, we would have taken our measurement efforts even further. A benchmark survey of our old legacy student administration system would have been invaluable, demonstrating “before and after” improvements to campus operations.
Due to the modernization of our systems, our campus is enjoying a new and improved collaborative campus. Processes such as financial aid processing have never been easier. No longer do we face lines of students picking up financial aid checks—it is all done electronically. Admissions management is equally efficient. Students can now apply to any of the University of Wisconsin schools with one online application. As a result, processing time for undergraduate admissions has drastically reduced even though the volume of applications has actually increased.
Unifying our student administration systems was not just an exercise in effective project management—it was also a case of designing a process that would facilitate effective group decision making. While initially in need of fine-tuning, the project now runs smoothly because all levels of the university were involved in the process. Every member of our core and auxiliary committees was able to offer a unique perspective about their technology needs, preferences, and processes. And these contributions greatly enriched a dialogue that fostered a smooth and successful implementation.
Ilene Seltzer is integrated student information system managerat the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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