University of Leeds Academic Services Using your Ayes and Noes: Creating a Business Case for an Institutional Portal Bo Middleton Institutional Web Management Workshop 2004

University of Leeds Academic Services Group discussion Report back Leeds experiences x 3

University of Leeds Academic Services Group discussion 1 Who/What are your Ayes and Noes? (include those external to institution). How can you identify Ayes and Noes and get feedback from them?

University of Leeds Academic Services Ayes and Noes at UoL 1 Ayes l Bleeding edge –Other HE implementors –Portal anoraks –Open source communities l Us and them l Peddlers –Portal, CMS, process management suppliers l Paper promises –Strategy documents l Web –JISC projects –Commercial portals Noes l People –Academic freedom fighters –Technology freaks –Web wizards –Dinosaurs l Systems l Paper promises –Operational plans l Purse strings

University of Leeds Academic Services Ayes and Noes at UoL 2 l Other HE institutions l JISC projects l Commercial portals l Open source communities l Students l Suppliers l Strategy docs and operational plans l Staff l Committees l Web – type in portal –Bristol links –JISC –Structured meetings l Student union/ student services/ intranet/ user groups/ mailing lists –Web survey (Hull) –Focus groups (incentive) l Web - review of portal products/contacts with current suppliers –Functionality, ROI and benefits docs –Presentations l Map strategy points against portal benefits l Staff Calendar/mailing lists/ newsletters –Roadshow –Structured meetings –Committee round – presentations focussed on appropriate area

University of Leeds Academic Services Group discussion 2 What are the reasons given by 'Ayes' and 'Noes' for/against a portal? –Suppliers/bleeding edge – list the functionality/benefits of a portal –Strategy docs – list the strategic aims which could be fulfilled by portal implementation –What systems on campus have overlapping functionality with a portal or will need to integrate into the portal? –Imagine the detractors arguments Academic freedom fighters Technology freaks Web wizards Dinosaurs Purse strings –Potential users – what do users want?

University of Leeds Academic Services Ayes at UoL Strategic aims l Improve efficiency of teaching processes l Improve efficiency of administrative processes l Improve student experience l Improve cross-education links l Maximise ROI of corporate systems l Need to adapt teaching and working styles to suit the individual l Deliver collaborative systems and tools l Implement a web interface which aggregates all web- enabled services Functionality/benefits of a portal l Provides presentation layer l Eases access to information, reduces overload and simplifies l Provides a common and consistent user interface l Allows aggregation across systems l Delivers ubiquitous access l Provides: –simplified sign-on –communication and collaboration tools

University of Leeds Academic Services Noes at UoL Detractors arguments l Academic freedom fighters –do things their own way –damn standardisation l Technology freaks –not invented here; not the right OS; not my choice –portals should work with every browser possible l Web wizards –frames are what matter –content is nothing to do with us –we can just have web links l Dinosaurs Current systems l VLE l Communication apps l Collaboration tools l Identity Services l Content Management l Web-enabled services l Enterprise apps

University of Leeds Academic Services Users at UoL 1

University of Leeds Academic Services Users at UoL 2 l I seem to be missing the point. Why would I want an additional item on my PC when I already have all the things being offered here? Windows, with its related software isn't great, but it does offer a relatively predictable and manageable environment where I can do all the things I need to do. Forcing some things (like ) through a web browser tends to reduce their utility, so I definitely wouldn't want that. I already have a specialised rss news feed service relevant to my own area of interest (education) and that works very well. Internet Explorer gives me very rapid access (assisted by experience, Google and my own favourites folder) to all the available information I need. A portal of this general type looks to me like a complete waste of time and money. Words like "seamless" "customisable" "channel" and "tailored" are just marketing rubbish. A readily searchable University web site is all I want. I certainly don't want to spend a lot of time configuring a personal portal page. The portal idea seems to imply closure, and the subordination of the tasks I have to perform to more general University concerns. I guess I'll learn to make the most of it while nostalgically remembering the good old days when it was possible to find things within a couple of seconds l There are some great ideas on this form. The idea of a portal that can dispense as much information as is listed in the survey is very, very interesting. l Most of things listed sound wonderful. Obviously the academic ones would be my priority. l I really like the idea of a portal, having all important information in one area.

University of Leeds Academic Services Group discussion 3 How can you use the for and against arguments to compile your business case? –Start with a high level strategic business case – what functionality does your portal need and how can that functionality support strategic aims? –Then identify key areas which may be used to drive out ROI in a full business case –Functionality/benefits of a portal –Strategic aims which could be fulfilled by portal implementation –Systems overview –Detractors arguments –User requirements

University of Leeds Academic Services Deriving the business case at UoL l User requirements -> functionality specification for your portal l Map required portal functionality against current systems and identify the gap that a portal product could fill l Map portal benefits against strategic aims l Ensure that the business case addresses all the detractors comments l Strategic Business Case = overall portal vision + purpose of the portal + benefits of the portal + do nothing option

University of Leeds Academic Services Final slide - summarise and thanks l Produce a clear statement of the portal vision l Identify sponsors and stakeholders. Build alliances l Map specific strategic aims to portal benefits l Survey stakeholders and collect evidence of user requirements – use this to derive a functionality specification for your portal. l Map required portal functionality against current systems and identify the gap that a portal product should fill l Strategic Business Case = overall portal vision + purpose of the portal + benefits of the portal + do nothing option