AACRAO Presentation

Owned by Denise Kidd
Last updated: Sept 29, 2023
3 min read

Proposed title

Using incident management for insights to make better decisions on how to allocate limited resources and support continuity and resilience in the Registrar’s Office.

Learning outcomes

  1. Benefits of incident management

  2. Clarifying your rationale and identifying resources to implement incident management

  3. Examples of how incident management data informs better decisions

 

Program Description

In today’s environment of constantly having to do more with less, it is tempting to resist change that feels a dilution in quality of the service we provide. But sometimes necessity pushes us off the cliff! Our presentation demonstrates how Tulane’s Office of the Registrar adopted an incident management framework and how it has transformed our service delivery.

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Review Description

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Description:

The traditional work-by-email model showed its fragility during a period of disruption due to position turnover in Summer 2022. Our team knew we were busy, but identifying the brightest burning fire was impossible. On August 1, 2022, our team implemented an incident management framework to triage work requests and identify “hot spots” needing attention. Long-term, incident management has provided insights to make better decision on how to allocate resources as well as supporting continuity of operations and resilience in the face of disruption.

Key Points of Discussion:

Setting the stage

A description of our landscape and the disruption that called for radical change.

Benefits of incident management

  1. Instantaneous Service Enhancement: With the introduction of the ticket management system, we noticed an immediate enhancement in how we handled queries, concerns, and requests. No longer did requests go unanswered or get lost in a sea of emails. Every ticket, whether from a student, faculty, or staff member, was documented, prioritized, and managed systematically, ensuring timely and consistent responses.

  2. Empowerment Through Data: One of the unforeseen benefits was the rich data the system provided. With the analytics and reporting capabilities, we could identify recurring issues, peak service request times, and areas of improvement. This data was invaluable in our strategic planning and resource allocation.

  3. Improved Communication: The system fostered an environment of transparency. Users can track the status of their requests, receive updates, and provide feedback. This improved communication significantly reduced frustrations and improved overall satisfaction rates.

  4. Case Study – Gaining Resources: Through the data, we were able to present a solid case for additional resources during budgeting sessions. By highlighting the volume of tickets, average resolution time, and areas with the highest demand, we could justify our needs with evidence. Our decisions were not made based on mere assumptions or anecdotal evidence.

  5. Opportunities for staff development: We identified opportunities for cross-training in areas that need additional support, leading to job enhancement and satisfaction. The continuity provided by incident management allowed staff to take vacations without the concern about service disruption.

  6. Future Forward – Scalability & Adaptability: As institutions grow and evolve, having a scalable system is crucial. We'll discuss how the ticket management system adapted to our expanding needs and how it could potentially do the same for other institutions.

Things to consider when making the decision

  1. Clarifying your rationale informs your communication to stakeholders about the transition so you can get their buy-in.

  2. Understand the resources you will need and actions to be taken: IT’s set up of the tool, providing an interface to customers, phasing out departmental emails, resources for staff for how to manage incidents, setting up analytics, develop guidelines around the assignment of incidents, identifying an incident management lead.

Examples of how we used data to make better decisions

  1. Identified peak periods for the various units to best distribute staff coverage

  2. Identified high-volume service requests that inspired us to standardize responses and focus automation efforts

  3. Reviewed and streamlined processes that had longer times to completion (consortium)

Conclusion:

Our journey with the ticket management system wasn't just about implementing a new tool; it was about reshaping the entire student service paradigm. We wish to share our experiences, the challenges faced, the solutions derived, and the profound impacts we witnessed. We believe our insights can pave the way for other institutions to reimagine their service frameworks, providing an enhanced experience for all stakeholders.