Bridging the Gap Between Functional and Technical Perspectives to Enhance

Systems Success

Thursday, November 6

11:45 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.

EDUCAUSE 2003 – Anaheim, CA

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Judy House

Manager, Student Systems Group

Georgetown University

Marilyn Kraus

President

Software Armada, Inc.

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Georgetown University and Software Armada, Inc., 2003

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Synopsis of Presentation

Every project requires both technical and functional resources. Because the perspectives of these two groups are so diverse, there is a critical need for a person who can move easily between these two worlds and keep them moving in unison – a “bridge”. We will address what makes a good bridge person, and how to find one, empowering a bridge person, and maximizing their effectiveness to promote systems project success.

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Georgetown University

Nation’s Oldest Jesuit and

Catholic University

Founded in 1789 by John Carroll

• Uniquely pluralistic since our

• foundation

National and International University

• Students attending from all fifty states and

over 110 countries throughout the world

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Georgetown University Undergraduate, Graduate and

Professional Education

Enrollment:

• Undergraduate: 6,442

• Graduate: 3,487

• Professional: 2,779

• Total: 12,688

Faculty: 1,412

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Founded in 1998 in Fairfax, Virginia

Committed to Providing Premium PeopleSoft Student Administration Services

Comprehensive Understanding of Higher Education Industry

Senior Managerial, Functional, and Technical Expertise

Women-Owned and Operated

Software Armada

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What’s the Problem?

Of 8,000+ IT Projects:

1Mann, p. 254

16% Successful

53% Challenged

31% Impaired

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3 out 0f 10 IT projects failLess than 40% of IT managers say their

staffs can react rapidly

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Implementation Obstacles In a Recent ECAR Study, Higher Education

Institutions Identified the Following Obstacles to Successful Implementations: • Resistance to change• Data issues• Customization• Lack of internal expertise• Lack of understanding of software capabilities• Alignment between software and business practices• Conflicts with other priorities• Quality of software

1King, p. 5

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Implementation Obstacles

Most Obstacles are Internal• Many of the internal issues relate to lack of

communication or insufficient understanding on the part of one or more key constituencies

• 44% of CFO’s cite weak alignment between IT and business strategies

• 4% say there’s no alignment between these groups at all

1Hoffman, p. 1

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The Issue

• Traditional Project Team Structures and Approaches do Not Close these Gaps

• Any Solution Must Have Buy-in from all Stakeholders

How to resolve these different perspectives into a common approach shared by all stakeholders?

Failure to Understand and Address Internal Obstacles Jeopardizes Your Project

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The Stakeholders

ExecutivesManagementFunctionalEnd-UsersTechnicalSecurity

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Executive Strengths

Managing the Broader Concerns of Whole Institution• External constituents• Internal constituents• Organizational priorities

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Management Strengths

Managing the Internal Community• Providing resources• Providing support• Providing funding• Minimizing obstacles• Establishing realistic timeframe• Managing conflicting organization priorities

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Functional Strengths

Understanding How the Institution Operates

• Understanding what all the players want and what they need (clarification)

• Understanding the job that must be done• Understanding the internal and external

constraints on people doing the job

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User Strengths

Getting the Job Done to Serve the Needs of the Institution:• Assessing applicants to the university• Helping students with Financial Aid

processes• Advising students• Issuing checks

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Technical Strengths

Building and Maintaining Effective Applications• Writing robust and elegant code• Effective and flexible customization design• Maintaining system stability• Keeping current with hardware and

software updates

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Security Strengths

Ensuring that the System and its Information is Continually:• Available• Recoverable• Protected

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Stakeholders May not All Agree…

PerspectiveOwnershipCultureForesightCommunication

ExpectationCredibilityAppreciationRelationshipPriorities

2Mann, pp. 255-256

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How to Manage All This?

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What is a Bridge Person?

Someone Who…• Understands and values the capabilities

and perspectives of all stakeholders• Works comfortably with functional,

technical, management and executive constituencies

• Reconciles multiple perspectives to keep the project moving toward the shared goal

• May or may not be the project manager

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Characteristics of Bridge Person …

Understands the Project or System Goals

Understands Requirements and Concerns of all Constituencies

Comfortable in Functional and Technical Worlds

Strong Interpersonal and Communication Skills

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… Characteristics of Bridge Person

Strong Management and Problem-Solving Skills

Intuitive and FlexibleDecisive“Meeting Endurance”Relational Practice Skills

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Relational Practice Skills

Share Information Across Organizational Boundaries

Foster Teamwork and CollaborationThink Systemically

“Doing whatever it takes to get the job done”

1Fletcher, p. 1

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Bridge RolesUnderstand and Communicate

Functional Considerations of ApplicationUnderstand and Communicate

Technical Considerations of ProjectAnticipate and

Resolve Potential System and Process Obstacles

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Functional Considerations

Build Relationships with Functional Players Educate and Consult with Users on IT

Management and Strategic Use Explain Value of Technology to Functional

Managers Create Reusable Solutions and Disseminate

Best Practices to Other Units Set Stage for Appropriate Expansion of System

Functionality after Implementation3Mann, p. 257

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Technical Considerations

Ensure that IT is Aligned with Business and Assists in Process Reengineering

4Mann, p. 257

• Build Credibility of IT with End-users

• Improve Business Orientation of IT Staff

• Expand IT Skill Sets

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Project Considerations… Make Technical and Functional Staff Aware of

Other’s Capabilities and Responsibilities Translate User Needs into IT

Products/Services Act as User Liaison Beyond Analysis and

Design Get User Support for IT Initiatives and Vice

Versa Identify Opportunities for Education and

Training

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… Project Considerations

Evaluate Completed ProjectsAddress Dissonance Between IT and

UsersCoordinate Multiple ProjectsIncorporate All Considerations into

Project Plan

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Obstacles to Bridge Person’s Success

Organizational StructureThreatening to Self-InterestsBridge Position not ValuedLack of AccessCulture of AutonomyRelational Skills not Valued

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Overcoming Bridge Obstacles

Inflexible structures may impede but do not preclude project progress

Education

Executive Sponsorship

Grass Roots Support

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Buy or Build?

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Bridge Person Traits

Embraces Technology

with a Purpose

(not just for technology’

s sake)

Oriented toward Service

and Real Function-

ality

Breadth of Experience

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Skills to Look For

Process Analysis Grasp of Technical Considerations Ability to Assess Relevance and Significance

of Information Problem Solving Communication Mediation and Conflict Resolution Planning

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Who to Look For? The IT Contact Person for the User

Office The Person Who has Held a Wider

than Usual Range of Jobs in the Functional Areas

The Person Who is Regularly a Member of Cross-Area Committees

The Person with the Interesting Background

The Person Who Likes a Challenge

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Technical or Functional?

Bridge Person Can be EitherUsually Comes from the Functional Side

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What Does Bridge Need to Know?

Technical Knowledge• Technical tools • Technical roles involved in the project• Technical best practices• Technical approach

- Isolation- Pattern identification- Structural approach

• How to communicate with technical staff• IT technical standards and procedures

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What Does Bridge Need to Know?

Functional Knowledge• Knowledge of the goals and processes of

each functional area• Process analysis techniques• Constraints on user offices• Internal relationships and reporting structures• Communication channels within the

organization• Impact of competing organizational priorities

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System/Project Knowledge• Scope of project and of software• Technical architecture – high level• “How the system thinks” • How to objectively and intuitively

assess functional requirements against delivered software capabilities

- Planning- How to keep them flexible- How to keep project on track

What Does Bridge Need to Know?

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Translation Skills!

Ability to understand and restate requirements and expectations so as to be comprehensible to all parties

• Reduce surprises• Increase consistency

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Buttressing the Bridge Role

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The Myth of Individuality

Myth:

Individual achievement, autonomy and specialization foster organizational success

Reality:

Individual achievement, autonomy and specialization foster dissent, dysfunction and failure

2Fletcher, p. 2

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What Really Works?

Growth, Achievement and Effectiveness Occur Best in Network of Connection and Support

Interdependence is a goalNot only what one achieves oneself, but

what one enables others to achieve, is important

3Fletcher, p. 2

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The Bridge and the Techs

Relationship is Critical to the Success of the Project and Beyond

Often Difficult to Appreciate the Bridge Person

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What do we Expect from the Project Team?

Understanding and Respect for Bridge Person’s Role

Buy-In into the ApproachKnowledge SharingCommunication

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Understand Bridge Role Team Members May Perceive the Role as

‘Window Dressing,’ Trivial or ‘Not Real Work’ Team Members May Feel They or Their Work is

Denigrated by the Existence of Such a Role The Bridge Person and Management Must

Present the Role as a Significant Support for Team Members

Team Members May See this Role as Another Bureaucratic Layer to Deal With

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Buy-In You Know You Have Buy-In When

• Staff starts bringing problems to the bridge person

• Technical staff raises issues which potentially impact functionality

• Functional staff raises

issues of potential

technical impact

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Where is Bridge Person Valuable?

Everywhere!• Project management &

Planning• Project Public Relations• Conversions • Testing• Fit/gap• Customizations• Post go-live

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Without a Good Bridge… IT Project Statistics

5Mann, p. 254

16% Successful

53% Challenged

31% Impaired

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Bad Things Happen Without a Good Bridge Person

Processes Work as Designed but do Not Meet User Needs

Systems are Not User-FriendlySystems are Difficult and

Costly to Maintain

Degree of Customizations is High

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And That’s Not All!

Institutional Community is DissatisfiedA Good System Becomes an Inferior

ApplicationReturn on Investment is Diminished

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References Joan Mann, “IT Education’s Failure to Deliver Successful

Information Systems: Now is the Time to Address the IT-User Gap,” Journal of Information Technology Education, Volume 1, No. 4, 2002, pp. 254-267.

Paula King, “The Promise and Performance of Enterprise Systems in Higher Education,” EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research Respondent Summary, October 2002, pp. 1-7.

Joyce K. Fletcher, “Invisible Work: The Disappearing of Relational Practice at Work,” Center for Gender in Organizations, SIMMONS Graduate School of Management, 2001, pp. 1-7.

Julia King, “Survey Shows Common IT Woes Persist,” Computerworld, June 23, 2003, pp 1-2.

Thomas Hoffman, “CFO’s Cite Poor Alignment Between IT, Business,” Computerworld, October 21, 2003, pp. 1-3.

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This presentation and associated references will be available shortly at :

www.softwarearmada.com

If you would be wiling to participate in future research on this topic, please contact either of the presenters.l

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Questions?

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Thank You!

Judy Househousej@georgetown.edu

Marilyn Krausmarilynkraus@softwarearmada.com