Building and Implementing a Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications

1. 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

2. 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

3. My Background • Director of User Services • 20 years of experience in Customer Service, 15 in Information Technology

4. 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.

5. Shared Challenges What challenges are you facing in communication right now? • 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? • 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

6. What can we do about the Challenges we Face? • Communicate, Communicate, Communicate • How do we speak to our users?/How do they listen? (Know your audience) • Strategic Communication Plan • Templates (Consistency), Clarified expectations, etc • Clarify Service Offerings • What do you do? What services do you provide or support? • How can a customer find the status of the services? • Calendar of Maintenance • Announce Planned Outages of Service • Record Unplanned Outages of Services • Publish a Standing Maintenance Schedule • Email Alternative – Mass Communication • Twitter • Facebook • Sharepoint • Text Messaging • Face to Face • Partnerships within your department • 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.

7. How do we tackle the problem? How do we implement all of these changes? “Hint” – Here’s the framework

8. Building a Framework This A well though out, repeatable plan Not this

9. Building a Framework Brainstorm First Organize Second A shotgun approach will not work

10. Building a Framework A solo mission will not work.

11. 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

12. Building a Framework Organize based on quick wins/low hanging fruit Follow by bigger picture ideas.

13. Building a Framework Plan for a culture shift. • Get buy in. • Be patient.

14. Building a Framework Deploy, Market, Revise, Repeat.

15. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Service/Status Page – The Customer’s Home Base for Information http://status.westga.edu

16. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications

17. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications • Brand name and describe Enterprise/Mission Critical Services • Establish informal OLAs for communications and handoff • Build Calendar of Maintenance (Scheduled Events/Outages) • Status Page • 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 Anchor Tools E-MAIL RELIANCE: HIGH

18. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications • Formalize OLAs for communication/handoff/response/resolution • Social Media Integration • RSS Feeds • Twitter • Facebook • Online Customer Self Service • Right Sized “Service Catalog” • Top FAQs Published and Visible (easy to find) • Integrated/Subscribeable- Global Issue Communication • Service Level Guidelines – Services – Fully defined SLGs for each branded service • New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed E-MAIL RELIANCE: Moderate

19. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications • 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

20. A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications • Mobile Application Integrations (Status Updates) • Knowledge Level Management • Frequently Asked Questions – Extended • Research New Communication Channels, Consider for Inclusion • New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed E-MAIL RELIANCE: Supplemental

21. Lessons Learned and Emerging Trends • 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.

22. Thank you! Now let’s continue our conversation…