ICT project as an instrument for change - case O365 implementation

Editor's Notes

• #6: There are days when the OMG will spell out ”WTF”. 
• #7: Office 365 provides tools for collaboration and communication, and it is the case of this presentation. Note that the proportions between different systems as to use or users are not in scale.
• #9: HAMK has both waterfall and agile projects. O365 was first bigger agile project although not a ’pure’ one. The phases are basically the same in both approaches, the scope and speed differ. The factors that were important to us were product ownerhip, management commitment to decision-making, phased and realistic product versions with clear definitions, task management and assessment in the development periods, procurement in the form of mini competitive tendering via framework agreements, a rapid pace of development, and broad-based team work across unit boundaries. We have been satisfied with the following elements of the new operating model: We are able to prioritise targets and assignments in a better way, and we can complete sub-entities fairly rapidly by dividing our work into phases. The feedback received on completed work allows us to change plans and make corrections quickly, and it is easy to add content and functionality to existing context. We have also noticed that end users understand a 'finished' product better than abstract plans, although their expectations of the 'finished' product can also be very different!
• #10: ’Develop’ consists of Plan-Do-Check-Act. The task include: Recruiting pilot users, starting test&pilot use, defining the intranet concept, making the action plan, activating staff rights, appointing campus user teams, introducing the new concept to all staff, starting site building, granting students user rights, starting online training, visiting campuses, briefing management, student union, degree heads, tutors, study councellers, providing online help and training, launching the new intranet for all staff and students, discontinuing the old intranets, following user stats, planning open badges for O365, meeting management, commissioning a thesis on the success of project’s change management, piloting a questionnaire on communications practices, making a plan for unifying school communications practices – taking a deep breath and continuing the work
• #11: On the plus side: HAMK management were committed to the change at school right from the start: this was seen as a strategic development project, and staff & time resources were allocated accordingly. (At a personal level, there’s room for improvement.) Applying agile methodology allowed us to build demand-based and prioritised releases; get visible results, and perform corrective actions rapidly or change minor plans, even. Choosing cloud meant choosing change, and this could only be done by a team of open-minded experts from different units. The minuses: There were too many simultaneous big changes taking place both outside and within the organisation, lead by different units/functions - and unsufficiently coordinated. As resources were limited, projects sometimes ”competed” for the same staff hours. We should have succeeded better in user involvement at all levels and throughout the project. This would have lead to a more thorough change in the ways of working instead of learning the use of new tools. Had the circumstances been other, we should have reconcidered the timing of the project: too many changes at the same time is too much to adopt profoundly. Also, as the avant-garde project team we were too optimistic about the total time a change of this calibre will take.  Eri vaiheiden eri vauhti. 
• #12: Some of the lines are dotted and some of the arrowheads are missing – something should have been done in those blank spots.
• #15: Regardless of the project implementation model, a new generation tool is a major challenge to an old school organisation - technically, at the concept level, and in terms of operating culture and management. Since many users want to retain old operating methods, induction, training and support are essential elements when initiating a change and achieving the necessary competence and desire. In the same manner, the gap between pioneers and other users must be closed by means of management. Changing an operating culture is much more challenging than technical implementation – but also more rewarding. In our case a technology project very soon became a development project dealing with the tools and working methods, as well as attitudes in regard to collaboration and the culture of communication. ’IT’ can be seen as the enabler here, and the focus is on people and their ways of working. All this is part of our change journey, inspired by our strategy and dictated by the environment. Commitment means putting your money where your mouth at all levels of the organisation. In addition to leadership, management and follow-up are a must. Know your organisation and start where it’s easy in order to get the ball rolling. We have units where the use of O365 is business as usual - and we have people still send e-mail attachments to groups of people and try and schedule meetings with a paper calendar. We also have functions where digital is irrelevant (very few) or the appropriate applications are different. Agile methodology will let you make prototypes and tests much more safely and quickly than the traditional waterfall. You will fail sooner, learn sooner, and succeed sooner. We believe that the world and the world of work has changed permanently and will keep on doing so. As a service provider to our internal and external customers, we have to adapt our services and service capability constantly, cost-efficiently, and responsibly to the benefit of all our stakeholders.
• #16: Our next step is to take a more holistic view on the digital competence of the organisation. We will use the European Commission’s report ”Promoting Effective Digital-Age Learning. A European Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations.” as our framework. We have translated the document in Finnish and will apply the relevant sectors in our organization according to an action plan.