Electronic Banner Access Request (eBAR) Workflow – Portland State University

Replace paper form routing from Portland State University

Electronic routing – replaced two paper forms with Banner Self Service online form – uses Banner Workflow to route the request

Advantages of eBAR Workflows

• faster than paper request process
• can be routed to multiple users in parallel
• no time wasted delivering paper between offices
• no lost paper forms
• password delivery via BSS = security
• copy permissions from an existing user
• “I Agree” checkbox for Acceptable Use Policy
• dynamically routes to supervisor (right now user picks their supervisor)
• auto creates workflow account for supervisor
• supervisors can assign any workflow user as proxy
• created a way to determine segregation of duties when applying Banner user classes and in particular objects (requester must explain why they are requesting access that violates the segregation of duty conflicts)

Business Decisions

• Authn
  • Banner INB
  • Enterprise LDAP
• user creation
  • used workflow

Workflow Setup

• workflows can not span orgns but a workflow can initiate a workflow in another orgn
• TIP – design your workflow around your orgn not around Banner modules

Roles

• System Administrators = IT Staff
• Business Analysts = IT Staff, Banner Coordinators
• Request Approvers = supervisors
• HR Employee = Human Resources staff
• Banner Coordinators
• Business Affairs Director
• Account Creator = DBA
• eBAR Admin

Demo … run through Banner Self Service and Banner Workflow

Challenges

• modeler hangs when trying to validate model – had to reduce the number of activities in the model by moving processing to dB procedures, save results in temp tables, etc
• mapping external event parameters to workflow model – load all 30 parameters into a temp table before event fires, map one parm  to find others
• using javascript in custom activities – use a dbproc to gen javascript
• custom activity forms are very limited – create a custom activity with only a few text areas, use a dbproc and javascript to create the functionality

Lessons Learned

• design for easy maintenance – making changes to the Workflow model can be tedious – put as much into dbprocs to keep model simple
• design for user friendliness – generate HTML view to display over the Workflow form, use drop down menus and checkboxes, dynamically create these menus and checkboxes

An Efficient Means for IT Planning – Aims College

Andria Brabo – andria.brabo@aims.edu, Dr Gary Bardsley gary.bardsley@aims.edu

• used project portfolio planning process – using Word Docs and a Wiki to coordinate projects across a small IT shop of 26 people.

Challenges

• lack of communication
• staff turnover
• project managers making promises without checking with implementers
• cross platform – Mac vs PC

Approach

• create a PPP document that articulates the dependencies and deliverables required from each area to make the project a success
• looks to me like a blend of project plan and project charter
• the PPP held the teams accountable
• if the project requires more than one dept then you need to create a PPP

Millennial, Metrics and the New Media – John Della Volpe (@dellavolpe)

Millenials are a Big Deal

• Millenials = 13 to 30 year olds, they are the largest generation in human history and they have a significant impact on the economy
• This generation has trust issues – especially with traditional media and old institutions and they are not afraid to let you know it.
• They trust a recommendation from a friend 4x as much as TV and email.
• Connecting online was not a fluke, millennial’ brains are wired differently.
• Gen X (latch key kids) – first generation where both parents are working. TV was the primary entertainer
• Millennial (also latch key kids) – now the internet is the primary entertainer and they interact socially on the web
• if not for Millennials, Hilary Clinton would be the president of the USA and not Barak Obama (e.g. Millenials voted for Obama 57% to 11% in Iowa) – Obama campaign targeted Millenials, Clinton did not

What are Millenials Thinking about today

• Politics and Government (latest Harvard IOP Survey)
  • Obama’s job performance stable
  • Republicans eyeing midterm elections
  • US Military most trusted institutions surveyed
• Economy
  • economic anxiety is palpable
  • majority concerned about keeping head above water
  • half of students concerned about staying in college
• Service
  • millennials remain committed to community service

Stats on concern about keeping head above water 45% stay in college, 46% ability to live in the city they want, 56% afford health care, 58% affort a place to liver, 60% ability to pay bills

“The Facebook” and Social Media

• Facebook is the 3rd largest country by population, China, India, Facebook, USA …
• by next Jan 2011, there will be more people 50+ yo on facebook than <30 yo
• http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/facebook.com for stats
• Facebook is mainstream while Twitter skews younger

Mapping Your SocialSphere

• ORBIT Map http://socialsphere.com
• 4 categories of sites on the Internet – General News (traditional), Industry News, Social Frameworks (Networks), Blogs and Communities – target type graphic for College Applicants and their interaction with the 4 types

What has Changed in the Last 18 Months  Read more...

• College Confidential, College Prowler, Zinch – social ranking sites
• YouTube is starting to become more relevant and influential – video is really taking off
• good Facebook site are becoming the ‘state of practice”