United We Advance: A Collaborative Approach to University IT System Enhancements

Universities are often seen as stable, safe, and diverse institutions, possessing a unique value
in risk mitigation that impacts the entire community, encompassing students, faculty,
researchers, librarians, and staff.

However, their internal procedures and policies, while ensuring governance, can sometimes
result in slower responses when adapting to changes or unforeseen occurrences. This tendency
is particularly noticeable in technology adoption, as learning and education traditionally
emphasized in-person communication, such as in classrooms.

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled both small and large enterprises, including universities, to
transition into online spaces for activities like remote classes, admissions processes, and more.
This shift necessitated automation and online collaboration while maintaining consistent policies
and practices for all members.

The core of this case study revolves around DevOps practices in the digital transformation of a
leading Canadian university during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on the
improvement of the Registrar Office's Admission Department admission process using
ServiceNow in 2021.

One of Canada's top universities underwent significant digital transformation during this period.
Handling admissions queries and responses through email to the Admission and Scholarship
systems was no longer productive or feasible. This prompted the adoption of new systems like
ServiceNow for the Registrar's Office, integrating admission officer procedures to automate
recruitment, scholarships, funding, and admissions, providing a human touch alongside
improved efficiency.

The "ServiceNow Azure DevOps Integration" project, initiated in 2021, exemplifies the CALMS
(Culture, Automation, Lean, Measurement, and Sharing) core values and the Three Ways
principles (Flow, Feedback, and Continuous Learning).
 (Fig 1)

Culture: The university's IT culture, typically led by the CTO and central IT, transitioned towards
a more collaborative approach involving various departments, schools, and units. This shift
prioritized student-centered solutions, with IT playing a supportive role. Collaborative efforts
between IT, admission officers, infrastructure teams, project managers, and stakeholders led to
streamlined workflows and improved student services.

Automation: Integration of ServiceNow and Azure DevOps facilitated significant automation in

pipeline management, testing, and workflow optimization. Low-code platforms and Azure
extensions enhanced pipeline automation, contributing to project timelines and robust workflow
structures.

Lean Practice: Lean practices, adopted by the service architecture team, eliminated
unnecessary processes and maximized automation. Auto-responders, task assignments, and
updates were automated, leading to increased efficiency and reduced manual intervention.

Measurement: Post-implementation data indicated a substantial impact on RO operations, with

over 60% of requests efficiently addressed as of June 2023, reflecting ongoing success.

Sharing: Central IT actively shared DevOps practices and successes, fostering a culture of
continuous improvement across campuses and units through IT newsletter, and workshops.
Collaboration in conferences, with tech vendors, and community sharing sessions disseminated
best practices.

The project demonstrated the university's nature of student-focused thinking, showing that all
efforts, investments, and works lead to student success beyond learning, framed within the
university system. It achieved success across IT operations, registrar operations, and student
admission response.

Tools like SharePoint streamlined document management, feedback integration during the
university's phase, and testing involving users, students, and faculty in the loop. This feedback
during the soft launch helped make the system robust to date.

In conclusion, the collaborative approach, automation strategies, lean practices, measurement

metrics, and knowledge sharing initiatives within the university's IT ecosystem exemplify the
CALMS core values and Three Ways principles. Successful DevOps implementation not only
improved IT operations but also enhanced student services, marking a significant milestone in
the university's digital transformation journey.
References:
 Photo Credit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/servicenow-azure-devops-integration-step-
guide-zigiwave
 Azure Pipeline for DevOps
https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/vancouver-devops/page/product/enterprise-dev-
ops/concept/config-azure-pipeline-dev-ops.html