Monday 28 May 2018

Wolverhampton weekly newsletter #24

Weekly Update.

  • First two "shadow IT" workshops held with Finance/HR and Estates.
  • Organised Panopto working group meeting and circulated action notes.
  • Attended workshop session to kick-off the Office365 business case activity which is now in progress with aim to complete business case by end July for approvals.
  • Further meetings ref DAS GDPR action plan assigning follow-up tasks and timeline.
  • Organised DropBox account meeting to understand current usage within the University.  Current annual recurrent costs are modest however there is also "free" use which is being monitored.
  • No scrum meeting this week.
  • Met with F&G discuss phased transition during July. Next step is to complete outstanding paperwork.
  • Several 1-2-1s this week with direct reports.
  • Attended Agresso Programme Board - significant resourcing issues remain to complete planned activity other than mandatory/compliance related.  Good progress reported on absence management development within Agresso however, raised potential concerns about functionality versus Replicon.
  • Completed on-line GDPR and Fire Safety training this week.

Good News

  • Diesel Generator Fixed ahead of Bank Holiday weekend.
  • Order placed by Estates for UPS system for installation before end July (16/17 capital program).
  • No P1's this week - one MIC escalation early on Thursday morning due to unavailability of network link to Hereford  - resolved quickly when power restored (power had tripped out in comms room).

Sunday 20 May 2018

Wolverhampton weekly newsletter #23

Weekly Update.


  • Diesel Generator "at risk" - this issue is ongoing for MI Building - replacement standby generator in place and hooked up but requires manual start.  Estates providing daily update on request.
  • Setting up the remaining Shadow IT workshops and the rest of the 1-2-1's with the support team members.  Also held further 1-2-1 meetings during the week as usual with direct reports.
  • Scrum meeting notes from 16/5:
  1. In order to use the Estates Helpdesk system you need to Register first - different username/password required.  Not the same as HR/IT and ServiceNow.
  2. Discussion about the background to Estates Helpdesk system.
  3. It has been agreed that all teaching spaces should be managed/booked centrally through new timetabling approach. This will likely have impact on expectations ref funding of spaces (e.g. AV).
  4. Noted Meeting Management system and decision to pilot/parallel run in September for CMT and Governors.
  5. Big changes may be coming for Adobe licensing next year - no panic though for next 12 months
  6. Shortlisting for the engagement and comms role
  7. Feedback to HR ref shortlisting grid
  8. Web App Developer post not filled

  • Attended the Tribal Account management meeting with Student Registry team - updated on GDPR, HESA Data Futures, Curriculum manager and Dashboards/reporting capability.  Roadmap for product which will be presented at next month's SITS conference - includes new product called Edge.
  • Put together IT budget materials for 18/19.
  • Reviewed the new draft of  the IT Acceptable Use Policy .
  • Completed P1 incident report for recent network/power interruption.
  • Chaired CAB meeting and obtained agreement to proposed approach for standard changes, non-standard changes and emergency changes.  There is a need to clarify DAS business changes process going forward.

Good News

  • SOABE/Springfield - positive meetingref using the UX training and techniques which DAS organised to apply to the project.  We also had a very positive meeting with Estates preparing the IT related strategy for network (local area and wide area) for the Tender
  • No P1's this week.

Monday 14 May 2018

Wolverhampton weekly newsletter #22

Weekly Update


  • Have been continuing with 1-2-1s meeting all the IT team individually. Some quick-win actions are being progressed already.
  • A number of Shadow IT workshops have been scheduled including Finance and HR, Estates and Facilities, Library, Registry and Student Systems.  I have also accepted an invite from Faculty of Arts to attend the next Dean's Advisory Group ref the proposal to undertake an IT benchmark exercise.
  • Discussed network activity management information which we could put together for the Campus Experience Committee.
  • Discussed various mobile-related activities which were raised through the ServiceNow project (this is one of the three priority areas for the administration team) e.g. lost/broken phones, faulty phones, disposal/re-allocation of phones etc.  Looking to see how we can use ServiceNow to automate jobs and self-service via the portal.
  • Attended very useful supplier meetings with S2 who support Apps Anywhere.
  • Held second ServiceNow Project Board - various actions progressing.  We should have first set of management monthly reports from the system shortly including some trend reporting, and making progress on using system for standard changes.
  • Discussed resource planning across the Digital Campus program as well as the other IT projects that are in progress.  There is a capacity constraint which is not yet explicit so we will put together a program level resource plan as next step.
  • Final meeting of week was a Finance monthly review - a number of follow up actions, however, broadly on track with latest forecast and no nasty surprises.

Good News

  • Timetabling Project Board received positive report on IT risk assessment and endorsed recommendations.

Tuesday 8 May 2018

Wolverhampton weekly newsletter #21


  • GDPR Action Plan developed and will be turning into a tracker.
  • Making progress with getting the Office365 Business Case activity under way with external support.
  • Discussions taking place about external support for our Windows 10 upgrade project.
  • Health and Safety Committee for IT initiated and first formal meeting held.
  • Contracts reviewed for out of hours support including data sharing agreement and data privacy impact assessment.
  • Further demonstration of Board Packs software solution.
  • Potential income arrangement ref Residences W-Fi provider agreed with Purchasing support - Max dealing with the details.
  • Worked with Planning and BI team regarding a BI schedule going to Senior Management next week.
  • Completed risk assessment for timetabling and with Helen for circulation - risks were not as bad as they first appeared once we started digging - especially the budget risk which appears to have been dealt with.  Lisa running some numbers to confirm.
  • Good meeting with External Relations - quite a few new actions from that to follow up next week.
  • We are reviewing the IT acceptable Use Policy draft - we are hoping to have consulted on that for May 18 deadline.
  • Supported external auditors who have been on-site ahead of the annual finance audit later this year.

Good News
  • No P1 incidents
  • Internal review of Ts and Cs for CRIS project completed and passed to legal.