The Point Implementation NASCIO Recognition Award Nomination

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1 The Point Implementation 2013 NASCIO Recognition Award Nomination Submitting Agency: Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Nomination Category: Data, Information and Knowledge Management Contact: Curtis A. Carver, Ph.D. State: Georgia Project Initiation Date: July 2011 Project Completion Date: October 2012

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Point is an online information repository and self-service application that allows faculty and staff at the University System of Georgia s (USG) 31 institutions and the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) to access data allowing them to make more informed decisions when purchasing software. It provides real-time access to vendor information, cost-saving possibilities, licensing options and software training. No other state college system or individual institution in the nation has a comprehensive solution that matches The Point s capabilities. The Point has five applications: Opportunity, Vendor Contract, Campus Contacts, USG Teams and Requests. The applications allow users to: Search for information about vendors and systemwide contracts Review agreements currently under consideration Maintain contracts Ensure review team engagement in selecting software Create and respond to requests Provide input about their software needs The Point resulted from a series of onsite meetings at USG institutions to assess the needs of faculty and staff for information about software contracts. Faculty and staff often did not know what software contracts were available, what software was already owned by the university system, what purchases were being considered or what software training was available. They also did not know which contracts were under consideration or how to provide input. By acting as one enterprise, as opposed to 31 independent institutions, the university system is realizing substantial cost savings. An agreement allowing faculty and staff to use Adobe s state-of-the-art design tools has saved $10 million based on academic pricing or $38 million over big box vendor pricing. As an added bonus, the number of licenses is unlimited. Transparency and collaboration are fundamental to The Point s innovative approach. It provides all faculty and staff with an easy-to-use tool to engage in the negotiation process, and it is used before, during and after vendor agreements are in place. In helping faculty and staff obtain the best tools available, The Point ultimately enables better service to students and contributes to increasing opportunities for higher quality education. 1

3 BUSINESS PROBLEM AND SOLUTION DESCRIPTION Colleges and universities often made uninformed decisions when purchasing software due to the inability to find valid information about existing contracts and previous experience with software products. A second issue involved the lack of contribution by faculty and staff in developing the terms and conditions of the contracts they used. The university system s Information Technology Services division manages more than 50 system-wide contracts to ensure predictable, value-based pricing, which is particularly important in today s challenging and uncertain economic climate. While these enterprise contracts were negotiated to provide predictability, faculty and staff often did not know what contracts were available, what software was already owned by the university system, what purchases were being considered or what software training was available. Following a series of onsite meetings at USG institutions with faculty and staff, university system leaders determined that a centralized, self-service information repository could organize, index and provide necessary information and make it available in an easily accessible way. At the same time, the repository could help faculty and staff better understand the value and cost savings that can be achieved through enterprise contracts. In addition, university system leaders wanted the repository to take advantage of new technologies so it would be user friendly, realize economies of scale, ensure the lowest possible pricing and allow feedback from faculty and staff. In helping faculty and staff to obtain the best tools available, the repository could ultimately enable better service to students and contribute to increasing their opportunities for a quality education. The resulting repository called The Point has five applications: Opportunity, Vendor Contract, Campus Contacts, USG Teams and Requests. Each application provides quick view summary information and the capability to drill down for detailed, real-time data. The applications allow users to: Search for information about vendors and system-wide contracts Review agreements currently under consideration Maintain contracts Ensure review team engagement in selecting software Create and respond to requests Provide input about their software needs The university system s Information Technology Services division MANAGES MORE THAN 50 SYSTEM-WIDE CONTRACTS to ensure predictable, value-based pricing, which is particularly important in today s challenging and uncertain economic climate. 2

4 Faculty and staff use the Repository Selection function to filter responses when conducting searches. For example, if a user is looking for a Microsoft training class, he or she would select the Education/Training repository, then search on Microsoft. To keep information current, every document requires an archive date so old documents are automatically removed. The Point runs on a dedicated server and is accessed through the university system s Software Resource and Services website. Login credentials are managed to ensure access only by USG faculty and staff. Access is role-driven and depends on the nature of contract terms and conditions and other sensitive information. Each college and university assigns the role they want for individual faculty and staff members. SIGNIFICANCE The Point aligns with Governor Nathan Deal s strategic goals for responsible and efficient government by extending state resources through innovative, enterprise technology solutions. In addition, The Point aligns with NASCIO State CIO Priorities for 2013 by centralizing services and resources. It promotes enterprise thinking and effectively mitigates associated barriers. The Point aligns with Governor Deal s STRATEGIC GOALS for responsible and efficient government by extending state resources through INNOVATIVE, ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS. 3

5 BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT The Point has resulted in both measurable and intangible financial benefits while at the same time enhancing transparency and collaboration among all USG institutions. As Stanton S. Gatewood, CIO for the University System of Georgia, observes, The Point allows USG institutions, the University System Shared Services Center and the Georgia Public Library Service to go to a single location to procure security solutions like endpoint security suite and endpoint management suite software. The institutions are able to purchase applications without physical media such as CDs or DVDs in a much more effective and efficient manner. Also with The Point, software renewal is a snap. The Point staff has been instrumental in software pricing and negotiations, and many institutions have seen cost savings of 50 percent or more from previous independent negotiations. An agreement with Adobe allows faculty and staff to use its state-of-the-art design tools at a savings of $10 million based on academic pricing or $38 million based on big box vendor pricing. As an added bonus, the number of licenses is unlimited. Although just less than half of USG s 31 institutions utilize the LANDesk security suite, they have already seen savings of $793,000. The intangible financial value comes from finding existing contracts and realizing they save both time and money. Procurement offices at individual colleges and universities use The Point to find contracts for products they need at greater savings than they could achieve on their own. For some larger contracts, they are able to find available licenses at no additional cost to the university system since licenses are often purchased in bundles to achieve greater cost savings. When USG faculty and staff use The Point, they are able to achieve savings that continually grow for individual institutions and the university system as a whole. Transparency and collaboration are fundamental to The Point s innovative approach. Because it enables and facilitates input from USG faculty and staff, The Point is a powerful collaboration tool before, during and after vendor agreements are in place. Information about the negotiation process for individual contracts is posted in The Point so faculty and staff can become engaged as they like. In addition, every system-wide contract is managed by a team of USG CIOs or their designees so they can provide subject matter expertise during contract negotiations. All information is vetted by subject matter experts to ensure its accuracy, and increasing numbers of faculty and staff are sharing their successes and commenting on the accuracy of vendor claims. Although just LESS THAN HALF of USG s 31 institutions utilize the LANDesk security suite, they have already seen SAVINGS OF $793,000. 4

6 The architectural implementation of The Point lays the foundation for even greater collaboration between university system institutions and the state s public library service. More applications are on the horizon since The Point is scalable and designed for future enhancements. Leading applications for the next implementation would provide the ability to: Manage institution-specific contracts and determine if wasteful overlaps exist within the university system Identify institution-built applications that could be shared through the university system to provide an immediate benefit at little cost Document institution-based issues and their resolution A total of 405 faculty and staff were using The Point by the end of April 2013, and university system officials have received positive feedback from many. The Point fulfills a long-time need to interconnect the 31 colleges within the University System of Georgia for the real-time sharing of contracts, resources, and interactive research related to enterprise software and IT service procurements, wrote one user. From another user came the following comment: The Point differentiates itself from other content management solutions both with built-in and chat-like features and the ability to set permissions by roles, such as CIOs, Business Managers, Procurement Officers and Academic Administrators. Providing visibility to institutions, faculty and staff ensures high-quality procurement agreements based on best practices in contract negotiations and the experience and knowledge of colleagues throughout the university system. The Point is a unique solution that provides a strategic advantage to Georgia s institutions of higher education. By acting as an enterprise and aligning with faculty and staff needs, the university system serves as a prudent steward of public-sector resources and advances the state s strategic goal to improve education. More applications are ON THE HORIZON since The Point is scalable and designed for FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS. 5