ARCHIVED: Completed project: Service desk implementation

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Primary UITS contact: Beth Norzinskay

Completed: December 1, 2009

Description: Evaluation of a replacement for the current incident management system, ServiceCenter from Hewlett Packard, has been completed. The current system, known as Falcon at Indiana University, was purchased in 2001. New features and functionality are desired, including a fully web-based interface, more flexible options for integration with other tools, and less restrictive licensing to allow more concurrent users, among many others.

In June 2008, UITS signed a contract with Numara Software to acquire FootPrints as our new service desk system.

Benefits:

  • Completely web-based, platform-agnostic interface for users and administrators
  • Flexible client interface supports individual customizations per user
  • Powerful, but not cumbersome or overly complicated with obtuse functionality
  • Customer self-service portal
  • Rich out-of-box reporting environment
  • Web services API for future integration with other tools
  • License model supports temporary increase in available connections during peak usage periods
  • System will leverage both the Intelligent Infrastructure virtual server and central Oracle services offered by Enterprise Infrastructure
  • Virtualization benefits:
    • More efficient use of resources
    • More flexibility to address fluctuating needs
    • Improved disaster recovery and business continuity

Objective: The objective of this project is to identify and obtain a suitable new service desk system, develop strategies for migration to that system, and implement the replacement. The existing Falcon system will be decommissioned by June 30, 2009. To ensure continuity of services for existing Falcon users, the project team will prioritize FootPrints implementation and migration of existing customers. Falcon is in maintenance-only mode as of August 1, 2008. Creation and set up of assignment groups or queues for new customers will be deferred until the new FootPrints system is in production.

Milestones and status:

  • Requirements gathering, RFP release, product evaluations Completed March 2008; vendor award June 2008
  • Phase 1 goals:
    • Vendor training and consulting
    • Software installation, database creation
    • Activities:
      • Two days of vendor professional services Completed July 2008
      • Application installed in VMware environment Completed July 2008
      • CAS integration Completed July 2008
      • Oracle database configured Completed August 2008
  • Phase 2 goals:
    • Workflow and process modeling
    • Product customizations
    • Model data for IUIE
    • Redevelop existing Falcon interfaces in FootPrints where appropriate
    • Develop archive and/or migration strategies for Falcon data
    • Activities:
      • Customizations complete (or nearly complete) include email header retention, cross-project search functionality (including an interface for this module that looks very similar to the application itself), and web services scripts to process web form submissions.
      • Email infrastructure developed with IMAP mailboxes reserved per project.
      • Data model nearly complete for archiving existing Falcon data in IUIE; extract process complete, and IUIE training scheduled for team
      • Testing FootPrints 9.0 new release, which will be the production release version
      • Core team formed to model projects and processes; training and initial prototyping underway.
      • Continued refinement of database infrastructure (with DBA) to finalize Oracle DB instance on Red Hat 5 and near real-time updates of the ODS Completed April 2009
      • Initial security scans run; follow-up scanning based on results and FP9.0 remain to be done.
      • Development of new customer data feed complete using SUDS and other elements linked to application database Completed April 2009
      • Developed custom global cross project search tool
      • Developed a number of utility applications for the administration of the application, including agent audit and project owner add-on
      • Completed upgrade of development, test, and production instances to version 9.0.3
  • Phase 3 goals:
    • Unit and department training
    • Staggered migration off Falcon
    • Decommission Falcon hardware
    • Activities:
      • Unit and department training classes for project administrators held in April 2009. 95% of Falcon groups trained.
      • Two Falcon groups migrated to production in April 2009.
      • Migration scheduled throughout May for Falcon groups with target completion by June 2
      • Falcon data extracts to DSS/IUIE completed. Ongoing report development for IUIE access where required/requested.
      • All Falcon assignment groups trained and migrated Completed June 8, 2009
      • Falcon system set to read-only Completed June 15, 2009
      • Falcon system retired Completed June 30, 2009
      • Current number of projects in production is 58
  • Project completion:
    • With the migration of Falcon groups to FootPrints and the retirement of Falcon, the stated objectives of the project have been met. FootPrints continues to grow in terms of adding additional projects for regional campuses, schools and departments, and units in UITS. Future releases of the software will be evaluated and implemented and additional features such as customer surveys will be developed.

Comment process: Comments may be directed to Chuck Aikman or Beth Norzinskay.

Project team: The project team is led by Beth Norzinskay.

Project sponsor: Sue Perin, Director, User Support

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Last modified on 2018-01-18 16:04:58.