SIS and EIM: Sharing Perspective and Best Practices

The “expert sourcing” approach of Enterprise Systems Renewal (ESR) is all about harnessing, leveraging, and retaining the expertise of UC San Diego employees. Besides making sure that the planning, configuration, and on-going support of our systems are guided and informed by people who have a detailed knowledge of what we do and why we do it, the approach allows for and embraces the sharing of methods and information between ESR teams.

The SIS team has benefited from the wisdom and lessons learned from other teams. And they are already paying it forward, in this case, sharing with team members from the Enterprise Identity Management (EIM) project.

EIM will update the university’s existing identity and access management services and infrastructure. The goal of the project is to improve access management of our systems, bolster security, increase operational efficiency and flexibility, and simplify life for our community across the board. 

Because these solutions protect university and personal data, support and enhance our teaching and research mission across the university, and improve the user experience in accessing these systems, it is vital for the EIM to understand current state processes for effective future state implementation. This is where SIS Business Process Lead Katie Frehafer can help.

The ESR approach of expert sourcing is being put into action. Frehafer, who worked alongside experts from Lean Bench and OSI, has lots to share from the SIS process mapping and ideal state sessions. The EIM team can add her perspective and best practices to augment the Lean Six Sigma methodology and resources as the EIM team begins its own process mapping work. 

From engaging, securing, and training subject matter experts to documenting and sharing mapping artifacts, the advice is both practical and tactical. It is important that any ESR team anticipate and support the needs of subject matter experts so that they can fully and meaningfully participate in process mapping. With specific tips related to scheduling, debriefing, and engaging, the EIM team will be able to leverage successful strategies that will lend the project a considerable level of effectiveness in a short period of time.

Throughout the course of the current state analysis and ideal state ideation, the SIS team has learned how intertwined many of the processes and systems are in relation to permissions, access, and identity management. SIS is sharing the pain points they have discovered and the learnings about downstream effects of identity management with the EIM team so that the EIM team does not have to repeat work. 

As the SIS team has benefited from the insights gained through the work that has gone before by the FIS team and other ESR projects, they are passing along our knowledge and “lessons learned” to help EIM have a strong foundation for even further success.