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Sharing the Wealth: Learning about SLcM from our Colleagues at the University of Kentucky

Earlier this year in April, seven UC San Diego Information Technology Services (ITS) staff traveled to meet with the University of Kentucky (UK) regarding their implementation of SAP’s Student Lifecycle Management (SLcM) system, the product UC San Diego has selected to replace ISIS, our legacy student information system (SIS). At UC San Diego, our instance of SLcM will be known as the "Triton Student System (TSS)". 

The following UC San Diego staff visited with UK (individuals are listed in alpha order by last name):

  • Kevin Chou, Deputy Chief Information Officer/Director, Enterprise Systems Renewal (ESR)
  • David Hutches, Enterprise Architect
  • Vince Kellen, Chief Information Officer
  • Scott Lee, Enterprise Architect
  • Bill Sweetman, Senior Director, Application Development & Integration Services (ADIS)
  • Judy White, Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics
  • Jonathan Whitman, Senior Director, Student Information Services

I met with David Hutches to discover more about UC San Diego's trip with UK, understand the purpose and goals of the visit, and find out the details of lessons learned and opportunities discussed. If you've ever chatted with David, you know that he is enthusiastic and passionate - and that he loves to share! While David's role on the SIS Project at UC San Diego is highly technical, his keen awareness of project management, organizational change management practices and customer engagement bring a unique perspective to the conversation and the project. 

Before we dive into my interview with David, let’s explore why UC San Diego chose to visit with UK, and what the visit was meant to accomplish. 

A Little About UK

To provide some context, UK is a public, land-grant institution with approximately 34,000 students for the 2023-24 school year (for comparison, UC San Diego had 43,381 students). Additionally, just like UC San Diego, UK is classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity, as determined by the Carnegie Foundation.  

So, why did the UC San Diego team choose to visit UK? Not only does UK have a similar student population and research focus, it is also one of the US-based institutions that has successfully implemented SAP's SLcM, and has many years of experience integrating the system into their larger enterprise ecosystem.

Purpose & Goals

Our UC San Diego team was hosted by nine UK staff from a variety of technical positions ranging from the Enterprise Chief Technology Office to the lead programmer/analyst. The purpose of the visit to UK was two-fold, David explains. Not only was it “to learn about UK’s technical implementation and business impact of their SLcM instance”, but it was also to “cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with key IT stakeholders at UK, with the hope of establishing collaborative relationships between our respective technical and business teams.” 

Although future collaboration efforts have not been defined or discussed between the two universities, the visit’s detailed discussions paved the way for a meaningful partnership of sharing experiences, lessons learned, and strategies for developing, using and implementing SLcM.

When I asked David about the individuals UC San Diego met with, he said that while the group was mostly individuals in technical roles, “each person possessed an in-depth understanding of the business aspects of the SLcM system.” This insight helped to create highly informative conversations about the SLcM implementation – conversations that extended beyond technical topics and also included discussions about various functional and business aspects of the project, training and testing, and system implementation, and how all of these were successfully aligned with the strategic needs of campus organizations.

David Dishes the Details

David Hutches

While I have only known David for just over a year, I always appreciate his balance of business and fun. To give you an idea, in David’s virtual office, you will see two small bookcases side-by-side adorned with LEGO sets, a replica of Sting from “Lord of the Rings,” and miniature John Deere tractor. Throughout the interview, David’s enthusiasm for this topic and commitment to the project are palpable, making our one-hour chat a much-needed and enjoyable break in my day. In our effort to honor one another’s time, we dove right in!

(A note to the reader: The format of the interview below is showcased with the questions asked by me, Angie, in bold italics. David’s responses are in quotations and regular text, listed underneath each question.)

To start off, can you share about how the visit informed UC San Diego on SLcM, specifically in terms of its capabilities and potential impact on our system design?
“The visit provided valuable insights, particularly regarding the high degree of configurability of the system. This capability has given us confidence that we can effectively utilize SLcM to develop a more powerful and comprehensive student information system than our current legacy system. It also suggests that we can migrate functionality currently provided by external add-ons to ISIS directly into the new student information system, with the goal of producing a more seamless and holistic user experience for students, faculty and staff.”

How did the visit differ from your expectations?
I approached the visit with an open mind, eager to learn from UK's extensive experience with SLcM. While I didn't have specific expectations, I was particularly struck by the depth of their cross-organizational collaboration and the degree to which the SLcM implementation had become a unifying force across campus. This aspect underscored the transformative potential of such a project, extending far beyond the mere implementation of technology.”

Can you talk more about how UK set-up such a successful implementation on their campus?
“Given their extensive experience with previous versions of SLcM, UK emphasized the importance of fully utilizing the latest capabilities and features available in the current version, which have significantly matured since their initial implementation. This includes advanced configuration options and out-of-the-box functionalities that can reduce the need for extensive customizations*. That said, they also cautioned that while the extensive configuration options offer great flexibility, careful planning and consideration are necessary to ensure their effective use. 

“At UC San Diego, ongoing collaborative conversations with business units will guide how we prioritize configurations and enhancements — throughout design, implementation, and sustainment, a key to success is to be deliberate and intentional.”

*To learn more about the difference between configurations and customization, review this article, “Configuration vs. Customization… What’s the Difference?

What is something you learned about UK’s SLcM integration that surprised you?
I wouldn't say ‘surprised’, but two aspects of their SLcM integration did particularly impress me. First, the depth of in-house talent they had cultivated was remarkable. Their team's extensive knowledge highlighted the importance of investing and empowering internal resources to maximize the potential of the SLcM platform.

“Second, I was struck by the genuine respect and value they placed on the knowledge and expertise of their end-users. This was evident in their iterative design process, where feedback from faculty, staff and students was consistently incorporated into system enhancements. This customer-centric approach, although a hallmark of any successful enterprise implementation, was executed with a level of rigor and commitment that truly set the UK team apart.”

What happened when UK went live with SLcM? Did everything go as planned?
“UK shared that they ran into some unexpected issues during the go-live, with certain things not working as they had intended. However, they had a plan in place to handle these issues and respond to the end-users' needs. They emphasized the importance of being honest with customers and providing timely responses to address any concerns proactively. Additionally, they had (and still have) a system in place to receive continuous feedback, particularly from students, throughout the process. This combination of proactive efforts and a structured support plan greatly contributed to the success of their system launch and subsequent sustainment efforts.”

Wow! That is truly inspiring for us and our work at UC San Diego. You mentioned that UK worked closely with end-users. Did they share details about how they did this?
“They stressed the importance of collaboration extending beyond the initial implementation phase; their first-hand success stemmed from fostering ongoing engagement between IT, business units and end-users to ensure the system evolves to continuously meet the needs of the campus community. Some of the specific tips they mentioned included regular feedback loops, training programs and communication channels. 

“This reinforces the inclusive approach we already have at UC San Diego: ensuring all stakeholders — business units, functional areas, and end-users — have a seat at the table throughout the entire implementation process.”

Did UK share any other strategies or tips that we can consider as we embark on our SLcM implementation journey?
“Yes, the UK team highlighted the need for a robust change management plan to address the organizational and cultural shifts that accompany a major system implementation. This includes clear communication, training and support to ensure a smooth transition and user adoption. They were also transparent with their users, acknowledging that not everything would work flawlessly on day one. Instead, they focused on inspiring confidence by assuring everyone that a strong support structure was in place to address any issues that might arise. The good news for us is that one of the lessons we’ve learned over the course of the ESR initiative is the absolutely critical importance of all aspects of effective change management.”

I appreciate that. Our team is working hard to implement similar strategies. To wrap up, can you share what lessons learned from UK will be useful for us to employ at UC San Diego?
“As mentioned before, their intentional practice of cultivating deep in-house talent and maintaining a respect for customer knowledge created a powerful combination that has clearly contributed to their successful and impactful SLcM implementation. It was a valuable lesson in how to approach a complex technological project like our implementation of SLcM as the Triton Student System with both technical expertise and a focus on the needs of the end-users.”

Thank You and Goodbye to David

I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to have one final conversation with David before his retirement from UC San Diego. This interview took place in May 2024, and since then, David has embarked on a new chapter in his life. He has a long and rich history with the university, including completing his doctoral degree in computer science here. Over the years, his career trajectory has taken him through many different campus departments and an eclectic set of duties.

David will surely be missed as our SIS Project Core Team's Enterprise Architect. We wish him all the best in his retirement, which will hopefully be full of more LEGO building, otherworldly reading and magical adventures.

Category: Student & Faculty, News