OneIT: It's how we work
Over the past decade, the University of Iowa IT community built a strong foundation of collaboration as OneIT. With a hub-and-spoke model, central IT serves as the hub while collegiate and administrative IT teams represent the spokes. The OneIT name was chosen to recognize that the IT community is at its best when it works together.
As the hub, the central IT organization, Information Technology Services (ITS), takes responsibility for university-wide IT efforts, policies, and operations. Distributed units utilize the hub's services and combine them with their unique offerings to address specific needs in their area. In total, 557 employees are part of OneIT.
Leaders from distributed units have a dual reporting relationship to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and are directly involved with strategic planning and IT governance. The OneIT governance process provides enhanced transparency, improved prioritization and risk management, synchronization with university efforts, coordinated technology planning, and broader engagement across OneIT. More than a dozen IT communities bring colleagues together for discussions, advice, and support.
Delivering core, common, and unique IT services
OneIT has embraced a “core, common, unique” model to better define the roles of the hub and spoke.
- Core IT services are used by nearly everyone on campus and are delivered by the hub, ITS. Examples of core services include email, wireless, technical support, and IT infrastructure.
- Common IT services are used by many people on campus. Examples include classroom and instructional technologies, administrative systems, and large-scale research computing resources. These are typically delivered by ITS, but often with support from local IT units.
- Unique IT services are more specialized and used by a smaller number of people. They are often handled by local IT units. Examples include discipline-specific applications or lab equipment.
Within this framework, IT professionals find common needs and learn how other units have solved problems. They balance local needs with the greater needs of the university and consider how IT solutions fit into the bigger picture. They understand integration of technologies and engage other stakeholders in decisions.
Working with health care IT
In addition to collaboration within OneIT, working with Health Care Information Systems (HCIS) is essential in providing IT services needed by the university. Like OneIT, HCIS has nearly 500 employees. Although HCIS is not a part of OneIT, effective collaboration is crucial for both entities and the university’s success. Both IT organizations are outstanding and have made tremendous progress teaming up to help the university leverage scale and consistency wherever possible. University leadership continually underscores the significance of their collaboration, advocating for an integrated approach to IT functions.
OneIT and HCIS have a long history of jointly providing IT services and continue to look for ways to do more together. They leverage common security systems and operations, service desk management systems, finance, human resources, inventory and purchasing systems, email, and external networking. A commitment to joint efforts remains steadfast and given the increased reliance on technology in both organizations, it will be critical to continue to identify and pursue opportunities.