Text: Marianne Fuglsang Welling Farsinsen, ITS. Photo: AAU

Broad involvement as a basis for decisions and initiatives

The master plan is coordinated by ITS, where the digitalization partners Bo Hvass Pedersen and Søren Graakjær Smed are responsible for implementation and portfolio management together with the Shared Service units. It is expected that the implementation of the master plan will run for at least the next four years, and therefore much effort has been made in the process to consider and identify the needs the organization has for digital support of administrative tasks and areas. Søren Graakjær Smed explains:

- "The first step in the work on the master plan was to look at the foundation - that is, the current state of processes and digital support - and then clarify the strategic aim points. After that, we were really ready to involve the administrative areas, to learn more about the challenges they experience with digitalization, where they want to be helped with digital support and their view of where and how digitalization can create value for them, Søren Graakjær Smed explains.

 

All of this identification has been done through qualitative interviews with all Shared Service units at management level as well as secretariat management at faculties and departments. Subsequently, based on the many inputs from these interviews, a number of focus areas have been identified, which are now facing prioritization and initiation in a dedicated portfolio for the administrative area at AAU.

 

Prioritization of initiatives

The initiatives require many resources, and there is therefore a need for careful planning of the order in relation to the value created, as well as the possibility that the initiatives can build on each other.

- We have a prioritized list ready right now, which shows the initiatives for the coming years and when they will take place. It will be really exciting to start the implementation work and see how the extensive preparatory work will hopefully be fruitful when the initiatives meet reality, concludes Søren Graakjær Smed.

 

If you would like to know more or have questions about the master plan and initiatives in relation to digital support of the administrative area at AAU, you are welcome to contact digitalization partners for the administrative area Søren Graakjær Smed or Bo Hvass Pedersen.

Why a Digital Masterplan in the administrative domain?

AAU works strategically and focused on digitalization

• Aalborg University is working strategically and in a focused manner with digitalization of the administrative area based on the objectives and ambitions formulated in Knowledge for the World. The administrative digitalization must support the university's needs in the best possible way and contribute to efficiency and increased coherence in the performance of tasks.
• Since the establishment of the digitalization strategy in 2018, AAU has achieved significant results with administrative digitalization, including the establishment of digital diplomas, intelligent automation, a new ERP system, a new CMS system, etc. AAU has also initiated the implementation of new cloud-based business systems, the implementation of Workzone and the development of a new SIS to replace the current STADS, etc.
• In order to get the most value from systems and data, AAU has also initiated work to improve the digital foundation and make it more coherent. In this context, AAU has assessed systems, legacy and data quality and worked with organizational roles, principles, maturity and management and project models.

 

A digital master plan in the administrative area

• AAU wishes to continue the ambitious work to digitilize the administrative area and ensure a robust digital foundation. There is a need to establish an overall portfolio for the coming years, which builds on the strategic initiatives on coherent digitalization and consolidation of the portfolio of digital solutions.
• The master plan focuses on the administrative area, understood as research and education administration as well as cross-cutting support activities. The master plan does not focus on research IT and education IT.