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INFORMS: IT Committee Report - August 2011

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Bjarni Kristjánsson
Bjarni Kristjánsson

The document discusses the goals and strategic priorities of INFORMS' IT department. It aims to provide up-to-date online systems that enable access, collaboration and information sharing among members. It identifies current trends in IT like mobile devices, social media and cloud computing. It also compares INFORMS Online to a similar site and recommends leveraging social networking more. Key IT projects proposed include a single login system, enhancing conference systems, embracing social media and developing member dashboards.

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INFORMS IT Strategic Planning Project and Committee Report Bjarni Kristjansson August 2011 Board Meeting
INFORMS IT Goals and Strategic Priorities To provide up-to-date online systems, that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange of information, content, services, and benefits to and among our members, potential members, and those interested in knowing more about OR/Analytics. Overall Strategic Priority: Develop and support up-to-date online systems that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange for information, content, services and benefits.
Current Major Trends in IT Mobile Devices Social Media Social Networking Online Collaboration Cloud Computing Messaging Online Videos Online Publishing Virtual Education and Meetings Personalized and Engaging Web sites Mashups and API Integration
Current Major Trends in IT Mobile Devices are taking over personal computers Social Media is replacing traditional news distribution Social Networking is changing how people work together Online Collaboration tools are replacing standalone software Cloud computing is replacing traditional file-based documents Messaging is replacing emails as effective communication tool Online Video services are replacing television viewing Books and published materials are going online Education and meetings are going virtual Web sites are now expected to be personalized and engaging Mashups and API Integration for software development INFORMS needs to adapt to this new changed world and should effectively leverage new IT technologies to accomplish its strategic goals
Comparison INFORMS Online vs. AnalyticBridge
Comparison INFORMS Online vs. AnalyticBridge To effectively compete with community sites like AnalyticBridge, we need to be more engaging with our members, and utilize social networking to the fullest extent possible to expand our reach to members and non-members alike. INFORMS Online AnalyticBridge Society 10000 members 12000 members Web site 35 Community Web Sites INFORMS Blog Members Forum 550 blog posts 500 discussions 170 groups LinkedIn 6000 members 2-3  discussions Analytic Section: 270 members 25000 members 30-50  discussions Twitter 800 Followers 1400 Tweets 60 Lists 1950 Followers 5500 Tweets 210 Lists Facebook 1500 Likes 50 posts / month 2400 Likes 50 posts / month
Social Networking and Social Media Social Networking is about connecting and actively engage with other people online Social Media is about disseminating news, information, and content online through Social Networks  We need to leverage social networking and social media within all levels of INFORMS (including the Board) to: Reach young people coming up through the schools now Promote O.R. and Analytics to the outside world Promote initiatives and projects to members Disseminate news and information online Leverage members to build up content online Engage with our members and non-members Seed and actively participate in online discussions
Social Media & Networking Challenges Aren't we already doing Social Media and Networking? I can already do everything I need to with existing tools We are already busy doing other important work People are mostly using Social networking for trivial things Social networking takes too much time Should we not wait until we know more? I do not know which social network to choose Would we not get into trouble if we do something wrong? There are not enough people yet using Social Networking Its too complicated to learn all these new things Most of these challenges are either based on mistaken perceptions or people not wanting to leave their comfort zone.  Social Media and Networking are here to stay and will only grow in popularity.  We need to avoid having a disconnect between the online and real world.
What Does IT Need to Accomplish? Receive recognition from the Board and the staff that IT is critical to the long-term success of INFORMS With the current IT trends and fast-moving changes, we need to adapt quickly and prepare for new technologies We need to leverage social networking and social media within INFORMS to be able to reach young people coming up through the schools now and effectively promote O.R. to them IT needs to have the resources to effectively support both long-term goals and strategic priorities of INFORMS In order to succeed with this, we will need to build up and reallocate IT resources to accomplish our goals for the future
IT Strategic Priorities and Projects Develop a Single Login ID  system that allows integration of different IT Systems (Member, Conf, Pubs, JPS, etc.) Build Community Web Sites that are interrelated and share information from all other INFORMS IT Systems.  Enhance  Conference Systems to provide better user experience, program development, search, interactivity, content sharing, and social networking. Embrace Social Media at all levels of INFORMS to distribute news, publish information, collaborate, and engage with its members Develop Member Dashboards to provide live feeds from other IT Systems, share information and content, and build communities Develop Online Meeting and Content Sharing capabilities to provide collaboration and education/training to members Optimize INFORMS Online to make it more findable, engaging site for  its members where they can network and collaborate with others Build our own Publications Online Database with paper metadata  that can be searched, filtered, and accessed from other IT systems.
Main IT Goals and Priorities Selected Single login ID (1.6) Community Web Sites (4.1) Conference Web Systems (4.1) Social Media & Networking (6.1) Member Dashboards (6.4) Online Meeting/Education (6.4) Online Content & Collaboration (6.5) INFORMS Online (7.0) Publications - Access (7.6) The goals and priorities were determined by the IT Committee after various online discussions and conference calls for the past 2 months. The final voting process was all done online using Google Docs. IT Goals and Priorities Selection Spreadsheet
IT Projects - Importance vs. Effort Required
Seven High-Priority Projects Selected for Now Single Login ID Conference Web System Ease-of-Use Online Videos and Distribution Social Media News and Networking Conference Slide Sharing Document Sharing Online Mobile Conference App These seven high priority projects were specifically selected as they require only Low to Medium effort by INFORMS and can be relatively easily implemented with existing resources
Current IT Projects Already in Progress Online Videos and Distribution Analytics Conference Speaker Program Using Social Media platforms to: Provide news and information Engage members IOL Landing Pages Analytics Section Web site for Annual Meeting Registration form design Conference Mobile Application New Conference Abstract System ICS Conference 2013 Researching AA System API for Integration
Project: Single Login ID Create secure database for storing login ID information Each person interacting with INFORMS will have an account Members Non-members Necessary groundwork for integrating various IT Systems Conferences Publications Job Placement OR-Exchange Enables access also to common social networks & content sites Provides integration to other systems through secure API service High priority project - Medium effort required 
Project: Conference Web System Ease-of-Use Easier registration process through more intelligent forms Enhanced search and listing capabilities More integration with Social Networks (like, embed, tweet) Other Selected IT Projects that also involve Conferences: Regular news and information provided through social media Slide-sharing for speakers to make available for attendees Selected videos made available online after the conference Mobile friendly application for accessing conference program High priority project - Low to Medium effort required (Conferences)
Project: Online Videos and Distribution INFORMS already implements video hosting online through: Informs Online - Youtube channel Free but each video is limited to 15 minutes Rendering and uploading done by INFORMS Staff Video Learning Center - BlueSky High quality production but expensive Costs about $200/year per video to host Alternatives being researched for future online videos: Vimeo Pro: Similar to YouTube but no limit on video length Sprout Video: Advanced hosting service, cost $600-$3000/year Examples: Conference Videos and INFORMS Speaker Program High priority project - Low to Medium effort required (Marketing)
Project: Social Media and Networking Provide members with regular news through Social Media LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Google+ OR-Exchange Systematically collect and dispatch news/information from: Conferences Publications Subdivisions Committees and the Board Various INFORMS initiatives and programs Actively engage members through Social Networking platforms Multiple social networking activities are currently driven by members   High priority project - Low effort required 
Project: Conference Slide & Document Sharing Implemented through Slideshare Pro account Gives speakers the ability to upload slide presentations Access to the slides before, during, and after the conference Conference attendees and others can: Search for specific presentations View the slides online Download the slides Embed the slides Connected to speakers accounts through Single Login Mashup with other INFORMS IT Systems through API's Document sharing implemented in similar fashion through Scribd or Docstoc accounts    High priority project - Low effort required 
Project: Conference Mobile Application Expected to include some or all of the following features: Session Descriptions Speaker Bios Exhibitor Details Schedules Session Slides Social Networking features News / Scheduled Alerts Contact Sharing Email event report Maps & Videos Compatibility with iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry High priority project - Medium effort required (Conferences)
Project: New Conference Abstract System INFORMS Computing Society (ICS) will holding its next conference in New Mexico, January 2013 The conference chair William E. Hart, Sandia Labs is a member of the IT Committee The goal is to implement a new conference abstract system as Open-Source developed by ICS and INFORMS volunteers Key design ideas include: Designed using modular components using RESTful API's Connected to a Single Login system through API's Leverage Social Networking sites through API's Flexible Program Scheduling with sophisticated web interface Leverage existing Open Document Management systems Good analytics and extensive easy-to-use reports High priority project - Low effort required (most work by volunteers)
New Members of the IT Committee Bjarni Kristjansson, Chair James J. Cochran Owen P. Hall William E. Hart Warren Lieberman John Lucas Laura A. McLay Anna Nagurney Marianela Pereira Cea (New) Paul Rubin Matthew J. Saltzman Aurelie Thiele (New) Michael Trick Wayne Winston Ex-officio members Melissa Moore Kevin Geraghty (IOL) Ann Fishkin Patricia Shaffer Gary Bennett Shirley Mohr Mary Magrogan
IT Committee Motion MOTION: IT IS MOVED that the INFORMS Board approve the appointment of two new   members of the Information Technology Committee, Aurelie Thiele , Lehigh University and Marianela Pereira Cea , AMEC Americas Ltd., for terms beginning August 2011 through December 31, 2012.
IT Committee Work and Activities Regular Webex conference calls for the past few months Each call automatically video recorded and published online Crowdsourcing: Most documents published online LinkedIn group INFORMS IT Committee and Friends All active members of the committee joined Group open to anyone else interested in INFORMS IT Video recordings and reports/documents published  Discussion and comments from members solicited   Twitter account @InformsIT created Used to report news on committee activities Questions posed to Twitter followers Google+ account INFORMS IT  created Also used to report news on committee activities & pose questions
IT Committee Document Collaboration  Google Docs used for all collaboration writing and editing Full control over who can  View and Edit each document Multiple people can edit simultaneously Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Drawings Can easily be converted into MS Office or PDF Files Easy to make certain documents available through Links Experience on Using Google Docs:  Overall very beneficial and effective way of collaborating, but some members of the committee still prefer sharing and editing the documents the "old-fashioned" way through MS Office and Email attachments.
Potential New IT Staff Requirements Additional Software Developer LAMP Platform (Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP) Potential projects and tasks where more serious programming capabilities will be needed: Mobile computing for Meetings & Publications Implement Social Networking/Web 2.0 platforms Implement integrated platforms for content sharing Implement strategy for Member Dashboard Integration between existing IT systems
Potential IT Budget Savings Reduce Consulting ACGI special requests ($45K) INFORMS Consultants ($59K) Reduce Hosting Fees ACGI Leasing & Hosting ($65K) PTG Hosting ($22K) Do we need an IT Director? Full-time IT Director ($100K+)   Other Potential Reductions Email Archiving ($12K) For each item, we need to answer the following question: Are we getting good ROI for the money spent?
IT 2012 Budget with a Possible Alternative INFORMS IT Budget 2011 Budget 2011 YTD Projection 2012 Budget Alt. 2012 Budget ACGI Consulting & Hosting 175 131 175 105 INFORMS Online 50 50 40 40 Software 25 56 25 25 Miscellaneous 30 23 30 30 Expenses 280 260 270 200 IT Labor 436 398 480 550 Overhead 45 47 45 45 TOTAL EXPENSES 761 705 795 795

More Related Content

INFORMS: IT Committee Report - August 2011

  • 1. INFORMS IT Strategic Planning Project and Committee Report Bjarni Kristjansson August 2011 Board Meeting
  • 2. INFORMS IT Goals and Strategic Priorities To provide up-to-date online systems, that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange of information, content, services, and benefits to and among our members, potential members, and those interested in knowing more about OR/Analytics. Overall Strategic Priority: Develop and support up-to-date online systems that enable and encourage access, collaboration, and effective exchange for information, content, services and benefits.
  • 3. Current Major Trends in IT Mobile Devices Social Media Social Networking Online Collaboration Cloud Computing Messaging Online Videos Online Publishing Virtual Education and Meetings Personalized and Engaging Web sites Mashups and API Integration
  • 4. Current Major Trends in IT Mobile Devices are taking over personal computers Social Media is replacing traditional news distribution Social Networking is changing how people work together Online Collaboration tools are replacing standalone software Cloud computing is replacing traditional file-based documents Messaging is replacing emails as effective communication tool Online Video services are replacing television viewing Books and published materials are going online Education and meetings are going virtual Web sites are now expected to be personalized and engaging Mashups and API Integration for software development INFORMS needs to adapt to this new changed world and should effectively leverage new IT technologies to accomplish its strategic goals
  • 5. Comparison INFORMS Online vs. AnalyticBridge
  • 6. Comparison INFORMS Online vs. AnalyticBridge To effectively compete with community sites like AnalyticBridge, we need to be more engaging with our members, and utilize social networking to the fullest extent possible to expand our reach to members and non-members alike. INFORMS Online AnalyticBridge Society 10000 members 12000 members Web site 35 Community Web Sites INFORMS Blog Members Forum 550 blog posts 500 discussions 170 groups LinkedIn 6000 members 2-3  discussions Analytic Section: 270 members 25000 members 30-50  discussions Twitter 800 Followers 1400 Tweets 60 Lists 1950 Followers 5500 Tweets 210 Lists Facebook 1500 Likes 50 posts / month 2400 Likes 50 posts / month
  • 7. Social Networking and Social Media Social Networking is about connecting and actively engage with other people online Social Media is about disseminating news, information, and content online through Social Networks  We need to leverage social networking and social media within all levels of INFORMS (including the Board) to: Reach young people coming up through the schools now Promote O.R. and Analytics to the outside world Promote initiatives and projects to members Disseminate news and information online Leverage members to build up content online Engage with our members and non-members Seed and actively participate in online discussions
  • 8. Social Media & Networking Challenges Aren't we already doing Social Media and Networking? I can already do everything I need to with existing tools We are already busy doing other important work People are mostly using Social networking for trivial things Social networking takes too much time Should we not wait until we know more? I do not know which social network to choose Would we not get into trouble if we do something wrong? There are not enough people yet using Social Networking Its too complicated to learn all these new things Most of these challenges are either based on mistaken perceptions or people not wanting to leave their comfort zone.  Social Media and Networking are here to stay and will only grow in popularity.  We need to avoid having a disconnect between the online and real world.
  • 9. What Does IT Need to Accomplish? Receive recognition from the Board and the staff that IT is critical to the long-term success of INFORMS With the current IT trends and fast-moving changes, we need to adapt quickly and prepare for new technologies We need to leverage social networking and social media within INFORMS to be able to reach young people coming up through the schools now and effectively promote O.R. to them IT needs to have the resources to effectively support both long-term goals and strategic priorities of INFORMS In order to succeed with this, we will need to build up and reallocate IT resources to accomplish our goals for the future
  • 10. IT Strategic Priorities and Projects Develop a Single Login ID  system that allows integration of different IT Systems (Member, Conf, Pubs, JPS, etc.) Build Community Web Sites that are interrelated and share information from all other INFORMS IT Systems.  Enhance  Conference Systems to provide better user experience, program development, search, interactivity, content sharing, and social networking. Embrace Social Media at all levels of INFORMS to distribute news, publish information, collaborate, and engage with its members Develop Member Dashboards to provide live feeds from other IT Systems, share information and content, and build communities Develop Online Meeting and Content Sharing capabilities to provide collaboration and education/training to members Optimize INFORMS Online to make it more findable, engaging site for  its members where they can network and collaborate with others Build our own Publications Online Database with paper metadata  that can be searched, filtered, and accessed from other IT systems.
  • 11. Main IT Goals and Priorities Selected Single login ID (1.6) Community Web Sites (4.1) Conference Web Systems (4.1) Social Media & Networking (6.1) Member Dashboards (6.4) Online Meeting/Education (6.4) Online Content & Collaboration (6.5) INFORMS Online (7.0) Publications - Access (7.6) The goals and priorities were determined by the IT Committee after various online discussions and conference calls for the past 2 months. The final voting process was all done online using Google Docs. IT Goals and Priorities Selection Spreadsheet
  • 12. IT Projects - Importance vs. Effort Required
  • 13. Seven High-Priority Projects Selected for Now Single Login ID Conference Web System Ease-of-Use Online Videos and Distribution Social Media News and Networking Conference Slide Sharing Document Sharing Online Mobile Conference App These seven high priority projects were specifically selected as they require only Low to Medium effort by INFORMS and can be relatively easily implemented with existing resources
  • 14. Current IT Projects Already in Progress Online Videos and Distribution Analytics Conference Speaker Program Using Social Media platforms to: Provide news and information Engage members IOL Landing Pages Analytics Section Web site for Annual Meeting Registration form design Conference Mobile Application New Conference Abstract System ICS Conference 2013 Researching AA System API for Integration
  • 15. Project: Single Login ID Create secure database for storing login ID information Each person interacting with INFORMS will have an account Members Non-members Necessary groundwork for integrating various IT Systems Conferences Publications Job Placement OR-Exchange Enables access also to common social networks & content sites Provides integration to other systems through secure API service High priority project - Medium effort required 
  • 16. Project: Conference Web System Ease-of-Use Easier registration process through more intelligent forms Enhanced search and listing capabilities More integration with Social Networks (like, embed, tweet) Other Selected IT Projects that also involve Conferences: Regular news and information provided through social media Slide-sharing for speakers to make available for attendees Selected videos made available online after the conference Mobile friendly application for accessing conference program High priority project - Low to Medium effort required (Conferences)
  • 17. Project: Online Videos and Distribution INFORMS already implements video hosting online through: Informs Online - Youtube channel Free but each video is limited to 15 minutes Rendering and uploading done by INFORMS Staff Video Learning Center - BlueSky High quality production but expensive Costs about $200/year per video to host Alternatives being researched for future online videos: Vimeo Pro: Similar to YouTube but no limit on video length Sprout Video: Advanced hosting service, cost $600-$3000/year Examples: Conference Videos and INFORMS Speaker Program High priority project - Low to Medium effort required (Marketing)
  • 18. Project: Social Media and Networking Provide members with regular news through Social Media LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Google+ OR-Exchange Systematically collect and dispatch news/information from: Conferences Publications Subdivisions Committees and the Board Various INFORMS initiatives and programs Actively engage members through Social Networking platforms Multiple social networking activities are currently driven by members   High priority project - Low effort required 
  • 19. Project: Conference Slide & Document Sharing Implemented through Slideshare Pro account Gives speakers the ability to upload slide presentations Access to the slides before, during, and after the conference Conference attendees and others can: Search for specific presentations View the slides online Download the slides Embed the slides Connected to speakers accounts through Single Login Mashup with other INFORMS IT Systems through API's Document sharing implemented in similar fashion through Scribd or Docstoc accounts    High priority project - Low effort required 
  • 20. Project: Conference Mobile Application Expected to include some or all of the following features: Session Descriptions Speaker Bios Exhibitor Details Schedules Session Slides Social Networking features News / Scheduled Alerts Contact Sharing Email event report Maps & Videos Compatibility with iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry High priority project - Medium effort required (Conferences)
  • 21. Project: New Conference Abstract System INFORMS Computing Society (ICS) will holding its next conference in New Mexico, January 2013 The conference chair William E. Hart, Sandia Labs is a member of the IT Committee The goal is to implement a new conference abstract system as Open-Source developed by ICS and INFORMS volunteers Key design ideas include: Designed using modular components using RESTful API's Connected to a Single Login system through API's Leverage Social Networking sites through API's Flexible Program Scheduling with sophisticated web interface Leverage existing Open Document Management systems Good analytics and extensive easy-to-use reports High priority project - Low effort required (most work by volunteers)
  • 22. New Members of the IT Committee Bjarni Kristjansson, Chair James J. Cochran Owen P. Hall William E. Hart Warren Lieberman John Lucas Laura A. McLay Anna Nagurney Marianela Pereira Cea (New) Paul Rubin Matthew J. Saltzman Aurelie Thiele (New) Michael Trick Wayne Winston Ex-officio members Melissa Moore Kevin Geraghty (IOL) Ann Fishkin Patricia Shaffer Gary Bennett Shirley Mohr Mary Magrogan
  • 23. IT Committee Motion MOTION: IT IS MOVED that the INFORMS Board approve the appointment of two new   members of the Information Technology Committee, Aurelie Thiele , Lehigh University and Marianela Pereira Cea , AMEC Americas Ltd., for terms beginning August 2011 through December 31, 2012.
  • 24. IT Committee Work and Activities Regular Webex conference calls for the past few months Each call automatically video recorded and published online Crowdsourcing: Most documents published online LinkedIn group INFORMS IT Committee and Friends All active members of the committee joined Group open to anyone else interested in INFORMS IT Video recordings and reports/documents published  Discussion and comments from members solicited   Twitter account @InformsIT created Used to report news on committee activities Questions posed to Twitter followers Google+ account INFORMS IT  created Also used to report news on committee activities & pose questions
  • 25. IT Committee Document Collaboration  Google Docs used for all collaboration writing and editing Full control over who can  View and Edit each document Multiple people can edit simultaneously Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Drawings Can easily be converted into MS Office or PDF Files Easy to make certain documents available through Links Experience on Using Google Docs:  Overall very beneficial and effective way of collaborating, but some members of the committee still prefer sharing and editing the documents the "old-fashioned" way through MS Office and Email attachments.
  • 26. Potential New IT Staff Requirements Additional Software Developer LAMP Platform (Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP) Potential projects and tasks where more serious programming capabilities will be needed: Mobile computing for Meetings & Publications Implement Social Networking/Web 2.0 platforms Implement integrated platforms for content sharing Implement strategy for Member Dashboard Integration between existing IT systems
  • 27. Potential IT Budget Savings Reduce Consulting ACGI special requests ($45K) INFORMS Consultants ($59K) Reduce Hosting Fees ACGI Leasing & Hosting ($65K) PTG Hosting ($22K) Do we need an IT Director? Full-time IT Director ($100K+)   Other Potential Reductions Email Archiving ($12K) For each item, we need to answer the following question: Are we getting good ROI for the money spent?
  • 28. IT 2012 Budget with a Possible Alternative INFORMS IT Budget 2011 Budget 2011 YTD Projection 2012 Budget Alt. 2012 Budget ACGI Consulting & Hosting 175 131 175 105 INFORMS Online 50 50 40 40 Software 25 56 25 25 Miscellaneous 30 23 30 30 Expenses 280 260 270 200 IT Labor 436 398 480 550 Overhead 45 47 45 45 TOTAL EXPENSES 761 705 795 795

Editor's Notes

  1. To change the perception of IT within the INFORMS leadership Flash excel spreadsheet show due diligence, then focus on results:
  2. To change the perception of IT within the INFORMS leadership Flash excel spreadsheet show due diligence, then focus on results:
  3. To change the perception of IT within the INFORMS leadership Flash excel spreadsheet show due diligence, then focus on results:
  4. To change the perception of IT within the INFORMS leadership Flash excel spreadsheet show due diligence, then focus on results:
  5. To change the perception of IT within the INFORMS leadership Flash excel spreadsheet show due diligence, then focus on results: