Intranet Portals for Universities – Application Integration and Effective Communication

1. Intranet Portals for Universities – Application Integration and Effective Communication Dr. Norbert Jesse University of Dortmund norbert.jesse@udo.edu

2. Agenda Portals… • Motivation and Objectives • Mode of Operation … Integration … Distribution … Workflow … Communication … Realisation

3. What is a Portal? • Brings together content from diverse distributed resources • Using technologies such as cross-searching, harvesting, and alerting • Collate this into an amalgamated form for presentation • Usually via web browser • For users: possibly personalized, single point of access

4. Definition (Source: SAP AG) An enterprise portal makes information, services and applications company-wide available - also merging heterogeneous system. The objective is to optimise company-wide co-operation and to improve the ability to make excellent and efficiency decisions. Furthermore, the portal shall bring all the available information and tools to an individual under one user interface according to his special needs.

5. A Company‘s Perspective

6. University of Dortmund: Structure

7. The Problem • Universities are complex institutions with (at • least) 3 action levels: Administration, Faculty, • Institute/Chair • - Teaching, Research, Administration • Our Customers = Students • Staff = in some ways autonomous • Complex Workflows

8. Objectives • Strategic Objectives • to deliver the relevant, integrated data for the decision making process (Cockpit, Dashboard, MIS) • to tighten and optimise workflows and communication • to optimise the work from the perspective of the user: simple and easy-to-use user-interface • to collect the available knowledge systematically; store and retrieve easily • Save money and time

9. Objectives • Technical Objectives • Integration of Content-, Document- and Knowledge Management • Groupware-Functions (Calendar, Task list, …) • Integration of Applications • Web-adaptation of propriety systems • Systematic and local document management („Excel: list of absence“, „Access: IT-administration“, „HTML: FAQs“ etc.) • Home of future applications, esp. „smaller“ systems

10. ETH Zurich: A Vision • Decision: to make all the central business processes completely accessible via the web - end-to-end online support for all academic processes for students, faculty and central staff - production of comprehensive catalogue of all courses which can be searched according to various criteria - realisation of a database of completed and current research projects (tool for knowledge exchange) - electronically supported processes for submission of research requests and their internal processing

11. PORSCHE: House of Knowledge ■ Holistic Approach to Knowledge Management: Men and Women – Organization – Technology House of Knowledge Knowledge Storage-Platform IT-Platform Search Engine ■Technology ■ Organization ■ Men and Women Yellow Pages Specific purpose knowledge forum Project database Literature database Seminar and conference database CAD Drawings archives Culture of Enterprise and Management Integration and Communications Non-monetary indices Visions and Strategies Corporate Consciousness Roles and Coordination Knowledge Management at Porsche Engineering

12. - Mode of Operation -

13. 1. 2. 3. „History“ of Portals • 1.Generation: another form of glittering „booklet“ made by a creative agency; regular „re-launch" with new content. • 2.Generation: update of content with help of a CMS; structured data (title, teaser, picture, text, validity period etc.) • 3.Generation: integration of business transactions, workflows, data from other vendors' systems; a central cockpit of the company

14. „History“ of Portals • „Problem" of the 1. Generation: update of the data; changes often depending on the support of the agency. • „Problem" of the 2. Generation: re-engineering of the workflow; new workflows must be programmed. • 3. Generation: aiming at the greatest possible independence regarding both changes of data and workflows.

15. 3rd Generation Portals Publication (1st Generation) Applications & workflows (workflow engines) User, rights management & personalisation Data management, version control etc. Integration

16. Differences: Intranets vs. the Internet

17. Mode of Operation • Integration of Data - integration of relevant data sources and consolidation of the data • Distribution of Data - distribution of the data to all relevant individuals at the right time • Workflows - processing of the data under clearly defined condition by responsible individuals • Communication - communicate and document whenever necessary

18. Services (Library, Media Centre, ...) Communication (EMail, Fax, Letter, ...) Dedicated SW (Office Space Mgmt., Enrollment, ...) ERP (SAP, Navision, ...) MS Office (Excel, Access, ...) Data Integration

19. Data Integration Services (Library, Media Centre, ...) Kommunikation (EMail, Fax, Brief, ...) UniversityPortal Special Software (Office Space Mgmt., Enrolment, ...) ERP (SAP, Navision, ...) MS Office (Excel, Access, ...)

20. Data Integration • Structured Data • Usually stored in a database, e.g. Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, MySQL, PostgreSql, … • Data are structured in arrays with special relationship to one another (student, employee, main contact person, offer etc.) • Complex searching possible, e. g. „all students from PO-area xyz with semesters > 9 in 2004, without examination abc“ • Systems like ERP / Accounting Systems, Address Databases, CRM, employee‘s data, Procurement Database etc.

21. Data Integration • Un- and Semi-Structured Data • Usually stored in a File, e. g. Word-Document, PDF, Chart, Image etc. • If necessary, enriched with structured data (e. g. metadata, students and / or project classification) • full-text retrieval functionality necessary • File system, Document Management (DMS), Content Management System (CMS)

22. Mode of Operation • Integration of Data - integration of relevant data sources and consolidation of the data • Distribution of Data - distribution of the data to all relevant individuals at the right time • Workflows - processing of the data under clearly defined condition by responsible individuals • Communication - communicate and document whenever necessary

23. University Portal Data Distribution • Employees • Students • Examinations • Co-operating Inst. • Supply Management • Ministry of Edu. Etc. • Research • Press / Media • … Intranet Extranet Internet

24. Data Distribution • Portals are based on Web-Technologies, i.e. • Access via Web-Browser; no special software required • Internet connectivity (WLAN, UMTS) sufficient • All further restrictions are essential part of the rights management • Objective: access via one system and segmentation with respect to Internet, Extranet, Intranet (etc.) by rights management

25. Mode of Operation • Integration of Data - integration of relevant data sources and consolidation of the data • Distribution of Data - distribution of the data to all relevant individuals at the right time • Workflows - processing of the data under clearly defined condition by responsible individuals • Communication - communicate and document whenever necessary

26. Workflow: Oral Examination • Outmoded workflow • Student asks examiner for exam. date • Student goes to exam. office to ask for reg. form • Student goes to examiner – examiner signs the form • Student brings form to exam. office • Exam. office mails exam. questionnaire to examiner • After exam.: examiner sends questionnaire to exam. office

27. Workflows • Portal substitute paper-based workflows, e.g. • Application for leave • Application for reimbursement of travel expenses • Appropriation requests • Procurement, e.g. IT-Equipment • Student enrolment • Project management • Meetings: invitations with agenda, compilation and distribution of minutes • …

28. Workflows • Besides the data storage aspect: complete workflows will be affected and represented electronically • Example „apply for leave“: • Employee: apply for leave • (Direct?) superior: approve holiday (checking collisions etc.) • Proxy: provide information to the proxy (e.g. if direct superior is not available) • Where required: approval by the Faculty/Department • Necessary: Communication (and documentation of the interaction)!

29. Mode of Operation • Integration of Data - integration of relevant data sources and consolidation of the data • Distribution of Data - distribution of the data to all relevant individuals at the right time • Workflows - processing of the data under clearly defined condition by responsible individuals • Communication - communicate and document whenever necessary

30. Communication • Example: application for leave • Information about this application absolutely necessary • Push-Approach: superior receives an E-Mail and goes via Link to „approval/disapproval“ • Pull-Approach: superior sees on his home (intranet-) page a list of still-to-decide topics • If necessary: he has to call back the employee to clarify things – the communication can take place separately (E-Mail, Phone) or within the system (Notice, Messenger)

31. Communication • Modes of communication • Forum • Messenger / Chat • Notice in writing, News(letter) • Poll / questioning • Additional advantage: Documentation - Content stored and ready for retrieval, e. g. for project team or whoever is involved

32. Integration of Data Integrate all relevant data sources and consolidate the data Distribution of Data Make available all data to the relevant persons, anytime Workflows Handle the data in a defined state in a sequence of persons Communication Support and document all the required information / communication Mode of Operation

33. Example: Platform for Collaboration • The essential point: networking of people • Team calendar, Project plans • Joint project management including task description and checking of efforts (time, money) • Storage of all “project” related documents • Communication via “project” forum, news etc. (instead of E-Mail) • Access to all versions of documents, procedure version control, including external partners

34. Nice Side-effect • Platform for „floating“ business tasks • Business tasks where no dedicated software is available or not a reasonable buy • Solved usually with Excel or Access – accepting all the „well-known“ problems • Examples differ according the size of the institutions: contract management, administration of keys, list of phone no., documentation of accidents, company-wide creativity competition, QM-Book, visitor management (reception)

35. - Realisation -

36. Tools for Realisation • Individual Programming • Based on Application Server; e. g.. J2EE based • WebSphere Application Server • „related“ Software • e.g. Notes/Domino • dedicated Software • Plumtree • Intrexx Xtreme

37. Technology: a Critical Issue Reduction • Software-Basis • „Nothing“ (LAMP, J2EE, ...) • Database • CMS (Pironet, Vignette, Gauss) • Rights Management, ... • Groupware (Domino/Exchange) • Communication, ... • Standard Software (Intrexx) • Template, Application Designer, ... Factor 2-3 Factor 2-3 Factor 2-3

38. Requirements Definition Spezification Tested Programme Application/Product in use Dokumented Programme Problem Review Design Implementation Test Installation Service/Maint. Development Process: Waterfall

39. Development Process: Spiral Model NextGeneration a) Analysis b) Design c) Implemen-tation d) Test & Evaluation

40. Thank you for your attention !

41. Potencials / User‘s Perspective • Potentials for Rationalisation • Workflows • Matching of data / Quality of Data • Communication • Fees for software (e.g. ERP-systems) • Software development process • Rollout of dedicated software / Teaching

42. - Applications, Benefits, Potentials -

43. ETH Zurich • High-performance and flexible ICT infrastructure an important success factor in global competition - universal, cable-linked network - Identity Management System (for students and employees) - ample provision with hard- and software guaranteeing easy access to information sources and electronic services for all ETH members

44. Realisation • Software (Sample) • SAP Enterprise Portal • Oracle eBusiness Suite • Intrexx Xtreme Portal Server • IBM WebSphere Portal Server • Microsoft SharepointPortal Server • Plumtree • Lotus Notes / Domino

45. Intrexx Xtreme: Architektur

46. Architecture, Example (Source: Pironet)

47. Example: Intrexx Xtreme • Fundamentals • Environment for flexible, easy design, implementation and running of portals • 500.000 user, approx., >>1.000 customer • Strong potentials to integrate the IT-infrastructure • Main principle: template-based application development • Rigid use of standards • Roll-based user administration and personalisation

48. Creating Individual Solutions with Standard Technology and - Platform Intrexx Xtreme: Basic Approach • Principle: Software „assembled“ instead of „programming“; application building from „modules“ • Powerful application designer (forms, complex fields, reports, graphical presentation) enables very fast „development“ • „Tool box“ up-gradable (Java/XML) => to build in extremely short time Prototyp-solutionsand define transparent specifications of the wanted system

49. Application Designer (left: Tool Box, right: Design of a Form) Example

50. Place an Element within the Form Example