Page 24 - OIT Progress Report: 2024 Edition

Project Management
A successful project management office must be able to forecast and sequence projects to align
with resource capacity, adapt and adjust to the requirements of the projects and project team,
and juggle many projects at a time. This year, the project management office has focused on each area while also facilitating a community of practice for project managers across campus.
The project portfolio contains a mix of projects from upgrades and equipment maintenance to new software implementations. The OIT leadership meets bi-annually to plan and forecast the projects and timelines. This planning allows us to identify resource constraints, sequence and coordinate efforts across the organization, all while managing new projects that emerge from other departments. These planning efforts, with the help of IT Governance, allow us to pivot and realign plans to ensure we are responding to the critical needs of the university.
We have also continued to build a project management office that is a welcome partner
and facilitator of these projects. Our team of four project managers has embraced new processes and technologies to oversee communication and planning using Microsoft Teams. We’re using integrated tools like SharePoint and Power BI to track datasets and provide reporting. We’re also incorporating various AI tools to help support the projects.
“I am so proud of the team of project managers that we have in OIT and the expertise they bring
to SMU,” explained Rachel Mulry, Associate CIO
for Planning and Customer Service and Project Manager. “They are always willing to embrace different tools and methodologies to meet the needs of the project and the project teams, are eager to serve, and are passionate about supporting SMU success. We are fortunate to have such a strong team of certified project managers who have worked so well together to shepherd a significant volume of projects impacting the entire campus.”
The following are a few of the projects involving critical partnerships across campus:
» Salesforce Marketing Cloud with Development and External Affairs
» 12Twenty with Career Services
» Interfolio with Academic Affairs
» Web site migrations to the new SMU brand: multiple schools and departments
» Multiple Online Program Management (OPM) projects with Moody Graduate School
» Major construction projects with Facilities (Weber, Cox, Perkins)
» IoT projects with researchers in Dedman College, Meadows and Simmons
» Via TRM application with Study Abroad
22 OIT PROGRESS REPORT 2024