How Do We Get to NextGen Michigan?

NextGen Michigan is a multi-faceted, multi-year strategy for changing the University's IT service approach and investing in the Next Generation of technology to remain as one of the leading Universities in the world.

The primary goal of NextGen Michigan is to establish the University of Michigan as leaders and best in providing a campus IT environment that dramatically advances the university's academic, teaching, research and clinical programs.

NextGen Michigan will:

Manage technology investments with enhanced efficiency and effectiveness
Deliver IT in new, less costly ways across campus
Focus on IT as a strategic/shared asset
Propel innovation
Foster global collaboration

Shared Service Model Adoption

To implement the NextGen Michigan strategy, U-M is planning to improve IT infrastructure and manage that infrastructure in a high-quality, cohesive manner through a shared services model. The shared services model depends on highly-capable organizations to provide unified services across campus, rather than having smaller-scale IT services provided redundantly within many individual units.

From inception, the NextGen Michigan Program and related projects must be highly aligned to the university's missions of teaching and learning, research, knowledge dissemination, and patient care. These missions are centered in the academic and healthcare units of the university, rather than in the administrative core. The IT shared-services organizations and efforts must be focused on the needs and expectations of these units—customers—in order to succeed.

Benefits

Improved business processes and service levels: Process and operational efficiencies usually generate increased customer satisfaction based on a focus on service and service delivery.
Cost savings and improved focus on core competencies: Moving to a shared services environment has the potential for significant cost savings and the ability to transition staff to focus more significantly on core competencies. U-M anticipates reinvesting cost savings generated by IT rationalization.
Improved control and reduced regulatory compliance costs.
Faster time to upgrade technology and applications.

NextGen Michigan Town Hall Meetings

March–April 2013

Laura Patterson, chief information officer, conducted a series of town hall meetings in March and April, 2013.

The first meeting, on March 18, was open to all faculty, staff and students and was focused on the changes currently underway due to NextGen Michigan. A question and answer session followed the presentation.

Sessions on March 25 and April 8 were focused on Michigan IT. University IT professionals were invited to participate in round-table discussions about the vision and principles for Michigan IT, critical roles that Unit IT and central IT can play to be successful, and how all IT providers can work together to serve users.