Submitted by Jennie Franke
Enterprise Applications has gone through a couple different organizational structures to allow us to support both the HR/FIN system replacement (MyDay) and still be responsive to the rest of the university’s needs for on-going operational support and enhancements. Currently, we have a model that pairs role-aligned resources with a domain-focused team. In theory, this allows each domain the resources needed to handle production support, operational tasks and enhancement projects.
But even with this structure, you can run into challenges.
How do you handle an assignment when:
- You don’t have the skill set to complete the work
- You don’t have access to the resources to ensure the work is done effectively
- You and the team don’t have the capacity to address the customer need
Step 1 – engage your team. Work with your domain-aligned team to ask questions and resolve challenges. You probably have the resources on your team that know the system or have worked similar issues and can recommend a path forward. Or, they may know where to direct you to get more information. There has been a lot of transition within EA in the last several years, and that makes navigating our documentation challenging. But we also have a foundation of smart, capable team members who may be able to provide the context or direction to move things forward.
Also be sure that your Project Manager is aware of any challenges so that they can ensure transparency and assist with escalations if needed.
Step 2 – escalate to your team leads. Your resource manager, Business Alignment Liaison or even ProdOps lead may be able to help you and the team identify a path forward. This may include re-prioritizing work within the teams or with our customers to ensure we are deliver the most value possible.
Step 3 – escalate to EA Leadership. Each week, EA resource managers, Business Alignment and Architects meet to discuss topics of alignment across the department. The meeting includes project escalations and production issues that need greater visibility than just the core team. We have the opportunity to look for capacity outside the domain-aligned teams and ensure that we are acting in the most beneficial way for the entire university.
Step 4 – look for support from other departments. If needed, we can engage outside our department and look for assistance from other groups such as the PPMO, STS, VAM or other groups.
If you have any questions about the escalation process OR an issue you are having with your assignment, please reach out to your resource manager or PM.