Managing Information Technology

152 Part I • Information Technology

traffic merging, the respective personnel also merge.

Data people approach projects differently than

telephony people and use different terminology. So

managing this merging of the staff and disciplines

was essential. Along with the size of the implemen-

tation team, there were a lot of people to coordinate

to pull this off.

—Scott Kincaid, CIO

Butler’s “Infinitely Personal” Communication Plan

A communications coordinator was added to the team to help
establish the message that the university would send to all
users to help ensure acceptance of the new system. Managing
the fear factor of a major system overhaul was viewed as crit-
ical, because Butler’s users had experienced data network
failures before. One of the techniques used for this was to

redefine “IP” to stand for “infinitely personal.” This set the

tone for the teams to focus on the ways the network changes

were empowering people to communicate more freely, not on

the fact the calls were being transported via IP data packets.

We chose an IP system not because it was VoIP, but

because, overall, it could provide the best set of serv-

ices to meet our needs.

—Joe Indiano, Director Network and Systems

Reassuring users that a personal approach was being

taken helped communicate that this was a decision to help

everyone, not just to improve the technology of the univer-

sity. The IP—infinitely personal—communications plan

sought to educate users by first raising awareness and then

holding training forums (see Exhibit 4A). Communicating

What Who/Target Purpose When Type/Method(s)

New Phone and Voice

Mail System Teaser

Bluemail and

my.butler users

Raise awareness May 31–June

27

On Bluemail, IR labs and

my.butler homepages

New Phone and Voice

Mail System Teaser

All Campus Raise awareness that a new

phone system is coming

May 26 Email

Sign up for training

and when and where

Fac/Staff on

campus now

Get people to go to training May 27 Email

Training Dates and

times on web

All Campus Make training information

available at all times in a

central location

May 27 butler.edu/ir/

documentation/

telecom.html

New Phone and Voice

Mail System & Training

Fac/Staff on

campus now

Raise awareness and get

people to training

June 1 All campus Voice mail

Ask for support Scott to Cabinet Ask VPs/Deans to encourage

their staffs to attend training.

June 1 Email

Coordinator verification

of phones in their areas

Coordinators Ask coordinators to verify the

phones in their areas.

June 3 Email

Early notification of cut

dates.

Pilot team and

coordinators

Give early notice of

anticipated dates for

phone system cut to groups.

June 6 Email

Emergency Broadcast

System info

Greek house

corps and

presidents

Make Greek organizations

aware of the opportunity

to receive emergency

information from Butler

June 7 Email

Messages to

communicate in

training

Students in

training

Communicate important

system information in

person

June 13 in

training class

Verbal and Print

Last reminder about

training

All campus Final reminder about going

to training

June 15 All Campus Voice Mail

Phone delivery Fac/Staff Announce phone delivery

and training reminder

June 15 Fac/Staff Alert

EXHIBIT 4A Communication Plan: Sample Page

New Phone System Project Communication Plan