Colleague Connection: Poojitha Yathiraju
Poojitha Yathiraju (Pooja for short) is an IT service management analyst with the IT Service Management team, a support unit in Technology Support Services that reports to David Gracey. Poojitha joined Northwestern IT in 2021 and is involved in various functions, including change management and developing reports and dashboards to drive continuous service and process improvements.
Many may recognize Poojitha as the welcoming voice moderating the Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings she leads each Wednesday morning. We met with Poojitha to learn more about the voice of the CAB.
Can you tell us about your background and what brought you to Northwestern?
I’m just a girl from India who had dreams of one day coming to the United States, and luckily, my dream came true. In 2018, I was accepted to the University of New Haven, Connecticut, where I earned my MBA in Financial Analysis. Before coming to the United States, I worked for five years as an IT service management analyst for TATA Consultancy Services. People always ask how I came to work in IT, considering my finance degree, but I have always been interested in technology.
After working in the corporate world, I wanted to pursue higher education, and I am thrilled to be working at Northwestern. The environment is very welcoming (it brings me back to my days as a student), and I work with an experienced team that is supportive and gives me the flexibility to be creative, which I appreciate.
What does a typical week look like for you in your role?
My primary focus is on maintaining the functionality contained within the TeamDynamix service management platform, including processing tickets assigned to the ITSM team, developing ticket request forms, workflows, customer satisfaction surveys, and reports. I work closely with the TeamDynamix system users to ensure that the system is meeting their operational needs.
I also run the weekly CAB meetings, which I love to do. It’s my favorite part of the job because of the many teams involved and the connections I have made. The CAB not only approves IT changes but also helps assess, prioritize, and mitigate risks. Their role is crucial in supporting change management and promoting smoother transitions. The CAB membership is roughly 150 IT managers and service owners across Northwestern.
The CAB is held each Wednesday, so the day before, I dedicate time for CAB members to address any questions or concerns about when to report service changes and maintenance. For those new to the CAB, I make sure they are aware of the change management processes and procedures and offer instructions for how to fill out Request for Change (RFC) tickets.
Can you share a recent project or accomplishment you’re particularly proud of?
Any time you begin something new, there are challenges, but fortunately, I have a team that is very encouraging.
One of my first projects was to address issues and improve our existing Tableau reports used by the IT user community. Although Tableau was new to me at the time, and I had not completed the training courses, I quickly mastered the tool. This allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge of our IT Service Management Platform and reporting database and effectively contribute to developing operational reports and dashboards. These reports and dashboards enabled IT teams to visualize their ticket processing and overall performance through various key performance indicators (KPIs).
A major project I worked on was the launch of the TeamDynamix Service Management Platform. In my previous role, I had experience with a similar system, but only as a user. With TeamDynamix being an entirely new service platform, I learned it from inception, enabling me to confidently train users, troubleshoot issues, and perform maintenance, ensuring smooth implementation and ongoing support.
Can you share any best practices or lessons learned that could benefit your colleagues?
When faced with new challenges, never hesitate to seek guidance from your colleagues. This is something that I follow and has helped me become so much more confident in my abilities. There are so many diverse levels of experience in IT, and all are open to sharing their knowledge.
It’s one of the things I like most about working here—the exchange of information and the genuine feeling that colleagues want you to succeed.
IT Service Management
Technology Support Services
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to travel. One of the things on my bucket list is to visit every US state. So far, I’ve visited 22. The furthest state I’ve visited is Washington. But the East Coast is dear to my heart because it was my first home here. If I had to choose my favorite state so far, I’d say New York is my favorite (sorry, Illinois). I often visit my sister and her family in Wisconsin and my brother in Missouri, who just graduated from the University of Central Missouri. I also take an annual trip back to India to visit my parents.
What is your superpower?
My smile is my superpower. I enjoy being around people and believe everyone has a unique and interesting story to share. A smile is the first step in building a connection and opening the door to meaningful interactions.