New Higher Ed Focused IT Service Management Platform Selected

In collaboration and consultation with technology leaders and staff across the University, Northwestern IT has selected TeamDynamix as our new IT Service Management (ITSM) platform. The TeamDynamix implementation will proceed in a phased approach, with an anticipated deployment date of January 2023. The new platform is designed with a sharp focus on process automation for higher education and will streamline the user experience by creating a one-stop-shop for IT services and information about available support.

A rigorous evaluation process was initiated to select the new ITSM platform and concluded with a decision that prioritizes the University community's distinctive and complex service requirements. TeamDynamix became the clear best-fit among industry-leading ITSM platforms because of the vendor's commitment to platform design geared to serve education, the public sector, and healthcare organizations. Founded as an incubator on The Ohio State University campus, TeamDynamix has always had a unique relationship with higher education institutions and provides a flexible tool most analogous to Northwestern's ITSM needs.

Improving IT Service Delivery and Coordination Across Schools and Units

While the existing service management platform has served Northwestern IT well, it has not had robust enough capabilities to align with the dynamic business needs of the University. Introducing the TeamDynamix platform will provide an opportunity for decentralized IT organizations to coordinate in new ways, resulting in faster resolutions of tickets and more efficient service delivery. We also anticipate that improved processes made possible by the new platform will decrease redundancy and free up resource allocation.

Benefits to the Northwestern Community

The Northwestern community interacts with our current ITSM platform and associated tools in many ways you see and many you do not. Among its many functions, the existing FootPrints ITSM platform tracks IT support tickets, helps coordinate changes that IT teams implement, and notifies the community when there are service alerts or interruptions.

The new TeamDynamix platform will allow us to continue these functions while enhancing the user experience with an easy-to-navigate interface and incorporating additional functionality that will match the scale of Northwestern's needs. Additionally, an updated service catalog, knowledge library of self-service solutions, status of university IT services, and calendar of scheduled maintenance will be centralized as part of the platform offerings.

Ongoing Commitment to Improving Service Delivery

Northwestern IT launched and deployed an ITSM Initiative in 2018-2019 to establish a roadmap for the evolution of IT service delivery at the University. Several milestones were reached as part of the initiative. The implementation of a new, more robust, and mature service management platform extends the trajectory of the ITSM Initiative. We continue forward on a path that combines adherence to global standards of technology service and support with innovation and adaptability in delivering IT services customized to the Northwestern community.