Intuitive. Engaging. Combined. These are the three main factors driving the upcoming changes in Information Technology at UC Riverside.
Starting Sunday, Oct. 30, campus users seeking information technology information, resources, and support can expect a simplified, comprehensive user experience when visiting the Information Technology Solutions website. The website’s new layout and integration with other ITS platforms means users can quickly and easily access self-help guidance in the knowledge base, request software, browse and request services, check the status of the campus IT system, watch training videos, stay informed about security issues, ask for IT support, and track their tickets and requests from a personalized IT dashboard.
“The catalyst for this effort was the voice of our Highlander community,” said Alexandra Chrystal, Communication & Training Manager for UCR Information Technology Solutions (ITS) and project co-lead. “ITS is committed to an improved user experience on campus with IT services and information, but we know this can only be achieved if we engage with the people who rely on central IT services. That’s why for this multi-phase project, we formed a stakeholder committee to ensure that the user’s voice is represented every step of the way.”
The project’s stakeholder committee, which helped identify and test enhanced features and functionality, is comprised of UCR staff and faculty representing various units and colleges. Students also tested the new experience and provided feedback as part of a week-long beta testing event on campus.
“The new support site has a logical collection of resources; it’s easier to find help, whether it’s a knowledge article or asking for help from the ITS team,” said Carol Marquez, UCPath Technical Project Manager and project committee member. “It saved time and guesswork. The biggest benefit was that I could easily find the support group for my request.”
The integration of ITS platforms helps make the website a one-stop shop for basic IT needs.
“The website is easy to use and intuitive,” said fellow committee member Melanie Ramiro, Performing Arts Marketing Specialist for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and Director of Marketing and Communications for the UCR Staff Assembly. “The new chatbot has streamlined the answers I need from within the knowledge base. It will make my job easier in the future when I need to search for answers or open an ITS ticket.”
Key features that users can expect to see at launch include:
• An “IT Starts Here” page with resources to help new users set up and connect with technology based on their role
• Action-oriented navigation so users can easily find what they need
• An AI chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions 24/7 and help users submit a ticket in case they need additional support
• An interactive help form that uses the user’s answers to questions to determine what is needed and route the request or support ticket to the correct IT staff
• The ability to submit a support ticket as a guest if the user is a guest or cannot remember their NetID credentials
• Improved mobile-friendliness so users can access IT information and submit requests from their mobile device
• User-friendly categorization of IT services and knowledge base articles (learn more)
• Role-based access to forms (for example, UCPath transactors will see the option to view UCPath forms upon login)
• A personalized IT dashboard that allows users to view current and past support tickets, service requests, support tickets submitted by their department, and more
• A video tutorial on the homepage that explains how to access various features and functionalities
“We are excited to unveil this new campus experience,” said Chrystal. “Our goal is to bring more value to our extraordinary campus community, so we encourage users to provide feedback so we can continue to make improvements.”
As previously mentioned, this launch is just one of many phases planned for enhancing the campus user experience with information and IT services. The project team will start working on additional functionality, such as the integration of the search bar and the ability to request an escalation in a support ticket. The next phases will focus on further automating processes and revising the ITS Service Catalog.
Visit its.ucr.edu on Monday, Oct. 31 to view the new campus user experience.
ITS will deploy the new Drupal website, ServiceNow portal, and TechAlerts webpage at 10 pm on Friday, Oct. 28. No disruption to these services is expected but users should be advised of the potential for disruption as changes will be made to these services during the maintenance window, which closes at 3 pm on Saturday, Oct. 29. To check the status of this planned change, please visit techalerts.ucr.edu.