I wanted to share this update from the IT Leadership committee ("ITLA") that I'm part of. As you probably know, shortly after I came to Morris, I helped standardize the PC ordering process. We now try to order standard PC models, rather than build unique configurations for every order, and no two systems alike.
This isn't 100% strict, of course. We respond to faculty's specific needs, and have ordered several "custom" configurations where needed. But for most PC orders, faculty and staff just want a "PC", and we help them order a standard configuration.
Ordering standard PCs results in budget savings to the campus, because the U of M can negotiate a lower price on these standard models. And this helps reduce the total IT effort to support those PCs over time - if most PCs use the same/similar configuration, it's much easier to support the software that runs on them.
In December, the Senate Committee on Information Technology (SCIT) at the Twin Cities campus reviewed the University's strategic sourcing model, and its results. The analysis shows the success ITLA had in reducing overall IT support costs through ordering standard PCs. IT generated the second largest savings, largely due to using these standard PCs.
It's important to note that the use of these standard machines is voluntary and yet we are seeing an 80-90% percent adoption rate across the U of M. We see slightly better adoption at Morris, closer to 90-95%.
