2013 Annual Report: Sustainability – Information and Knowledge Management
The past 12 months have been ones of transition for Information Technology (IT). During the first part of 2013 an outside assessment and evaluation of IT infrastructure resources and staffing requirements was conducted. This study was robust and looked at all aspects of how Members are served through AAO-HNS/F technology. This full IT review resulted in new strategy and implementation plan. Structural Changes Ensure Strength for New Growth and Engagement Two major changes that were of the highest priority included the outsourcing of the helpdesk to free up skilled staffing resources and the move to a cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environment in answer to increased content and storage needs. These two moves enable the remaining technology staff to move from a platform of technology maintenance to that of engaging technology to forward member needs and resources. IT’s new focus on providing information and knowledge management is a much broader charge that sustains and supports AAO-HNS/F activities and collaborates with staff. This tectonic shift resulted in the renaming of the business unit to Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) and a new senior director last June. Improving the Member Experience With the change in the direction for IKM, focus could now be directed to improving the Academy’s online presence. This included two important projects with Member Engagement and Communications, respectively, to provide the vital integration of technology to member ROI. ★ The Member Portal: ENTConnect Based on a “best-of-breed” association-centric web platform, the new Member Engagement Portal, ENTConnect, will serve as a resource bank for chairs and committee members, and will enable Members to work more collaboratively, opening up full participation in online communities. Access to the Member Engagement Portal will be based on existing member login credentials. Since access will be restricted to members, this portal will be a place for dialog and discussion, content development and review, assessment and synthesis. ENTConnect is scheduled to go live in the spring of 2014. ★ A New and Responsive Website It was apparent from the technology assessment that the current website was not what we needed for the future. A new website that will better serve is being constructed and is on track for a roll-out in May 2014. Meanwhile, some improvements to the current site were undertaken. The results are substantive, and the analytics, since these revisions were introduced, reflect an increase in access and usability. Before selecting a partner to assist in the website redesign, there was an exhaustive review of Request for Proposal responses and in-depth candidate capability presentations. The website redesign project kicked off in Vancouver with member interviews. Communications work in both areas adds an intuitive member experience through a visual taxonomy and branding. Two of the main focus areas for the redesign project are: 1) make our content easier to find and use, both on the site and from search engine results; and 2) have content automatically adjust to the screen size of whatever device is used to access our site. Whether you come to the site from a smartphone, tablet, or full size screen, content on the new website will automatically adjust.
Structural Changes Ensure Strength for New Growth and Engagement
Two major changes that were of the highest priority included the outsourcing of the helpdesk to free up skilled staffing resources and the move to a cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environment in answer to increased content and storage needs. These two moves enable the remaining technology staff to move from a platform of technology maintenance to that of engaging technology to forward member needs and resources.
IT’s new focus on providing information and knowledge management is a much broader charge that sustains and supports AAO-HNS/F activities and collaborates with staff. This tectonic shift resulted in the renaming of the business unit to Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) and a new senior director last June.
Improving the Member Experience
With the change in the direction for IKM, focus could now be directed to improving the Academy’s online presence. This included two important projects with Member Engagement and Communications, respectively, to provide the vital integration of technology to member ROI.
★ The Member Portal: ENTConnect
Based on a “best-of-breed” association-centric web platform, the new Member Engagement Portal, ENTConnect, will serve as a resource bank for chairs and committee members, and will enable Members to work more collaboratively, opening up full participation in online communities. Access to the Member Engagement Portal will be based on existing member login credentials. Since access will be restricted to members, this portal will be a place for dialog and discussion, content development and review, assessment and synthesis. ENTConnect is scheduled to go live in the spring of 2014.
★ A New and Responsive Website
It was apparent from the technology assessment that the current website was not what we needed for the future. A new website that will better serve is being constructed and is on track for a roll-out in May 2014. Meanwhile, some improvements to the current site were undertaken. The results are substantive, and the analytics, since these revisions were introduced, reflect an increase in access and usability.
Before selecting a partner to assist in the website redesign, there was an exhaustive review of Request for Proposal responses and in-depth candidate capability presentations. The website redesign project kicked off in Vancouver with member interviews. Communications work in both areas adds an intuitive member experience through a visual taxonomy and branding. Two of the main focus areas for the redesign project are: 1) make our content easier to find and use, both on the site and from search engine results; and 2) have content automatically adjust to the screen size of whatever device is used to access our site. Whether you come to the site from a smartphone, tablet, or full size screen, content on the new website will automatically adjust.