UIC Units Successfully Adopt the New, Centralized Service Management Tool TDX
UIC Technology Solutions is happy to announce the successful transition from the legacy Request Tracker (RT) ticketing system to the modern ticketing and service management platform, TeamDynamix (TDX).
Units leveraging TDX now include 14 of the 16 Colleges and Schools, the University Library, Academic and Enrollment Services, the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the Office of Institutional Research, among others. These units are utilizing the power of TDX to streamline service and support requests with their customers.
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In Fall 2020, the University of Illinois System (UIC, UIS, UIUC, and System Offices) began implementation of the new IT Service Management and Project Portfolio Management (PPM) solution, TeamDynamix (TDX). In February 2021, UIC Technology Solutions launched the UIC Help Center, powered by TDX, with the aim of creating a university-wide catalog of services.
Service Management concepts take a holistic approach towards managing the delivery and function of services, and service management platforms help support those concepts. As part of the UIC efforts to modernize IT solutions to meet current business needs, the transition to TDX replaces the legacy ticketing system Request Tracker (RT). Efforts began in late 2022 to guide the various university units using RT through a transition to TDX.
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The TDX platform is a major step forward in how the UIC Community engages with not just IT support, but any service unit across the university. TDX simplifies and centralizes service management, enhancing the client experience and helping support teams work seamlessly across units.
| Technology Solutions Director of Client Experience
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Prior to the transition, over 430 unique email addresses were routing to RT. Through this project effort, over 300 of those addresses were decommissioned, as many units took advantage of the UIC Help Center service catalog and associated request forms to shift support requests away from email.
“With TDX, it’s much easier and faster to resolve help requests…it’s more robust. Clients are able to monitor the status of their requests, and that is an advantage”, said Ernesto Reyna, Director of the Educational Technology Lab. “Another important thing is that I can collect data, something I was not able to do previously, and that’s a good tool for me.”
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The TDX implementation provided local units a great opportunity to update their request and incident intake process and gave them a reason to streamline and clarify the channels their clients use to reach out to them.
| Technology Solutions Assistant Director of Client Support
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Following several months of preparatory work, the RT to TDX transitions were made rapidly, with 22 units completing their cutovers in less than 2 months. This success is emblematic of the dedication, skill and teamwork of all involved. “These transitions were all completed in a highly successful manner with only a couple of minor hiccups along the way, which speaks to our efforts in preparing things ahead of time and guiding the units successfully through their transitions,” says Technology Solutions Director of Client Experience, Anthony Marino.
Due to constrained staff resources, the project team in Technology Solutions successfully engaged professional services from the TeamDynamix vendor, augmenting staff resources to enable project success. The professional services staff provided daily office hours and scheduled training sessions to support unit representatives working through their transitions, along with completing various configuration and setup tasks to support the project team.
The project’s success would not have been possible without the combined efforts of Technology Solutions staff, TDX Professional Services staff, and the 90+ staff representatives across the 29 units and departments that transitioned to TDX.
“This major accomplishment really opens up many opportunities for continued improvement of support experiences across the university, along with enhanced collaboration between all of the local IT units and Technology Solutions,” Marino said.
Units & Departments Successfully Transitioned to TDX Heading link
Colleges & Schools
- College of Applied Health Sciences
- College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts
- College of Business Administration
- College of Dentistry
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- College of Medicine
- College of Nursing
- College of Pharmacy
- Jane Addams College of Social Work
- Graduate College
- Honors College
- School of Law
- School of Public Health
Other Units & Departments
- Academic and Enrollment Services
- Council on Teacher Education
- Office of Institutional Research
- Office of Student System Services
- Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
- Strategic Marketing and Communications
- University Library
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With the successfully completed transition from RT to TeamDynamix, Technology Solutions will be shifting focus to the continued expansion of TDX use at UIC. Bringing this powerful platform to additional units and departments that currently utilize alternative work management products or even operate solely via email will further enhance the value of the TDX platform to the university and streamline the service and support experience for all.
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The transition from RT to TeamDynamix supports the IT Strategy and the Operate with Excellence initiative.