The Opportunity
HBS IT does a lot of work for the HBS campus, but most of that is behind the scenes and not always easily visible to the community. Given the technical nature of the work, it can also sometimes be hard to clearly demonstrate its impact to the community. In the past, information was shared in different places and could be difficult to find.
HBS IT was eager to find a new way to share their services and stories with the HBS community – and the world. The team set out create an easy-to-navigate ecosystem of sites that would not only provide the community with clear access to IT support but also enable them to discover new ways to partner with IT to educate leaders who make a difference in the world.
The Solution
The HBS IT Communications team led a small team of cross-functional IT colleagues in creating a structure for the new public website that would include all the information the community needed with some added flare and design elements to make content more engaging. In tandem, the IT Service Delivery team led an effort to build a new support portal to improve access to help information, support details, and service statuses. The teams ensured integration of the two sites was as seamless as possible. HBS IT also leveraged a new platform and design expertise from Marketing and Communications as part of the work being done to refresh all HBS websites through the Web Content Management System Program. The new platform brings standardization, consistency, and control for site owners.
The Impact
With the implementation of the new website, we’re able to showcase the impact that HBS IT has on the rest of the HBS community, as well as make our need-to-know information easily accessible. The new website is a hub for IT to highlight the many services we provide, share our strategic plan for how we will continue to grow, and provide updates on what’s happening in IT and the teams behind the work.
The website features an extensive list of tools that IT supports, including curated lists for specific audiences. We’re able to easily disseminate security best practices and the IT Strategic Plan. Visitors to the site are greeted with a video of the beautifully crafted IT anthem featuring a handful of the employees who make our work possible. Additionally, the News and Updates section keeps the community informed about IT’s latest developments, bringing greater visibility to the work happening behind the scenes every day.
“We are excited to launch this new website to showcase to our HBS community (and the world) and the great work and depth of resources coming from HBS IT,” said Shannon Breen, Managing Director, Organizational Effectiveness, HBS IT. “We hope this site brings the community closer to the information they need to best leverage technology to aid in teaching, learning, research, and work at HBS.”