Feature • Operations and ROI
Strengthening ROI through People, Processes and IT
By Lappies Labuschagne
Senior Manager Service Deliver Operations
At North West University technology is more than systems and servers. It is about the people who use them, the processes that support them, and the value they create for our university community. When we talk about return on investment in IT, we look beyond rands and cents. We also measure how reliably our services support teaching, learning and research, and how efficiently our users can get their work done.
When the IT environment runs smoothly, everyone benefits. System uptime improves, collaboration is easier, and decisions are made faster using accurate data. Each successful login, each stable lecture recording and every timely report contributes to a stronger return on investment by saving time, reducing manual work and improving the overall user experience.
The principles of the ITIL framework help us manage this environment in a consistent and disciplined way. By documenting procedures, defining services clearly and identifying risks early, ITIL helps prevent many incidents before they occur and resolve others faster when they do. This results in fewer interruptions, quicker recovery and better value from every IT investment.
However, real improvement does not come from tools alone. It comes from people. Skilled, motivated and service minded staff form the foundation of strong return on investment. When each person takes ownership of their work and identifies opportunities to improve, the positive impact is felt across all campuses.
Here are five practical ways in which every team member can help strengthen return on investment:
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- Own the full lifecycle of your work and follow up to ensure problems do not reappear later in another form.
- Share your knowledge by documenting solutions, supporting colleagues and contributing to shared repositories.
- Suggest practical process improvements because small changes that save time or reduce effort add up over a year.
- Keep your skills current by making use of training and staying up to date with new tools.
- Engage users with patience and professionalism because every respectful interaction builds trust in IT as a partner.
None of these actions require a new system or a large project plan. They are simple habits we build into our daily work. When we protect uptime, improve processes and support one another, we multiply the value of the university investment in technology.
Every improvement counts. Together the Operations Team and colleagues across IT can ensure that technology remains a driver of value, innovation and excellence at NWU.
