Supporting ITS staff and improving the customer experience
In order to build a strong IT Services Customer Experience (ITS CX) programme, it is essential that we improve our internal and external communications. Over the past year, the CX and Communications team has been doing just that! We have made a number of changes to ensure all our messages are consistent, open, credible and in keeping with IT Services’ key business priorities.
We’ve been meeting with communications teams from across the University to develop new communication channels, so that we’re able to target our messages more effectively. We have also actively been raising the profile of IT Services by leading a project to improve the sharing of information within the University’s communications community.
We’d like to provide you with a brief update on some of the activities that took place in 2017, where we are now, and our plans as we move forward.
ITS Communications strategy
The ITS Communications strategy has been approved by the ITS Leadership Team, and is available on the CX SharePoint site. With an over-arching communications strategy – outlining how we engage with our target audiences, gather feedback and measure success – we are now in a position to deliver improved communications, both within IT Services and across the University.
This will help us to introduce new systems and services smoothly – increasing stakeholder engagement and satisfaction levels.
ITS Communications templates available
ITS communication templates are now available to everyone across the Service, on the CX SharePoint site. You can also find our communications process flow chart and other useful documents on the site.
Why do we need a communications process?
Having a clear process for all our communications will prevent messages from being sent out that undermine ITS or create misunderstanding. Although we are all communicators, clear processes need to be in place to ensure our communications are targeted, measured, tracked and ‘best practices’ are followed.
ITS Communications – Lunch and Learns
We’re planning on running a series of Lunch and Learns about Communications. We’ll take you through the whole process – from downloading the Internal and External communications templates, to the finished article. We’ll cover language, tone, which channels to use and who to approach. We’ll let you know the dates soon!
Improving our digital channels
We’re going to be reviewing IT Services’ intranet pages over the next few months – looking at how we can improve content to make it quicker and easier for staff and students to navigate and find the information they need.
We’ve created an IT Services Twitter account – @UoBITServices – to communicate messages from IT Services to both staff and students. The IT Service Desk will continue to run their own Twitter account separately.
We’ll continue to provide ITS staff with updates via the news blog; you can find out more about CX and Communications, and access documents, on the CX SharePoint site.
How we can support you
We can assist you in creating a communications plan which clearly sets out your objectives, priorities, channels and messages. We can help you craft relevant and engaging content using a variety of different communications channels that are specifically designed to reach your target audience.
Contact us at its-communications@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
‘ITS Voice’ mailbox
The ITS Leadership team wants to ensure that all ITS staff have a voice and input into the way the Service operates. From the future direction of ITS, to your day to day work experience — your ideas, thoughts and feedback matter and will help the Leadership team when making important decisions that impact all of ITS. Please send your feedback to the ITS Voice mailbox.
Health and wellbeing activities
We will continue to brainstorm new health and wellbeing activities, in conjunction with Workplace Wellbeing’s ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’. The lunchtime walks that we started last year will continue; we will also be investigating opportunities for lunchtime activities at the Sport and Fitness Centre. We don’t want to limit the focus to fitness – so we will soon be starting a book club! If you have any ideas, please get in touch via ITS Voice.
Join us on Facebook! We have started an ITS Health and Wellbeing Facebook group to make it easy for everyone to join upcoming events, connect with colleagues and share their own health and wellbeing activities. Don’t want to join the group? We have an ITS Wellbeing mailing list you can join instead. If you have any questions regarding wellbeing, or would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact Lucy Turner, CX and Communications Assistant.
How are we doing?
We will soon be sending out a survey for you to fill in, about Communications across IT Services. We want to know your thoughts, opinions and ideas, so that we can provide the best possible communications service to you.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding ITS communications, or would like to send a communication out – whether to IT Services staff only, or to all University staff/students – please email the ITS Communications team.
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