What is considered an IT project?

A project is defined as a short-term effort (with specific start/end dates) undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result within defined constraints. A project ends when it achieves its goals, and its resources are freed for other work.

IT projects include any work with a technology component that requires the significant use of IT resources AND/OR meets at least one of the following criteria:

  • Implementing a new service where there is an impact to students, faculty or staff and/or changes to a business process.
  • Making a change to an existing Elon service(s) where there is an impact to students, faculty or staff and/or changes to a business process.
  • Multiple areas of IT are needed to complete the IT Project.

If you receive a request that fits this description, please send the requestor to the Technology website to submit an IT Project Request Form. If in doubt, reach out to Scott Hildebrand, IT Strategic Portfolio Manager, at shildebrand@elon.edu.

 

IT Project vs. Service Request - What's the difference?

Service requests and projects have many of the same features, but this article will help outline some aspects to make differentiation easier. These guidelines are the basis for how projects will be reviewed and managed at the IT division level, not necessarily at departmental or group level within IT.

These are general guidelines to help determine where a request should go; these are not prescriptive rules. If you are uncertain or find some discrepancies with a particular request you have, please discuss with your supervisor, Director, or Scott Hildebrand.

Service requests usually include many of the following:
  • Low risk, low cost
  • Routine, frequent, or commonly repeated
  • Requests from a user for information or access
  • Requests that do not need to be approved or reviewed by the Change Advisory Board
  • Generally require little to no collaboration or coordination among IT groups
  • Requests from a user that a not associated with an unplanned interruption of service or work impairment
  • Examples include:
    • Purchase a desk phone, laptop, or single-user software
    • Update a form in SharePoint, eDocs, etc.
    • Grant administrator access to a mailing list
    • Reset email password
    • Request a Colleague account
    • Schedule a consultation with TLT
Project requests usually include many of the following:
  • Unique and generally not routine or repeated. However, some routine tasks may be included within the larger scope of a project.
  • Temporary endeavor with a distinct beginning and end
  • Defined by specific deliverables
  • Requires a team to be formed for collaboration and coordination of efforts
  • Evaluation of costs and risks before work can proceed
  • Outcome of project may impact a department, a group of people associated with a specific process, or the entire campus.
  • Examples include:
    • Procurement and implementation of high impact software
    • Construction of a building
    • Implementation of a new system to replace another
    • Deployment of a campus-wide communication service
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