What is ITxT?
ITxT stands for the “IT Experience Transformation.” This project is much more than the implementation of a new ticketing tool. The overarching goal of this project is to enhance the way Technology Services interacts with each division, unit and department across Texas A&M University by moving to a customer-centric approach that embraces feedback and adapts to the unique needs of an evolving higher education culture.
What is TeamDynamix (or TDx)?
TeamDynamix (TDx) is the name of the selected IT service management ticketing tool that will be used as a catalyst for driving the delivery of the ITxT project goals. This platform will be replacing existing IT ticketing tools as IT services are unified under Technology Services.
How did Texas A&M University choose TeamDynamix?
Technology Services worked with faculty and staff stakeholders across Texas A&M to develop a list of requirements for the division’s unified ticketing system. After a comprehensive review of available ticketing systems, TDx most closely aligned with the current and future needs of the university.
What is ITSM?
IT Service Management (ITSM) is a methodology for how IT teams manage end-to-end delivery of IT services to customers. ITSM includes the practice of planning, implementing, managing and optimizing information to meet the needs of each university community member seeking IT support.
What is ITIL?
The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a set of practices and a framework for IT activities that focus on aligning IT services with the needs of the university. The ITIL framework provides guidance for the ITSM methodology to be achieved.
What is an IT Service Catalog?
An IT service catalog is a list of technology resources and offerings available from Technology Services within Texas A&M. This catalog is intended to help the Technology Services team efficiently and effectively manage and meet expectations.
What is the EDUCAUSE Service Catalog model?
The EDUCAUSE service catalog model provides a clear, dedicated structure for the Technology Services catalog. It has been adopted by many universities as a standard in higher education, and is broken down into four tiers:
- Service Category: A logical grouping of services that benefit from being managed together.
- Service: An end-to-end IT service that delivers value to customers, typically not identified by specific product or application names.
- Service Offering: The specific technology-focused activity or product used to deliver a service.
- Service Attribute: Key information about individual services or service offerings.
Who oversees this project?
The project team is outlined on the ITxT project site. You can also connect with project leaders through email at TDx@tamu.edu.
What is the rollout plan for the new ticketing tool?
Implementation will occur in several phases using an agile approach. A soft launch of the tool is scheduled for May 2024 and will include the top 10 core IT services from the new IT Service Catalog. Additional service offerings for IT will be added throughout the summer and fall 2024 semesters. Training and support documentation will be provided starting in late spring 2024.
Starting in May 2024, all new tickets will be entered into the new ticketing tool using either the configured catalog offerings or a dedicated service ticket process. All existing tickets will be completed in the ticketing system they were opened in.
Initially, Incident and Service Request tickets will be available, followed by Knowledge Management, Change Management, Problem Management, Major Incident Management and Project Management.
How is the ticketing tool governed?
The ticketing tool daily operations and processes will be overseen by an IT Service Management Organization (ITSMO). This group will work in collaboration with the customers, university leadership and the University’s Service Experience Committee (SEC) to help ensure that the goals of the ITxT project are being met and sustained.
What is the timeline for the implementation?
To view details of implementation, visit the ITxT project site.
What is going to happen to the former Service Desk systems?
Technology Services employees will utilize the unified TDx ticketing system university wide. There are currently no plans to migrate legacy ticket data from individual ticketing systems into the new ticketing tool. Technology Services is defining a plan to retain historical information from each ticketing tool.
When will other units at Texas A&M be able to use TDx to support their operations?
Technology Services is preparing to support broad implementation across interested university departments, divisions and units once the Technology Services implementation is complete.
How will user tickets be created?
Texas A&M faculty, staff, students and the public will have access to a new portal that will allow them to identify the Technology Services offering they are requesting, fill in the appropriate fields and submit the ticket directly to the correct support team. Users may still also call their respective service desks, or Help Desk Central, to explain their request or issue and have a ticket submitted through those groups. While there will be more future changes, at this time, users will still be able to get assistance through email, chat and other existing lines of communication.
Will university members still call Help Desk Central if they need technology help?
Yes. Help Desk Central’s phone number, email address and URL will not change.
Have question(s) or concern(s) not addressed in the FAQs?
Email TDx@tamu.edu to share your question(s) or concern(s).