Focus on efficient digital collaboration within the university administration

Kerstin Jacobsson , University Director at KTH, has recently decided that the entire university administration department (“VS”) should adopt Microsoft Teams as its digital collaboration tool. The rollout is in full swing and is a key part of KTH's move towards a more efficient digital way of working. 

“Office optimisation means we will be moving between different workspaces more often. As we become less tied to a single location, a shared digital collaboration tool is essential for efficient teamwork. We are introducing not just a new tool, but also a better digital way of working, where we send fewer emails and instead share links to documents, and store data in shared cloud spaces rather than personal folders,” says Kerstin Jacobsson.  

A more efficient way of working is needed 

As part of the 'Effective Digital Collaboration' project, led by Hans Gillior , an analysis of the current status of the digital working environment within business support was carried out. The survey revealed that fifteen different systems are in use, with staff spending many hours transferring data and files from one system to another. According to a staff survey, VS employees spend an average of 1.5 hours per week searching for documents.

“The digital working environment today is fragmented and inefficient, and we’ve had a whole host of digital tools. Documents are saved in different places, parallel structures are created, and email is overloaded unnecessarily. This is both inefficient for staff and costly, given that multiple licences are required,” says Kerstin.

Following the initial assessment, experts in fields such as information security, law, software and digital learning were brought together for the project. They distilled the requirements into a set of principles to guide the choice of platform and working methods. Various digital platforms on the market were then evaluated, and Teams was ultimately chosen as it was deemed to best meet the requirements.

A structured implementation 

The rollout began in March and is proceeding systematically, at a pace tailored to the circumstances of the various departments. Around 1,600 KTH staff were already using Teams prior to this, including those in the Executive Office and the Communications Department (which acted as a pilot), as well as certain projects. The University Director’s Management Council (“UDLR”) is now using the platform, and Kerstin has completed the basic training and has been using Teams for a couple of months.

“Once the decision to adopt Teams had been made, I decided to implement the new way of working straight away. I can confirm that it is a system with a clear structure, where you can set up shared collaboration spaces, communicate quickly and easily, and create a good document structure. I have also heard about the experiences of the communications department and have gained a very positive impression. Clearly, Teams makes it easier to convey news and other information more effectively.”

Just because a new platform has been introduced does not mean that all other collaboration tools need to be shut down immediately or that we should stop emailing each other. However, using the tools in Teams can significantly reduce the volume of emails, and in the long term we can phase out other tools.

“We won’t stop using Zoom, for example. It’s a platform we need for communicating with colleagues at KTH and with other universities and organisations, so we’ll have to adapt accordingly. We won’t stop emailing each other either. However, I personally hope that, in the long run, I’ll receive fewer emails and that we won’t have to use several different collaboration tools.”

Internal support material and support 

The aim of the new digital way of working is to simplify staff members’ day-to-day lives. However, using tools one is not used to can feel like a challenge, and Kerstin acknowledges that this is not the first time a new system has been introduced at KTH.  

“Starting to use new systems and ways of working can feel complicated, and I respect that. As with any change, people naturally perceive some obstacles, especially at the beginning. I fully understand that there is a degree of change fatigue, but I believe that, in the long term, the effect will be very positive.” 

Previously, guidelines, training and dedicated IT support were lacking, but this is something the project has focused heavily on resolving.

“There are, of course, a few hurdles to overcome; I’m experiencing this myself, having recently started to change the way I work. A new system offers a fresh perspective and presents challenges in locating various tools, such as chat and collaboration spaces. For this reason, the rollout is being carried out in an organised manner, with access to training, workshops, manuals and local implementation support staff in every department. It is also important that we support one another and share experiences and advice with colleagues.”

Security and information classification 

Another key aspect of the new working method is the implementation of more secure digital management systems that comply with regulatory requirements. The developed structure creates excellent conditions for enhanced IT security.  

“It is important that KTH classifies its information assets to ensure that they are not exposed inappropriately. This is being developed as part of a separate project due to launch soon. If we succeed, we will also be in a better position to set requirements for Microsoft.” 

A common approach across the whole of KTH 

The plan is for all university administration departments to have implemented Teams by September this year. The long-term goal is to roll out the new digital working methods and Teams across KTH as a whole in a controlled manner, based on the various departments' needs. The next step is to assess the current situation and identify what is required in each school.  

  “Once the working method has been established within the university administration, the project will initiate a dialogue with the faculty to gain a detailed understanding of their needs. In collaboration with the school management teams, plans will then be drawn up for the respective schools. The advantage is that we will have all the experience gained from the rollout within the university administration,” Kerstin concludes.

The KTH-Social tool is widely used in the schools. KTH-Social will not be shut down until a decision has been made on suitable replacement tools.

Featured topic in the latest issue of “Aktuellt inom verksamhetsstödet” 

The digital workplace was the theme of Kerstin Jacobsson’s staff meeting for VS, ‘Aktuellt inom verksamhetsstödet’, which took place on 22 April. In addition to Kerstin, the event was attended by Fredrik Oldsjö , Deputy University Director and Head of the University Management Office, Hans Wohlfarth , Head of the IT Department, and Hans Gillior, the aforementioned project manager. Please feel free to watch the recording afterwards: Aktuellt inom verksamhetsstödet, theme: the digital workplace (in Swedish) . 

Text: Tora Zeijlon and Ulrika Georgsson