EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
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EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
NOVEMBER 2019
WRITTEN BY
MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY
STUART IRVING 03
TOI OHOMAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
FOR TOI OHOMAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DIGITAL INNOVATION IS IMPROVING REGIONAL EDUCATION, AS RABINDRA DAS EXPLAINS
A
lot can happen in a year. That’s certainly the case for the Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, one of New Zealand’s larg-
est technology institutes that, in October 2018, embarked on a digital journey with a human-centric approach. In just under 12 months, and following the implementation of several innovative technolo04
gies, Toi Ohomai has improved the agility of its operations, created new resources for its students and staff and increased conversion rates. Head of Information Technology at Toi Ohomai, Rabindra Das, has been instrumental in the rollout of the institute’s digital plan. He explains that the impetus for the change lies in a complex merger that the organisation went through three years prior, in 2016, when two regional institutions in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty – one in Tauranga and one in Rotorua – came together. “It was really driven by a desire to better serve the region as a whole,” says Das, recalling the high unemployment and lower socio-economic demographic in the wider Bay of Plenty area. “It’s so important to us to engage with our local communities so that they have the best opportunity to take part in tertiary education – it’s
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“ IT’S ALL ABOUT PROVIDING THE VERY BEST REGIONAL DELIVERY WE CAN” Rabindra Das, Head of Information Technology, Toi Ohomai Institute
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all about providing the very best deliv-
delivering new and improved services,
ery in line with the needs of the region.”
to run our organisation more efficiently
Between 2016 and the start of this
and effectively, and have the founda-
year, Das was occupied with the merg-
tions in place to start looking at the new
ing of various disparate systems that
capabilities we needed.”
were used by the two institutes into one
Those new capabilities formed the
central solution. It was, he admits, a
basis of the digital plan that was imple-
challenging task: “We had two organi-
mented towards the end of 2018. In
sations coming together, two IT teams
late spring of that year, as Das explains,
with their own methods of operating and
the institute began considering ways
at different levels of maturity from an IT
in which it could improve student
perspective. We had a limited budget
recruitment and engagement, offer
with which to carry out the merger, so
a better customer experience and
it was a challenge, but we knew that in
connect the staff across campuses
the end we’d be in a position to begin
more effectively. “Our conversion w w w.c o mpa ny we bsite. com
TOI OHOMAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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ratios were quite low,” he says. “We
centred around five key strategic goals
used various human-centric design
to support the business. Work under
thinking methods to approach the
these goals included improving and
issue from a different angle. Rather
streamlining the online applications
than set out the problem and come
process, implementing new wifi and
up with a solution, we got out there,
campus network switches across
carried out empathy studies, spoke
all campuses, developing innovative
to students to fully uncover the inhibi-
digital workspaces for staff, and the
tors and problems they faced, and it
creation of a student portal app. “It’s
proved invaluable – it was the catalyst
not just about creating new systems,”
we needed for real change.”
he notes, “it’s about looking more
In response to the feedback, Das
broadly to revolutionise the way that
and his team developed and rolled
we work and empower staff to become
out the institute’s strategic IT plan,
more productive.”
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E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Rabindra Das Rabindra is an experienced IT professional with over 25 years’ commercial experience, in corporate organisations like Johnson & Johnson Medical, Lucent Technologies and Gen-i (now Spark), the last ten years have been within Tertiary Education at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. Rabindra is an elected officer for the Rhubarb Committee which is a Bay of Plenty organisation looking to take the Bay to the forefront of innovation, technology and talent development. Rabindra also sits on the IT Professionals NZ Tauranga Committee. Rabindra recently completed a Post Grad in Leadership at the Waikato Management School, and is continuing his learning journey with an online Masters in Management at Massey.
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TOI OHOMAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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2016
Year founded
£90mn+ Approximate revenue
750
Approximate number of employees
11
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Understandably, technology played
from Ex Libris. It was one of many
a big part in this revolution. “Regardless
developments we knew we had to
of the hardware we had on site, we
realise. The students needed a central
knew we had to have a really solid and
place or hub that they can use to find
robust network,” Das explains. “For
out information in order to network
that reason, one of the first things
and to engage with the institution. It’s
we did was to ensure our campuses
been very well received; I think we’re
were well connected. We provided a
somewhere in the region of 5,000
solid base and ensured a consistent
installations which is a fantastic result.”
user experience at every location. We
“It’s really important that we don’t
partnered with Extreme Networks
rest on our laurels,” he adds. “The app
to deliver this capability which was a
has been successful, but it’s now a
huge undertaking, but it was delivered
case of ‘what’s next?’. We’re approach-
successfully and without issue. The
ing this by asking those students that
student portal app uses technology
haven’t downloaded the app why they
“WE USED VARIOUS HUMAN-CENTRIC DESIGN THINKING METHODS TO APPROACH THE ISSUE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE” Rabindra Das, Head of Information Technology, Toi Ohomai Institute
haven’t, and to gain as much feedback as we can from those that have. As part of this, and to encourage further uptake, we’re considering an app on the same platform for our staff too. A student attendance app is likely to be the first module on the app, which would modernise and streamline how we currently record attendance.” With regards to improving how the institute’s staff approach their work, Das is keen to highlight the new modern intranet solution that has been rolled out. “We had two legacy w w w.c o mpa ny we bsite. com
TOI OHOMAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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“ REGARDLESS OF THE HARDWARE WE HAD ON SITE, WE KNEW WE HAD TO HAVE A REALLY SOLID AND ROBUST NETWORK” Rabindra Das, Head of Information Technology, Toi Ohomai Institute
intranets and an interim one, however, fairly early into the merger process, we all agreed that it was essential to have a single version for everyone to use. Rather than a change, it’s been a leap to an innovative digital workplace that has collaboration tools, communication capabilities and other really great features that have really helped. Any significant change should be started from the top, so measures like this have been
over 100 people using it, and that number is growing as we start moving into a proper deployment phase.” The last 12 months has seen the institute build a firm foundation on which it can continue its digital journey. Most of the goals originally set, confirms Das, have been met or are currently on track. Looking further ahead, there are plans in place to update the student app further to increase its capabilities in line with a new cohort of students joining. “Elsewhere, we’re looking at additional automation across various systems, as well as integrating things like machine learning and AI, particularly when it comes to interpreting the data that we collect and providing really important in moving forwards.”
analysis or trends. Through combining
“In this vein, our exec team embraced
all these technologies and systems, it’s
being early adopters and were the
all coming together and we’re seeing
‘pilot team’ in terms of introducing
great results, including increasing our
new developments like Microsoft
student conversion ratios this year. We
Teams, and they’ve really loved it,” he
now have the capabilities to expand our
continues. “It’s given us all new ways
offering, and we fully intend to do so.”
of working, and improved things like organisational communication and collaboration. However, most importantly, it’s brought everyone closer together. What turned out to be a pilot now has w w w.to i o ho mai. a c. n z
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70 Windermere Drive Poike Tauranga 3112 New Zealand T +0800 86 46 46 www.toiohomai.ac.nz