CASE STUDY
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)
OneSIS Help Desk Application
Client Background
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) previously operated with decentralized student information systems (SIS), with each institution managing its own on-premise system for core functions like recruitment, admission, registration, billing, financial aid, grades, and transcripts—connected to hundreds of campus applications.
In October 2019, PASSHE’s Board of Governors approved a shift to OneSIS. The team selected Banner’s Shared Technology Platform (STP) Cloud solution, began implementation in January 2022, and launched the first deployment in October 2022. Banner, part of Ellucian, specializes in administrative software for higher education.
PASSHE became the first U.S. university system to implement a single SIS that combines system-wide standardization with individual campus autonomy.
The Challenge
The OneSIS transformation marked a major advancement in unifying student information systems, but it also exposed two critical operational gaps requiring immediate attention:
- Lack of a Good Help Desk or Issues Portal: The existing system lacked an efficient mechanism for users to report, track, and resolve technical issues. This gap hindered effective system support and maintenance.
- Poor Coordination Regarding Issues: Users and support staff struggled with inadequate communication channels, leading to delays in problem resolution and creating confusion about issue status.
These challenges highlighted the need for an integrated solution to manage the enrollment system effectively.
The Solution
Collective Intelligence developed a SharePoint-based help desk application to enhance communication and support for the enrollment system. The solution integrates Microsoft Planner for task tracking and reporting, and includes key features such as ticket assignment, real-time messaging, and a centralized bulletin board for system alerts. Support staff can efficiently manage requests, communicate directly with users, and access detailed metrics to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.
By streamlining OneSIS support processes, the application ensures faster issue resolution, maintains conversation history with file sharing, and provides a clear view of ongoing tasks and known issues—ultimately improving transparency, responsiveness, and user satisfaction.
Outcome and Benefits
Efficient Ticket Management
The help desk application assigns tickets to the right team members for quick, qualified responses. Integration with Microsoft Planner improves task management and workload distribution, streamlining support.
Enhanced Communication
and Reporting
Built-in tools track support metrics and highlight common issues. A central bulletin board shares system alerts, while the messaging feature enables direct communication, file sharing, and conversation history.
Streamlined Support Processes
Efficient support request handling is central to the help desk application, reducing resolution time and effort while improving efficiency and boosting user satisfaction.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
- Ticket Assignment: A system for distributing support tickets to appropriate team members
- Reporting Capabilities: Tools to measure and analyze support metrics
- Planner Integration: Comprehensive task management and reporting features
- Communications Bulletin Board: Central location for system alerts and updates
- Streamlined Support: Efficient processes for handling support requests
- Direct Communication: Built-in messaging system with conversation history and file sharing
Conclusion
The OneSIS Help Desk Application, developed by Collective Intelligence, revolutionized support and communication for PASSHE’s unified student information system. Implemented as a functional solution within two weeks and finalized in two months based on user feedback, it leveraged existing tools included in PASSHE’s MS365 A3 business user SKUs— requiring no additional licensing.
By introducing smart ticket routing, integrated metrics, and a centralized bulletin board, the system ensures faster issue resolution, clearer communication, and data-driven process improvements, enabling PASSHE to maintain a responsive, user-friendly enrollment system.
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