Breaking down the streams: Understanding three of the R3 Project streams (and what they will accomplish)

Posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2022

When you hear the term, R3 Project, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the introduction of a new Student Information System (SIS). But there is so much more to the R3 Project than that.

In order to bring the Project to full life, there are streams involved that tie it all together. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

With that, we will focus on three of the Project’s streams: Identity and Access Management, Data, and Integration. These three streams help us meet our Project’s five main objectives, including the aim to improve overall employee and student experience.

These Project streams mean that a lot of great and interesting changes are happening!

Now, let’s define these Project Stream definitions to give more context on their importance:

Identity & Access Management

Identity and Access Management (IAM) includes a set of business processes or activities that provide the College the ability to give the right people, the right access to the right services, at the right time. IAM will improve the security of College systems, protect access to information, and make it easier for employees and learners to navigate smoothly from application to application.

In other words, think of the new SIS as a house. Some users will only need a key to enter certain rooms within the house, while others may need a master key to access and use the entire system. Identifying roles and their associated access will provide enhanced security measures.

Data

The R3 Project Data Team is responsible for moving the information housed in GeneSIS over to the new SIS, Thesis Student Management (Thesis SM).

Throughout this process, the Data Team will ensure the information that’s migrated over to the new system is accurate, reliable and secure. These efforts will also enhance the student and employee experience when it comes to accessing customized information and running reports and analytics. The Data team has a laundry list of items to accomplish, and they’ll be utilizing Working Groups to capture the full scope and receive real-time feedback from our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Think of data as the gasoline that makes a car run (or if we’re talking Tesla, then electricity)—it’s such an integral part to make the Project come to life.

Integration

There are many different software systems used at Algonquin College, including Brightspace, Workday and Salesforce. Each system has a role to play in the College’s overall business functions and day-to-day activities. The R3 Project’s Integrations Team will identify how these existing systems could work collaboratively with the new SIS to best support how we operate and support our learners at Algonquin College.

For example, other applications—think Brightspace, Workday and Salesforce—will be affected by the new SIS implementation, so what integrations will need to occur to ensure these systems are talking to Thesis SM? Enter: The Integrations Team.

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We encourage you to review the Glossary page on the R3 Project website and consider how they relate to the terms you use now and how they differ. As you begin to understand the concepts they represent, you’ll also begin to understand how the work you do will change. You can also check out the R3 Project FAQ page—it’s a great resource if you need some questions answered!

Additionally, don’t miss our next R3 Showcase Event to receive important updates and learn more about the R3 Project. We’ll also be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

The next R3 Showcase is set for Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 at 10 a.m.

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