A marketing framework for user services management

ABSTRACT

Dramatic, new developments in technology plus continually changing needs of users present great challenges for those of us involved with computing in higher education. While it is quite evident that a tremendous amount of change is occurring around us, it is often less noticeable that the rate of change is accelerating. One of the major factors contributing to this acceleration is the rapid growth and development of technology. Alvin Toffler, in Future Shock, called the “technological engine” the driving force of change and he predicted that as man's search for new knowledge expands, the rate of technological development will increase spectacularly.

Probably the most significant recent technological development is the growth in the use of computers. The way computers are used has also changed during this technological explosion. The computer, previously only a calculating machine, has become a major information processing instrument. The role of computing on colleges campus has changed accordingly. It is not uncommon for graduate students to spend as much time at a terminal preparing thesis text as they do executing data analysis programs.

The quickening pace of change, increasing demands on personnel, and tightening financial constraints mean that computing centers can no longer merely react to current circumstances, but must anticipate changing user needs. Therefore, it is important that a management framework be available to provide direction and guidance for all planning and decision making.

Marketing provides a good framework because it contains an overall philosophy which stesses both a consumer orientation and the identification of specific consumer needs. The emphasis on customer satisfaction implies that all computing center activities should be focused upon this fundamental objective. While this sounds straightforward, some computing centers may not have a single objective, instead have subunits each striving for what it thinks is important. A consumer orientation also keeps the computing center alert to changing needs in the campus marketplace. It is important that we develop a “user-friendly” atmosphere or service, but it is more important to be “user-conscious” so we provide what is needed (2).

References

1. 1.Gillespie, Robert G. Computing and Higher Education: an Accidental Revolution. Washington: GPO, 1981.
2. 2.Landon, Michele. "The Importance of Being 'User-Friendly'." Computerworld, 31 August 1981, p. 29.
3. 3.Magarrell, Jack. "Computer Literacy Gaining Place in Undergraduate Curriculum." The Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 April 1982, p. 1,8.
4. 4.Toffler, Alvin. Future Shock. New York: Signet Press, 1970.

Index Terms

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Management of computing and information systems

      • Project and people management

        • Project management techniques