One Monarch Nation Innovation (OMNI) Initiative

At Old Dominion University, we are proud to announce our status as a Salesforce First institution. This designation underscores our commitment to prioritizing and advancing systems and programs that seamlessly integrate with Salesforce in all future procurements.

This strategic initiative – One Monarch Nation Innovation - signifies a significant shift towards a unified platform, which will streamline business processes, university data and technology systems, thereby fostering a more interconnected and cohesive student and staff experience.

OMNI Strategy

The OMNI strategy of bringing together “People, Technology, Process and Data” revolves around aligning these key elements to drive success in “CONSTITUENT” relationship management (CRM) and university operations:

People: As the most important aspect of the OMNI initiative, we recognize that in order for this to succeed, we will need all members of the greater ODU community actively involved and engaged and dedicating the time and effort required. Though everyone may not have a direct role on the initiative, all will be impacted and be needed in order to achieve our collective objectives. OMNI emphasizes the importance of empowering our team with the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to effectively utilize the technology solutions provided. This involves training, fostering a culture of collaboration, and ensuring that individuals have the support they need to leverage technology for optimal results.

Technology: Salesforce offers a range of cloud-based solutions designed to enhance the constituent’s experience and engagement, improve productivity, and drive innovation. These technologies include Education Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and others, which can be customized and integrated with existing processes to meet the specific needs of different units. By leveraging cutting-edge technology solutions, we will gain insights, improve decision-making, and deliver exceptional constituent experiences.

Process: Together, the greater ODU community and OMNI will work towards leveraging the new technologies to streamline and optimize our processes. Implementing the technology is only one aspect of this initiative; evolving our collective processes to work more efficiently and be more strategic as a result of the capabilities of the technology, is a critical element of this initiative. This includes analyzing existing workflows, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing best practices supported by Salesforce's suite of CRM and automation tools. By aligning processes with university objectives and leveraging technology to automate and streamline tasks, we will improve efficiency and drive innovation.

Data: The unification of our data is a critical aspect to OMNI’s vision. Working towards a unified data model will not only enable the three items mentioned above, but it will ultimately improve all of our constituent’s experiences across their various relationships and involvements with ODU. Through unifying our data in a common platform, we will not only improve our business processes, constituent experiences, and capabilities – we will also create an environment where the data we utilize becomes a truly critical asset to every member of the ODU community.  

Overall, OMNI's strategy focuses on integrating people, process, technology, and data to create a cohesive and efficient ecosystem that enables the “Monarch Nation” to better understand their constituents, streamline operations, and drive sustainable growth.

Keys Players: Sponsor, Key Campus Groups Involved

Welcome to One Monarch Nation Innovation (OMNI) structure, the driving force behind innovation and excellence in digital infrastructure at Old Dominion University (ODU). Our mission is to align with university objectives and enhance the student, partner, and staff experience through cutting-edge Education Cloud and Marketing Cloud technologies.

OMNI Oversight Structure

The President’s Cabinet is the sponsor and sets the strategic priorities for the program based on the University's short and long term objectives. Defines the success metrics, funding, and ensures OMNI’s vision aligns with institutional-level objectives.

Our oversight group consists of representatives from various university departments, ensuring tactical direction, decision-making, and oversight.
Initial Membership: Ashley Schumaker (Chief of Staff and VP for Strategic Operations); Danny Kemp (Interim CIO); Chrysoula Malogianni (AVP Digital Innovation-DDL); Barbara Blake (Ex Dir. Internships & Co-Ops); Joe Ritchie (Dir., First Year Student Success); Lisa Kivin (AVP Student Experience DDL); Jennifer Simmons (Asst. Dean for Student Affairs & Engagement); Megan Corbett (Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation Analyst); Joseph Rafanelli (Sr. Assoc. Atheletic Director, Revenue); Evelyn Ashley (Sr. Assoc. VP for Student Engagement); Scott Harrison (AVP for Administration SEES); Ashley Miller (AVP for Enrollment Management); Etta Henry (Ex. Dir. Of Strategic Sourcing & Payment Solutions); Kate Ledger (AVP for Marketing and Outreach DDL); Christian Ponce (AVP for Marketing); Kirk Dewyea (AVP for Administration DDL); Carrie John (AVP for University Registrar).
This group will meet monthly through June 2024 and then move to quarterly meetings.

Karthik Navuluri, AVP of Technology Solutions

Karthik Navuluri oversees overall program execution, establishes standards and guidelines, coordinates resources, and manages partners and vendors.
The OMNI lead is a member of the Oversight Group and held accountable by the President’s Cabinet to meet OMNI objectives on a monthly basis.

Our team of technical advisors provides insights and support for Salesforce-related technologies.
Each Technical Advisor (TA) is responsible for providing the voice of their respective function, and will ultimately have OMNI project-level additional responsibilities including: coordinating key decisions, pulling together operational managers and teammates, assisting with business-process design, resolving challenges, and will be actively involved with the project for much of its duration.
Additional TAs will be added as the initiative progresses: Membership: Jimmy Patel (Ex. Dir. for Enterprise Systems), Kate Rhodes (Chief Information Security Officer for Risk and Compliance), Candice Goodin (Ex. Dir. Client Services), Brian Easton (Ex. Dir. Unified Communications & Collaboration), Christine Ricks (Dir. Soph. Success), Ravi Konduri (Dir. Of Student & Financial Aid Systems), Todd Dergenski (Asst. Info. Security Office Identification Access), Michael Dal Santo (Dir. Of CRM & Integrated Solutions- SEES), and Steve Sibson (Admissions Data & Technology Manager).
This group will meet monthly, beginning in February. TAs will coordinate activities, decisions, and responsibilities with the OMNI Lead via sprint meetings on a bi-weekly basis.

Our operational managers are responsible for operations, the constituent experience and overall excellence of the Education Cloud and Marketing Cloud. This role emphasizes their key responsibilities, which include making decisions on priorities, negotiating funding for initiatives, and orchestrating the order of business process improvements within the OMNI Structure. They play a pivotal
role in ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly, prioritizing funding, and orchestrate business process improvements within the OMNI Structure.
Membership: YOU! Though not every operational manager will be involved on day-1, over time, everyone will play an active part in this initiative.
This group will meet quarterly, beginning in March.

Our collaborative ensemble of skilled architects, administrators, developers, and data integration specialists optimize and innovate ODU's digital infrastructure.
Membership, as known at this time: Swetha Thiriveedhi (Architect); Ansh Shah (Sr. Administrator); Emmanuel Perez (Sr. Administrator); Sarah Osario (Administrator); Stacey Rhodes (Administrator); Qiao Zhang (Database Administrator); Kartheeka Ghanta (CRM Developer); Data Integration Developer (March); Ravi Konduri (Dir. Of Student & Financial Aid Systems), Anusha Matcha (System Integration Specialist), Vinay Dhareshwar (Dir. Of Database Systems), Nicholas Adu Gyamfi (Database Administrator), Sai Ratnakar Nidumolu (Business Intel Developer), Neha Niphadkar (Data Analyst Manager), Jon Durbin (Data Analyst), Bhargav Narayanavaram (Data Analyst), David Andenzon (Data Engineer)
This team will conduct bi-weekly sprints beginning after March 24, 2024.

The Marketing Cloud team implements digital marketing strategies using advanced data analytics and cloud-based technologies.
Membership, as known at this time: Kate Ledger (AVP for Marketing and Outreach); Christian Ponce (AVP for Marketing); Pam Martin (Ex. Dir. Of Enrollment Marketing & Lead Management); Nicole Forrester (Director of Marketing Operations); Marketing Cloud Administrator (March); Chinedu Amadi (Email Strategist); Yan Zhang (Marketing and Outreach Analyst); Ashley Brice (Marketing Technician)
This team will conduct bi-weekly sprints beginning after March 24, 2024.

Campus Value: What are we doing this for?

April 2023, we had our first Budget Summit with the goal of making higher education, equitable, affordable, and transformative. 700 constituents made up of students, faculty, staff, and administrators were invited to brainstorm opportunities for innovation, efficiencies, and revenue generation. They generated 21 recommendations. The #1 recommendation was digital transformation. To conduct a system-wide examination of software and technology based Constituent Relationship Management platforms, to ensure seamless communication and full integration in order to reduce barriers, increase workflows, and improve outcomes. July 2023, the University reinvested in Salesforce with the move into Education Cloud. The value to campus includes:

Enhanced Constituent Experience:

By implementing Education Cloud and Marketing Cloud technologies, ODU aims to improve constituent engagement, productivity, and innovation. This will lead to a more interconnected and cohesive experience for students, partners, and staff, ultimately fostering stronger relationships within the Monarch Nation community.

Strategic Oversight and Execution:

The OMNI structure includes an oversight group, an OMNI lead, technical advisors, and operational managers responsible for providing tactical direction, decision-making, and day-to-day management of the program. This ensures that the initiative stays aligned with university objectives and progresses effectively.

Operational Efficiency:

Streamlining university processes through the alignment of technology with organizational objectives will improve efficiency and drive innovation. OMNI will partner with various campus groups to analyze workflows, identify areas for improvement, and implement best practices supported by Salesforce's suite of CRM and automation tools.

Collaborative Team Efforts:

The Education Cloud and Marketing Cloud teams consist of skilled professionals who work collaboratively to optimize and innovate ODU's digital infrastructure. By bringing together architects, administrators, developers, data integration specialists, and marketing strategists, OMNI aims to drive sustainable growth and deliver exceptional constituent experiences.

News & Announcements

Recognizing Our Champions: OMNI Champions

February 19, 2024

Next Steps: What can you do?

The best way to prepare for this is to start with an open mind. In an effort to clarify the mentality required for us to succeed we have laid out the OMNI Guidelines below. These are the general mentalities we are asking all members of the ODU Community to adopt, embrace, and refer to during the particularly challenging times we will face together.

Be open to new ideas, new ways of business. This is an enterprise-university-initiative; not an ITS project, not a system upgrade, not a departmental improvement, or even a Presidential project… This is an ODU-level initiative. This is OUR project - not anyone’s alone. Together, WE will succeed.
The faces may change around this table at President’s Cabinet discretion, but no one may take their ball and go home. There will be challenges as we progress, highs and lows… During those challenges, remember that you are a part of a greater vision. You are committing to being a team player from day one to day 10,000.
Share your voice and opinion (OMNI Stakeholder Engagement Form) – we don't know what we don't know. Share your voice, ask questions, express concerns. Staying involved and voicing your opinion matters. If you have a question, others have that question… so speak up!
At a point of conflict or decision - It is ok to disagree, but you must commit. There will be disagreements along the way, ultimately we will hear each other’s perspectives when they arise, and we will collectively make decision. Once made, we must move forward. OMNI will have predefined escalation processes when decisions cannot be made at any-particular level.
No side conversations, no back-door meetings – always default to transparency, and making decisions publicly. Initiatives like this can fall apart simply due to cultural challenges. If we promote an environment where transparency is paramount, it will overcome any perceived negativity, bias, or baggage that we have accumulated. We are committing to being present, actively being a part of decisions, and not having side-conversations or meetings-after-the-meeting… This is true at every level of OMNI.
Be present, make this a priority, do not delegate your role. YOU are the most important part of determining whether or not what we set out to do will succeed. You may not have an active part in every decision, meeting, or business process change… But when you are directly involved, we ask that you give it your all and your complete attention.

Contact

Thank you for visiting One Monarch Nation Innovation's informational website. We are committed to ongoing innovation and excellence in digital infrastructure at ODU, and we look forward to continuing to serve the university community.

Ashley Schumaker, Chief of Staff & Vice President for Strategic Operations | Office of the President | 757-683-3159 | aschumak@odu.edu