Heather Lego Finds New Possibilities

​When Heather Lego first learned that FIS would be merging with CSSD, she was a little uncertain. Working in FIS Business Solutions, she'd only worked with a couple people who would be become her new coworkers, and she was concerned people would take sides. Instead, Lego was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the merger went.

In the process, she discovered a whole new range of exciting possibilities. "My head spins with all the opportunities," Lego says. "Everyone I've met has been so helpful. Across the board, I'm seeing increased collaboration, improved processes, and small victories."

One of her first projects was to work with Data Analytics to open up data to the University, thereby getting her out of the business of ad-hoc reporting. She also found that with complete visibility in Salesforce, she can provide enhanced support for the systems she works with.

The key to Lego's experience has been her own willingness to reach out, engage her colleagues, and become involved. "I'm always one to ask questions," she laughingly admits. She became involved with the Analytics and ETL Working Group and became a co-leader of the Innovation Steering Committee. She encourages others to become involved. "Come on over. This is a collaborative effort, and your opinion matters. From senior leadership on down, people really are open to sharing information and working together. Breaking down silos is a common goal we're all working toward. The opportunity is there if you take advantage of it."

Balazs Kudelasz Embraces Integration for IT Modernization

Learning specialist Balazs Kudelasz spent most of his career working in organizations with a centralized IT department. So when he learned that FIS and CSSD were merging to form Pitt IT, he saw it as a logical decision in the right direction. "There really is no point for the IT function to be decentralized. The whole process flows better—everything is quicker and more streamlined—when we're all one organization," he explained. "It raises everyone's level of expertise."

Kudelasz was fortunate t​o have a great work environment as a trainer with the CFO's team, but he quickly saw the benefits of becoming a unified IT team. He cites improved communication, the ability to connect with more resources, standardized tools, and streamlined processes as key improvements in his daily work.

Kudelasz was especially impressed with the inclusiveness of the transition team, which included leaders from every area. More importantly, the team respected the expertise of subject area experts and made them an integral part of the process. "The transition team held many meetings, and quickly realized they couldn't—and shouldn't—do it all themselves. They formed working groups, so everyone could participate in writing the plans for their processes. It was great for an organization to allow employees such input into the transition," Kudelasz says.

While the changes caused some to be concerned about their position, Kudelasz saw the process as enhancing roles, not eliminating them. "It's about bringing together the skills that each person brings to build a team that can provide a high level of support across the University," he says. "The merger was a new way of looking at things, a modernization of the IT function."

The response of Pitt IT to pivoting to remote operations during the pandemic has been the proof in the pudding for Kudelasz. "COVID really proved the concepts we were already pursuing, such as the ability to work remotely. We were able to respond without making many changes internally, so we could support other departments needing to make those changes." Now, Kudelasz is looking forward to working with other areas that choose to integrate their IT personnel with Pitt IT. "It will just increase the range of expertise we have here in Pitt IT."​