1. At the centralized Laptop management meeting today, Pete requested a top priority for a second workflow for requesting a Laptop/PC for deployment (not necessarily called “Express Deployment”) that takes the place of current email to the HelpDesk.

2. This flow must account for and/or integrate with the new employee access form which is in the process of being modified to allow for indication of need for a machine. It should be obvious to a user when to use which one without needing to use both, or they should be combined.

3. Mike Moticha noted the machine deployment request flow has to connect to the inventory database (probably as read and write steps). The same will be true for any modified New Employee Access that enables laptop deployment.

4. It was not discussed today, but previous uncertainty about the difference between a loaner and permanent machine request are worth considering again, with the possibility that a single machine request might enable both purposes, sort of the way the New Employee network access form allows for interns or hourlies with an anticipated end date.

5. Form Access, Approval and Guidance: There was some debate and concern about need to control who would have access and/or who needs to sign-off since the request will result in program spending via IGPV. Ideally, we would have identified a list of people appropriate for this role, but that seems unclear as well as variable. We have tried for better than a year to have a finite list of purchasing leads identified through Budget and Finance. With that still pending, we could explore options for review/approval levels withing the program, plus clear guidance/messaging. Stacy made clear today that with everyone already having access to a HelpDesk email request to get a machine, MOST of the requests for laptops already come from expected IT leads. When she gets one that is not from a known lead, she has to look up an IT contact to confirm and or reject the request. This could be replicated with a collaborative stage in the flow to secure the proper IT lead input. Or it might be largely replaced by inserting a supervisor and/or IT lead approval stage. The New Employee Access form is open to anybody and does not require any approval. Critically, this does enable the setup of new employees even if their supervisor is out prior to their arrival.

Follow-up with Jaya about the current path for deployment revealed that this is done through an unstructured email to the help Desk. While the current process cannot be restricted, development discussions including Stacy and the LTCs revealed this attached list of people who MIGHT be a limited set of people empowered to make future deployment requests.

At the SimpliGov steering meeting today, we revisited the impact of the centralized workstation procurement, scheduled for July 1, 2024. Kurt reiterated that this workflow would not be expected to change and is still useful, mostly for the case of a new employee, and also for the rare case of replacing a failed machine. The latter scenario however, is expected to be initiated after a help desk ticket is created seeking to fix the failed machine, and that DOIT staff (probably Stacy) would enter the record for Express Deployment in that case.

The focus on new employee deployment makes a case for including this workflow in discussions I (Knute) expect to have with Holly about HR’s role in helping ensure that two workflows get initiated as appropriate when new employees are brought on (a process that has seen a lot of improvement lately with adoption of NeoGov). The two workflows will be:

1. The New Employee Network Access request

2. The express Deployment request.

If not actually starting one or both of these workflows, HR could include an invite with links to do so within the formal notice they give to programs about any new hires being considered effective.