Streamlining transitions: CFANS introduces automated offboarding intelligence
The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) is transforming how it manages staff transitions. What began as a collaborative effort with Human Resources has evolved into a technical solution designed to eliminate the guesswork associated with the offboarding process.
The challenge: the access and asset mystery
When a staff member departs, supervisors and IT teams often struggle to gain a comprehensive view of the digital and physical footprint left behind. Without a centralized "snapshot," critical research data, high-value hardware, and software licenses can easily fall through the cracks.
The solution: real-time visibility
The IT team is developing a reporting and notification system triggered by a future termination date. This isn't just a list of names; it provides:
- Identity & role context: Full name, Internet ID, department, and supervisor details
- Physical asset tracking: An inventory of devices and hardware attached to the account
- Active Directory group: Digital Intellectual Property: Clear visibility into research data ownership and software assets (integrated via TeamDynamix)
- Coming Soon: Integration for media assets, course ownership, and additional storage ownership
Key project highlights
| Feature | Impact |
|---|---|
| Automated Triggers | Notifications fire immediately upon status change, ensuring no lead time is lost. Reports can be pulled for “future dated” or “historical” as well. |
| Templated Transitions | Supervisors can generate data-driven responses to departing staff, listing exactly what needs to be returned or discussed. |
| Security & Compliance | Reduces "access creep" by notifying IT precisely when software permissions and hardware access should be revoked. |
| Research Continuity | Ensures ownership of vital research data is transferred correctly rather than stranded on inactive accounts. |
Why it matters
Anna Lee, CFANS Human Resources manager and strategic partner, commented on the impact of the new onboarding/offboarding report. “From an HR perspective, the report will help improve employee transitions in CFANS by providing timely "next step" notifications to employees and supervisors. Right now, the support we can provide to supervisors and employees is limited and quite outdated. Getting automated information will help ensure University equipment is returned, access is removed on time, and employees know where to go for general support (e.g., benefits, cfans-hr, payroll, etc.).”
Questions?
If you are interested in learning more about this project email CFANS Interim IT Lead Liz Guimont.