Digital transformation – now and in the future

• Oxford’s digital transformation has made significant progress in the last two years – making a difference in education, research, artificial intelligence and other areas
• A range of activities are planned for the next academic year, including major programmes focused on Customer Relationship Management (CRM), communications and People and Finance Service Transformation
• Work is taking place on moving to a longer term funding model for digital, ensuring we can continue our transformation in a sustained and manageable way over time

You may have heard me speak over the last two years about Oxford’s digital transformation. 

And our transformation is guided by the same ambition of ensuring Oxford remains fit for the future: by placing users at the heart of digital services, making processes more efficient, freeing researchers’ and staff time, saving money, improving user experience and reducing risk.  

Supporting our core mission 

So many colleagues have been involved in this work, and it has been heartening to see the positive impact on our core mission of education and research.  

Educational achievements 

In education, MyOxford, a very successful app for students, now provides a one-stop shop to services. There are more than 12,000 registered users of the app, which launched this academic year, and we’re adding new functionality all the time – illustrating how we can work iteratively across the collegiate University to develop digital services for students. 

We’re also digitising a range of education processes including on-course applications for graduate students. The new forms have been used 4,500 times since they were introduced a year ago – removing burden, saving time and effort, and with overwhelmingly positive feedback from departments and colleges.  

And we’re supporting departments producing online courses through the Online Education Hub. The team have so far supported 100 course teams, with 470 courses in the pipeline – helping us to increase the global reach of Oxford’s education.  

Supporting our research  

We’re making lives better for our researchers too. For example, our new Research File Service provides a free at point of use secure storage for live research data, with 200 projects so far making use of 283 terabytes of data.  

We’ve made the process of making ethics applications simpler through a new online module (Worktribe Ethics). Researchers have so far used it for 1,600 applications – making the process quicker, streamlined and more transparent. This is just the first part of our new Oxford Research Management System (ORMS), with additional, integrated modules to support costing and pricing; contract management; post award management and due diligence to follow in the future.  

Much of this work has been made possible by a new ‘digital governance framework’: a series of ‘portfolios’ focused on critical areas of our digital activities.  

The examples above outline our progress in two of our portfolios, but there are equally positive developments in Technology, Administration and Engagement & Dissemination, which there simply isn’t space to do justice to in one blog.  More details on the whole programme are available online. 

Focus on AI 

Given its increasing importance, we have also focused on Artificial Intelligence(AI) – training nearly 3,000 colleagues in the use of AI tools, and supporting pilots in trialling these tools with over 700 staff across the collegiate University. We’re already seeing clear productivity benefits.   

This has been made possible through the AI and Machine Learning Competency Centre, which alongside training and support, provides enterprise licensed tools that allow you to use AI safely. The Centre is acting as a hub and has created an Ambassadors’ scheme. If you’d like to be an AI Ambassador please sign up!  

Future priorities 

We have made much progress, but there is still more to do. 

In the 2025/26 academic year we will continue our progress in research, education and AI, while focusing on important underpinning work improving our data and identity services.  

There are also some major programmes to look forward to, including the first phases of our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which over time will support how we interact with our alumni, with potential students and engagement with local and global communities.  

Specifically it will replace, in due course, the existing Development and Alumni Relations system that supports collegiate University fundraising. 

We will also transform our digital communications, with a new Oxford-wide intranet, a new Fresco web content management system to replace Mosaic, and a new main University website – all of which will benefit from better design, accessibility, and flexibility, and reduce cybersecurity and operational risks.  

We’ll be overhauling many of our administrative processes too, with the important People and Finance Service Transformation programme and a new Odyssey safety system - streamlining operations and supporting staff more effectively. 

Meanwhile some of our initial transformational activities will move into ‘business as usual’. For example, our Workflow and Automation, Cybersecurity, and Research Cloud Computing Competency Centres will be embedded into existing University units – putting digital at the heart of how we do things.  

Building a sustainable future 

While a lot has been achieved, we recognise that maintaining the same pace is challenging. The funding for digital transformation has been provided on an annual basis from our strategic funds, which has meant a burst of activity and perhaps a less than optimal planning environment – with ambitions that are significantly beyond the resources available to us. We are now transitioning to a three-year financial model that will improve planning, set a more regular pace and ensure every investment delivers clear, measurable benefits.  

The business case for that next phase is under development and will be agreed in Michaelmas term. 

It will have focus on measurable benefits of each piece of investment to ensure that at these times of financial constraint in the higher education sector, the money spent provides the greatest and clearest return.  

This will allow us to continue with our digital progress so that we can achieve our transformational ambitions in a sustained and manageable way over time.  

Collaboration and partnership 

Our digital transformation is underpinned by principles of collaboration and partnership – thanks to all who are helping to deliver it. 

This work we are doing today is critical to Oxford remaining a leader in research and education in the digital age.  

By building on our significant progress and putting a sustainable model in for the longer term, I am confident that we will continue to make a difference.