office hours scheduling system analysis and design
date:
apr 2023
timeline:
2 months
industry:
education
role:
business systems analyst
team:
dominic phan, andrew gotshall, sophia martinez, tiffany ng
tools:
lucidchart, ms suite
this free-topic, semester-long group project was part of our systems analysis and design course.
our team have examined the business school's office-hours scheduling process which resembles a mixture of drop-ins, appointments-only, in-person and online meeting structures.
we proposed a more centralized approach to scheduling through using calendly - an online scheduling tool to streamline workflows, improve transparency, and enhance overall efficiency for both hosts and attendees.
problem
the existing office-hours system lacks consistency because each professor and advisor uses a different method for scheduling, creating confusion, uneven expectations, and extra effort for students.
professors and advisors also struggle to update their availability, especially for temporary changes like out-of-office situations, leading to outdated or unclear information.
additionally, students can only book meetings if they are officially linked to a professor or advisor. otherwise, they must request appointments by email, since booking pages and schedules are not universally accessible.
goals & metrics
what does success look like?
our proposed solution aims to reduce overall scheduling time, decrease scheduling-related email volume, and achieve strong adoption among all stakeholders. additional kpis may include booking completion rates and user satisfaction scores.
however, because this project was completed within the scope of a conceptual course, we did not formally track nor establish baselines for these metrics.
role
business systems analyst
served as the lead process designer in a team of four, guiding our analysis of the problem and taking ownership of initiating and finalizing all process diagrams.
i also documented meeting notes and monitored project progress, keeping the team engaged and on track for timely completion.
approach
how are we tackling this problem?
1) project framing and scope
we defined the scope of our project around improving the business school's office-hours scheduling process, choosing this topic because it directly affects students and offered meaningful potential impact.
2) stakeholder interviews
we conducted structured interviews with students, professors, and advisors to understand workflow variations, pain points, and key expectations for a better system.
3) current process mapping
using interview insights, we documented the existing process through a context diagram, a level-0 data flow diagram (dfd), and two level-1 dfds to visualize how information currently moves through the system.
4) gap analysis & solution ideation
we identified major bottlenecks and evaluated alternatives before proposing a centralized calendly + outlook solution to standardize scheduling and automate key steps.
5) redesigned process & detailed design
we created future-state diagrams, wrote structured english (se) illustrating the processes, and built a fully normalized entity-relationship diagram (erd) to define the supporting data model for the proposed system.
6) testing & implementation planning
although conceptual, we drafted a phased testing plan, outlined a rollout strategy, and assessed feasibility across technical, operational, and economic dimensions.
analysis
current process mapping: what is causing the current system inefficiency?
[context diagram: current office-hours scheduling process]
based on our personal experiences, interviews with 2 business school professors, 1 academic advisor, and 2 business student, we have mapped out the following process diagrams.
[level0 dfd: current office-hours scheduling process]
the current scheduling process is fragmented because each professor uses a different method for managing office hours.
professors also struggle to adjust their availability for temporary changes, such as out-of-office days, which often requires manual updates.
students face additional challenges determining real-time availability, especially when drop-ins create unpredictable wait times and scheduling conflicts.
[level1 dfd p2.0: professors/ advisors receive and save meeting]
[level1 dfd p4.0: professors/ advisors communicate with student to schedule meeting]
here, we can see that since the scheduling process is manual. with the process owner being the professors and advisors, they will have to manually update their availability every time there is a change.
in the case of rescheduling, back and forth emailing is usually in place in order to find the right time and method for a meeting. this added time and effort for emailing and waiting for replies.
the current scheduling process is inconsistent and fragmented, relying on manual updates by the professors/ advisors. by implementing a universal, automated scheduling system, we aim to eliminate additional coordination, streamline workflows, and ultimately improve the efficiency and quality of faculty–student interactions.
redesigned process mapping: how can we improve on the current system?
[context diagram: new office-hours scheduling process]
with the introduction of calendly, the scheduling process will then transform from being a manual process to an automated one, retaining the same number of sources and sinks.
[level0 dfd: new office-hours scheduling process]
[level1 dfd p3.0: receives booking selection and prepares confirmation email]
structured english examples:
Process 3.0 – Receives booking selection and prepares confirmation email
Start
Receive date, time, type, and personal info from Student
Prepare and send booking details to confirmation email, Process 4.0
End
[level1 dfd p5.0: receives additional meeting time requirement]
Process 5.0 – Receives additional meeting time requirements
Start
Receive additional availability comments from Student
Send Additional meeting requests to Professors/Advisors
Send additional request email confirmation to Student
End
we recommend implementing a universal scheduling system using calendly integrated with outlook. professors would set their availability and meeting formats, while students could book directly or request alternative times. confirmed meetings would automatically sync to both calendars with built-in notifications and reminders.
this workflow simplifies scheduling for students, reduces administrative work for professors, and ensures consistent, real-time availability. it also improves efficiency, minimizes confusion, and enhances the overall quality of faculty–student interactions.
impact
what do we need to succeed?
although this was a concept course, we wanted to ensure that our proposal would be feasible to implement.
this meant considering the structure of the database and various technical requirements below.
[entity relationship diagram with normalization]
*since calendly is an external tool that does not have access to the university’s internal information, we have noted that students will have to manually input these attributes in lieu of having the capability to be autogenerated by Student_ID.
an UP Banner (the university’s internal data store) might be connected in the future to streamline such process and thus removing redundant attributes to avoid any transitive dependencies.
testing + implementation plans, feasibility discussion
testing plan
our testing plan has two phases focused on validating four key functions: posting office hours, viewing availability, outlook events syncing to calendly, and successful bookings.
phase one involves internal testing using mock professor and student profiles.
once all key tasks work reliably, we move to phase two, testing with a pilot group of five professors and ten students in the business school.
implementation plan
we will first seek approval from the business school's dean and confirm the cost of a calendly premium or educational license. once approved, we’ll train professors to set up and manage their office hours, ideally at the start of a new semester so they can quickly introduce the new process to students.
feasibility discussion
the cost of a calendly premium or licenses is a key consideration.
the project is feasible with existing technical and operational constraints, including physical offices and licensed Zoom accounts for virtual appointments.
no physical design, legal, nor political barriers exist in our project.
conclusion
by adopting a centralized scheduling approach, our proposed solution aims to significantly improve efficiency, transparency, and convenience for both students and professors.
a unified calendly workflow supports more consistent academic engagement and reduces the administrative burden across the business school at the university of portland.
takeaway
what are our next steps?
beyond the business school, this streamlined scheduling model could be extended to other colleges and departments to create a campus-wide standard.
we also see potential in integrating the interface into the currently underutilized touchscreen kiosks across campus, offering students a seamless, walk-up way to view availability, book appointments, and stay connected with faculty.