Members of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois’ (LSSI) Information Technology (IT) team recently presented emerging technology best practices at the annual Lutheran Information Technology Network (LITN) conference in St. Paul, Minn. LITN is a national peer network of IT leaders from Lutheran Services in America (LSA) affiliated organizations.
During the conference, hosted by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota (LSSMN), four LSSI team members highlighted technologies the organization is evaluating and implementing to strengthen security, improve operational efficiency, and enhance employees’ technology experience. They also exchanged ideas with peers about emerging trends and potential risks.
– Information Technology Service Desk Manager Cheramie Hibbler presented on LSSI’s use of identity and access management (IAM), including automated processes for new-hire onboarding, employee changes, and terminations that reduce manual effort, strengthen access controls, and improve data integrity. Hibbler also discussed POM Safe, LSSI’s safety and mass-communication tool. POM has alerted staff in the field to extreme weather, and employees can use it as a two-way safety tool.
– System Engineer Cody Autry presented on desktop as a service (DaaS), a cloud-based service that provides a complete virtual desktop environment, and passkeys, which offer a simpler, more secure alternative to passwords.
– IT Network Engineer Nick Scott presented Wi-Fi site surveys, which identify the best locations for wireless access points to provide a strong, reliable service. He explained how accurate coverage data can reveal gaps and guide infrastructure planning.
LITN is a national network of 300 IT leaders from Lutheran health and human services organizations serving 1,400 communities. The group promotes collaboration and the exchange of best practices in cybersecurity, data governance, artificial intelligence, and other technology topics.
Hibbler said recent LSSI innovations are producing measurable results. Automated onboarding has increased productivity by 90%, employee updates such as contact information are completed 88% faster, and IT termination procedures are completed 19 times faster than manual processes, she said. These improvements maintain accuracy while freeing service desk staff to focus on engineering tasks.
“The broader intent was not simply to showcase our use of new technology, but to demonstrate how thoughtfully applied emerging technologies can solve real business challenges, strengthen LSSI’s technology environment, and allow IT to focus more resources on higher-value work,” Hibbler said.
The presentation drew praise from attendees. Heidi Leach, Senior Director Business Technology State Center at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, said, “Cheramie, you and your team did a fantastic job. I love how closely aligned LSSI and LSSMN are in the work we do, and how our teams can collaborate, share ideas, and learn from each other along the way.”
(caption) Information Technology Service Desk Manager Cheramie Hibbler presented on LSSI’s use of emerging technology best practices that are producing measurable results.
