Our value chain: | Business Solutions Group

Our value chain:

Linking profits to prosperity

Value Chain

It's hard to think of any part of the IT industry that doesn't benefit from what happens at the Business Solutions Group. The most obvious beneficiaries — our students — gain valuable hands-on experience. Our clients receive quality products and services. And ultimately, Oregon and the larger economy gain qualified and much-needed talent. BSG graduates work throughout the IT ecosphere, including at companies like Intel, Microsoft, AT&T Wireless, Nike, Hewlett-Packard and Raytheon.

Clients & StudentsThe core of the matter. What good is a service company without a good product? Our products — highly experienced graduates and satisfied customers — go hand-in-hand. Students gain skills that are competitive and attractive to potential employers, and clients receive quality products and services. Who could ask for a better combination? Our clients, however, also gain from knowing that they've helped build the regional workforce — sometimes to their own direct advantage. BSG graduates step into high-tech careers with significantly reduced on-the-job training needs, often surpassing their peers in attaining that just-right position.

Academic ProgramsAs part of the College of Business at OSU, BSG is perfectly placed to benefit from the richness of a diverse academic environment. Reflecting the current reality of integration between business strategy and information technology, BSG operates as an integral part of the college's Management Information Systems (MIS) program — and complements the curricular goals of its faculty. BSG also offers considerable benefits to the computer science and engineering programs, of course. From business analysis and project management to hard-core software development and systems testing, we've got it covered.

Oregon State UniversityBSG is an incubator that produces highly skilled graduates and raises OSU's profile in the public and private sectors. BSG also provides software development services for OSU, creating custom applications for various operations on campus. Past projects include the OSU online course catalog, a curriculum workflow approval system, a fee-tracking system, a database for institutional demographics research, a student retention system and many others. BSG provides an opportunity for OSU to meet its own needs while teaching students valuable skills.

State AgenciesBSG partners with multiple state agencies to build applications that meet Oregonians' needs. With projects like the Oregon Virtual School District, a traffic control and emergency response system for the Department of Transportation and an online process for Oregonians to apply for energy tax credits, BSG provides value for the state while fostering student learning. Oregon knows how to be fiscally responsible by reinvesting tax dollars into education while meeting its own needs and making sound investments in its own economy.

The Regional EconomyThe high-tech sector is a major component of the Pacific Northwest economy and a key focus of the Oregon Business Plan. As an example of how BSG contributes to this dynamic area of opportunity, InsightsNow — recently identified by the Portland Business Journal as the second-fastest-growing business in the state — hired four of its key development employees directly from BSG. From on-campus and locally to statewide and regionally, BSG plays a significant role in providing talent for economic development and investment.

The IT EcosphereBSG is proud to be a Microsoft Business Partner, which sets us apart from most universities, while also participating in the exciting advances of open-source and shared-source technologies.

By partnering with the OSU Open Source Lab and Microsoft and participating in the Open Source Collaborative Institute, BSG ensures that it stays ahead of the curve, researching, developing and implementing the newest IT technologies and software strategies.

Peer InstitutionsEconomic development efforts across the nation are looking at ways that education and industry can collaborate. BSG has built an innovative model that makes sense. By turning a university service center into an experiential learning lab with clients across the state, BSG has created a viable long-term solution that maximizes state tax dollars and private sector investment — providing a service while building tomorrow's workforce and strengthening the regional economy. BSG's success serves as a prototype that other colleges and universities can look to as they explore ways to similarly harness the learning resources of their students and institutional assets.