Transcript Document

Shared Services Initiative
Approach and Project Outline
Traditional University Operating Model
• Over the last 10-15 years, colleges and universities across the country have
launched efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of their core business
services
• In most cases they have found that their highly decentralized structures have led
to the following:
— Varying levels of service and service quality
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In some cases delivering high value, in others cases not
— Duplicated and often redundant processes, systems, and structures
— Reduced ability to achieve operational standards
— Increased institutional risk
— Reduced opportunities to gain economies of scale and resulting efficiencies
— Limited opportunity to build deep competencies in the people who deliver the
services
The Shared Services Model
In response, many universities have developed a “Shared Services” approach for
delivering business services, aimed at accomplishing the following:
• Improved service quality
— Reduced turnaround times, reduced errors, higher service levels
— Easier to use and easier to access services
— New higher-value services
— Deeper skills and expertise in HR, finance, and IT
— Meaningful career opportunities and progression for staff
• Improved operational efficiency
— Reduce the number of points of delivery which creates better financial and operational
controls
— Captured greater economies of scale
— Leverage technology to automate processes
— Resulted in greater consistency in the application and administration of policy
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The Services Pyramid
• Long range planning
Strategic • Building organizational capacity, competencies, and value
• Leveraging and maximizing resources
• Advising and counseling unit leaders
Consultative • Seeking input on current and future needs
• Consulting with employees and supervisors
Administrative
Desired State
• Transactional processes
• Record keeping
• Compliance
Strategic – Very few
Consultative – Some but varied
Administrative – Primary Focus
Traditional University Model
Opportunities at DU
• Like other universities, the University of Denver has opportunities to improve
the quality and effectiveness of its business services
• The primary goal of the Shared Services Initiative at the University of Denver is
to improve the quality of services, to faculty, staff and students
• By improving the quality of services, the institution will likely yield additional
benefits
— Increased efficiency and capacity which may lead to the reallocation of resources to
the academic enterprise
— Deeper skills, competencies, and stronger careers for those providing such services
— Reduced institutional risk
Gaining Institutional Support
• While moving to a Shared Services environment can yield significant financial and
operational benefits, it can also create significant cultural and operational risks
• Shared Services initiatives must be assessed, designed, managed, and
implemented in a thoughtful, careful, and strategic manner
• The most effective and successful initiatives are those that are widely supported
by key campus constituents, including senior administration leaders, academic
leaders, faculty, and end users.
• Projects that are inclusive and transparent have far better outcomes than those
that are done in isolation with limited campus input.
Project Management Structure
To support these themes we have developed a project leadership structure and
identified a cross functional group to serve on a Shared Services Committee
Project Co-Sponsors
Gregg Kvistad – Provost
Craig Woody – Vice Chancellor Business
and Financial Affairs
Project Co-Leaders
Margaret Henry - Controller/Assistant Treasurer
Julia McGahey - Associate Provost, Planning,
Budget & Analysis
Project Committee
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Rohini Ananthakrishnan
Chris Bennett
Joe Benson
Joe Bogner
Stefanie Cowan
Teri Fuller
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Margaret Henry
Amy King
Jen Kogovsek
Linda Kosten
Leandra Martinez
Julia McGahey
Project Support - Jane Bucher – McCoy
Excelcor – Scott Nostaja, Jennifer Donnelly
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Provide thought leadership and vision
Establish and communicate project goals and objectives
Remove barriers to committee progress
Monitor progress and create excitement for change
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Serve as committee members and support project goals
Provide formal and informal leadership
Build consensus and buy-in
Communicate progress to Co-Sponsors and other leaders
• Assess current structures and processes
• Assess competencies, skills, and culture
• Develop recommendations for a new shared services
organization structure
• Develop plans and strategies to achieve recommendations
• Identify cultural barriers to progress and develop plans for
overcoming challenges
An Integrated and Structured Approach
The Project will have four distinct phases
Phase 1 – Project Planning
Phase 1 - Project Planning and Preparation
Understand and articulate project
goals
Improve the quality of business services that are delivered to faculty,
students, and staff
The scope of the project will include all HR transactions (payroll,
time and leave entry, etc.); purchasing (contracts, travel, pcards,
etc.); scholarship awarding; and accounting; budget transactions
and monitoring.
Finalize the scope of the project
The project will also explore opportunities to integrate with UTS;
consider event coordination; news letter support; sponsored
programs support; marketing and communications; and additional
administrative support.
The project will also explore opportunities to add new consultative
and strategic services where appropriate.
Develop project structure and
identify Committee members
Completed
Develop project plans and
anticipate issues / challenges
Underway
Broadly share details of the project
Underway and on-going
Phase 2 – Diagnostic Assessment
Phase 2 – Diagnostic Assessment
• Understanding how core business services operate today is a critical step in
designing solutions for the future
• The Shared Services Project Committee along with Excelcor will perform the
following:
— Assess current organizational structures,
accountabilities of core business functions
roles,
responsibilities,
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— Assess relevant policies, processes, practices, controls, data, and measurements
— Identify and quantify current resources used to deliver business services
— Review and assess current service levels
— Assess the competencies, skills, and culture of those currently delivering core
business functions
Phase 3 – Organizational Design
Phase 3 – Organizational Design
• The Shared Services Project Committee and Excelcor will explore, consider, and
test various design models, as well as develop recommendations for a new
shared services organization structure
• Among other things the Committee and Excelcor will:
— Generate and test ideas, suggestions, and input into designing an effective shared
services organization
— Review best practice models
— Document all design sessions
— Create a final set of organizational design and process recommendations
— Anticipate and consider cultural, operational, or organizational barriers
— Conduct financial analysis of recommendations
— Facilitate meetings in which recommendations are reviewed and presented to
campus leaders and others
Phase 4 – Implementation Planning
Phase 4 – Implementation Planning
• During this phase, detailed plans are designed that allow the recommended
model to be successfully implemented.
• Specific tasks, activities, timelines, and milestones are created along with a
detailed financial analysis which identifies required resources (human,
financial, technological, and physical) to implement the recommendations
• Among other activities, the Project Committee and Excelcor will:
— Develop plans to migrate various roles, individuals, physical locations, and
technology into the new structure
— Create new job or role descriptions and develop a process to fill roles in the new
model
— Identify training or educational needs implement the model
Projected Timeline
Time Commitment and Project Timeframe
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Committee Members will be asked to meet every two weeks for 2 hours
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Occasional ‘homework’ assignments will be made
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Central units (HR, Finance, etc.) will be asked to supply data and other information
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Senior Staff, Deans, and other institutional leaders will be asked to review progress at
regular intervals (after each Phase)
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Marketing and Communication staff will be asked to support communication tasks
Phases
Projected Timeframe
Diagnostic Assessment Phase
45-60 Days
Organizational Design
45-60 Days
Implementation Planning
Implementation
30 Days
TBD
Effective Teaming
Effective Teaming
Role of the Committee Member
– Provide thought leadership
– Provide honest and open assessment of the current environment
– Support the collection and analysis of internal and external information
– Engage in constructive debate and dialogue
– Formulate and test new ideas
– Build on ideas, thoughts, and suggestions of others
– Participate fully – be engaged
Effective Teaming
The Evolution of Teams
Performing
• Satisfaction with team progress
• Close attachment to the team
Norming
• Ability to criticize constructively, acceptance of members
StormingStorming
• More friendliness, team cohesion, establishing & maintaining
team goals
• Resistance,
change in attitude
• Resistance,
change in attitude
Arguingmembers,
between members,
establishing
goals, disunity
• Arguing•between
establishing
unrealistic unrealistic
goals, disunity
Forming
• Excitement, anticipation, and optimism
• Defining tasks, determining acceptable group behavior
Communications
Balancing Communications and Confidentiality
The Demand for Information
• Highly visible project involving roles and
jobs
• Organizational curiosity on how the project
will impact individuals
• Lack of information breeds insecurity,
uninformed speculation and rumors
The Demand for Confidentiality
• Content is sensitive and communications
need to be accurate
• Designs are evolutionary and premature
communication is irresponsible
• Teams are developing recommendations
– not making final decisions
Schedule
Meeting Schedule
• Every Other Week
• Wednesday Morning’s 8:30-10:30
• Location – TBD
• Commencing January 15, 2014
• Target Completion – June 2014
Getting Started
Getting Started
– Review / clarify our objectives, charge, scope, role and logistics
– Define Committee rules of engagement
• Have an agenda and stick to it
• Respect individual contributions
• Clarify assignments / actions / hold each other accountable
• Decision making process?
– Begin to build communication plan
– Information request and collection
– Creating an initial hypothesis - SWOT
Thank You!
Questions?
[email protected]