Conquering the Mountain:
papers, folders, file cabinets –
where does it end!?!
University of North Carolina Wilmington
ITSD
- Liz Hosier, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor
- Sandie Sue, Project and Process Manager, Technology Needs Assessment and
Consulting
Copyright Sandra Sue , 2008. This work is the intellectual property of the
author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for noncommercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement
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The way we were . . .
 Receiving applications
 Receiving transcripts, statements of interest, letters of
recommendation and other supporting documentation to be matched
with applications
 Spending hours making copies once prospective applications were
complete
 Sending documents to academic departments for committee review
through campus mail or walking the documents across campus to the
department
 Departments contacting graduate admissions staff because all
documentation was not received and application was not complete
The way we were . . .
 Spending hours searching for documentation that was supposedly
received
 Occasionally having to contact the prospective student to request
documentation be resent
 Once academic department committee determined to offer or decline
admissions, FINALLY a decision notification to student
 Spending hours comparing reports and lists and cleaning up files in
order to transfer enrolled student folders to the Registrar
 Departments contacting graduate admissions staff because all
documentation was not received and application was not complete
The way things looked . . .
Just the facts on file storage . . .
 Two file drawers of GRE and GMAT test score documentation – no
prospective student applications (document retention is 5 years)
 Two file drawers of transcripts and TOEFL scores – no prospective
student applications (document retention is 5 years)
 Twenty file drawers of applications and supporting documentation in
folders, varying statuses (document retention is 2 to 5 years)
 Ten large storage bins of inactive file folders (document retention is 5
years)
What’s an office to do . . .
 Process improvement team scheduled meetings with Graduate School
staff to determine current application process
 Once steps were documented, process improvement team developed
process maps
 PI team analyzed current processes and formulated best practice
process improvement scenarios
 PI team met with Graduate School staff to review process maps and
preview process improvement scenarios
 Graduate School, PI team and ITSD worked through process
improvement scenarios to develop a project plan
What’s an office to do . . .
 Selected two academic departments to implement process
improvement project plan representative of the two applicant review
processes being utilized
 Worked with each program department to document current
application process
 Created Visio of application process for imaging technical team to
utilize in the setting up of security, electronic file drawers and queues
 Currently working through graduate departments implementing
application process improvements
 Worked with Technology Enhanced Learning to develop training
materials for campus and schedule training sessions
The next step . . .
 Worked with Registrar to prepare for access to newly enrolled graduate
student imaged files
 Registrar chose to outsource imaging of currently enrolled student
folders (25,000+ student folders with approximately 625,000
documents)
 All documents received by Registrar will be scanned upon receipt and
linked to student files
The actual process . . .
Addressing Process Inefficiencies:
 Non-value added processing
 Paper intensive work processes (document handling, copying, filing)
 Frequent manual activities
 Physical paper storage
 Records management
Solution Suite
 Document Management / Imaging - ImageNow
 Workflow - ImageNow
 Job Automation and Scheduling – Appworx
 Data Storage Management
Imaging / Workflow Process Improvements
Benefits
 Improved customer service
 Improved productivity
 Elimination of paper to significantly reduce storage requirements
 Availability of documents online across departments & divisions
 Accelerated completion of cross-departmental tasks
 Automation of routing of documents for approval and processing
 Instant communication and enhanced responsiveness
Imaging / Workflow Process Improvements
Benefits
 Automation of the backup and DR for documents
 Data retention plan and file management
 Consistent organizational procedures
 Streamlined and/or eliminated mundane, low-value tasks
 Dramatic savings in staff time and increased staff morale
 Business process metrics to track workflow effectiveness
Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow
Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow
Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow
Workflow Activities
Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow
Business Component Catalogue – Workflow component used to perform
actions to:
 Launch Banner forms
 Run SQL queries - access any database, not just Banner
 Run Oracle procedures
 Launch Word documents and Excel spreadsheets
 Launch other workflows
 And more!
Business Events – external actions which trigger Workflows to perform an action
 Banner events
 AY admissions actions
Parameters – interaction between Workflow and application handled with
parameters send data back and forth
Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow
Workflow Modeler – Workflow design component used to create a
workflow which is a series of items/ tasks to be perform:
 E-mail someone
 Capture data in a custom forms (used for capturing data that is not
otherwise captured within an application)
 Create manual tasks to provide directions or information to the uses
on what is to be performed
 Create activities to launch a Banner form, run queries, run procedure
The workflow model consists of a series of items.
 Each item is a task.
 Each user is set up in workflow and assigned a role
 The role is assigned to a task
 Anyone with that role would get the task on their worklist
Imaging/Workflow - ImageNow
Job Automation and Scheduling - AppWorx
Benefits
 Maximizes computing resources and optimizes application throughput
 Automates processes otherwise performed by individuals increasing
efficiencies
 Ensures better job management by properly sequencing jobs
 Enables "event-based" processing as well as "date-based and
time-based”
 Handles dependencies between applications
 Reduces the number of jobs, scripts, and processing errors
 Detects errors immediately and send alert notifications
Graduate School Expected Return on Investment
Process Improvements
 AY applications - 2006-07 received 1,124 electronically
 Program targeted for growth - 70% projected enrollment growth from
2007 to 2012 – 1911 applications
 Improved services: The major improvement in the speed and efficiency
of service to prospective students (applicants)
 Increase the number of students enrolling in graduate programs at
UNCW
 Increase in number of graduate programs that are able to fill available
slots
 Cost savings over 5 years: estimated $410,500
Graduate School Expected Return on Investment
Estimated cost savings - $410,500
 Staff support: Two additional staff for enrollment growth - $60,000 per
year -$300,000 over five years
 Staff overtime: 120 hours per year compensatory leave - $12,000 over
five years
 Student help: Estimated $3,000 per year - $15,000 over five years
 Copying: Estimated $4,800 per year - $24,000 over five years
 Archiving: Estimated$4,400 per year - $22,000 over five years
 Filing efficiency: Two admissions specialists at five hours each per week
searching for misfiled documents and following up on files that have been
routed, but not returned. Approximately $7,500 per year - $37,500 over
five years
Net Results of Process Improvement
 Provide an institutional advantage among our peer institutions
 Increase the number of graduate students because of timely decisions
 Improved service to students – no loss or misfiled documents, faster
document routing, etc.
 Real $’s saved by not printing documents for routing, storing, etc.
 Floor / warehouse space for paper storage significantly reduced /
avoided
Where do we go from here . . .
Next stop!
Research Services and
Sponsored Programs
 200 – 350 active awards
 approximately 150 new
awards each year
 11 file drawers of active
awards
 4 file drawers of proposals
Approximately 100,000 documents
currently implementing RAMSeS
14 drawers and 10 boxes
of archived files
12 drawers of grant files in closing

So . . .
 Put on your hiking boots
 Roll up your sleeves
 And let’s Conquer the Mountain!
Questions?