“Indispensable Performance
Management Strategies for the
Business Officer”
Tim Gilmour, President
Wilkes University
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Introduction
• Wilkes University
–
–
–
–
3,400 FTE Students
Comprehensive University—Wide Range of Programs
Located in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Strategic Plan Goals
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Partnering with Sungard
• Address two initiatives in which we have
partnered with Sungard to enhance
performance management
–
–
Development and implementation of a strategic plan for
information technology
Re-engineering key student support services processes
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
Where we started
in 2001
•
•
•
Local area network put together with bailing wire
Very uneven, inadequate deployment of equipment
and software
Modest, decentralized assistance for instructional
design and technology utilization
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
Where we are today
•
•
•
Connection to internet 2
Powerful internal network
Campus-wide wireless capability
•
Latest equipment
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
Where we are today
• Software standardization
• Significant progress toward the effective implementation of
Banner administrative system and campus portal
• The makings of a great instructional technology support
function
• Early adoption of the Apple Duo Platform
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
How did we make so much
progress and how did Sungard
help?
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
• Strategic planning process
–
–
–
–
–
Stretched the organization
Allowed us to think much bigger—
and execute in manageable bites
Began the development of a technologically
integrated educational model
Showed us how to fit hardware and software into organization
And gave us the confidence to make major investment in IT
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
Problems
• A lack of customer-specific focus to ensure that
our IT needs were met
• Inadequate coordination among sub-system
groups implementing Banner
• Sungard staff should have provided stronger
leadership for IT governance and administration
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
IT Strategic Plan
•
Fact is Sungard helped us move forward much more
rapidly than we could have on our own
•
Sungard’s planned emphasis on helping customers
to achieve strategic performance goals certainly will
make it even better
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Student Service
Center
• Two premises
–
–
Students want convenience of one place to
transact business with university
We could improve quality of service and
reduce costs (single student record)
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Student Service
Center
• What we did right—seized “perfect storm”
opportunity
• Created a new organization rather than moving four
departments together (eliminated silos)
• Gave selected employees “clean sheet” opportunity to
redesign services to be much more focused on customer
• Could move new organization into open work space
increased communications
• Reduced annual costs by $400,000
• Closed buildings and significantly reduced square footage
and operating costs
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Student Service
Center
• What we did wrong
• Needed better student/faculty input—Registrar Example
• Human resources issues needed to be handled more
humanely
• Did not have a process improvement paradigm; should
have spent more time mapping and analyzing processes
• Did not anticipate the degree of impact on the campus
culture
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Student Service Center
How Sungard Helped
•
•
Gave us the confidence to think big—attempt
transformative change
Connected us with organizations that had
undertaken such change
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Student Service Center
How Sungard did not help
• Did not provide process re-engineering
assistance
• Did not have sufficient focus on the
outcomes we were trying to achieve with
one stop transformation
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Performance Management
Strategy
• What to do
–
–
–
Go for the gusto — create a new organization
The customer is always right — listen to them early and often
Treat people with respect — it sends a message throughout the
organization for future change
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
Performance Management
Strategy
• What not to do
–
–
–
Neglect to use a systematic and systemic process improvement
paradigm
Rush mapping and analyzing processes —
it saves time in the end
Ignore deep ramifications of change
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
It is always better to act, make mistakes,
adjust and move forward than to wait for
the perfect moment.
“Indispensable Performance Management
Strategies for the Business Officer”
“Thank you”
Tim Gilmour
President, Wilkes University
Joseph.Gilmour@wilkes.edu
570-408-4000