Business Process Change
Programme
Summary of Progress and Findings
www.ulster.ac.uk/businessprocess
We are good at many things
• Popular university
• Very good teaching quality and research ratings
• Very capable staff at all levels
• Clear mission
• Strong regional identity
Business Process Change Programme
2
But it is increasingly a competitive world
• Growing numbers of clients
• Expectation of good service
• Demand for 24 x 7
• Processes are not usually “reviewed from the enduser’s perspective; frequently based on past
practices or crisis management
• No particular drive for efficiency
Business Process Change Programme
3
What are the needs of those who
contact us?
• They want their dealings with us to be well managed,
responsive and easy to pursue as well as with the best
informed source.
• Enquirers with a developing relationship with us expect to
be recognised by the University in the same way as they
experience when using online or telephone services
offered by other public or private sector organizations (e.g.
airlines, online shops etc.)
• Students are paying customers and expect to be dealt with
as such
Business Process Change Programme
4
Business Process Change Group
• To develop and foster a culture of working co-operatively
across faculty and departmental boundaries to deliver cost
effective and user-oriented services employing new
technologies and processes as appropriate
• Reviewing the present decision-making and organisational
structures with the aim of recommending improvements
which ensure effective co-ordination and communication.
• Ensuring that funds and staff resources for projects
affecting the business processes of the University are
directed to achieve maximum gain for service and cost
efficiency.
Business Process Change Programme
5
Changing Our Business Processes
• The Group has investigated 2 priority areas for the new
approach
• The rationale is to reform one or two areas thoroughly
rather than dissipate effort over a wide range.
• The two areas are, respectively, the management of the
student experience from initial contact through to
registration and the management of the student’s
teaching and learning experience
Business Process Change Programme
6
Work Plan and action to date
Phase 1 June 2003 – June 2004
• Business Process Change Group (BPCG) establishes Student projects
• Student Process analysis leading to findings and recommendations
• Review of Committee and organisational structure by BPCG
Phase 2 June 2004 – October 2005
• Implementation of organisational and business process changes
recommended in Phase 1 by BPCG
• Procurement of new Student Information System
• Introduction of student portal and new student admissions system
• Development of staff portal
Business Process Change Programme
7
Work Plan and action to date
Phase 3 September 2005 – August 2006
• First full year of new structures
• Implementation of staff portal
• Implementation of full student system
Business Process Change Programme
8
9 Guiding Principles
• Enquirers must be able to contact the University easily
and gain the information or service required quickly
without requiring a detailed knowledge of UU structures
• A “one-stop-shop” or “help-desk” approach should be the
model for enquiry handling
• Technologies should support this service culture rather
than dictate it
• Telephone, email and correspondence-based services as
well as personal visits must be handled in the same way
Business Process Change Programme
9
9 Guiding Principles
• UU should be able to recognise quickly and efficiently
through its ICT systems with whom it is dealing
• The bulk of information requests and formal procedures
be handled electronically, especially through the Web.
• Business processes will be subject to continuous
improvement
 Standards for services will be clearly defined & tested.
 Business processes will be operated as efficiently as
possible in the interest of both the enquirer and of
controlling costs Business Process Change Programme
10
Findings - Enquiries and Contacts
• Telephone contact poor - unanswered calls, voicemail etc.
• Lack of customer-friendly manner, “owning problems”
• Enquiries are rarely recorded and are not linked to
applications
• Marketing fragmented
• Web does not sell the University; courses difficult to find on
web
• Current students have to walk their problem around UU; too
many points of contact
• Web structured by department, information hidden in several
layers; different authentication requirements
Business Process Change Programme
11
Findings - Admissions
• UCAS system paper-based; large numbers of forms passed
between offices
• UCAS will move to paperless system in 2005
• No monitoring or tracking - P/T and other direct entry
students want better response and to see what is happening
via the Web
• Customers are dealing with three different departments –
Schools Liaison, Registry and Faculties
• Research student admissions bureaucratic and paper-based
Business Process Change Programme
12
Findings - student records, course
administration
• Module amendments not notified to UU database in timely
fashion, with knock-on effects
• Course Directors heavily loaded with admin, affecting
teaching, research
• Multiple student ‘systems’
• Access to information by students and staff is limited and
requires navigation through our web site
• No standard procedures for receipting coursework or
recording attendance
• Multiplicity of student IT accounts
• Computer accounts not created fast enough in many cases
Business Process Change Programme
13
Findings – Examinations
• Current marks collection system is based on Access 97 and
requires substantial support effort
• Module changes are not always recorded in a timely manner
• Exam Scheduler software is not dynamically linked to Student
System, requiring manual intervention
• Examination Board processes for mark amendment can be time
consuming and lead to delays
Business Process Change Programme
14
Findings – Graduations
• Processes involved in contacting students and in recording
replies and lodging fees are time-consuming
• Processes for invited guests are through a locallydeveloped Access system which is unsupported by
corporate IT resources
Business Process Change Programme
15
Findings – Student Fees
• Large numbers of queries on fees - many generated by
inaccurate data or individual fee agreements
• Late production of invoices
• Difficulty in allocating cash
• Availability of on-line payments is limited
• Students cannot view consolidated debt statement
Business Process Change Programme
16
Findings – Student Email and Web
Access
•
•
•
•
No guarantee that students will access Netmail
No alerts to student that they have new Netmail
Students may prefer to use their personal email accounts
No facility for staff to email students in bulk from student
system
• No facility to contact students via SMS texting
• Students have to remember faculty/course URLs and to
navigate to these to obtain relevant information
Business Process Change Programme
17
Findings – WebCT
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lacks penetration in a number of areas
Not embedded in mainstream culture of university
Module-based – lacks a ‘course’ focus
Heavily reliant on accuracy of module enrolments
Students have to re-authenticate themselves
Additional email system
Due dates not included automatically in calendar
Business Process Change Programme
18
Findings – Links to Other Systems
• A number of systems hold student records independent of
the corporate system - e.g. Room Service, Torex
• Growing demand for student system to feed others e.g.
Progress Files , NIIMLE projects
Business Process Change Programme
19
Overview of main emerging
recommendations
• Need for One Stop Shop approach for student-related
activities
• Re-organisation of admissions and marketing
• Greater standardisation (e.g. fees)
• Changes to gain improvements in timeliness and accuracy
of information in Student System
• More student self-service facilities for maintaining their
record
Business Process Change Programme
20
Overview of main emerging
recommendations
• Enhance access to system by staff by providing webbased reporting and enabling electronic
communication
• Replace Student Information System
• Introduce Student Portal
• Enhance support for WebCT
Business Process Change Programme
21
Student Portal
• Personalised ‘front page’ content
• Single or ‘simplified’ sign-on
• Alerts – assignments, email, fees
• Appropriate links to information resources with
authentication
• Student Information System maintenance facilities
• Collaborative tools, including WebCT
Business Process Change Programme
22
Next steps
• Consultation exercise with areas likely to be affected
by organisational change proposals
• Further visits by teams of select staff to centres of good
practice & innovation
• Final costed proposals
• Detailed recommendations for organisational change
• Establish student implementation project
• Establish portal project
Business Process Change Programme
23