Business Process Change Programme

1. Business Process Change Programme Summary of Progress and Findings www.ulster.ac.uk/businessprocess

2. 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

3. 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 end-user’s perspective; frequently based on past practices or crisis management • No particular drive for efficiency Business Process Change Programme

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Findings – Graduations • Processes involved in contacting students and in recording replies and lodging fees are time-consuming • Processes for invited guests are through a locally-developed Access system which is unsupported by corporate IT resources Business Process Change Programme

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Overview of main emerging recommendations • Enhance access to system by staff by providing web-based reporting and enabling electronic communication • Replace Student Information System • Introduce Student Portal • Enhance support for WebCT Business Process Change Programme

22. 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

23. 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