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University of St AndrewsSER

Report on summer 2014 workshops with observations

5th August 2014

College Gate, St Andrews

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SER Programme Principles

• Simplification – providing financial and time savings

• Visibility and Transparency – providing improved quality and compliance

• E:enablement – providing community engagement and communication

• Adaptation and flexibility – providing sustainability

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Summer Workshop Design Principles• Improved service to students

• Process simplification

• Better working environment

• Improved quality and compliance

• Ability to respond swiftly to future market forces

• Improved data quality and reporting capability

• Informed decision making

• Financial and time savings

REDUCING RISK, CREATING CAPACITY, PROTECTING OUR FUTURE

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SER Desired Culture and Behaviour to ensure delivery

• A challenging, encouraging and inclusive environment

• A focus on solutions rather than problems

• More activities that involve inter-team/cross-functional working

• More proactivity (less fire-fighting)

• More valuable engagement with the student population and external partners

• Clearly defined ownership and responsibility for activities, processes and outcomes

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Summer Workshop Culture and Behaviour• A challenging, encouraging, collaborative and inclusive environment

• A focus on creating better solutions for our students through more effective ways of working

• A focus on outcomes and generating energy in the group

• Time to reflect, understand and learn from each other

• A focus on solutions rather than problems

• Acknowledging that each of us is expert in our area of work

• Cross-functional working, no hierarchy of interest, unit neutral

• All opinions are valid

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SER Desired Outcomes• Positively changing the culture of the University

• Enabling joined up thinking across the University

• Enhancing the student and staff experience

• Enhancing planning and control capabilities within the University

• Improving the effectiveness of the administration function

• Providing process efficiency through streamlining and standardisation

• Providing coherent data to all University stakeholders

• Providing seamless operations to all users of the system

• Providing an enhanced reputation for St Andrews within the HE sector

• Rationalising common processes and applications

• Reducing operational costs

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• Current resistance to change within the University as each establishment structure (whether School, Unit or Team) considers itself exceptional (ie, a strong feeling that complexity itself brings a sense of uniqueness)

• Legacy processes, technologies and organisational structures are too ingrained to allow for change

• Prevailing cynicism due to previous failures

• Insufficient investment in necessary resources and skills

• A lack of understanding of what can be done (ie, the deliverable scope) and attempts to increase scope to meet additional/exceptional demands

• Academic cycles seen as constraints rather than opportunities to be innovative in terms of delivery models

SER Perceived Obstacles to delivery

• Reviewed the seven projects from 2012-2013 in a series of workshops • Paperless Admissions, Advising, Curriculum Approvals, Change of Circumstance, Collaboration & Study

Abroad Database, Scholarships & Funding and Interactive Workspaces• 34 individual staff attended in total• 5 one-day workshops scheduled per project• Flexible scheduling – built around staff availability• Evolutionary – took account of what has already been done• Holistic – student journey provided the project framework

• Held 10 one-hour introductory workshops for staff/Teams• IT, Admissions, Finance, Registry, Computing Officers, Finance Officers, Admissions Officers, Schools

Administrators• Attended by over 100 staff

• Met 1:1 with Programme Board and other senior staff• 30-minute introductory conversations

• Introduced the idea of a ‘continuous improvement’ culture

What staff did together this summer

• Staff support for sessions has been excellent• Attendance• Commitment• Group activities

• SER has been re-energised • Focus has been on getting things done/moving forward• Flexible approach to meeting scheduling• Created a belief that things will happen this time around• Conversations have been challenging but open-minded• Consensus based decisions despite varied responsibilities, interests and desired outcomes

• SITS has been confirmed as a platform that could be used to deliver the SER programme requirements• Considered view of each project group• Project requirements were surveyed in line with a gap analysis of the SITS local configuration• Detailed Tribal report on each project will be provided for Programme Board on 14 August

What the Workshops achieved this summer

Review of existing project

materials

Student Journey

To-Be Process

Map

Enabling Technology

Delivery planning

Workshop Structure

Workshop Outputs Summary

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Future state process maps

User stories

Required information fields

SITS gap analysis

Mission Statement

Visual Summary

Paperless Admissions Advising Curriculum Approvals Changes of Circumstance x CSA Database n/a n/a n/aFunding & Scholarships Partial xInteractive Workspaces n/a n/a n/a n/a

The student journey – how it looks from the inside

The student journey – how it looks from the outside

Eg, process map – Study Abroad

Eg, project mission statement – Curriculum Approvals

Eg, project visual summary – Paperless Admissions

Number of

Applicants

Information required from students

Enquiry

Relationship with student

Application

Offer Conversion

Confirmation

Key themes identified by Workshop participants

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Theme Identified CommentWe rely too much on stand-alone systems/databases, local knowledge and key personnel

Risk has long been known to the Institution but revealed as a primary concern within workshops

We say we want to get things done – and then put obstacles in the way

Evidence of scope creep and a lack of clarity around programme expectations and project objectives

We say we want simplification – and then demand that we each have a tailor made solution for our own priorities

Current resistance to change within the University as each School and Unit considers itself unique or exceptional

We say we want people to be open and honest but many feel disenfranchised or unable to speak up

We don’t have enough baseline data so it’s difficult to be objective. This means my views have to be expressed as opinions, a personal expression I’m uncomfortable with (what if I’m mistaken………)

We’re very good at creating new things but are reluctant to discard the obsolete

We need to de-clutter!

We’re not very good at calling things what they actually are

I’m worried about using the wrong language so I say nothing – eg, a unit called Admissions that seems to focus on Recruitment activities

• To deliver something/anything!

• To see tangible results for all the effort and time invested so far

• To have more control over making improvements to how staff work• There is excellent local knowledge of what needs to be fixed• Staff can learn/enact simple techniques to turn them into capable problem solvers/solution

designers/implementers

• To know exactly what is expected of them

• To be given the skills and resources to deliver and the ability to quantify and measure their own success

• To work more collaboratively with each other and with students (ie, to be more effective)

What Workshop participants want for SER

• The summer Workshops have re-ignited a belief in the value of SER for the University

• Momentum has been created • “I’ll tell you one thing,: I’ve been coming to Lean for five years and putting Post It notes on bits of

paper so if nothing comes of this I’ll not be coming here again.”• We need to break the cycle of “We keep telling you this is needed/broken” and move to a cycle of

“let’s do something with our knowledge and experience”

• The University employs excellent people • High levels of business knowledge• Staff desire to make a difference in service delivery• Project delivery skills can be learnt by most everyone with good teaching

• Delivery of SER is critical to securing the long term success of St Andrews• Success will enable the University to uncover the next layer of opportunity – to think and behave more

strategically• All SER projects are interdependent to some extent• The only constraints to the pace of delivery are resources and the capacity to absorb change

Summary

• SER purpose and vision need to be restated• St Andrews needs a clear strategic vision for SER that is understood by all• Single unified message from Programme Board to enable project teams to have clarity of their

objectives• Visible support for SER through Programme Board’s own behaviours – informal ‘go-see’ attitude

• SER projects must be adequately resourced to meet planned deadlines• Ring-fenced resource that supports Business as Usual without jeopardising development

• SER must interact effectively with MIG and Digital Communication projects to ensure a cohesive outcome across all three groups

• SER needs to build teams, set clear objectives, challenge ways of thinking and then……………………

TRUST STAFF TO DELIVER!

Observations on how to move forward

• External viewpoint sharing best practice• SITS capability• Critical friend• Challenging business assumptions and business rules• Changing perspectives

• A fast-paced, pragmatic delivery style• Uncomplicated, easy to use tools & techniques• Clear and compelling case for change at each/every project stage

• Greater clarity within project communications • Single template for benefits/project tracking to inform prioritisation and resource planning decision so

that everyone ‘sees’ the same information at every stage of a project• A revised governance structure placing responsibility for delivery and decision making closer to

where the work is done

• Project delivery supported by a transition towards a Continuous Improvement culture• Creates ‘belief’, builds team ethic and delivers an in-house problem solving capability

Moving forward with Tribal – benefits of a partnership

Our SER Mission Statement