CIO Briefing

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CIO Briefing

• Feb. 14, 2007
• Part 3
• University Process Improvement
• Andy Richards, Bruce Maas,
• Associate Vice Chancellor Interim CIO
• Business Financial Services
  Information MediaTechnologies

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Our discussions thus far.

• With Richard Meadows
• We have a business need to be
• more efficient and effective.

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Our discussions thus far.

• With Karl Sparks
• We have a need to re-engineer our
  business processes by selecting
  and using a consistent methodology.

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Todays discussion

• How process improvement
• can affect the bottom line and

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Todays discussion
How a consistent methodology can improve success.
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CIOs across the country

• 1 Priority
• Improving Business Processes

According to CIO surveys conducted by
Gartner in 2005, 2006 2007
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Beginning work on

• Development of standard campus project
• management methodology with processes and
• templates to
• Gather system requirements
• Identify and reengineer business processes
• Two projects underway that could benefit
• Tutoring/Mentoring project
• Scholarship project

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What is methodology?

• Repeatable set of steps used for every requested
  project
• Consistent
• No short cuts
• Practices used successfully for
• past 30 years in construction and
• private industry system development

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Pre-IMT Involvement

• Clear definition of project
• Detailed review of current processes
• Agreement of project scope
• Concise definition of roles
• Approval at the top level
• Adequate funding

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What are the steps of aneffective methodology?

• Project planning phase
• Current situation assessment
• Solution design
• Business case development (funding)

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What are the steps of an effective
methodology? (cont.)

• Solution development
• Implementation
• Assessment
• Continuous improvement

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Who leads the efforts?

• Individual should
• Be trained to follow methodology
• Have an association with the process
  owner (HR, Student, etc.)
• Be on the business side (outside of IT)

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Process Improvements (BFS)

• Personnel Action Forms
• Invoices and ImageNow
• End-of-Month Closing

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Personnel Actions Forms

• Project description
• Updating a completely manual process (NCR Forms)
• Using technology to create, route and approve
  forms

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Personnel Actions Forms

• Project goals
• Streamline the process
• Save time
• Reduce errors
• Serve customers better

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Personnel Actions Forms

• Project scope
• Impacts every unit on campus
• Partnered with customers, stakeholders and
  suppliers
• Sponsored by BFS and Provosts Office

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Personnel Actions Forms

• Roadblocks to completing
• Inconsistencies in
• business practices
• Limited documentation
• of current processes

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Project description
• Image invoices
• Transmit and store them electronically
• Replace current manual processes

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Project goals
• Eliminate copying and mailing of invoices
• Reduce staff and transaction time
• Increase customer service

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Project scope
• All business units on campus will be impacted
• BFS is leading the project

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Process before business process improvement
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Results of business process Improvement
Steps eliminated
Steps added
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Process after business process improvement
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Invoices and ImageNow

• Customer service improvements

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Time savings

Returned invoices box is empty!
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Invoices and ImageNow

• New electronic look-up features

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Invoices and ImageNow

• No paper copies made or mailed

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Space savings in office

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Storage savings

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Dollar savings

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Invoices and ImageNow

• Increased information security

No more open files
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End-of-month Closing

• Example of a small project you can do
• What can you do NOW to get
• a project like this started?

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What can you do now?

• Examine a current assignment or process
• Is there another or better way to do this?
• What would my customers like to see or have? 
• Have co-worker review
• your current process.
• Then, do the same for your co-worker.

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What can you do now?

• As a manager
• Move assignments around periodically.
• A fresh set of eyes may identify new
  opportunities.  
• Learn more about the tools you are using They
  have changed, have you?

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Lessons Learned

• No process is too big or too small
• Partner, Partner, Partner
• Involve customers (Internal/External)
• Be patient and persistent

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Lessons Learned (cont.)

• Create appropriate culture and support mechanisms
  for change
• Commonality and consistency create
• efficiency flexibility

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IMTs Role

• Understand and communicate the existing
  architecture and systems
• Work from the functional requirements
• Ensure every project has a clear business owner
  and sponsor
• Consult with business owners
• Develop and teach use of a framework for IT
  project prioritization

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Whats the payback?

• Streamlined business processes
• Higher level of automation
• Simplification of staff work
• Minimization of inefficient processes
• Reduction of errors
• Better and faster data availability

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CIO Briefing
Part 3 University Process Improvement Question
s? Comments?
Andy Richards andrew_at_uwm.edu Ext. 5866
Bruce Maas bmaas_at_uwm.edu Ext. 2834