Automating Business Processes Putting People First

1
Automating Business Processes Putting People
First
Dr. Gillian Jack Director of Student
Services University of Glamorgan
2
Online Enrolment in 3 Months?
3
Contents

• Deploying online services - a purely technical
  challenge?
• The importance of
• People in process automation
• Management buy-in pro-active support
• Adopting a phased approach
• The right partner
• Good practice practical perspectives
• Q A

4
Online Services A Purely Technical Challenge?

• Common view
• Deployment of online services is technical
  challenge

5
Online Services A Purely Technical Challenge?

• Our experience
• People, processes environment determine success

6
From Organisational Objective to Practical Reality

• Achieved in 3 months because
• Recognised fundamental importance of people in
  process
• Secured senior management buy-in
• Put proactive support in place
• Adopted phased approach
• Chose the right partner

7
The Importance of People

• People focused feasibility studies are vital
• Encourages buy in from key stakeholders
• Helps manage expectations

8
The Importance of People

• Use process workshops to gather information
• Project Manager needs to
• Understand organisational culture
• Work effectively with partner/supplier

9
Management Buy-in Proactive Support

• Project management process required that
• Recognises convergence between people, processes,
  partner technology

10
Management Buy-in Proactive Support

• Avoid reducing problems to technologically
  solvable units
• The right technology in place ? the right process
• Working process is a human activity
• How it is deployed as important as what is
  deployed

11
Flexibility Adaptability Taking a Phased
Approach

• Project needs clearly define goals timescale
• Ensure team have shared understanding of
  objectives, methodologies working practices
• Organise project around series of achievable
  phases

12
Project Organisation Communication Structure
Directorate
Programme Manager
Project Manager
Stakeholder
Stakeholder
Stakeholder

• Regular, clear communication vital
• Mix formal informal

13
The Right Partner

• Understand UK HE sector
• Recognise domain expertise specific
  requirements of institution

14
The Right Partner

• Work to create effective relationship through
  agreed
• Contract
• Functional specs
• Project management methodology
• Decision making process

15
The Right Partner

• Effective Communication
• Project
• Client
• User community
• Deliver software support that works for end-user

16
Future Universities Want Flexibility
17
Practical Considerations the Institutional
Perspective

• Undertake thorough process analysis as first step
  in the project
• Similarly significant when mapping out
  implementation
• Involve all key stakeholders
• Project governance structure goal orientated
• Process/procedural/service not technology driven

18
Practical Considerations the Institutional
Perspective

• The software product
• Institutions have different perspectives on what
  is core functionality
• Causes problems for supplier
• Apply pragmatic proportional judgement when
  signing off modules
• Use vanilla version of software product wherever
  possible
• Adjust internal processes to it

19
Standard Product vs Customisation
20
Practical Considerations the Institutional
Perspective

• Process change must be clearly defined managed
• Clear lines of accountability for performance
  management/accountability need to be in place
• Centralised administration appears to be best way
  to implement student MIS
• Governing controlling processes need to operate
  across schools/departments

21

• Questions