Business Process Review Academic Registry Student Systems and Administration Business Process Review Team Karen Williams February 2008

 What is a Business Process?  Why is the Academic Registry conducting a Business Process Review?  How will the Business Process Review be undertaken?  Where will the information be stored once the Business Process Review is completed? Business Process Review

What is a Business Process? A business process is a series of steps designed to produce a service (or a product) & involves Steps may be all contained within a corporate/service department or a faculty but usually they span across the organisation structure of the University input  transformation  output Business Process Review

So a Business Process Review is : An assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative, financial and operational business processes, and an evaluation of the alternatives. The analysis and design of workflows and processes in an organisation. Business Process Review

Why is the Academic Registry conducting a Business Process Review? One of the Academic Registry’s key strategic aims for is : to deliver an institutional framework for the management of student administration in which duplication is eradicated and where students themselves have primary responsibility for their records management In order to achieve this strategic aim the Academic Registry is undertaking a student administration facing business process review which will involve the mapping and documenting of key student administrative processes from registration to graduation. Business Process Review

The current situation: Different processes for the same task across faculties and even within faculties Staff are unsure where to find a definitive answer on the process for different tasks Processes no longer fit for purpose Administration staff are having to design new processes under pressure to cope with new Regulations or University initiatives without being given the opportunity or resources to do so effectively Good practice is not always being shared Business Process Review

The Business Process Review will allow us to:  describe, define and analyse the student administration processes currently in place to identify inconsistencies, ineffectiveness and inefficiency operating across the University in nine separate schools  identify best (standard) practice for adoption across the whole institution within a centrally managed student administration framework and reduce duplication of effort  identify and approve specific deviations from the centrally agreed business process  create a web powered library interface of standard process maps Business Process Review

 use the defined and agreed business processes as a basis for identifying software change requests to the student records system  allow us to identify where manual activities could better be achieved using appropriate technology  facilitate communication between services where decisions made in student administration impacts upon other services and vice versa  act as a showcase for the rest of the University who may wish to use the software  enhance the quality of the student and staff experience. Business Process Review

How will the Business Process Review be undertaken? The Project has been split into a number of phases. Phase One – Assessment Phase Two – Registration Phase Three – Graduation Phase Four – Review and Re-evaluation Business Process Review

USAC Subgroup decides on Best Practice and Agreed Deviations Methodology Analysis Phase - in consultation with faculty and service experts, draw up proposals for University-wide version of process Map Faculty versions of process via workshops with Faculty representatives Map basic process – in consultation with Faculty and Service experts Business Process Review

Methodology USAC Subgroup makes recommendations to USAC. USAC Reports decision to ISCG and LTAC where necessary. Business Process Maps created and made available in online library. Training will be provided. The Business Process Team will invite feedback and contribute to regular reviews, incorporate changes as a result of Regulatory changes etc. Business Process Review

Methodology Gather information through Workshops and in consultation with Faculty Administrative staff involved in the process. Workshops Staff involved in the doing the process will be asked to attend. They will need to do some preparation – thinking in advance about the current process and any known issues At the workshop - draw the process and begin redesigning the process through discussion Business Process Review

Workshops Continued The workshops will cover fundamental questions such as: What is the purpose, the objective of the activity? What objective should it have? Where does it starts and where does it end? What is the output and what it this used for? How is the activity measured at the moment (if at all)? Does it meet the objective & how well? Business Process Review

Workshops Continued And gather essential information about: specific Professional Body requirements suggestions for improving processes where bottlenecks occur where a manual process could be done more efficiently using electronic means whether ISIS2 supports the process appropriately Business Process Review

Next steps: A proposal is drawn up and discussed at the Business Process Review Project Group meeting. A recommendation goes to USAC. The agreed process is reported to ISCG and LTAC. The Business Process Review Team create the Process Maps. Business Process Review

Where will the information be stored once the Business Process Review is completed? The agreed Process Maps are created using Triaster’s Process Navigator software. They are prepared and issued to the process owner for them to confirm that the map is an accurate reflection of the agreed process. Finally the Process Maps are then published into a searchable Webpowered Library – giving all staff access to the agreed processes whenever they need that information. Business Process Review

Webpowered Library Homepage Business Process Review

Creation of the Process Map in a Customised Node Business Process Review

And finally … Communication As the Process Maps are agreed, the Business Process Review Team will publish updates through :  A Business Process Review Website  A bi-monthly electronic Bulletin  Regular meetings between Project Team and Faculty Academic Registrars  Reports to University Student Administration Committee  Bi-monthly forum to which staff will be invited for training, discussion and updating on new mapped processes. Business Process Review