Conquering the Mountain: papers, folders, file cabinets – where does it end!?! University of North Carolina Wilmington ITSD - Liz Hosier, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor - Sandie Sue, Project and Process Manager, Technology Needs Assessment and Consulting Copyright Sandra Sue, This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non- commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

The way we were... Receiving applications Receiving transcripts, statements of interest, letters of recommendation and other supporting documentation to be matched with applications Spending hours making copies once prospective applications were complete Sending documents to academic departments for committee review through campus mail or walking the documents across campus to the department Departments contacting graduate admissions staff because all documentation was not received and application was not complete

The way we were... Spending hours searching for documentation that was supposedly received Occasionally having to contact the prospective student to request documentation be resent Once academic department committee determined to offer or decline admissions, FINALLY a decision notification to student Spending hours comparing reports and lists and cleaning up files in order to transfer enrolled student folders to the Registrar Departments contacting graduate admissions staff because all documentation was not received and application was not complete

The way things looked...

Just the facts on file storage... Two file drawers of GRE and GMAT test score documentation – no prospective student applications (document retention is 5 years) Two file drawers of transcripts and TOEFL scores – no prospective student applications (document retention is 5 years) Twenty file drawers of applications and supporting documentation in folders, varying statuses (document retention is 2 to 5 years) Ten large storage bins of inactive file folders (document retention is 5 years)

What’s an office to do... Process improvement team scheduled meetings with Graduate School staff to determine current application process Once steps were documented, process improvement team developed process maps PI team analyzed current processes and formulated best practice process improvement scenarios PI team met with Graduate School staff to review process maps and preview process improvement scenarios Graduate School, PI team and ITSD worked through process improvement scenarios to develop a project plan

What’s an office to do... Selected two academic departments to implement process improvement project plan representative of the two applicant review processes being utilized Worked with each program department to document current application process Created Visio of application process for imaging technical team to utilize in the setting up of security, electronic file drawers and queues Currently working through graduate departments implementing application process improvements Worked with Technology Enhanced Learning to develop training materials for campus and schedule training sessions

The next step... Worked with Registrar to prepare for access to newly enrolled graduate student imaged files Registrar chose to outsource imaging of currently enrolled student folders (25,000+ student folders with approximately 625,000 documents) All documents received by Registrar will be scanned upon receipt and linked to student files

The actual process... Addressing Process Inefficiencies: Non-value added processing Paper intensive work processes (document handling, copying, filing) Frequent manual activities Physical paper storage Records management

Document Management / Imaging - ImageNow Workflow - ImageNow Job Automation and Scheduling – Appworx Data Storage Management Solution Suite

Benefits Improved customer service Improved productivity Elimination of paper to significantly reduce storage requirements Availability of documents online across departments & divisions Accelerated completion of cross-departmental tasks Automation of routing of documents for approval and processing Instant communication and enhanced responsiveness Imaging / Workflow Process Improvements

Benefits Automation of the backup and DR for documents Data retention plan and file management Consistent organizational procedures Streamlined and/or eliminated mundane, low-value tasks Dramatic savings in staff time and increased staff morale Business process metrics to track workflow effectiveness Imaging / Workflow Process Improvements

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow

Workflow Activities

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow Business Component Catalogue – Workflow component used to perform actions to: Launch Banner forms Run SQL queries - access any database, not just Banner Run Oracle procedures Launch Word documents and Excel spreadsheets Launch other workflows And more! Business Events – external actions which trigger Workflows to perform an action Banner events AY admissions actions Parameters – interaction between Workflow and application handled with parameters send data back and forth

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow Workflow Modeler – Workflow design component used to create a workflow which is a series of items/ tasks to be perform: someone Capture data in a custom forms (used for capturing data that is not otherwise captured within an application) Create manual tasks to provide directions or information to the uses on what is to be performed Create activities to launch a Banner form, run queries, run procedure The workflow model consists of a series of items. Each item is a task. Each user is set up in workflow and assigned a role The role is assigned to a task Anyone with that role would get the task on their worklist

Imaging/Workflow - ImageNow

Benefits Maximizes computing resources and optimizes application throughput Automates processes otherwise performed by individuals increasing efficiencies Ensures better job management by properly sequencing jobs Enables "event-based" processing as well as "date-based and time-based” Handles dependencies between applications Reduces the number of jobs, scripts, and processing errors Detects errors immediately and send alert notifications Job Automation and Scheduling - AppWorx

Graduate School Expected Return on Investment Process Improvements AY applications received 1,124 electronically Program targeted for growth - 70% projected enrollment growth from 2007 to 2012 – 1911 applications Improved services: The major improvement in the speed and efficiency of service to prospective students (applicants) Increase the number of students enrolling in graduate programs at UNCW Increase in number of graduate programs that are able to fill available slots Cost savings over 5 years: estimated $410,500

Graduate School Expected Return on Investment Estimated cost savings - $410,500 Staff support: Two additional staff for enrollment growth - $60,000 per year -$300,000 over five years Staff overtime: 120 hours per year compensatory leave - $12,000 over five years Student help: Estimated $3,000 per year - $15,000 over five years Copying: Estimated $4,800 per year - $24,000 over five years Archiving: Estimated$4,400 per year - $22,000 over five years Filing efficiency: Two admissions specialists at five hours each per week searching for misfiled documents and following up on files that have been routed, but not returned. Approximately $7,500 per year - $37,500 over five years

Net Results of Process Improvement Provide an institutional advantage among our peer institutions Increase the number of graduate students because of timely decisions Improved service to students – no loss or misfiled documents, faster document routing, etc. Real $’s saved by not printing documents for routing, storing, etc. Floor / warehouse space for paper storage significantly reduced / avoided

Where do we go from here... Next stop! Research Services and Sponsored Programs 200 – 350 active awards approximately 150 new awards each year 11 file drawers of active awards 4 file drawers of proposals

Approximately 100,000 documents currently implementing RAMSeS 14 drawers and 10 boxes of archived files 12 drawers of grant files in closing

So... Put on your hiking boots Roll up your sleeves And let’s Conquer the Mountain!

Questions?