If customer service is a key element to Shared Services, who are the customers?

The customer will vary depending on the service being provided.  If the service being provided is the mapping of p-card transactions, the customers may be the individual purchaser, the department head of the individual purchaser and Purchasing Services.

How is the current Business Service Center different than Shared Services?

The Business Service Center concept began with a much narrower focus in one department only as a way to maintain service levels while sustaining staffing reductions due to retirements.  The services have slowly expanded where possible through the division of Finance & Administration.  A true Shared Services organization would leverage a much larger economy of scale through multiple divisions to realize even greater efficiencies and cost savings.

Poor quality of service is what led people to abandon ‘centralized’ services historically. How will Shared Services be any different?

The focus and goals of a Shared Services organization are much different than the traditional centralized approach.  In a centralized model, the various central offices are doing double duty by providing the organization both strategic guidance in the given profession as well as processing routine back office transactions.  The transactions piece generally suffers because the unit places greatest importance and efforts on strategic matters.  In a Shared Services model, the focus IS the transactions and making those transactions as efficient and service-oriented as possible, leaving the strategic functions with the experts.

Will shared services be expanded beyond the six planning units currently involved?

Yes, one of the strengths of the shared services model is in fully leveraging existing resources.

When will other units be added to the shared services project?

It is too early to say.  It is important to be successful with the current project before considering any expansion.

Does this make sense at the state level?

Absolutely.  This makes good sense and there are some discussions along these lines ongoing at the Regents and among some universities.  Scott Madden, a shared services consultant, recently gave a presentation to a group from the Inter-University Council and the Board of Regents.

What is the impact on jobs? How many staff eliminations will there be?

It is too early to know this at the present time.  Once the survey data has been collected and analyzed, we will have a better picture of the situation and how it will impact jobs, and over what timeline.

Will additional training be offered for those whose jobs will be affected?

Additional training will be part of the process of transitioning those whose jobs are affected.

Are we looking at a Shared Services approach as the first step in an evolution to outsource?

We are looking at a shared services approach as a part of the university’s overall strategy to address current and future budget pressures.  The aim is to make our business services more cost effective and efficient to the end of freeing up both financial and human resources for the academic mission of the university.  There is no discussion of outsourcing at this time.

How many people have been hired in the existing Business Service Center?

Three people have been reassigned within Finance and Administration  One FTE has been reallocated from ICA, and the position is posted, but not filled at this time.

With annual budget deficits for the foreseeable future, why is the university continuing to create new positions and fill existing ones?

A hiring freeze might be a reasonable part of our staffing strategy relating to the shared services project.  At this time, we do not have the data required to develop the future organization chart so a freeze right now is premature.

How can we better utilize Oracle?

Leveraged IT is a key consideration in looking at a shared services approach, and how to better utilize all of our IT systems including Oracle will be an important aspect of this project.  One example is to improve currency of transaction and to provide more timely and relevant reporting.  This would help eliminate the need for shadow systems.

What are the start up costs for a shared services department?

Start up costs include: hiring staff, educating the project team, hiring a consultant, and renovating space.  With the exception of hiring the director, all the costs to date have been managed within existing unit budgets.

Who will be asked about satisfaction with existing business processes?

The baseline survey that will be done during winter quarter will be very broadly distributed to faculty, staff and students.