Conquering the Mountain:

papers, folders, file cabinets –where does it end!?!

University of North Carolina WilmingtonITSD

- Liz Hosier, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor- Sandie Sue, Project and Process Manager, Technology Needs Assessment

and ConsultingCopyright Sandra Sue , 2008. 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

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNow

Workflow Activities

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNowBusiness Component Catalogue – Workflow component used to perform actions to: Launch Banner formsRun SQL queries - access any database, not just BannerRun Oracle proceduresLaunch Word documents and Excel spreadsheetsLaunch other workflowsAnd more!

Business Events – external actions which trigger Workflows to perform an actionBanner eventsAY admissions actions

Parameters – interaction between Workflow and application handled with parameters send data back and forth

Imaging / Workflow - ImageNowWorkflow Modeler – Workflow design component used to create a workflow which is a series of items/ tasks to be perform:E-mail 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 performedCreate 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 roleThe 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 InvestmentProcess Improvements

AY applications - 2006-07 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 InvestmentEstimated 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 awardsapproximately 150 new

awards each year11 file drawers of active

awards4 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?