One of you can cut the cake, the other picks the first slice:

learning the lessons from library/IT convergence to share services across HEIsRebecca DaviesAberystwyth University

Dear AbbyWe want to get our relationship to the “next level”. We’re not living together – yet, as we can’t afford to get a home that’s big enough for both of us. But we are planning and saving up.

How can we get ready for the big move?Looking forward to your adviceIt & Lib

Dear It and LibYou need to start taking some time to do the routine things of life together – dates are fun, washing up isn’t!Start acting like you live together now & by the time of the big move, however long that might take, you’ll be happy in your new home,Abby

19 different “physical” help points at 6 different locations 20 different “general” email addresses 18 different “general” phone numbers 8 different opening hours (I think…) Delivered under EVERY management area 32 teams many with similar roles in different management

areas

So how converged are your services?

What is a shared service & is that different to sharing a service? The selfish reasons to share Applying the selfish test What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine? The official and unofficial routes to success Future challenges and opportunities

'Shared services can be summarised as institutions cooperating in the

development and delivery of services…'

JISC Briefing Paper, Shared Services in UK further and higher education (2008)

B.Y.O picnic = sharing

Preparing buffet together = shared

Continuity and resilience of service Raising quality and adding value to existing services Securing cost savings and sustainable efficiencies Releasing staff time for more customer-facing activities Improving the scalability of systems Ensuring improved and more up-to-date systems Gaining competitive advantage Ability to offer otherwise unsustainable services

[taken from the benefits listed in the JISC toolkit http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/shared-services ]

The selfish reasons to share

Is it strategically important? Will it save more than it will cost (in time & cash)? Can you work with your partner(s)?

◦trust◦cultural and policy differences ◦leaving the partnership later◦perceived risk to competitive advantage

[selectively taken from the barriers identified in the JISC toolkit]

Applying the “selfish” test…

Be honest about your capacity - do you “do” change?

& how have you done in practice… ◦how well is “convergence” going (going, gone?)◦How many shared services have you got between

library & IT?

What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine…

Write service catalogue & understand your Business Processes – with costs attached

Share it with potential partners to see common interests & service gaps

Both (or more) sets of senior management get together & define the options for a shared service

My “offical” template for sharing success…

Sharing Joint T&D potential Knowledge sharing / “consultant” exchange potential Joint Procurement

Shared Joint future development of “new” services Joint delivery – separate site teams co-working? Delivery from single institution for the other?

What are the options

How it’s going to work: What When Who leads: iron out the governance issues

Choose the option(s) define… Why you’re doing it Customers

◦ Benefits / Risks Service

◦ Benefits / Risks Institutional

◦ Benefits / Risks Financial

◦ Benefits / Estimated Cost and Risks

Share your option(s) with Senior Management – ask them for what they want to pursue – get the buy in early (& any identify funding sources to pump prime)

Set up joint management teams to develop, deliver and evaluate the shared service

& once you’ve got what you’d like, need or must share

“A collaborative culture - such as that embraced by institutions in Wales”

(thank you JISC )

We’ve got a reputation in Wales…

The “unofficial” secret for sharing success? So do the librarians & IT

folks actually get on down

& share at gregynog?

Future challenges and opportunities - that mean we HAVE to share

Deliver better and faster services at lower cost Help develop digital & information literacy

“transferable, adaptive skills, which give people the competence and confidence to embrace technological change throughout their lives”(Delivering a Digital Wales, WG)

Encourage systematic collaboration which exploits the potential of technology to deliver higher education across and beyond Wales (For our future, WG)

Develop shared services in partnership with students to ensure a fabulous student experience

We’re an innovative library enquiry service, with a good track record of long term “sharing” partners & we’re looking for… someone to share our services with who has a GSOH, strategically alignment with us and who wants to improve services & cut costs….

And they lived happily ever after….