Improved service delivery
For more than six months, a campus team has been developing ways to improve service delivery -- specifically, how day-to-day finance and human resources functions get done and who is doing that work. In a Sept. 24 email to employees, President Wendy Wintersteen said the team is ready for input on its proposed models for service delivery in both areas.
The Institutional Effectiveness Leadership Team (IELT), co-chaired by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean Beate Schmittmann and vice president for research Sarah Nusser, developed the proposed service delivery models after studying best practices at other institutions. The team worked closely with campus leaders and WorkCyte consultants to design service delivery models that take advantage of efficiencies provided by enterprise software platforms, especially Workday.
"We are moving at a pretty quick pace to present the proposed models to the campus community because many of the roles specified in the new Workday system connect to people who would serve in improved service delivery staff roles," Schmittman said. "It will be important to establish these roles and the employees who might fill them so that formal Workday training can begin in the spring. The goal is to have well-trained staff who can leverage new technology capabilities like Workday and enhance our culture of quality, responsiveness, accountability and excellent customer service."
The proposed models restructure who is tasked with financial transactions and human resources processes, such as reporting travel expenses, ordering supplies, accessing payroll information and hiring personnel.
Gathering feedback
Schmittmann and Nusser have scheduled about a dozen October presentations about the proposed service delivery models with campus groups and stakeholders to solicit their input. A pair of town hall meetings also are planned:
- Oct. 10, 9-10:30 a.m., MU Cardinal Room
- Oct. 11, noon-1:30 p.m., MU Pioneer Room
Both sessions will be livestreamed. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and feedback. An online form is available for feedback submissions.
The IELT and its partners will use the feedback to finalize the service delivery models. Implementation for the finance and human resources models will go hand-in-hand with Workday's July 1 go-live date. Service delivery models for other administrative functions likely will follow as needs are identified.
"From our early discussions with campus leaders, we are learning a great deal about how to craft models that improve our effectiveness and serve Iowa State's missions," Nusser said. "We expect to learn even more as we continue broader outreach, and we hope these discussions inform future projects to improve the effectiveness of administrative services."
