Lean Impact
Lean focusses on enabling Staff and Managers in the University to meet their goals (delivering excellent teaching and research) and measure the impact of their work in the most relevant way.
Each year the Service Directors and Heads of School report on efficiency gains and other KPIs through their Annual Report, which feeds into the University's Strategic Planning Process.
Training Impact
Feedback is taken from the training we run through CAPOD's standard feedback form and used to refine the workshops we offer.
Check out analysis of this feedback: Training 2011
Lean Training
The team offer training as part of the Passport to Management Excellence programme and Passport to Administrative Excellence programme for staff.
"Very relevant and definitely a benefit"
Broader Training
The team is also involved in broader training for staff including managing change and project management. For students the team delivers training on facilitation skills as part of the Professional Skills Curriculum.
Project Impact
For the Lean Team itself, we take qualitative feedback at each event to improve on our performance. We record estimates of time and cost savings on projects where appropriate, in order to indicate improvements in processes, and we undertake an annual survey of staff to assess the impact we are having on the organsiation (so far we have run this for the calendar years 2010 and 2011).
For details on individual projects, check out our: Case Studies
We are now able to compare our Lean Impact Assessment survey year on year. Check out: Survey Comparison
Achievements
Teams working to improve their processes in St Andrews have achieved a considerable amount.
Students can now
- receive Status Letters on demand rather than in 10 days,
- self certify absence online and so get any needed support quicker,
- browse books on the library shelves 2 days after the book arrives,
- join the University more easily and smoothly (pre arrival and then during matriculation),
- better access sporting facilities,
- receive financial aid more quickly (where eligible),
- start a society in 2 weeks rather than 2 months.
Institutionally
- The University now has one consolidated Research Funding Office (making a simpler, clearer Reasearch Funding process).
- Schools are able to manage their own Research Leave more easily.
- Advertising for new staff has been made much faster, with a saving of around £150k on advertising.
- Numerous processes have been updated and improved including for Purchasing to Pay in residences, Cash Handling, and many more.
While acheiving this, the load on Staff members has been significantly lightened. Up to December 2010 staff working on Lean teams have enabled the release of an estimated 5419 days of time on an annual basis, which allows staff to focus on:
- developing new services,
- getting on with valuable work that had been put to the bottom of the to-do list,
- or even just being able to take their full complement of annual leave without feeling guilty.
