Process improvement, or continuous improvement, means always striving to improve processes and streamline work. This might be through ongoing incremental enhancements to a service, or larger projects to make processes more efficient. It’s also referred to as ‘lean’ methodologies and – whatever the scale – the benefits can be huge.
Here at the University, we are very lucky to have an in-house team of internationally recognised continuous improvement experts. They offer a variety of services to support colleagues setting-up processes, running improvement workshops and more.
Resources and support
You can access more information on the Continuous Improvement SharePoint site. This is open to everyone in the University to build their knowledge and get advice. It includes information on upcoming events, services, success stories from recent projects, continuous improvement and lean tools and templates.
All members of staff should have access to the site. If for some reason you don’t, please select ‘I’d like access’ from the pop-up message and the team will grant you permission.
“Really worthwhile and insightful. So many tools and takeaways, it is great. I am excited to apply all the tools I’ve learnt to my day job!”
Delegate from the Lean Practitioner course
Case studies
To give you an idea of how continuous improvement projects can save time and resources whilst improving outputs, here are some examples of projects delivered by delegates on the Lean Practitioner course:
- Laptop loan service: Previously this service relied on one person to manage large volumes of requests coming in by email, which sometimes led to delays. Following a process review, the service now uses a standard request form and a shared mailbox. This has simplified the booking process, reduced the number of contacts between the team and the customer, and helped share workload across a bigger team.
- Lecture recordings: Lecturers were accidentally recording lectures into the wrong work area within the video capture system Panopto. This meant they couldn’t locate the recordings in Blackboard and students couldn’t access them. Through process improvement best practice, the team implemented a change which would notify lecturers when they recorded into the wrong folder. This reduced help tickets and improved the student and staff experience.
- Processing credit card transactions: Each month, staff with credit cards (also called purchasing cards) have to match up their transactions against the correct budget code. This is done by submitting a journal request. The high number of requests, combined with the processing time and adjustments required, had led to a backlog. The team streamlined this process with improved training on how to submit a request and automated workflows. Temporary staff helped cleared the backlog, and the new system is more efficient and streamlined with a reduced risk of errors.
So, whether you are new to continuous improvement and lean methodology or an expert, this Sharepoint Site is the ideal place to access the latest events, projects, services and tools.
Internationally recognised expertise
Members of our Continuous Improvement Team are globally recognised for their knowledge and experience in this area. They have been shortlisted for an International Lean Diamond Award, in the Lean for Sustainability category. UoS is the only University in the shortlist across all categories, which is testament to the team’s expertise. The judging takes place in November, but regardless of the outcome we can take great pride that we are seen as a pioneering university in this area. We wish the team good luck for the awards.
“Your dedication and tireless efforts to enhance business processes within our professional services sector are truly commendable. Keep up the fantastic work!”
Delegate from the Lean Practitioner course
Find out more about the support, resources and training available on the Continuous Improvement SharePoint site.