A programme shared is a problem halved

Universities could increasingly use the same degree programmes as they share services to save money, the vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University has suggested. Malcolm Gillies questioned whether the University of London model, under which several separate institutions offer the same courses devised collectively, could be adopted more widely.
He asked delegates at the Shared Services for HE: Strategies for Results conference on 21 November whether universities could "go even further" than pooling functions such as IT and human resources.
"Could there be selective breaches of academic autonomy, and still have a fully coherent academic institution?" he asked, adding that institutions did not yet "quite have the answer" to this question. "The very qualification I have ... from the University of London, is a classic (example), in that now, if you did the same thing it would probably be awarded by four or five different bodies. In many cases that's very healthy," Professor Gillies said.
He also argued that whereas a year ago universities were looking to improve the quality of their services by sharing them, they now wanted to do so to save money.
"This year there are new cost-saving imperatives," he said. "There's a likely reduced number of higher education students next year, it could be as high as 10 or 12 per cent."

Professor Gillies is also chair of the board of London Higher, the body for higher education institutions in the capital.
He said that within the group there was a "good willingness to talk and some interesting shared approaches emerging" over pooling insurance, treasury management, and recruitment functions.
But he added that there was still a "lack of leadership" and that some institutions remained "wary" of sharing services.
In May it was revealed that the University of Warwick was in talks with the outsourcing company Tribal and five other unnamed universities about sharing "administrative services and IT infrastructures".
Tribal said that the discussions are still continuing and the other institutions remain anonymous.
david.matthews@tsleducation.com

For-profit? Charity? In the market, they'll act the same

24 November 2011

By David Matthews

Competition for 'share' will dissolve institutional difference, Deloitte claims. David Matthews writes

Distinctions between charitable and for-profit universities will disappear as all converge in the pursuit of "gaining or retaining market share", the head of education at consultancy firm Deloitte has claimed.
Julie Mercer said that private investment in universities and for-profit entrants to the sector were not a threat to the academy's mission because institutions would see a "convergence of behaviour, whether they are charitable or for-profit".
"I don't think it matters what kind of institution you are: you need to know your market and...target your marketing and your offer appropriately," she said. "What drives all of them is gaining or retaining market share."
She added: "The reality is that every single one of these institutions will be competing for students...so I think you will start to see some different behaviour from universities.
"Let's not kid ourselves that universities don't see themselves as commercial organisations: they do."
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said that Deloitte should know that there was "a fundamental difference between a higher education institution whose primary goal is to provide education and a company whose first allegiance is to its shareholders".
"The only colleges being sued for fraud by students and the government in the US are those run for a profit because education can't safely be run to make a fast buck without degrading the product," she added.
Universities UK said in a 2010 report, The Growth of Private and For-Profit Higher Education Providers in the UK, that public institutions "have to operate in a businesslike manner and make 'profits', but their key motive is to promote the public good".

The "key distinction" was that while both types of institution make surpluses, those of the for-profits "flow into the private hands of shareholders" rather than being invested in capital funding and expansion.
Ms Mercer said that private equity companies saw UK higher education as a "beautiful swimming pool that everyone wants to jump into", but no one wants to go first.
She said that investors were looking to fund the expansion of postgraduate and international student numbers because they were not limited by number controls.
This might occur "if, for example, a university had a great brand around postgraduate qualifications, and an investment enabled [it] to grow and attract more students".
Ms Mercer argued that investment had to go to areas "that are not in the regulated system", which could also include areas such as innovation and intellectual property.
With private equity, "what you're starting to see is not [investment] in whole institutions but an aspect of that institution", she said.
Investors were keen to put money into the sector because "the political door is open; the ambition is clearly there".
david.matthews@tsleducation.com.

Finance shared services

Finance shared services | sharedserviceslink.com

http://www.sharedserviceslink.com/file/92757/finance-shared-services-sharedserviceslinkcom.html?gclid=CKuv8tzI2awCFQINfAodSjP1qw

Finance shared services can have many benefits for businesses, particularly in times of economic uncertainty when administrative costs seem to rise and the burden of legislation appears to grow heavier.
Shared services is essentially the better-performing sibling of centralisation, involving full collaboration between different parts of a wider organisation or group of companies.
It differs from outsourcing, whereby processes that were previously carried out internally are handed over to an external third party. With shared services, a separate body within an organisation is established to do the work.
Within this shared services centre, processes are centralised, standardised, consolidated and automated so that they become streamlined, more efficient and less expensive, which is a win-win situation for all involved.
At sharedserviceslink.com we can help you understand the finance shared services options available to you and formulate an approach that works for your business.
We provide monthly webinars on shared services, as well as white papers and reports, video interviews, newsletters and interactive conferences, all designed to help you improve the performance of your finance shared services ventures and your business.

Benefits of shared services

Efficiency is the core benefit of finance shared services, which in turn can result in large cost savings. Business typically report cost reductions of around 50 per cent, although they can be as high as 70 per cent.
But adopting a shared services business model is about more than just cost cutting. Another big advantage is higher and consistent standards based on best practice norms, which can lead to more responsive dealings with customers.
Shared services can also free up time from routine processes that can be spent on value-added or customer-facing tasks, and it can help to ensure continuity and resilience of service as well as improved visibility.
Economies of scale can be created through shared services too, giving businesses greater influence with suppliers and helping them gain a competitive advantage over their rivals.
Of course shared services benefits will differ from organisation to organisation, and while cost reduction may be a major motivator for some, others may be more interested in improving service delivery for the benefit of customers.

Shared services obstacles

Adopting a successful shared services business model can be complex and there are several obstacles that could prevent your organisation from making the most of collaboration and consolidation.
For example, disputes may arise regarding ownership of certain processes and activities, so communication is key to make sure that all parties are on board and that transitions are made as smoothly as possible.
Not only is this important from a human resources standpoint, it is also essential to good customer service and can help to ensure that there are no gaps in service provision.
Other potential barriers may include a lack of trust, cultural and policy differences, perceived risks to competitive advantage, problems with the technical infrastructure and VAT liability.
You'll need to think about how a shared services centre will operate alongside other elements of your business model and how roles will be defined so that important processes are not overlooked.

Make the most of shared services with sharedserviceslink.com

Companies recognise that, when properly optimised, finance shared services can be a highly effective tool. However, it's important to get it right, as a poorly structured model will not bring the benefits you desire.
At sharedserviceslink.com we can educate your teams and help you with the process of sharing services, so that you can overcome any obstacles in your way and start to see the advantages.
We provide members with informative resources such as white papers, reports, video interviews and newsletters, and we hold regular events such as conferences, master classes and webinars with key industry speakers.
Joining sharedserviceslink.com is free. All you need to do is complete our online member registration form and you'll receive ten issues of our newsletter and free access to our downloadable content and presentations archive.
To find out more about finance shared services and how it can help your organisation, or to ask about our conferences, webinars and online resources, simply get in touch

Creating Value conference: Who should attend and cost

A keynote address will be delivered by Zoe Radnor (Professor of Operations Management, Cardiff University), and there will be a number of workshops run by colleagues who have delivered efficiencies successfully, both from HE and organisations in the private sector (e.g. on shared services, lean, idea capture schemes etc.).

All are welcome, and the conference is specifically aimed at managers in university professional services, who want to find out more about how their department or unit could work more efficiently and effectively.

Online booking will open in mid-October. To find out more about the conference, visit the website at: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/spc/stratplan/hefcecreatingvalue/conference or contact the conference organisers Steph Sanders (s.a.sanders@exeter.ac.uk) and Iain Springate (i.e.springate@exeter.ac.uk).

Researcher and Project Manager- 'Creating Value'

Strategic Planning and Change

University of Exeter

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/spc/stratplan/hefcecreatingvalue/

www.twitter.com/morewithlessHE

I.E.Springate@exeter.ac.uk

01392 726195

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Creating Value conference: Provisional programme

The provisional programme is subject to change, and will be updated as speakers and their precise topics are confirmed. 
9.00-9.45: Registration and refreshments
9.45-10.00: WelcomePatrick Kennedy, Director of Strategic Planning and Change, University of Exeter.
10.00-11.00: Keynote address, followed by questionsProfessor Zoe Radnor, University of Cardiff
11.00-11.20 Break and refreshments
11.20-12.10: Workshops 

• Implementing Lean thinking- Capgemini. Lean is a generic process management philosophy, looking to make processes as efficient as possible, whilst delivering maximum value for the customer. The aim of the workshop is to introduce the concept of Lean, and consider what the benefits of implementing it might be for universities, based on the example of a large institution that is currently implementing Lean.
• Data mining to identify potential efficiencies. This workshop will discuss how large datasets relating to core university processes can be interrogated to look at how efficient processes are, where savings and improvements could be made, and to provide an ongoing measure of efficiency of processes. The workshop will use as a case study work being done at the University of Exeter to identify gaps in data being collected and to fill them, as well as to interrogate existing datasets in order to identify and deliver savings.
• Using idea capture schemes to gather intelligence from staff on working more efficiently and effectively- Anthony Denatale, Ideas UK. Staff often have great ideas about how their organisations could work more efficiently and effectively. This workshop will look at the benefits of staff suggestion schemes, and how to plan and run one successfully in a university.
• Making shared services successful- Carol Mills, Director of HR, University of Liverpool. Shared services has been identified by Universities UK, among others, as a potential way for universities to make savings. This workshop will look at how universities can make shared services a success, particularly drawing on experience from Liverpool.

12.15-1pm Speed updatingThis session will include several brief updates on how universities are delivering efficiencies and improving effectiveness successfully, and the launch of an online learning resource to help managers deliver savings.
1-1.45pm Lunch
1.45-2.30pm Workshops (repeated)
2.35-3.30pm Making it happen: Increasing efficiency and effectivenessThis session will involve a panel discussion and question and answer session, focusing on ways delegates can take forward some of the ideas presented at the conference, including key challenges and change enablers.
3.30pm Conference close

Creating Value conference: Who should attend and cost 

The conference is open to all, and is specifically aimed at managers in HE working within professional services, who want to find out more about how their department or unit could work more efficiently, and save time and/or money.

Examples of staff that might like to attend are:

• Faculty/School managers
• Assistant Faculty/School managers
• Directors/Assistant of Planning/Projects
• Directors/Assistant Directors of finance
• Project Managers
• Team leaders.

The cost is £145.

Creating Value: Delivering more with less in Higher Education

The University of Exeter is organising a conference entitled ‘Creating Value: Delivering more with less in Higher Education’ on the 5th January 2012. Delegates will hear about practical approaches that universities and those from other sectors have used to successfully deliver more with less, and increase efficiency and effectiveness.
This is important given the difficult economic climate, which, allied with the new funding regime, increasing expectations of students, and increasing global competition, means that to succeed, universities need to become more efficient, agile, and skilled at delivering more with less.  
The conference will focus on different ways that universities have successfully delivered efficiencies, as well as examples of what those in other sectors have done that are applicable to HE, and will aim to provide information and ideas for HE staff to take away and apply in their institutions. The conference will draw on good practice from within and beyond HE, including the work of the HEFCE-funded ‘Creating Value’ project, which has developed an evidence-based set of resources to aid managers in HE to deliver more with less.
The conference will include:

• Keynote presentation from Zoe Radnor (Professor of Operations Management at Cardiff University Business School), who has conducted important research into how institutions, including universities, are improving efficiency/effectiveness
• Practical workshops on delivering efficiencies (e.g.  implementing Lean, data mining to deliver efficiencies, idea capture schemes focused on making savings, and sharing services effectively)
• Speed Updates from several universities about how they are delivering efficiencies
• Launch of a set of online resources to help managers in universities deliver efficiencies
• Panel discussion focused on how to take the ideas from the conference and put them into practice.