PiP & SLEEK working together to achieve process excellence in course and class approval
Many organisations have identified Business Process Review (BPR) as being critical to streamlining core business activities and achieving long-term cost savings. In line with this and given the current economic climate it has never been a more important time for Universities to take a coherent and strategic approach to their own business processes, that learns from the success of private business while tailoring method to suit the education environment.
SLEEK (Strathclyde’s LEAN approach to Efficiencies in Education Kit) & SLEEK Sigma (Strathclyde’s LEAN Six Sigma) have been identified as Strathclyde’s new two-phased business process methodology. The first SLEEK phase will focus on LEAN methodology to reduce inefficiencies in processes. The Second SLEEK Sigma phase will be introduced using Six Sigma tools and methodology to tackle ineffectiveness in business processes. Within this type of methodology there are yellow belts, green belts and black belts – representative of expertise gained and to gain accreditation a "real life" project must be completed showing measurable cost and time savings.
This is all good news for PiP as a complimentary SLEEK "green belt" project on course and class approval is now being undertaken by Donna Cullen ( Team Manager on PiP) who is leading the SLEEK initiative at Strathclyde. This will build upon the baselining work already undertaken within PiP and provide significant outputs for the project providing lessons learned for both Strathclyde and the JISC community. It is also hoped that this PiP/SLEEK joint venture will lead to the gathering and analysis of useful benchmarking data for the sector on business processes sorrounding course and class approval and spark further research into the use of Business Process methodologies in the Higher Education sector.
PiP and SLEEK have a real opportunity to make significant changes to processes around course and class approval at Strathclyde and it is hoped findings will inform new strategies and approaches in this key area of curriculum design and delivery over the next 12-24 months.