The University of Washington is dedicated to excellence in all that we do, and we can see the impact of that dedication in the lives of our students, our patients and the people and communities across Washington and around the world who benefit from our research, scholarship and service.
Yet even as the UW is home to excellence in countless fields and disciplines, our highly decentralized model creates extra bureaucracy and risk across all levels. As an example, there are at least 31 different pathways and approaches to processing a vendor invoice at the UW. At the same time, our research administration costs are higher than our Big Ten and similar peers. These are examples of how we are spending time and money on administrative tasks rather than our mission.
For faculty and staff, this model means unnecessary duplication of effort as they create bespoke processes and systems. For partners and vendors, it makes the UW harder to work with. Extra bureaucracy and non-standard processes are no one’s priorities, yet our resources are being spent to support them. As stewards of public resources, that must change.
This mindset is the essential foundation to the success of our University’s first comprehensive strategic plan in 15 years, which we are moving to finalize this academic year. It is also vital to the success of the UW’s mission now and in the years ahead, and to avoiding unplanned, hasty actions in response to state and federal budget pressures.
That is why we are sharing this information about a range of efforts grouped under “University of Washington Operational Excellence” now, to ensure that we transparently engage our University community in the essential planning to launch this foundation.
What is UW Operational Excellence?
We define UW Operational Excellence not as a series of projects, but as a shift in the way we operate, with the aim to raise our administrative functions to the same level of excellence as our teaching, research, service and patient care.
This effort will take a technology-enabled approach. Rather than simply moving existing processes into new organizational structures, we will redesign administrative work alongside modernization of enterprise platforms, leveraging automation and AI where appropriate, and intentional integration at the interfaces of administrative functions. These changes will be sequenced carefully with the University’s transition to Incentive Based Budgeting (IBB) to ensure financial transparency and long-term sustainability.
UW Operational Excellence is the connective framework that will coordinate and strengthen many of the UW’s existing efforts to build a more sustainable and mission‑aligned operational foundation. These existing efforts include Together We Thrive, Research Resilience and Transformation, and Integrated Resources within the School of Medicine, which are addressing structural, process or capacity challenges. Finance administration, research administration, and information technology will be included in the first phase of this work and will include alignment of enterprise technology platforms to support standardized processes and reduce duplicative systems.
We recognize that both the lead‑up to change and change itself can feel unsettling. Teams have established strong relationships and familiar ways of working, and it’s natural to feel apprehension as we explore doing the work differently. Our commitment is to approach this work with transparency and collaboration across our campuses, schools, colleges, and administrative units, recognizing that unique needs exist and committing to optimizing in a way that is right for the UW. Drawing on what we’ve learned from past efforts—including what worked well and, as importantly, what didn’t—our aim is to foster shared ownership, maintain transparent and open communication and ultimately create meaningful and positive change.
You can learn more about these efforts at a new webpage, but in short, they will involve the creation of multiple teams across the UW that bring together units with similar missions, functions and operational environments and with attention to balancing workloads to provide consistent service. This approach is not about adding a new layer of bureaucracy, but about simplifying how administrative work is organized and supported.
What are the benefits of UW Operational Excellence?
For employees in the teams, many of whom are the only ones in their units in their type of job, there will be new opportunities for professional growth without leaving the University. There will also be the ability to learn from teammates, share best practices and relieve the pressure of being the only person doing their role, for example when they are on vacation or out sick.
For the faculty, students, staff and units being supported, these teams are designed to reduce the administrative burden. Rather than relying on one or two individuals, units will have access to a team-based support model enabling more consistent service, with a designated point person who can help guide requests and ensure they reach the right specialists. Streamlined processes will allow for more proactive, strategic support from central units to facilitate partnerships and research across units.
How will this effort be different?
We will undertake this effort in partnership with administrators, faculty, and staff, with compassion for affected employees and a strong commitment to transparency. That starts with recognizing that the Workday Finance rollout has been very challenging, listening to the University community, and learning from that experience in how we are moving forward with UW Operational Excellence. It also means learning from the UW School of Medicine’s Integrated Resources effort.
When there are impacts on staff, we will prioritize efforts where natural transitions—retirements, departures for other jobs—are possible rather than layoffs. UW Human Resources will provide strategic guidance and support throughout these processes, reinforcing a human-centric approach. Administrative functions will transition at different paces and scope may differ by administrative discipline, but importantly this effort will prioritize continuous learning and improvement. And we will provide updates on the process and maintain clear governance structures throughout development.
How will the University community be involved?
Central teams—including from the Office of Finance Planning & Budgeting, the Office of Research and UW Information Technology —have already been engaging with unit partners in conversations to identify the core needs that must be prioritized in creating these teams. These baseline conversations will inform an organized and inclusive process to co-create a structure to best meet these needs. This process will include:
- An executive sponsorship team to ensure institutional coordination across the Academy and Medicine
- A steering committee to oversee standards and direct implementation
- Advisory, design, and implementation councils, beginning with finance administration, research administration, and information technology, to intake feedback, co-design solutions and implement on-going improvements and innovations
Each level of governance will include administrators, staff, and faculty who will bring together the collective expertise, experiences and strength of our community to ensure that the holistic needs of the University are identified and met.
We encourage you to learn more about this work on the new webpage and through opportunities that will be shared in the weeks ahead.
Thank you for your commitment to the UW mission and to ensuring that the way we achieve that mission meets the same standard of excellence as the teaching, research, service and patient care we provide.
President Robert J. Jones Provost Tricia R. Serio CEO of UW Medicine Dr. Timothy H. Dellit