A move toward shared services can be an opportunity to rethink common practices. As Health Sciences Administration gears up to launch its new Shared Services Center in January 2018, staff have already been implementing new, more streamlined processes — and seeing improvements.

Rethinking before reorganizing

HSA supports ten health sciences units in administrative functions, and staff started considering how to improve and streamline many of those functions even before shifting to a comprehensive shared services model. In advance of Workday, HSA staff centralized payroll services across all ten units to help smooth the transition. They standardized a new best practices hiring model, which has brought in high-quality hires through a multi-tiered process, and has saved time and resources. Most recently, HSA developed a new approach to employee onboarding. Launched in spring 2017, it has made onboarding more consistent, and helps new staff feel welcomed and prepared for success.

A closer look: employee onboarding

HSA’s new onboarding process exemplifies how rethinking a common practice can lead to widely shared benefits. Previously, onboarding was inconsistent across HSA-supported units. New employees were invited, but not required, to attend a general orientation through UW central HR; only a few units had their own orientations. Directors couldn’t count on all new staff coming in with the same information, even within the same unit. And, since units are spread out across various buildings, new health sciences staff had few opportunities to meet people in other units, or each other. “Inconsistency is not the impression we want to leave on new employees,” says Kelly Johnson, HSA assistant director. “We want to make them feel they’re welcome in the university and in the HSA family.”

In 2016, HSA staff met with unit directors to reassess onboarding. Once they decided on a new approach, they did test runs with staff at various stages (new hires and older employees), to see how the new process could be further improved before rolling it out.

Now, all new staff in supported units attend the same HSA-run orientation: a two-hour session on their first day of employment, always on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Having a general orientation takes administrative burden off of those units that did their own trainings, and ensures everyone is on the same page from day one. Orientation includes everything from where to eat, where to park or catch a bus, how to understand benefits and how to use Workday. New staff learn about trainings and seminars, and receive a checklist of exactly what they need to do and by when. HSA staff follow up with emails including links to various resources and a survey to provide feedback to help improve the program.

Perhaps most importantly, new employees are meeting and networking with colleagues across units before starting in their new positions — contributing to a greater sense of community across all of HSA’s supported staff.

A shared services center in the making

The changes to onboarding and other practices had HSA considering how to more holistically support their units’ mission-critical work and ease pressures on staff, especially as resources become increasingly limited. HSA leadership — comprising Johnson, Director Bob Ennes and Executive Director David Anderson — worked with unit directors to determine that a shared services center would be the best way forward.

First, unit directors and HSA staff created a long-list of possible services to include in a shared services center based on each units’ needs. Then HSA hired a project manager who helped create working teams and determine what will make most sense to include: high volume, routine transactions such as accounting, HR functions and IT support. Now, shared services subject matter experts (SMEs) are conducting on-the-ground research and coordination; in weekly meetings, the SMEs are mapping out the processes with HSA staff.

Transparency in the process creates momentum and buy-in

The process of creating a shared services center can and should look different for different contexts. But some parts of the process can be broadly applied, says Johnson. HSA has found that building buy-in is both challenging and crucial — and that it’s best accomplished by being as transparent as possible, every step of the way.

From the very beginning, HSA has encouraged staff from all units to participate in any planning and development meetings. They’ve also created a SharePoint site to which all employees have access. The site is a one-stop shop for unit staff, providing up-to-date details on the status of each task and the overall project, as well as a direct line of communication with HSA. It includes pages on the Center’s guiding principles, FAQ and space for questions, making the “how” and “why” of the process very clear.

This focus on transparency has really helped to address potential anxieties, says Johnson. “We’ve seen amazing engagement from employees,” she says, “because they’ve been invited to be part of the process.” She notes how important it is to be willing to talk to people whenever they have questions or concerns. One of the Center’s guiding principles, in fact, is to “ensure our communication is immediate, continuous, personal and transparent so that our customers know what to expect and when to expect it.”

On deck for the new Center

In July 2017, HSA completed the Plan and Assess stage of their development timeline. They are now beginning the Design stage, in which the subject matter expert teams research and recommend exactly which services to focus on, while units determine their particular needs. They’re also determining what staffing will look like: instead of a “lift-and-shift” model in which existing positions are reorganized, they plan to post new positions once roles are determined and encourage current unit staff to apply.

Learn more about the Shared Services Center: http://depts.washington.edu/uwhsa/shared-services/

View timeline as a PDF.

Four and a half years ago, the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Student Life, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Graduate School — and, now, Enrollment Management — came together to develop a shared vision to transform the student experience with goals to advance and promote student access, diversity and engagement across the University. Then-Provost Ana Mari Cauce asked now-Provost Jerry Baldasty to serve as the first senior vice provost for Academic & Student Affairs, responsible for the coordination of this effort across the units.

These units operate independently; however, the UW’s capital campaign offered the opportunity to rethink advancement staffing and functions. Reorganizing as a shared service meant the units could increase fundraising and impact the student experience more than any one unit could alone without additional resources.

The challenge: To increase support for student success by better coordinating existing resources

Previously, advancement officers in each of the units worked independently with smaller portfolios of opportunity. It was not unusual for two officers to reach out to the same donor to fund similar programs. Donors interested in access, student success and diversity across the University were presented smaller proposals from single units, rather than larger, cross-functional and transformational proposals focused on a shared vision. Advancement resources were spread thinly across competing priorities and boutique programs.

The solution: A cross-functional team that supersizes service

The new shared-service model maintains the co-location of advancement officers
within the units while adding a matrixed reporting structure. This means that advancement officers have dual reporting lines: one to the unit leader, and the other to ASA Advancement. In this model, officers’ work intersects with the work of colleagues housed in other ASA units, and the cross-functional organization spurs collaboration and resource pooling. What is unique is that ASA Advancement goals, not just reporting lines, span the units — allowing officers to focus on both the particular funding opportunities based in each unit, as well as transformational ideas that cut across units.

Reorganizing the team revealed opportunities for scalable funding opportunities in areas such as leadership and careers, mentoring and advising, and access and diversity. In short, donors can now imagine their investments impacting student success throughout the University. The process of developing related fundable opportunities has brought together colleagues to collaborate in new ways that support the shared vision of unit leaders.

Benefits: “Growing the pie” with donor-centric coordination, consistency and professional growth

Working as an interconnected team has increased donor support. Before the shift to a shared model, fundraising of the five units totaled approximately $7 – 11 million per year. Now, it is currently close to $17 – 20 million annually in this campaign.

Developing a shared vision helped the unit leaders focus on transforming the UW student experience. The vice presidents and deans are prioritizing programs and initiatives that drive key student learning outcomes, impact the student experience at scale and spark the passion of investors.

This shared service model places the UW ahead of the curve regarding donor behavior. Trends in philanthropy indicate an increased focus on the student experience in a holistic way and on affinity — the specific groups, clubs and experiences donors were passionate about as students. Working together, ASA advancement officers can quickly respond to donors’ affinity and deepen their connection to the whole university.

The creation of a clear, shared vision allows officers from all units to speak passionately and effectively about UW priorities — which has benefited each unit’s communications efforts, as well. Communications directors now collaborate on strategies, messaging and content that support the student experience and the value of diversity.

Centralizing stewardship for each unit has also led to a more standardized, streamlined process for acknowledgements — and ASA Advancement has integrated these efforts into comprehensive donor engagement strategies for each unit. From the donor’s perspective, the ASA message is now timely, consistent and demonstrates the impact of their support through student stories.

In addition, the shared advancement team structure results in higher fundraiser performance. It also encourages mentoring, as more experienced fundraisers guide and advise newer ones. The broader base of expertise and interests naturally expands the skills of all team members, with a strong emphasis on meaningful metrics and collaboration.

Lessons learned:

• Donors aren’t the only audience, and change is hard. Shifting to this model meant helping staff and leaders understand that advancement is most successful when we focus efforts on a few vision-aligned priorities, and demonstrate the impact on students and their experiences — rather than addressing budget shortfalls or focusing on emerging projects that are beyond the scope of our current resources and strategy.
• A shared vision relies on buy-in. While the ASA Advancement model is structured with formal reporting lines, it depends on a broad network of collaborations that are more fluid. Developing a compelling vision and strong networks with staff members inspires those outside the reporting lines to work together. The informal networking to build trust is a continuous process. It requires constant refreshing both of the vision itself and the buy-in achieved through a sense of shared ownership and respect.
• Being nimble is a must to serve a rapidly evolving philanthropic environment. Reassess and innovate constantly to ensure the team’s organization, services and focus meet the complex needs of the units and the challenges facing higher education more broadly.

The challenge: Cultivating the next generation of major gift donors

In 2009, leading up to the “Be Boundless — For Washington, For the World” campaign, advancement leaders in the College of Engineering recognized a need to develop a new generation of major gift donors. At the time, the college’s advancement team consisted of major gift officers, but it needed broader coverage in “discovery” staff who could identify, and build relationships with newly rated and prospective donors.

The solution: Sharing discovery officers

Judy Mahoney, College of Engineering associate dean of Advancement, and Anne Fitzmaurice Adams, senior director of Individual Giving, came up with a way to fund those new positions by sharing services with the college’s academic departments. In this new model — spearheaded and managed by Mahoney and Adams — the college and four of its 10 departments share costs of discovery officer positions, as well as the operational expenses of fundraising efforts.

Benefits: Relationship-based service, increased giving and professional growth

Since the team’s inception, the discovery officers have been able to place 95 prospects into the college’s major gifts pipeline and remove 133 prospects from consideration. They have secured, to date, more than $5 million in additional support. Mahoney notes that benefits have extended well beyond the financial. Discovery officers are deeply invested in and understand the culture, needs and priorities of their assigned departments. They develop personal relationships, working closely with the department’s chair and meeting regularly with departmental faculty and staff, while also building relationships with prospective donors. The college has also been able to focus strategically on donor-centered talent management and the model has allowed for more cohesive, on-brand messaging across the college.

The new model couldn’t have come at a better time. There had been growing demand across the college for high-level professional advancement opportunities. The discovery officer positions fulfill that demand. By gaining on-the-job professional development and mentorship, they also create a stronger pipeline of well-trained staff for the entire department and the University.

Lessons learned: Start small, build buy-in and share data to help with decision-making

To roll out the model, the College of Engineering Advancement team started small, working with three departments to pilot: Mechanical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering and Computer Science & Engineering. They then began connecting with other departments — specifically those with high numbers of prospective donors. To foster buy-in across departments, Advancement collected fundraising and alumni data for each department and shared it with chairs. This way, chairs could better understand why the shared services model would be a good investment.

Next steps: Explore shared services in marketing and communications

Currently, Engineering’s Advancement team is expanding its shared services into areas of marketing and communications. The team has recently started collaborating with select departments, including Mechanical Engineering and Civil & Environmental Engineering, to create shared positions in publications and website support.

Centralization can sometimes produce similar benefits to a shared services model — especially, when the priority is to reach more customers with improved service.

The challenge: Decentralized marketing and communications services led to inconsistency and confusion

Before 2008, marketing and communications were separate entities in the Foster School with independent reporting lines and goals. Most of Foster’s programs had their own web editors, as well as someone on staff serving in at least a partial marketing capacity.

As programs ran direct mail and advertising campaigns to recruit prospective students, there was a lot of room for confusion. Communications with prospective students sometimes overlapped, web standards were difficult to establish, and navigation across programs was uneven. This made it more difficult for prospects to look at multiple programs — and for the separate units to function efficiently.

Access to services was also uneven for the programs themselves. Revenue-generating programs could fund in-house marketing and communications needs, but others had fewer resources to do so — often, the same programs that could benefit most from a dedicated marketing team.

The solution: Build an internal marketing and communications “agency”

Staff in the marketing and communications units worked together to brainstorm how to best combine and improve services. With support from the dean, they decided to consolidate everything from the website to advertising, video production and market intelligence into one centrally supported Marketing & Communications unit.

To make the shift, the units merged under a single director who reports to the Associate Dean for Advancement. Advertising was paired with visual brand management to establish a consistent look and feel for outbound communications. Website management was transferred to an online marketing team to structure and support the community of web editors across Foster. They centralized web content creation, editing and theming services, and shifted responsibilities so that their multimedia producer could focus more on video production and tell more of Foster’s stories, from web features to marketing pitches, via video.

The team makes market intelligence more accessible, allowing programs to use information — such as demand for various degrees and the factors driving rankings — for future planning. In addition, they now do comprehensive advertising, recruitment campaigns, social media, communication plans and publication of Foster Business magazine. They create and execute marketing plans at the school, program and center levels that benefit all Foster’s programs.

The benefits: Service at greater scale with a smaller, nimble team

The team today is smaller, and yet they complete more, larger-scale projects. Since the new unit is centrally-supported, individual programs don’t need to build in marketing and communications capacities; all programs have access to the team’s improved services. “Centralization means we have a shared opportunity for the rest of the school — we can be shared further afield,” says Eric Nobis, managing director of Marketing and Communications at Foster.

For example, the Consulting and Business Development Center connects student consulting teams to local businesses. The program provides low-cost marketing services to minority- and women-owned businesses, and a real-world practicum for students. Foster’s centralized team now handles the program’s marketing and promotion at a scale that would have been previously unaffordable. These services bring in more support for the program — and by extension, the local community.

Foster’s work-compatible MBA programs also benefit from the team’s new approach. The four programs have revenue-generating need; they also often compete for students in the same market. Now, marketing and recruitment efforts can be more consistent, targeted and efficient, since they are all being executed by the same team.

Unlike conventional shared services models, the team’s coverage of services across Foster doesn’t lend itself to individual partnership-level agreements with clients, or to setting shared goals and values at the start of each service relationship. “The shared aspect to the new model is, primarily, the enabling of a broader set of clients than we otherwise could have,” says Nobis. And, as with shared services, the team is “really steeped in what they’re doing,” he says. Now, that expertise can reach programs, staff and students across Foster.