April 18, 2005
Business Transformation forum offers preview
of changes to come
By Louise Donahue
The successful implementation of UCSC's Business Transformation
initiative will mean more efficient delivery of services--in
everything from purchasing to staff hiring to time sheets.
That was the word at an April 13 forum about the multiyear
consolidation and modernization process that includes elimination
of 26 service centers. The forum was cosponsored by the Staff
Advisory Board and the Business Transformation Program.
“This is about handling our campus today, and handling
our campus tomorrow,” Tom Vani, vice chancellor for Business
and Administrative Services told the gathering at the Music
Center Recital Hall.
The initial impetus behind the BTP initiative is to provide
basic campus business services with $1.1 million less in annual
funding than what has been spent to provide the same services
in the past.
Business transformation covers a wide range of services, and
will include these changes:
• Purchasing will be streamlined using a system dubbed
CruzBuy, with a web-based shopping-cart system familiar to those
who shop online.
• The hiring process will be speeded up, allowing applicants
to check the status of the hiring process online. An e-mail
will be sent to applicants notifying them that their application
has been received, and hiring managers will be notified by e-mail
when a position has been posted.
• Timesheets will be filled out online, with an option
for face-to-face contact in case of problems.
• Policies and procedures will be more consistent, and
more consistently applied.
Employees were expected to be notified last week about where
they will fit into the new structure, with relocation planned
during August. Campus controller Kirk Lew said it does not appear
the restructuring will require any layoffs.
The new, centralized offices—which may be located off
campus—will be supplemented by a small number of satellite
offices on campus, so students, staff, and faculty will be able
to access services easily.
While the transformation will bring major changes—and
a greater reliance on technology—efforts are being made
to retain working relationships.
Under the new structure, a team of employees will serve a group
of divisions, with staff members moving to new groupings that
include the division they worked with before. “We’re
trying to maintain a consistency from the former service center
system,” said Larry Castro, project manager for the Financial
Administrative Services Transformation.
The larger units will offer some benefits to staff, such as
increased opportunities for internal training and advancement,
and more backup available when a staff member is on vacation
or on leave.
Detailed information on the Business Transformation process,
including a confidential
feedback option, is available online at http://bas.ucsc.edu:16080/btp/
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