Operational Excellence Overview
Operational Excellence applies a holistic lens to solving campus-wide challenges and advancing opportunities to improve administrative and operational functions supporting the University’s mission. Partnering with the Carolina community, OE leads the campus through the development and implementation of sustainable transformative change and new opportunities for growth. The OE office uses an Action Research model as a core methodology and a foundation for continuous improvement. Action Research is a cyclical process focused on improving practices through community engagement, action, reflection, and ongoing iteration. This model aligns with OE’s commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that projects are not only successfully implemented but also impactful over the long term.
When campus partners reach out to Operational Excellence to collaborate on an opportunity for operational improvement, the OE leadership team engages in discovery meetings to learn more about the challenges faced and the ideal outcome. During this phase, OE leadership may suggest training, advising or facilitation as approaches to move the problem towards a solution. In the case of a larger, more complex challenge, OE Transformation Managers will continue to work with the campus partners using the Action Research model.
+ Output: The process ends with a project charter: a formal document that outlines the project’s purpose, objectives, key stakeholders, scope, timeline, budget and metrics. The charter is used to set clear expectations and objectives for all stakeholders, preventing the project from expanding beyond its scope and ensuring its results are measurable.
Based on the plan phase of the Action Research model, OE collaborates closely with campus partners to define goals and objectives and create a project charter. This is accomplished through the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews, document review, as well as review and analysis of existing system and institutional data. In the project definition phase OE researches the problem from every angle to define and address the problem head-on.
Solution Design + Solution Design typically begins with design team workshops, followed by a pilot or soft-launch. The Design Team approach relies on continuous stakeholder engagement throughout the process. + Weekly Design Team workshops during the solution design phase + Weekly meetings between the OE Transformation Manager and Functional Lead + Weekly leadership touchpoint meetings with OE Leadership and executive sponsors Implementation & Change Management Advising Facilitation OE designs and facilitates a session with an existing team to successfully achieve predetermined objectives.
Based on the act phase of the Action Research model, OE helps the University take action and leads the transformation phase with a focus on practical, tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of each project partner. OE works with campus partners to engage in solution design, change management, advising, or facilitation.
OE facilitates structured solution design for complex challenges by bringing together diverse perspectives from across campus to evaluate a problem, design a solution, and plan for implementation.
OE utilizes implementation and change management when units with an identified project or initiative need dedicated support to initiate and implement a change. OE leads the project or initiative beyond typical administrative support associated with project management by ensuring adoption. All OE Transformation Managers are certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology.
OE provides advising, coaching, and thought partnership without directly facilitating sessions. Applicable for any dimension of operational improvement. + Output: To be defined on a per engagement basis. Examples include coaching for critical meetings or workshops, problem solving on operational challenges and other opportunities for guidance and/or feedback.
+ Output: 1-2 structured conversations and workshops led by OE Transformation Managers tailored to the needs of the school/unit.
+ Output: Project Closeout document and reflection plan
Based on the observe phase of the Action Research model, the project closeout phase emphasizes evaluation of project deliverables and the organizational impact of the transformative service(s) provided. OE transitions to project closeout when OE, in consultation with project partners, believe the objectives have been met. OE utilizes qualitative and quantitative methodologies to demonstrate this influence. In addition to the measures used to determine project influence during the transformative services phase, the project closeout phase involves set up and planning for the longer term reflection phase. OE utilizes a standard outcomes assessment and evaluation model to guide this reflection and ensure measurable progress and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
Based on the reflection phase of the Action Research model, the project reflection phase emphasizes structured reflection as a key part of the project process. Annual reflection meetings allow for long-term understanding of project impact and sustainability, helping understand how persistent a projects benefits are within the university community. Utilizing the structured reflection plan incorporated in the project closeout document, OE project partners engage in annual reflection meetings for a period of 3 years. Goals and measures are established for each year, and reflection meetings offer an opportunity to help adjust these targets or next steps in the work, promoting a culture of continuous improvement across campus.
Guiding Principles
These guidelines serve as the foundation for how the Operational Excellence team approaches opportunities for operational improvement.
+ We will engage the whole UNC community in a structured, collaborative and transparent process.
+ We will provide a welcoming environment where diverse perspectives are essential to fostering collaboration and teamwork critical to the success of our projects.
+ There are no predetermined solutions. We will facilitate solution design in partnership with subject matter experts.
+ We will identify a desired end state and work backwards from that end state.
+ We will strive to build a culture of continuous improvement supporting development.
