Plans to amend the administrative process through the Shared Service Center (SSC) are continuing to progress, with the center set to be finished in December 2013.
The SSC plans to combine certain departments of Payroll, Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology (IT) into one center in order to make the administrative process more efficient. This applies to the divisions of Administrative and Resource Management, the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, Information and Educational Technology, Student Affairs and University Relations.
The center is part of UC Davis’ Organizational Excellence Initiative, which is aimed at improving efficiency and cutting costs. According to Chancellor Linda Katehi’s February budget plans, the SSC is one of the 10 ways to increase efficiency on campus. Katehi estimates that the SSC will save $10 million annually after full implementation.
“Since our project launched, the UC Office of the President has decided that over the next four years, three technology systems will be implemented across all the UC campuses,” said Lisa Terry, SSC communication director.
All 10 campuses will soon have a new payroll system to replace the one built in the 1980s, in addition to a human resource information system that will provide tools for all data related to efficient management of the university’s work force. There will also be a time and attendance system that will automate employee timekeeping processes into the payroll system.
Updated technology systems specific to the UC Davis SSC will include case management to keep track of work assignments in the SSC, knowledge management through a database that will offer employees easy access to information, updated telephone systems for better call routing and electronic document management for organizing business documents.
Currently, project teams are working on identifying the steps needed to implement a shared services business model in their respective areas of focus – payroll, finance, human resources or IT.
The first phase of the SSC is scheduled to go live in January 2012 and will be fully implemented by December 2013, Terry said.
According to e-mail updates from the Shared Service Center Program Management Office, more information on hiring, including job descriptions and hiring protocol, will be available by mid-August.
“We still do not know exactly how many jobs will be lost,” Terry said. “Once we have completed [the design of the SSC] we will better understand the direct effect on jobs.”
The SSC will be located in Davis though it hasn’t yet been determined if it will be located on campus. Staff in Administrative and Resource Management are conducting an evaluation of spaces on and off campus.
AKSHAYA RAMANUJAM can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
