In November 2021, Ohio University President Hugh Sherman created the Business Service Center Advisory Committee to inform prioritization of services to be delivered through an integrated business service center.
Various business service models have been adopted across higher education to ensure consistent, simplified, high-quality administrative services in support of the academic mission, including, for example, travel, expense reimbursement, purchase of supplies and equipment, billing, and human resources services.
The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to inform the design of our shared service model and prioritization of service implementation. The Advisory Committee includes representatives from across the University who will seek input through the design and prioritization of processes and facilitate adoption of services.
Driven by continuous process improvement, the end goal is to create excellent customer service.
A Business Service Center is an organizational structure common across industries, including higher education, that consolidates transactional business activities into a single delivery point, prioritizes communication around and high-quality delivery of service, and commits to continuous process improvement in operations.
Business Service Center models are well established across higher education institutions and throughout industry. It is our hope that through this initiative, we will improve service and streamline processes that support the University's mission.
Through this initiative, we aim to ensure consistent, simplified, high-quality administrative services in support of the academic mission, including, for example, travel and expense reimbursement, purchase of supplies and equipment, billing, and human resources services.
The end goal is to create efficiencies that, over time, will lead to improved service delivery. While the initial goal is not to reduce our workforce in these critical areas, we do anticipate improved service as processes are streamlined.
We anticipate the Business Service Center to launch in 2023 with services focused on Purchasing, Travel, PCard, Human Resources, and Budget & Analytics. Additional services will be added in stages.
The Business Service Center Initiative has not been given a target for budget savings, and it is not intended as a plan for reduction in the workforce. Over time, as processes become more streamlined, a goal is to constrain growth in the number of positions needed to manage transactional work across the university system and will be met through natural attrition.
We are still evaluating an appropriate Business Service Center model that aligns with the University’s mission; however, the ultimate goal is to provide increased internal customer service through the Business Service Center model.
Our goal is to improve customer service for faculty and staff and help you work smarter. Benefits of the Business Service Center include:
Continued operational excellence support — our goal is to make processes more user-friendly and efficient through technology and process improvement.
The Business Service Center Advisory Committee has agreed upon five focus areas: Purchasing, Travel, PCard, Human Resources, and Budget & Analytics. Input from offices, units, and employees who engage in transactional work will continue to be gathered as the Business Service Center evolves.
Yes. Feedback is encouraged and may be given directly to members of the Business Service Center Advisory Committee or provided via the Provide Feedback button below.