Predicting the long-term success of your shared services organization can be somewhat difficult in the initial stages of your planning efforts. Starting small, building relationships, allowing for pause and reflection, and identifying opportunities for timely expansion have been key to the success of the shared services program at Princeton University.

In this past presentation, Brandon Gaines, Shared Services Director at Princeton University, discusses how, in the span of eight years, one person supported seven academic departments which turned into five people supporting 30 academic and administrative departments. He also discusses the importance of:

• Selecting the pilot group of departments
• Knowing the financial services you can offer and when to expand those services
• Establishing service-level agreements that are scalable and processes that are standardized
• Leveraging data to influence buy-in and articulate overall value
  
  

To effectively launch, manage, and expand a thriving SSC, you need strong leadership to ensure success. However, recruiting and retaining exceptional executive management isn’t an easy task, especially in shared services. To attract and hold onto top talent, you must develop an end-to-end plan of how to do so.

In this past presentation, Brenda Rebman, MBA, CHPR, CMC, CHE, Chief Human Resources Officer, Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor, UC Davis, explores:

• How to identify and attract senior executive and mid-management teams with critical competencies, qualifications and SSC specialized expertise
• How to establish career development strategies that support and engage a wide variety of management teams
• Senior and mid-management mentoring and training programs to ensure core mission excellence
  
  

Today, change is a constant, and the ability to manage change as part of your day-to-day operations is a crucial part of your SS implementation and optimization process. Success depends on getting your C-Suite to buy in to your vision, and on developing an effective communication strategy that will get your message across in a clear and concise way. During this workshop, practitioners will share the change management and engagement techniques they have used in order to drive new behaviors that foster support from the entire organization. In this presentation, Peggy Kay, Assistant V.P. Technology, University of the Pacific, and Chase Loper, Director Shared Services, Duquesne University, discuss:

• Developing and reviewing a detailed communication plan to ensure it is effective and meets the needs of stakeholders
• Aligning stakeholder vision to a common vision that will ensure change management buy-in
• Cultivating a culture of collaboration by creating common goals and mutual inter-dependence
• Developing strategies to create a clear and consistent multi-channel messaging to ensure changes are effectively communicated and understood
  

There is constant pressure to demonstrate ROI and cost savings especially within your shared service center. To demonstrate that your initial goals for your SSC have been met, you need to determine key performance indicators as well as a baseline from which to measure success. This past presentation will show you where and how to start, what to measure, and what technologies can be leveraged to better serve your performance measurement.

More specifically, Erika Wilson, Sr. Director Health Sciences Sponsored Projects Pre-Award Office and Health Sciences Research Service Core, Interim ADCS Finance, University of California San Diego, covers how to:

• Determine metrics and KPIs to apply to your shared service center
• Discover how to measure as well as analyze the results of your performance measurement to make tangible changes
• Demonstrate an ROI through metrics and benchmarking to receive and maintain buy-in
  
  

Congratulations! Your organization has decided to make the move to shared services. But what’s next? How do you make it happen? View this presentation to gain actionable strategies, practical tools and sure-fire approaches to go from shared services ideation to implementation.

Hear key insights from Lisa Sharpe, Project Director, Shared Services Operations, Office of the AVP for Finance, West Virginia University, regarding:

• Planning your implementation
• Key characteristics of successful SSO models
• Best practices for selecting enabling technologies
• Rolling out your new SSO Model
• Tips and techniques for engaging staking holders and driving change
• Common implementation mistakes and how to avoid them
• Ensuring long-term success
• Measuring and communicating implementation success
• Post-implementation benchmarking guide
• Ensuring that you have the right talent in place
  
  
  

As organizations grow they too often allow a layer of bureaucracy to trickle into their organization that inhibits their strongest resources; their people. It’s critical that employees are engaged at work. Nothing less than your Institution’s ability to develop long-term growth is at stake. An engaged workforce is your competitive advantage. It often establishes itself in an ethos that believes organizations grow from the outside in - it is a misguided and flawed model. Department success and customer satisfaction are a result of engaged people, and growth begins on the inside when individuals are engaged. The presentation focuses on developing a staff development and leadership succession plan. Having a strategy is a valuable tool to grow future leaders and to ensure continuous development within a shifting market. Success by succession planning is an investment that leaders are recognizing as an important strategy with long term benefits.

Rosemary Madnick, Executive Director, Office of Grants and Contracts Administration, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Nancy Lewis, Executive Director, Sponsored Projects, University of California, Irvine, discuss:

• How to set realistic goals for staff development
• How to identify and manage staff development
• How to align staff development and succession planning
• Identify and communicate the framework for human capital development
  
  

It is imperative that SSC leaders develop and maintain strategic partnerships with faculty to ensure the success of a significant operational and systemic restructuring. Selling the story of your SSC initiative with a sound, comprehensive and reliable business case is critical in order to obtain alignment and approval from stakeholders before moving into implementation, expansion, or optimization operations.

In this presentation, Peggy Kay, Assistant V.P. Technology, University of the Pacific, shares valuable insights into:

• Designing and implementing a shared services program that best meets the needs of your faculty and all parties affected
• Creating branding messages that speak to your faculty’s needs and emphasize the ROI they desire
  
  

In preparation for Shared Services for Higher Education 2020, we wanted to share these exclusive past presentations with you from 2019. Below you will find expert content on:

• Creating the Story of the Benefits: How to Change Stakeholders’ Mindset from One of Resistance to Champions of Your SSC: Peggy Kay, Assistant V.P. Technology, University of the Pacific
• Developing an Effective Roadmap for Staff Development and Leadership Succession Planning: Rosemary Madnick, Executive Director, Office of Grants and Contracts Administration, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Nancy Lewis, Executive Director, Sponsored Projects, University of California, Irvine
• Tips and Tools to Turn Your Shared Services Vision into Reality: Lisa Sharpe, Project Director, Shared Services Operations, Office of the AVP for Finance, West Virginia University
• Measuring for Success: Demonstrating ROI Through Metrics and Benchmarking: Erika Wilson, Sr. Director Health Sciences Sponsored Projects Pre-Award Office and Health Sciences Research Service Core, Interim ADCS Finance, University of California San Diego
• Change Management, Communication, and Stakeholder Engagement - Critical Components to Effective Change Management: Peggy Kay, Assistant V.P. Technology, University of the Pacific, and Chase Loper, Director Shared Services, Duquesne University
• How to Recruit & Retain Exceptional SSO Executive Leadership: Brenda Rebman, MBA, CHPR, CMC, CHE, Chief Human Resources Officer, Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor, UC Davis
• Case Study: An Opt-In Approach to Shared Services at Princeton University: Brandon Gaines, Shared Services Director at Princeton University