U. of Michigan Automates Tracking Data Improving Its Operations
Large organizations require access to information on a timely and organized
basis to track the efficiency of their internal processes, understand their
performance, and stay abreast of changes in their external environments. Unfortunately,
this information tends to be located in diverse places, reflecting the fact
that the requisite information is usually embedded in a wide range of files,
documents, and other "hard copy" sources. Gaining access to and organizing
this information can be difficult – but it d'esn't have to be this way.
The University of Michigan School of Social Work is a model of how an educational
organizations can streamline back end processes and save time and money.
The School of Social Work (SSW) is part of the research university in Ann Arbor
was particularly concerned about improving its operation because of its complex
nature; students study in Social Work and five different social sciences: anthropology,
economics, political science, psychology, and sociology.
The challenge SSW faced was keeping track of hundreds of students in order
to understand who they are and what they are doing. SSW also needs to generate
reports for internal and external reviews, annual reports, research grants,
and various other activities. For example, the federal government routinely
asks for data on students and student performances, and providing this data
is key to keeping the university functioning. Also, SSW reports to the university
on an annual basis and to external constituent groups.
Until recently, SSW used a hard copy filing system and tracked everything manually.
Staff members would dig up a file, scour through it for the desired information,
and return it to its filing place, a process that made it difficult to extract
data from documents efficiently.
A year ago, SSW invested in Alchemy, a paperless document management system
developed by IMR. Student files, committed minutes and other types of information
are scanned into the Alchemy repository, which currently holds approximately
60,000 records. This process consolidates data for easy retrieval.
For example, for a grant report for the National Science Foundation, SSW may
need to provide data on alumni, such as how many alumni participated in certain
programs. Staff members simply access the repository, and a quick search reveals
the desired data. SSW can then copy the data onto a CD and ship it to the foundation;
SSW can also email or print out and send the information by hard copy.
Alchemy is being used school-wide by dozens of employees, who can access the
repository simultaneously while maintaining the confidentiality of the records.
In SSW, nearly a half-dozen staffers use the system, while it is used by an
additional two dozen or so in other offices, including the Dean's Office, the
registrar's office, and the office of student services. Here are some of the
benefits SSW has seen:
- Efficiency/ease-of-use in gathering data. For instance, a grant may require
data on how long it takes students to finish the PhD program. Multiple employees
can access this information simultaneously, in minutes, and it's accessible
any time, including weekends and evenings. Plus, the school is converting
all past files from microfiche, which is difficult to use and view.
- Time savings. It takes minutes rather than days or weeks to access data.
Over the past year, SSW conducted a comprehensive of the Ph.D. program. SSW
obtained and used data resulting in a much more in-depth assessment that would
have been much more difficult without Alchemy.
- Space savings. SSW has not purchased an additional filing cabinet over the
year, and it typically had in the past, and the organization has been able
to recycle freed-up cabinets for other uses that would have required new purchases,
such as the filing cabinets used by Ph.D. students in storing their files
and papers in the doctoral student computer room.
- Enhanced security. For obvious reasons, the university d'esn't want hard
copies of files floating around through various offices. Alchemy's required
access via password makes the records more secure. Plus, Alchemy acts as a
built-in backup system.
Other departments at the university are following SSW's example and coming
up with innovative ways to use Alchemy. For example, one department is exploring
using Alchemy in new faculty hires. Rather than tracking and circulating confidential
files among committee members, members would simply access files sitting in
their own offices. Costs of reproducing files by photocopying would be eliminated,
and because faculty members can view files simultaneously. The efficiency gains
may encourage more faculty members to serve on such committees.
