Key takeaways from our Edinburgh Higher Education event

Inoapps was recently honored to host an event in Edinburgh alongside Oracle for the Higher Education (HE) community. Our focus was on transformation and collaboration, and the panel discussion was lively and enlightening. It was incredible to get the views of HE leaders who are living and breathing these transformation projects every day. This blog can’t do justice to all that was discussed, but here are some key points I’d like to share. 

1. People and processes over technology

Transformation projects involve three key aspects: people, processes and technology. Often people  think of these as equally weighted. But really they’re differently weighted for different aspects of the program. People are the priority when delivering the program and effort needs to go into bringing them on the journey.

Panel discussion points included:

• Transformation should not be viewed solely as a tech project
• Technology has its place but the real focus should be on people and processes
• Prioritize people, then processes, with technology as the enabler

2. Collaboration and cultural shifts

There was a consensus that universities should look beyond the sector for process improvement ideas. In almost all back office areas, especially finance, best practice applies across sectors.

There’s also value in understanding different approaches to transformation, including licensing, partners and lessons learned around things like data migration and testing.

In terms of internal collaboration, there was much discussion about involving the user community and stakeholder management. Executive support and being direct with the business about required changes and their benefits is vital. 

Panel discussion points included:

• Strong desire for collaboration, with challenges in cloud migration, supplier management, local inefficiencies and licensing
• Effective collaboration requires trust at multiple levels, from regional to national
• Engaging with industry (EG Oracle), staff capacity-building, and knowledge sharing are equally important

3. Decision-making and organizational readiness

Decision-making in a university is more complex than other sectors. It’s important to be realistic about time and effort needed and ensure partners understand this when estimating. 

Timelines and costs can be controlled by establishing which decisions can be made before partners are brought on board—like setting out changes in organizational structures. 

However some consulting before the formal implementation helps with key readiness activities and pre-project decisions. 

Panel discussion points included:

• Start with process. Focus on quality, efficiency, and professional services standardization. Then use technology to facilitate new processes.
• Traditional process improvement says to start with understanding the AS IS. But this can lead to recreating existing processes. Instead, focus on identifying the greatest opportunities for improvement.
• Doing small isolated changes before the start of your project helps establish a change mindset.

4. Standardization v customization

Balancing the need for standardization with the competitive advantage of customization, especially in areas like research, is essential. Standardization can meet with resistance, especially with entrenched ways of working or vocal stakeholders. This is where change management become vital to success.

Panel discussion points included:

• Many ‘unique’ processes aren’t truly unique and instead present opportunities for standardization.
• Managing thousands of users requires effective communication and clear boundaries.
• Change resistance can be mitigated by clearly articulating the benefits and how they support the university’s overall strategy. 

5. Leadership and change management

Transformational change needs bold leadership, risk-taking, and the ability to manage resistance. Key influencers need to be engaged, and the psychological aspects of change need to be addressed. 

You need visibly supportive senior leadership within the organization, and somebody in program leadership who isn’t involved with organizational politics or a university career path. 

Panel discussion points included:

• Principal/VC support is essential for overcoming academic pushback.
• You need to understand both key supporters and detractors to leverage additional support while proactively addressing challenges.
• Academics are more receptive to peers advocating for change, so identify key advocates within the academic community to champion the program. 

What really stood out for me was the commonality of the challenges between higher education, the public sector, and even the private sector, and how much they can all learn from each other.

Wherever you on your transformation journey, the HE experts at Inoapps can help you navigate your challenges. Have a look at my blog series: Get ready for your Higher Education transformation journey.