Operational Excellence: One Year Update
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy some of your favorite summer activities over the last few months.
Today I am sharing an update on Operational Excellence, a multi-year initiative to improve our administrative operations and build a better work experience for everyone at Portland State. The goal is not to ask people to do more with less, but to truly redefine where work is done so it’s more sustainable and rewarding.
Over the last year, many of our colleagues worked to identify and understand our current processes in Finance, Human Resources, and Marketing and Communications. Their work was informed by feedback from employees, and guided by Future in Focus, the university’s strategic plan that prioritizes supporting and empowering our employee operations.
The Operational Excellence steering committee has released a report of their findings and recommendations for aligning administrative structures, reducing duplicated work, achieving excellence and compliance, and establishing career pathways for employees. Here are a few key recommendations:
- Create a support center for financial services that will reduce the burden on faculty and staff;
- Increase dedicated HR support for all business units and PSU employees through employment and training positions;
- Institute a centrally-led strategy for Marketing and Communications to ensure consistency and improve effectiveness.
A more detailed summary and the full report are available on the Operational Excellence webpage.
We will provide an update on implementation planning and estimated timeline at a Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 12:45 - 1:25 p.m. in Hoffman Hall.
I want to thank all of the employees who provided feedback and those who have served on the work groups and steering committee. I am optimistic about the progress ahead and look forward to seeing how these changes will make working at PSU even more meaningful.
Take care,
Andria Johnson
Vice President, Finance and Administration
Portland State University