A. The Continuous Improvement Programme, introduced in 2019 is the umbrella for all major projects within HR Services and the project has been consolidated as part of the wider programme as of January 2020.

The two core areas of the project - Online Expenses and Manager Self-service will deliver simpler, faster, and more joined up systems that will enhance employee experience, by making better use of technology and improving our current HR processes. 

Its aim is to improve satisfaction with the end-to-end services provided, whether you’re a prospective job candidate or an experienced people manager.

A. The project will deliver an improved end-to-end experience for staff and managers by:

• Introducing an online expenses process. Receipts will no longer need to be sent as physical hard copies, but will be scanned to accompany an online form. Staff will also be able to track the progress of their claim as it moves through the approvals process

• Rolling out Manager Self Service (MSS) to simplify everyday tasks. The non-recruitment processes currently delivered by the Post Contract Management (PCM) form will move to an online MSS system, as well as some associated processes not included in the PCM. This will make these processes quicker and will allow staff to track their requests, for example contract extensions and changes

A. The Continuous Improvement Programme Project Team is made up of colleagues from HR, IT, Finance and the Strategic Change Office (SCO). They are supported by staff from many other areas across the University. The project is sponsored by Karen Heaton, Director of HR. It is overseen by the Project Board, with senior representation from Faculty PS, Academic, IT, Finance, Communications, SCO and HR staff. 

A. Input from staff is critical to the success of the project to ensure that as we build new processes and systems they meet the needs of staff and the University. There are around 20 Employee Engagement Representatives working with the project team. To date they have reviewed current processes, provided feedback on future processes and advised on communications approaches.   

A. New processes and systems, initially focusing on online expenses and Manager Self Service, will begin to be delivered in 2020. Dates for Managers’ briefings on the new systems will be confirmed as our work on the project progresses. 

A. Progress in each area of the project is set out below:

• Online expenses – requirement gathering for online expenses has taken place. This work has included mapping of current processes, as well as formulating our future processes and understanding any associated risks and issues. We are now entering the initial stages of design, build and testing

• Manager Self Service – processes for probation, changes, leavers and vacancy management have been reviewed by the Project Team and HR Systems and have now been signed off for implementation

A. Demonstrations of online expenses and Manager Self Service will be arranged and we will confirm dates as the project progresses. We will also provide supporting guidance and online resources to assist colleagues.

A. The dedicated Project team, HR Services, HR Partners and IT Services will be on hand to ensure that the new systems run smoothly. Further details of support will be provided nearer the time of launch.

A. We will be communicating regularly through the project team, StaffNet news and regular updates to the Project website. These FAQs will be updated regularly as our plans progress. Please check back regularly for updates.