The Financial Services (FS) division of Financial Management is responsible for paying the University’s bills, reimbursing University travelers for travel expenditures, and administering and reporting University fixed assets. On October 16, 2002, the offices gathered for a first time ever FS all-staff retreat.

FS leader and Assistant Controller Ann Anderson welcomed everyone and reviewed the retreat objectives:

• The various units of FS should gain an understanding of their role and impact with regard to the Financial Services Strategic Plan and Performance Dashboard.

• Improve the integration of the plan and dashboard into everyone’s approach to their work.

Ann then presented a 12-year case study of the changes in Financial Services since the beginning of the QI adventure. One stunning statistic: if FS was still doing business the same way as we were in 1990, the department would need 113 additional staff, costing over $9 million in salaries per biennium! We are truly good stewards of public resources and our quality of service has improved significantly. Instead of service complaints, we now receive plenty of service kudos!

Another way we are doing better is by measuring our major processes and using those measurements to plan for change and process improvement. Tom Phillips, self described “Data Dude,” explained where the FS Dashboard measurements come from and Ann described the need for these measurements. Operating without this knowledge is like driving a car without a gas gauge or speedometer!

Ruth Johnston’s “Leadership for Change” presentation was well received by the group. As FS staff person Amy Liu stated, “I liked the presentation on "Change" the most. It was really refreshing and interesting. It made me realize how different people react to changes and helped me to learn how to handle changes.”

In the final session of the retreat, FS divided into functional groups to review a series of questions about:

• customers
• processes,
• improving the dashboard measurements that represent each process
• better using data and measurements to determine next steps.

Ann, in her wrap up, assured the group that supervisors and managers would be following up on the ideas and concerns that arose during the breakout groups.

Another FS staffperson, Kenneth Kono, felt that the event was “extremely positive. One of the points that hit home for me was the feeling of "unity"…I especially enjoyed the fact that when Ann spoke, she spoke to us all as equal, important members of her team.”

Assisting with facilitation at the retreat, in addition to Ruth Johnston and Kate Riley, were Karen Crowder, Chris Malins, Ruchi Aggarwal and Sam Senturia. Thanks to everyone for a great first retreat!