Below you will find suggested resources for initiating process improvements. Please check back regularly for updated information on available workshops and seminars, helpful how-to guides, and reading materials.

Move to Improve Course

Description
What's your next step toward improvement? This newly designed course provides a hands-on, interactive experience introducing participants to a variety of tools to assess and improve business processes. Each participant will leave the class with ideas and action plans to improve current processes or job activities.

Course Topics:
Discover the why
What does your customer say?
Processes that stick
It's all about performance
Improve, improve, improve

Next class: To be announced

Introduction to Process Improvement Course

Description
This course provides an introduction to process improvement principles, methodologies, and tools for enhanced quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of processes.  Broad course topics include: a basic framework to guide improvement efforts from planning to implementation; tools to understand current processes and to research possible improvements; and the relational aspects of change and improvement.  Participants will learn essential skills to lead efforts that are data-driven, based on objective analysis, and performance oriented.  Application of knowledge will be stressed through interactive learning experiences.  Thus, participants are encouraged to identify a process in their area that they would like to improve in advance of the first class.  However, this is not a requirement for enrollment.

Course Topics:
Introduction to Process Improvement
Discover - Redesign - Realize Methodology
Improvement Tools – surveys, process mapping, benchmarking, etc.
Project Management Fundamentals
Collaborating through Teamwork
Team Dynamics
Change Management

Who Should Attend: 
Faculty and staff who are interested in streamlining work processes; saving time and resources; improving the quality of service; improving communication and coordination among units involved in cross-functional processes; and utilizing teams for improvement projects.

Next class: To be announced

Tools, Articles, Templates and Information on Process Improvement

Resources requiring approval were republished with permission. For website linked resources, your browser will take you directly to the appropriate site. Books listed with an asterisk (*) are available in the PS Office for use. Please select a topic from the categories below:

History of Quality and Improvement

Starting An Improvement Initiative

Methodologies

Improvement Tools

Working with Teams

Change Management

Additional Resources and Peer Programs

History of Quality and Improvement:

• The Evolution of Process Improvement
• In the Beginning, There Were Deming and Juran," by Phil Landesberg, The Journal for Quality & Participation, 1999.
  

Starting An Improvement Initiative:

• Planning an Improvement Project
  
• "Continuous Quality Improvement in Higher Education," by John Dew and Molly Nearing, American Council on Higher Education (ACE), 2004 (Book*)
• "Business Process Redesign for Higher Education," by Dougherty, Kidwell, Knight, Hubbell and Rush, NACUBO, 1994. (Book*)
  
• "Process Reengineering In Action," by Richard Y. Chang, 1995. (Book*)

Methodologies:

• National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Methodology - An overview of a Business Process Redesign methodology.
• Management Methodologies in Practice at U.Va. - PowerPoint Presentation on Balance Scorecard, Six Sigma and NACUBO BPR from the Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference.
• Project Management Methodology (PMI) – PowerPoint Presentation from the Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference.
• Lean Higher Education: Increasing the Value and Performance of University Processes
• Project Management: The Basics - An overview of project management - Innovation Insights, Penn State University

Improvement Tools:

• Process Mapping
  
• Process Mapping Software Tools - MS Visio or Casewise

• How to Use Focus Groups to Solicit Ideas and Feedback - Innovation Insights, Penn State University.
• Focus Groups: When and Why to Use by University of Wisconsin-Madison, Services for Planning & Improvement, Office of Quality Improvement.

• Using Surveys for Data Collection in Continuous Improvement - Innovation Insights, Penn State University.
• Survey Design - Getting The Results You Need

• The Benchmarking Exchange – A website of resources and information.
• Benchmarking Overview

Additional Tools

• Project Communication Plan
  
• Analyzing Stakeholder Resistance
  
• Cost Benefit Analysis –how to guide on developing a cost benefit analysis to determine how well an action will turn out.
• Gap Analysis – Wikipedia guide to this business resource assessment tool.
• Work Breakdown Structure – Wikipedia guide to the use of this project management tool.
• Measuring What Matters – PowerPoint Presentation from the Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference.

Working with Teams:

• Harnessing the Strengths of a Team - Helpful guide on effective team building techniques.
• The Role of a Facilitator - adapted from Brian Bell, former Director of Leadership Development Center at UVA, Introduction to Process Improvement Class–Information on the role and values of a facilitator and how they can function on a process improvement team.
• Using Teams More Effectively - Quality Endeavors, Issue #108, March 2008, Penn State University – information on creating a successful team environment.
• Team Dynamics in Process Simplification - PowerPoint Presentation from the Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference.

Change Management:

• Seven Keys to a Change Deployment Process
  
• Creating a Culture for Innovation and Improvement: Lessons Learned
• 10 Steps for Implementing Change - by Jeff Marsee, NACUBO June 2002
• Set In Your Ways? By Susan Jurow, NACUBO, February 2006
• Managing Change - PowerPoint Presentation from the Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference.

Additional Resources and Peer Programs:

• Advancing Improvement and Innovation Conference (October 2008) - Videos of speakers and presentation content from breakout sessions.
• Academic Quality Improvement Program - A searchable database of improvement initiatives and innovative practices.
• Penn State - Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment
• University of Minnesota - Office of Service and Continuous Improvement
• University of Wisconsin Madison - Office of Quality Improvement
  
• National Consortium for Continuous Improvement in Higher Education NCCI is an organization committed to advancing administrative and academic excellence in higher education by identifying, promoting, supporting and sharing effective organizational practices among member institutions. To learn more about this consortium, please click on the following links:
  
  • Mission
  • About NCCI
  • Strategic Plan
  • Leveraging Excellence Program
  • Newsletters
  The University of Virginia is an institutional member, therefore all University faculty and staff are considered members. Membership privileges include reduced registration fees for events and programs; access to member-only resources; and opportunities to participate in the organizations governance through committee work.
  
  To subscribe to the mailing list or receive the newsletter and program announcements contact Jennifer Gentry at NCCI Headquarters email: jgentry@ncci-cu.org. Telephone: 860-586-7567 ext. 577.