Several news stories were posted in the past two months providing updates on progress with Contract Administration and Facilities procedures.
The new process for handling contracts, implemented a year ago in April, has now reduced the average turnaround time on contract approvals from 44 days to just two days! A team of 28 contract leads led by Senior Contracts Administrator Melanie Bailey processes nearly all contracts, with the help of new Selectica contract management software, enabling projects to move forward much more quickly than before.
The Facilities Department clarified its new protocol on temperature set points: residence halls will remain 68°F to 74°F year-round, and most other main campus buildings will be set at a range of 72°F to 76°F for cooling and 69°F to 72°F for heating. In a separate interview, Facilities leader Philip Jabour discussed the progress, challenges and priorities of his department as it has transitioned to Shared Services.
And at the end of May, the Operational Excellence 2015-16 Year in Review was shared with the Finance Committee of the SMU Board of Trustees and the Council of Deans and published on the OpEx website. It shows that in the past year, the Office of Operational Excellence has helped SMU make great strides in reallocating administrative overhead toward its academic mission. In that time, the University has steadily prepared for the future by centralizing common services, streamlining procedures and funding new initiatives, fellowships and technology to sustain the University, its students and faculty for decades to come.
Featured News
Contract Turnarounds Now Faster, Easier to Process
A Progress Update on Temperature Protocol
Six Questions for Facilities Leadership on the Shared Services Transition
Operational Excellence Progress Report: 2015-16 Year in Review
