Demonstrating digital transformation - Centralisation of services and how to drive digital with consistency by Sarah Knight https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr Share your reflections, ideas and comments with us en-us 2023-07-11 17:12:07 UTC 2025-12-29 15:13:32 UTC hello@padlet.com Conflict between central services and faculties elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647136289 2023-07-18 10:49:37 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647136289 Clearly defined processes used to steer all changes elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647136416 2023-07-18 10:50:04 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647136416 University-wide tools but with local support that differs between contexts of use elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647137485 2023-07-18 10:51:09 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647137485 Balance with innovation in context of centralisation? elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138231 2023-07-18 10:52:52 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138231 Equipment can only be bought centrally, so this ensures oversight and consistency elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138547 2023-07-18 10:53:58 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138547 Saying no mitigated against track record of success and delivery elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138844 2023-07-18 10:54:52 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647138844 Governance that represents the business of the university is critical elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647140404 2023-07-18 10:57:19 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647140404 Institutions that comprise multiple Colleges/Schools - geographically diverse - all with distinct identity - centralisation of services seen as threat to individual College identity elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647141924 2023-07-18 10:59:03 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647141924 Redistributed examples of good practice across institution elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647142803 2023-07-18 11:01:24 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647142803 Single team but with 'specialists' aligned to schools elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647142964 2023-07-18 11:01:52 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647142964 Trying to get SITS as central source of truth across organisation elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647143672 2023-07-18 11:03:51 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647143672 Bottleneck with centralisation in terms of requests elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647144396 2023-07-18 11:05:41 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647144396 Infrastructure as a Service elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647145706 2023-07-18 11:09:00 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647145706 Shadow systems (niche within academic departments) elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647145953 2023-07-18 11:09:47 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647145953 Mitigations against push back on centralisation (morning group discussion) elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647146259 Central purchasing of equipment
Central team but with specialists aligned to faculty
IT/Digital governance that comprises representation from across the institution - rebalances the power and responsibility
Recognition it is a long journey (18 years for Greenwich) and planning change accordingly
Business lead doesn't sit with IT but the area of the institution to be impacted by the change
Student/user needs and experience speaks to centralisation of services for consistency and familiarisation
Service map/documentation on processes to be used across the organisation
Efficiencies of scale
Cyber security


]]> 2023-07-18 11:10:45 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647146259 Facilitating self-service to resolve own problems with automation elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647146863 2023-07-18 11:11:39 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647146863 Understanding services is problematic elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647150716 2023-07-18 11:22:16 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647150716 Devolved structure elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647186455 2023-07-18 12:45:22 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647186455 Lack of centralised student record system elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647186668 2023-07-18 12:45:54 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647186668 Lack of drivers for digital transformation at a very successful Russell Group institution but a new senior leader might lead change elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647187102 2023-07-18 12:46:53 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647187102 Lack of centralisation of support for embedding skills development, including digital capabilities elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647189655 2023-07-18 12:51:03 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647189655 Academics viewing professional services as the 'centre' elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647193178 2023-07-18 12:58:59 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647193178 Inconsistent terminology used in devolved structures elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647193715 2023-07-18 13:00:15 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647193715 Centralisation of induction lead to backing of university rather than at department level elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647194588 2023-07-18 13:02:08 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647194588 Push back on centralisation happens because: elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647197988 Loss of known support systems
Lack of personalisation of service
Perception of centralisation that resolution takes longer
Loss of convenience
Reduced job satisfaction for support staff (moving towards anonymity)
Slowness; lack of responsiveness and innovation



]]> 2023-07-18 13:06:55 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647197988 Considering decentralisation of some frontline services elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647198152 2023-07-18 13:07:18 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647198152 Strong PMO and associated infrastructure elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647202946 2023-07-18 13:16:16 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647202946 The radical takeaway... elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647209961 ... the ultimate centralisation with the use of a single university processing unit using a universal platform ]]> 2023-07-18 13:30:43 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647209961 In an established university, undoing ways of working over years/decades elizabeth_newall https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647210480 2023-07-18 13:31:38 UTC https://padlet.com/sarah_knight7/tdhzqe9l1qcaewnr/wish/2647210480