The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has launched a Business Simplified initiative to assess and ensure that business and administrative services are provided in an effective, efficient, timely and value-added manner.
The work is being led by teams that include staff and faculty from across the spectrum of the university’s business and operations community.
Objectives for Business Simplified include:
- Simplify processes and structures using a “one-UNL” methodology (and to identify and eliminate any resulting duplication, redundancy and inconsistency across UNL administrative support functions);
- Ensuring strong service levels to support our teaching, research and engagement missions; and
- building on previous business processes (including Service Delivery Initiative and Zero-based budget review) to assure the creation of an environment where administrative excellence catalyzes academic success, transformative research and impactful public engagement.
The working teams are focusing on three areas in the Business Simplified project:
People Management — Reviewing recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes in an effort to streamline the experience for UNL employees (staff, faculty and students). Desired impacts include more straightforward and timely hiring and onboarding and the development of improved talent management resources for supervisors and employees.
Financial Management — Optimizing business processes, structures, and financial reporting capabilities, and a second focusing on enhancing grants administration across campus.
Operational Opportunities — Assessing organizational structures and processes across all remaining administrative support functions, especially those not previously evaluated through the Service Delivery initiative. This team, along with the others, also seeks to identify potential revenue growth opportunities.
Team meetings and listening sessions are scheduled through the fall semester with the goal of providing recommendations to the chancellor's Executive Leadership Team in January. Implementation of selected improvements will begin in the spring 2025.
“Reviewing our businesses processes through a ‘one-UNL’ lens is critical,” said Mike Zeleny, vice chancellor for business and finance. “Many of our processes have become quite complex over the years. This is an opportunity to simplify and ensure that our talented staff are efficiently supporting our most important university missions.”
The Business Simplified steering committee includes co-chairs Jeff Bassford and Becky Zavala, as well as Haley Hamel, Alecia Kimbrough, Mary LaGrange, Josh Overocker and James Volkmer.
Town halls to solicit feedback from the campus community are:
- 3 p.m., Oct. 25 in the Nebraska East Union, Great Plains Room, (in-person); and
- 11 a.m., Oct. 30 (virtual via Zoom: https://unl.zoom.us/s/98009519165).
Ideas or questions can also be emailed to businesssimplified@unl.edu
