1. Enhancing travel administration
Why It Matters
Efficient travel administration reduces costs, improves accountability, and ensures timely expense processing without impacting revenue.
Objectives
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Reduce costs without impacting revenue
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Ensure timely, efficient travel expense processing with clear accountability
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Streamline travel-related workflows and reduce redundancies
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Secure senior leadership endorsement and resources
What We’re Doing
Securing senior leadership endorsement and implementation resources for recommendations
Timeline
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Immediate (0–6 months): Leadership endorsement and resource allocation
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Medium (6–12 months): Implement streamlined workflows
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Long-term (12+ months): Optimize processes and monitor impact
Expected Impact
Lower administrative costs, faster expense processing, and improved accountability across departments.
2. Standardizing hardware and software procurement
2.1 Standardizing Hardware Procurement: Finding a Smarter Approach
Why It Matters
We’re laying the foundation for cost efficiency and better lifecycle governance across campus.
What We’re Doing
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Closing Data Gaps: Initial spend data lacked context (what, why, quantity, lifecycle). We pivoted to consultations with the top five spenders to enrich data and clarify Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
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Process Mapping: Identifying workflow gaps to highlight opportunities for consolidation, rationalization, and standardization.
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External Benchmarking: Learning from University of Alberta’s approach, lifecycle governance, and centralization trade-offs.
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Internal Benchmarking: Reviewing IST’s managed desktop rollover (DTR) program for scalability and efficiency as a potential model.
Timeline
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Nov 14 – Nov 30: Consultations & data enrichment
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Dec 15: Synthesis & recommendations
Expected Impact
Lower administrative costs, improved transparency, reduced redundancies, and a roadmap for smarter procurement.
2.2 Standardizing Software Procurement: Building a Unified View
Why It Matters
Creating a single, authoritative view of software spend helps identify duplication, under-utilization, and optimization opportunities—driving cost efficiency and better governance.
What We’re Doing
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Establishing a Financial Foundation: Built a federated map of all software-related data sources and identified Unit4 as the single system of purchasing records.
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Creating the first Institutional View: Extracted and unified FY23–FY25 software and maintenance spend from Unit4 to form a campus-wide baseline.
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Identifying Gaps: Recognized limits of Unit4 and the need for enrichment to uncover duplication and under-use.
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Designing Validation Framework: Added vendor verification and context fields (software type, purpose, users, alternatives, license type, criticality).
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Ensuring Enterprise Alignment: Harmonized the IAG dataset with Enterprise system inventory and EdTech inventory for taxonomy consistency.
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Initiating Campus-Wide Validation: Collecting vendor details and contextual fields to support identification of sunset candidates and optimization opportunities.
Timeline
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Nov 19 – Dec 3: Validation & augmentation
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Dec 15: Analysis & recommendations
Expected Impact
A complete, enriched institutional view of software investments, enabling smarter decisions and lower administrative costs.
2.3 Campus-Wide Newspaper Subscriptions: Streamlining Access and Reducing Duplication
Why It Matters
Improving access to news sources while reducing duplication and unnecessary costs enhances usability and efficiency across campus.
What We’re Doing
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Reviewed Current Subscriptions: Assessed campus-wide newspaper and subscription purchasing to identify duplication and cost inefficiencies.
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Investigated Barriers: Explored issues with existing Library subscriptions, including authentication challenges, delays in accessing current articles, and usability concerns.
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Identified Opportunities:
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One-click access via NewsWatch as a potential solution.
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Consulted with Library and University Relations to map current processes and opportunities.
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Evaluated Technical Options: Considered integration with Meltwater, analyzed NewsWatch’s manual creation process, and proposed internal solutions.
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Benchmarked Best Practices: Reviewed peer institutions and initiated updates to the Library webpage linking all subscribed news sources.
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Cost Analysis: Determined actual costs (below $20,000) and concluded ROI did not warrant deeper investigation.
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Recommendations: Streamline access through a dedicated webpage and improve awareness by adding links in NewsWatch, reducing spending and improving usability.
Timeline
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November 2025: Wrap-up and handover to Library and University Relations
Expected Impact
Simplified access to news sources, improved user experience, lower administrative costs, and reduced duplication.
3. Improving access to information and transparency
Why it Matters
Expanding data access and improving transparency strengthens trust, support better decision-making, and enable more effective change management.
What We’re Doing
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Consultations: Broadly engaged stakeholders to understand challenges related to data access and transparency.
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Data Access:
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Identified key data types needed, focusing on Finance and HR.
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Most Finance data challenges will be addressed through the upcoming financial system replacement project.
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Immediate opportunity: Expand access to Finance (and potentially HR) data using new security protocols.
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Transparency:
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Explored SLAs to define service expectations.
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First SLA pilot underway with Plant Operations.
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Anticipated SLAs will support organizational changes recommended by FRIT.
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Procurement Pain Point: Hardware and software purchases remain a challenge due to varied procurement approaches and insufficient coordination.
Timeline
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Nov 2025: Assessment complete; work underway or proposed to address opportunities.
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Dec 2025: Recommendation to VP-AF from Finance/HR to expand data access through security protocol changes.
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Jan 2026: Review of Workday Recruiting post-implementation to address identified challenges.
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May 2028: Financial system replacement expected implementation date to address functional requirements and challenges.
Expected Impact
Expanded access to critical data, improved transparency through SLAs, streamlined procurement processes and lower administrative costs.
4. Conducting HR functional review
Why it Matters
This review focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of human resources service provisioning, both within central HR and across Academic Support Units, Faculties, and Departments. By assessing alignment with the University’s vision, service models, processes, technology, workforce capability, and organizational culture, the review will identify opportunities to enhance performance and efficiency.
What We’re Doing
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Scope of Review includes the following human resource functions:
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Staff performance management
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Payroll and benefits
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Staff development and training
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Labour relations management
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Recruitment and reappointment services
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Staff advice
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Data-Driven Approach: Leveraging NOUS/UniForum HR function data to inform consultation sessions.
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Broad Engagement: Conducting consultations across units to validate data and examine the current state to identify opportunities for improved effectiveness and efficiency, using data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and benchmarking against best practices.
Timeline
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Late Nov – Dec 2025: Consultation sessions
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Dec 2025 – Jan 2026: Review and analysis
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Feb 2026: Target completion
Expected Impact
A comprehensive understanding of HR functions across campus, enabling streamlined processes, improved staff support, better resource allocation and lower administrative costs.