Developing and supporting a sharing culture
Collaboration has led to efficiencies in areas such as procurement and shared services, but it can be a challenge to embed this culture. The University of Nottingham’s Paul Greatrix shares his experiences of a successful collaboration with the University of Birmingham.
Offsetting the costs of publishing in open access
The cost to universities of making published articles freely available can be substantial, but Jisc has developed systems to offset some of these against journal subscriptions. Jisc’s Liam Earney explains the ways it is working with publishers to ensure that the burden of the transition to open access is shared between all parties.
HERBi shared services tool goes live
A web-based tool that allows higher education institutions to explore the quantitative and qualitative costs and benefits of sharing services is now live. Project manager Simon Perks tells us more about how HERBi can help you.
Implementation of Cost-Sharing Exemption in Universities
N8 universities have been working towards utilisation of the VAT Cost-Sharing Exemption (CSE) for sharing of equipment through the development of an approved Cost Sharing Group (CSG) model. By using an existing shared asset - N8 high performance computing - as a model facility for setting up a CSG, the N8 hoped to demonstrate its value and viability.
ESISS: sharing information security expertise
Universities reap the benefits when information security expertise is shared ‘by the sector for the sector’, reports Dr Andrew Rothwell of Loughborough University’s Centre for Global Sourcing and Services. He talks to Matthew Cook, Ian Griffiths and Peter Darby about the Education Shared Information Security Service (ESISS) as a shared service.
Cost sharing benefits outweighed by risks and costs, says N8 Research Partnership
A report by the N8 Research Partnership concludes the benefits of university 'cost sharing exemption' are outweighed by risks and costs, after running a cost sharing group for universities which share equipment. This press release produced by N8 following the two year project claims that too many legal and financial hurdles exist
Our first year as a cost sharing group
The Kingston City Group (KCG) Consortium, which provides internal audit and management assurance needs to higher education institutions in London and the south east, was the first fully-operational cost saving group in the sector. KCG’s managing director Maria Vetrone shares some of the experiences from its first year of operation.
Impact of high performance computing facility revealed by N8 partnership
N8's high performance computing (HPC) facility has led to more than 90 collaborations between universities and businesses to date, a report by the research partnership has revealed. The document highlighting the impact N8 is having on the north's economy says the N8 HPC has featured in 84 grant applications totalling £59.8m and its use noted in 377 published research papers.
Debunked: five misconceptions about shared service centres
In the last of three posts, Ian Herbert and Andrew Rothwell of Loughborough University identify five common misconceptions about shared service centres (SSCs), gleaned from 10 years of research in the UK and across the world.
Shared services to enhance the student experience – Q+A panel debate 3 July
Shared services can deliver efficiencies, value-for-money and a better quality student experience – and yet they raise a number of issues. For example, “What...
