Making lean an integral part of existing change agendas
The University of Aberdeen has been using lean methods since 2009 establishing its own business improvement team in 2012. Pat Browne, who heads up the team, explains why finding a good fit, aligned with the institution’s priorities, is crucial to directing resources and making a difference.
How to create a lean team
Institutions implementing a lean strategy need to think carefully about who will support it. The University of Sheffield’s Rachel McAssey explains some of the elements that make up a successful lean team.
Lean: taking the strain out of admissions
Middlesex University has boosted staff confidence, reduced mundane tasks and produced a better student experience, simply by improving their admissions system. Karolin Arvidsson sets out how they did it.
The importance of evidencing improvement
How do you evidence the benefits of work you have done to improve processes in your institution? The University of Strathclyde has developed a guide and training on evidencing benefits and business improvement manager Nicola Cairns shares some of that expertise in this post.
Lean leadership: five steps to get the best from yourself and others
How do you create the right conditions for lean to flourish? The University of Strathclyde’s John Hogg outlines five key behaviours that will help to foster a lean approach in higher education.
Learning lean in a lean way
Higher education professionals from across the world met in Stirling last month to discuss approaches to lean. Vincent Wiegel shares his reflections of an event attracting a growing number of delegates each year.
Lean in and change your mind about change
Change is a sensitive subject. Great if it’s change you want to have happen and rubbish if it isn’t. In either circumstance Sonya Johnston from Universities Scotland suggests good sources of support, information and guidance can be helpful as well as inspiring.
A Lean research and business support service?
Developed to cut out waste in car production, the Lean method is helping to transform processes in many universities. Already widely-used in professional services, Lean is now being applied to research management, as Northumbria University’s David Young explains.
How we are speeding up the PhD admission process at Brunel
Postgraduate admissions at Brunel University London have plunged by 48% since 2013/14 so Brunel took action to change how prospective PhD students apply. Jeung Lee says their new process should cut application times by over 50%.
How lean can nurture the relationship between educators and students
At the University of Winchester, academics are working with professional services to improve the student and staff experience. Dr Tammi Sinha, one of the academics in the HE continuous improvement unit, describes the benefits of lean approaches from the perspective of an educator.
