![](/-/media/feature/micrositesnewsandevents/staffnews/suzanne-chambers-460px.jpg)
Innovation in practice
News 24 JulyA message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
12 November 2019
Share
The collaborative effort of several ACU business areas has significantly reduced the turnaround time for issuing new staff cards, improving the staff experience for new starters.
Previously there was an average turnaround of four and a half weeks before new staff could receive an access card. Card requests also weren’t initiated until after the new staff member had started at ACU. The new process introduced on 1 July has meant that 90 per cent of access cards are ready for collection within a new starter’s first week of employment.
The new process has been streamlined so that new staff members apply for their access card when they accept their offer of employment with ACU. This has freed up supervisors from having to initiate card requests and has reduced the number of approvals and service areas required in the process.
“It’s clear that this service improvement has had a positive impact for many staff across the University,” National Manager, Service Improvement Team, Bill McKendry said.
“For example, under the previous process, Service Central had received almost 1,000 service requests relating to staff access cards in the first quarter of 2019,” he said.
“There was a lot of unnecessary complexity involved in the old process, and it was not communicated well, which lead to frustration for some staff. The new process significantly reduces the amount of effort required to create a new card and commences before the new staff member arrives at ACU – not after.”
Under the simplified process, a new staff member sends a brief email and photo to initiate an access card request as part of their offer notification by HR. Nothing more is required of them until it’s time to collect the card.
How collaboration supported service excellence
Earlier this year, the Service Improvement Team (SIT) convened a working group with representatives from Properties & Facilities, HR, IT, AskACU, Service Central to apply the LEAN methodology to understand the problem, map the existing process, design a new process and draft an implementation plan.
Associate Director, Facilities Management, Jye West, said the improvements achieved are a testament to collaborative LEAN thinking.
“Now we see that 65 per cent of access cards are ready for collection on or before the staff member’s first day of employment - and most within the first week on the job,” Jye said.
Want to improve a process or service you’re involved in?
To learn more about LEAN methodology or the work of the Service Improvement Team visit the Service Central knowledge base.
A message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
From Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August, Service Central will be available for extended hours to support staff.
A message from Vice President Father Anthony Casamento csma: From 5 – 9 August we will celebrate Mission Week across our campuses. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to cele...
Are you going to be a grandparent soon? Did you know ACU offers personal leave for staff to care for their child or grandchild after birth or adoption?
Discover the learning and career development opportunities that are available online, including the brand-new leadership development program, 'The Edge Series'.
Join ASCILITE and become a member of one of Australasia’s most vibrant professional technology enhanced learning communities, with more than 2200 members from tertiary institutions across Australia an...
Phones will be removed from all classrooms over the mid-semester break, from 23 September to 27 September.
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 5 (202455).
Australia’s first five-time diving Olympian, a Kiwi gymnast and the woman who taught actor Chris Hemsworth to row will be among 15 ACU students and alumni to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Para...
A message from acting Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy Associate Professor Richard Colledge: Recently, the faculty has hosted opportunities for reflection on the possibilities for reconcilia...
Are you on your parenthood journey? A practical guide is now available to support staff, and their supervisors, through the stages of becoming a parent and transitioning back to work.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of enrolments. Register to attend an enrolment information session for Semester 2, 2024.
Join upcoming online workshops in preparation for Semester 2. Secure your spot today to learn how you can utilise Canvas and its features to enhance your teaching practices.
A limitless professional horizon awaits ACU students after its three IT programs were awarded certification by the nation’s most trustworthy player in the tech sector, the Australian Computer Society.
Following evaluation and voting by a panel of ACU judges, Co-Lab is delighted to announce Thomas Clark and Xavier Chalkley as the winners of the $1000 prize for the ACU Co-Lab Social Enterprise Pitch ...
ACU Library staff will participate in professional development activities on Thursday 18 July. While away from their usual posts, they'll be working together across three locations to plan our future ...
Applications for 2024 Teaching Development Grants, Citations and Awards are open. Explore guidelines and resources to enhance your teaching project’s impact or gain recognition for your contributions.
As we sit in this small window of the winter break gearing up for Semester 2, it's important to recognise that not everyone experiences this period as downtime. For many, workloads and busy lifestyles...
This week is NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ACU staff who are also members with UniSuper can now access free expert medical advice and services to support their health and wellbeing through MetLife 360Health.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.