Across campus, efforts are underway to evaluate efficiencies and establish pathways for improved services at the U. These strategic initiatives are part of the U’s intended transformation into a top 10 public university with unsurpassed societal impact.

These major efforts reach all areas of campus, from the Academic Affairs’ Organizational Structure Project, which is looking at reimagining and sharing support services between several colleges; to Impact 2030, the next phase of the U’s strategic plan; to a new Physical Development Plan, which envisions the next 10 years of campus growth. While all of these projects are looking to prioritize efficiency and optimal use of the U’s resources, the Operational Excellence team has been tasked by President Taylor Randall to identify, facilitate and elevate improvements across all systems at the U, including facilities, student services, purchasing and more. We sat down with Brett Graham, chief strategy officer and leader of the Operational Excellence team, to share an update and additional insight about Operational Excellence.

When did work on Operational Excellence begin?

The impetus to formalize an Operational Excellence process goes back to former President Ruth Watkins. In 2018, the Board of Trustees recommended the university optimize how it spends money in order to accomplish its greater goals of student success and growth. President Taylor Randall made this effort a top priority when he took office in 2021, launching a yearlong process in which the U issued a request for proposals from outside partners to provide expertise and a holistic assessment of the U’s key processes, services and resource allocation. McKinsey & Company was selected from the pool of applicants to initiate that work. Randall formed the current structure of the Operational Excellence team in early 2024.

Why does the U need outside partners to help with Operational Excellence?

The U benefited from quickly accessing and using personalized, tested models from an outside firm that specializes in this work. This outside partnership brings a broader perspective that is relevant to similar work being done at higher education institutions across the country. It also allowed the U to bring in extra capacity to conduct wide-scale analysis within our intended timeframe.

What does “Operational Excellence” mean?

Operational Excellence is a team that helps systems improve their operations, but it is also a culture change toward embracing new approaches to how the university functions. We bring a structure to create new, common processes that will allow us to optimize our resources across the university. Our focus has been on improving our operations in an academic and financial setting in order to accomplish the U’s mission and goals. By improving our processes, we will create better outcomes for everyone on campus.

Why is there a renewed emphasis on operations and efficiencies now?

We are looking to decrease inefficiencies that can cause financial waste so we can better align our resources with our goals. In some cases, that might be avoiding unnecessary costs through streamlined processes and partnerships, but in other cases, it may mean an increased investment to achieve a better experience and outcome for our students, faculty and staff.

Is Operational Excellence synonymous with workforce reductions?

Our focus is on outcomes, experiences, and efficiency. We are looking to improve our processes; workforce reduction is not our objective currently.

What are some examples of how Operational Excellence is being used on campus?

One of our objectives is to be a change agent and to introduce common tools and language across campus that can reach through our silos. We are engaged in facilitating projects, getting people on board, and vetting ideas and concepts that the university leadership should support. In the last year, we’ve been involved in projects that we project could ultimately generate as much as $100 million in operating impact. Examples:

• Improve scoping and delivery of large capital projects. Through improving up-front scoping, better matching contracting with projects and increasing rigor on the build process, the U has already reduced its bond needs by 20% for one major capital project.
• Invest in deferred facilities maintenance projects. By reducing the U’s deferred maintenance backlog, we will decrease future expenses of maintenance by up to three times.
• Optimize the U’s Concur system. Implementing a more efficient travel booking process for employees of the U could free an additional $500,000 by the end of 2027.
• Real-time parking availability. Adding visibility to available parking stalls can improve the student experience and reduce traffic congestion and pollution.
• More examples are available on operationalexcellence.utah.edu.

What’s next?

Operational Excellence is intended to be a long-lasting ethos that opens doors toward a new way of thinking, with a blueprint toward the steps we can take to implement change. In this first introductory phase, we are gathering data, creating the platform for good ideas to have traction and contributing to projects that may already be in process. In phase two, and into the future, we aspire to help people initiate their ideas from the ground level and implement the projects of phase one. All across the U, people are doing good work on our campus. We are here because we care about education, the success of our students and the future of this institution. With these changes, we are working toward an enduring future, where generations can come and impact the world.