Development of a Shared Services System in Higher Ed

Use this brief to learn about shared services structure and implementation on campus, including examples of best practices from partner institutions.

Use this brief to learn about shared services structure and implementation on campus, including examples of best practices from partner institutions.

Shared services systems consolidate administrative activities previously performed by decentralized staff members into a single centralized delivery point. At peak maturity, shared services units continually improve service levels and efficiency, driving toward greater simplification, automation, and accuracy of workflows based on customer feedback and data-driven management. To optimize the structure and implementation of shared services systems, consider including transactional functions in the shared services structure (e.g. payroll, procurement), investing in holistic evaluation methods, using a “lift and shift” staffing method, and creating detailed and proactive communication plans.

Include units with high ease of standardization and high customer impact

Contacts at all profiled institutions chose to transition units to shared services structures that would have the greatest impact on their primary customers and that would be the easiest to standardize. For example, administrators at Institution A pursued a shared services structure to better support students. Thus, administrators transitioned key student-related units such as admissions, financial aid, and student billing to the shared services unit, leading to improved efficiency and service to students.

Contacts at Institution A, Institution C, Institution D, Institution E, and Institution F note that when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and administrators had to adjust to remote operations, the efficiency of shared services systems helped create a smooth transition for employees and customers.

Use holistic evaluation methods to maximize benefits

Across all profiled institutions, administrators track the effectiveness of their shared services systems using at least one of three key measures: cost savings, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction.

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