Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions March 17, 2009 Many hands make light work - Irish Proverb

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Task Force at Work Report on the work of the Institute-wide Planning Task Force Israel Ruiz, Member of Task Force Coordinating Team Collaboration Through Technology Community innovation and the MIT Idea Bank Michael Faber, Advisor, Office of the President Tools for Action Two tools to simplify and streamline work Margaret Ann Gray, Director, Organization & Employee Development Dialogue: Use Less, Gain More Transforming the way we operate by transitioning to paperless systems Discussion facilitated by Margaret Ann Gray, Director, Organization & Employee Development Agenda VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Task Force at Work Report on the work of the Institute-wide Planning Task Force Israel Ruiz, Member of Task Force Coordinating Team VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Review and analyze current practices and expenditures that support the Institute’s mission and operations. Identify  Activities or operations closely aligned with MIT’s core mission  Opportunities for efficiency and cost reduction as well as costs/benefits of proposed operational changes  Opportunities to promote environmental impact and sustainability  Paths to implementation that preserve MIT's mission, values, and culture Task Force Charge VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Task Force Structure VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Process: Phase 1 February - May 2009  Each Working Group collects community input  Each Working Group develops prioritized list of opportunities  Deliverable of each Working Group: List of opportunities with estimated impacts June 2009  Synthesize inputs from all Working Groups  Task Force presents report to Leadership Team  Receive feedback VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Process: Phase 2 July - September 2009  Each Working Group receives feedback on opportunities list  Working Groups further refine list based on feedback  Highlight critical implementation issues  Refine estimates of impact  Deliverable of each Working Group: Report of opportunities with estimated impacts October 2009  Synthesize inputs from all Working Groups  Task Force presents report to Leadership Team  Receive feedback VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Gathering Working Groups’ brainstorming Information gathering interviews with faculty, staff, students Outreach to groups across community MIT Idea Bank VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Overarching Themes VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions OptimizeShareStop Fewer Leverage SimplifyAutomateReduce

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Collaboration Through Technology Community innovation and the MIT Idea Bank Michael Faber, Advisor, Office of the President VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emerging Themes VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions Site Engagement  Over 2,000 unique visitors  Approx. 70,000 page views  Average visitor views 14 pages  Average visit: 7 min., 18 sec. Idea Bank Postings  763 entries as of March 16, 2009  53% comments, 47% ideas

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Provide e-statements for direct deposited salary Submitted by Categorized as: Administrative Processes Currently, employees who have their salary direct deposited receive paper-copy statements mailed either through interdepartmental or US mail. Using similar software as financial institutions, could we receive e- statements instead? Introduce electronic reimbursement deposit for travel expenses Submitted by Categorized as: Administrative Processes By continuing with the paper-intensive process of filling out travel reimbursement forms and waiting for a check to be cut MIT will continue to waste money. To resolve this, MIT could implement an online system that speeds up the process and saves administrative costs by making electronic deposits to employee bank accounts in the same way paychecks are deposited. This requires an investment in an online travel reimbursement system but the return on investment will probably be very high. Categories VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Examine how depts. use internal v. external vendors Top Rated Ideas VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tools for Action Two tools to simplify and streamline work Margaret Ann Gray, Director, Organization & Employee Development VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

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18 What Is BPI? Business Process Improvement (BPI) is an approach MIT and other organizations use to review and redesign an existing process or to design a new process BPI is best used when the process crosses boundaries (e.g., is cross-functional) To learn more, go to this url:

19 A High Level Sketch of BPI at MIT

20 MIT’s (BPI “Lite”) Adapting GE’s “Work-Out” Process

21 What Is It? A method for “local level” units within MIT to identify, simplify, and/or take out work.  Could be a whole activity  Could be a step(s) within an activity

22 Who Might Use It at MIT? Directors, AOs, managers, others who lead DLCs or offices  The key is to use it at the local level The leader is local The participants are local The solutions are local

23 What GE’s Process Looks Like for GE

24 Reasons MIT Leaders May Want to Use MIT solves problems  This process supports creativity for quick problem solving and implementation.  It also simplifies and streamlines work. MIT is decentralized  This process is best used at the local level.  It also keeps those employees engaged and provides on-the-job opportunities for professional development. MIT has a Business Process Improvement tool which simplifies and/or takes out work when it crosses boundaries  This process connects to MIT’s BPI process. Those who use it gain transferrable skills.  For more information on MIT’s BPI process go to

25 MIT’s Next Steps for March  Understand GE’s process  Show to others at MIT and begin to “MIT-ize” it  Recruit groups to pilot it at MIT April  Select 2-3 pilot groups  Seek local coordinators/facilitators May, June, July  Conduct pilots (May 11 and 12) and further “MIT-ize”  Track pilots, assess results, make upgrades to the process  Support coordinators/facilitators  Update BPI web site to include the new process

26 Remember… These are tools available to you  BPI crosses boundaries  The new process is local One tool -- or both -- may work for some departments (and may not work for others) Almost all such tools can be “department-ized”

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology The person who brings a story to you will take two away from you - Irish Proverb VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dialogue: Use Less, Gain More Transforming the way we operate by transitioning to paperless systems Discussion facilitated by Margaret Ann Gray, Director, Organization & Employee Development VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Discussion Guide VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions Idea Generation  Automate Paper-based Systems  Stop Printing  Opt-in, Opt-out Forces for, Forces Against

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Idea Generation VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions Automate Paper-based Systems 1. Self service pay-stubs 2. Room scheduling Stop Printing 1. Telephone directories 2. Statement of accounts Opt-in, Opt-out 1. Tech Talk 2. Newsletters

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology Forces For VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions Example 1. Long-term operational savings Forces Against Example 1. Upfront investment needed

Office of the Vice President for Finance Massachusetts Institute of Technology A good beginning is half the work - Irish Proverb VPF Community Forum: Working Toward Innovative Solutions