Q. Will you be able to start the survey and return to it later?
A. As long as you are using the same browser and not using incognito mode, you will be able to save your progress and return later to finish it.

Q. Could you send out a PDF copy of the survey that we can have for reference while taking it? This might help if we do not complete the survey in one sitting.
A. Yes, we will make a PDF copy available when we send out the survey link.

Q. What is the character limit to the survey answer text boxes? We may need to fill in a lot of information.
A. The character limit is 20,000, so you should not have a problem entering long answers.

Q. What type of direct communication can potential hub staff expect to receive in addition to the general updates that go out to campus? Will those staff receive specialized announcements to stay informed?
A. We are working on communication planning, including more email and newsletters with targeted communication. We are also planning additional future forums. The goal of this planning is to provide more opportunities to communicate with impacted staff. However, we need to first identify which staff might move to the hubs before narrowing this communication to them.

Q. How will positions be funded in the 2nd SSC?
A. The approach for funding positions within the SSC #2 will follow a similar approach to the prototype SSC. Feedback from the funding approach used in the prototype hub was well-received and based upon discussions with impacted UBRs, Deans and UWM leadership. We envision a similar consultative process with SSC #2.

Since SSC #2 is planned to launch in October 2019 (FY2020-AY2019/20), and the staffing plan will not be completed until after FY2020 budget submissions, we will have a transitional year. We will follow a “lift and shift” approach to funding (meaning funding for a position or “salary line” as well as the corresponding compensation expenses will transfer to the hub). However, like the prototype hub, since different units may contribute different numbers of staff, after the staffing plan is determined, funding contributions will be based upon key service drivers to support the staffing plan (e.g. TERs by division, number of employees, etc). This ensures that divisions that contribute staff do not experience an operational burden in the transitional year. In FY2021 (AY2020/21), the SSC #2 will be a part of the Central Support and Overhead contribution rate as part of the New Budget Model.

Q. How quickly will the next hubs come online?
A. It is our goal to bring the second SSC on-line in the fall of 2019 and the third SSC 6-12 months after that.

It is anticipated the remaining 30% of the University will come under the umbrella of services provided by CTS in the summer of 2019.

Q. Will the Implementation Team continue for hubs 2 and 3?
A. Yes, the planning teams for hubs 2 and 3 will include various implementation teams. Those teams will include individuals who work in the units to be supported by those hubs.

Q. Have you identified space for the hub?
A. The prototype hub is located on the first floor of Engelmann Hall. No decisions about a location for the second hub have been made. A space analysis will be undertaken during the Hub 2 Implementation phase.

Q. When new future processes are introduced, who will determine whether those are in-scope or out-of-scope? How will we keep from simply hiring new staff for those new processes?
A. We will never really be done with process improvement or integrated support planning, as we will always be figuring out new processes and places to fit those processes. We are aware of the need to be continually adapting on a two, five, or seven year basis, for example.

Oversight, accountability, and governance structures are built into the model. Therefore, a formal structure and feedback loop will help us examine services that might not be meeting expectations. This is a key component of the model.

As has been the case since the beginning of the project, the Executive Sponsors (Provost Britz and Vice Chancellor Van Harpen) will make final project related decisions.

Q. What should potentially impacted staff be doing at this time, in addition to the work that they are already doing?
A. We ask that you participate in the conversations about your work tasks with the Implementation Core team willingly and openly. This will help us in the early stages of the implementation phase and will lead to the best possible decisions for individual staff and for the organization.

If you have questions or concerns about the project, please contact a member of the ISS Leadership Team. All of us are happy to speak with you.

Q. How will certain processes like invoices or purchase orders work for units off campus? Does everything get sent to the hub?
A. As the work of the Implementation Core Team progresses, we will discuss details with the Schools and Colleges to determine what works for them now and what might work under the hub model. We will wrap up the staffing portion in April/May, and then will start thinking about processes within the Shared Services model.

Q. Early in hub 1 planning, it seemed like there more of a focus on Accounting and Procurement. However, the focus seems like it has shifted more to HR and IT.
A. This is true. We have been working through the Shared Services model since 2015. Since that time, there have been some changes in leadership, as well as changes to the services on which we decided to focus. We have been considering processes that benefit from the Shared Services model. Services that are done roughly the same way across campus and services that require certain expertise are good candidates for Shared Services. We will keep evaluating this throughout planning.

Q. It feels like the timeline for hub 2 planning is much more rushed than for hub 1.
A. There was a bit of a communication gap from early fall 2018 through the start of 2019. This might be why things feel more rushed. Additionally, we are benefiting from lessons learned from hub 1 planning. We have established practices and activities that can be built upon, whereas we were starting from scratch for hub 1.

Q. How do we maintain good service and support during the transition to hub 2, considering everyone is very busy with the reappointment process from summer through mid-September?
A. This is one reason why we are moving the go-live date to October. An October date will help us consider that HR processing window.

Q. Can you specifically outline what is moving to the hub? Everything we have discussed feels very general.
A. We will follow up via the Hub 2 providers email list with more details, and we will also be sharing catalogs of services for HR, Procurement/Finance, and IT functions. Please note that the catalogs are not exhaustive, however. More questions and information about these functions will be laid out in the online survey that you will take.

Q. Many of those identified as providers wear several hats and may be in charge of a few very specialized tasks for their departments. However, these tasks might only happen once or twice a year. What will the departments do if those members move to the hub and no one staying in the departments are able to do those specialized tasks?
A. It is important that we know about those out-of-scope duties, or tasks that are performed very infrequently, so that we can have a plan to address them. Our task inventory checklists have evolved and will continue to evolve as we move forward. As we work through this phase, the Implementation Core team will analyze those out-of-scope functions and tasks. A dedicated subset of that team will work with the units to figure out how to transition those items throughout the process.

Members of the Implementation Core Team will request information from all individuals who may be service providers in the hub. Be sure to be open and honest about your responsibilities.

Q. Is there a clear definition of what is meant by “in scope” as it pertains to the duties of those employees slated for possible movement to the hub?
A. For the HR function, most is in-scope. Examples include recruitments, supporting search and screen committees, employment relations, payroll coordination, entry of information into HRS, and cursory to moderate benefits inquiries.

For business and financial services, in scope functions continue to evolve as the prototype hubs ramps up operations. The following functions are currently in the pipeline for transition to shared services:

• Travel Expense Reimbursement
• PCard Storage and auditing
• Direct Payment auditing and processing
• New employee funding data entry

For information technology, desktop support, classroom support, help desk, and IT purchasing consulting are in scope. Items specific to particular schools/colleges/divisions, e.g., specialized laboratory equipment; data gathering and report generation; and web development are out of scope.

Q. How will you divide the out-of-scope work that does not move to the hubs?
A. An example could involve two staff members in the same unit who each have a 50/50 mix of in-scope and out-of-scope work. One of those staff members might go to the hub and take all of that in-scope work, while the other would stay and take all of the out-of-scope work.

Once we have the data and analysis from the Implementation Core Team, we’ll have a better understanding of the impact on out-of-scope services. Then, that team will make specific recommendations for managing out-of-scope work and those plans will be developed in collaboration with the supported units.

Q. How are procedures changing to support the shift to shared services? Will there be a reduction in the red tape, which affects many of the current processes?
A. Several processes have been redesigned in a way that will include fewer steps and stops. The integrated model will also empower shared services staff to complete work without the “gatekeeper” roles currently played by central office staff. That will also increase the efficiency of our processes. Staff working in closer proximity allows for the generation of new ideas to improve processes and streamline them.

Q. How will this project affect external centers like nursing community centers and audiology clinics? Those centers also have financial staff offsite, so how will they fit into the model? Some of those staff serve the community directly.
A. We are aware of the special circumstances surrounding these centers, and we are working on this. Staff and other stakeholders within those types of units will be involved in further discussions and planning.

Q. Will you keep the external centers apart from this model until you work out the details?
A. We will want to involve those staff in the data gathering process during the Implementation Phase to see what work is similar, and what work overlaps. Conversations will help us to determine what the hub/center relationships should look like, and to find out what is currently working and what is not.

Q. How will the implementation of the project affect the student population? Many departments provide academic services to students on campus. How will that service provision change?
A. Currently, faculty are on a spectrum from slight involvement in business functions to full involvement. We are putting a burden on faculty and their support staff when requiring them to be heavily involved in business support functions. This project should ease that burden on them, allowing them more time for instruction and research.

Many support staff also work directly with students. We will make plans to avoid negatively impacting other work that is done in the units once the hubs are up and running.

Q. What does CTS stand for?
A. Campus Technology Support

Q. Are you having dialogues with staff from the central offices?
A. Yes, we have met with those staff members because their functions and roles are changing as well. The ISS Core Team wanted to make sure that Central staff also see Shared Services as an opportunity for career growth. Additionally, some Central staff may be interested in doing in-scope work and possibly moving to a hub. During planning for the second SSC, central office staff will continue to be included in the process of data gathering.

Q. Will we continue to have Central offices? What happens if they have to move locations?
A. Yes – The central offices will include subject matter experts to support the hubs and provide training and guidance on complex cases and policy implementation. They will also be responsible for campus-wide platforms, programs, and polices; compliance monitoring; and functional service excellence. Our space planning will incorporate both ISS and central office needs, and may include identifying other space for central offices.

Q. Are the central offices going to decrease their staff numbers due to the hubs?
A. While we are not certain yet, it is likely that central offices will reduce their staff numbers. This will occur via individuals moving into Shared Services Centers and CTS, and will be directly related to the changing role of the central offices.

The ISS Leadership is thinking about how we want our central offices to look. For example, how many Central HR officers will be needed to provide training for hub staff? Central HR officers currently spend a lot of time obtaining data or ensuring compliance, which prevents them from getting more involved in other areas.

Q. How will you address salary?
A. We are aware that salary inequities may exist among staff moving to the hub or among those staying in the central offices. Over time we will look at these inequities but pay increases will not immediately happen. The goal is to get the hubs up and running first. Of the institutions that we looked to for shared services examples, none were able to immediately fix their salary inequities.

Q. Will the salary lines move with employees who move to the hubs, or will those lines stay within the schools and colleges?
A. Yes, some salary lines will need to be reallocated to fund the positions transitioning to ISS. Please see question #1 above.

Q. As staff duties change, how will salaries be affected? How will you address salary inequities that arise from staff movement?
A. We will not reduce anyone’s salary as part of a move to the hubs. We are aware that salary inequities may exist among staff moving to the hub or among those staying in the central offices. Over time we will look at these inequities but pay increases will not immediately happen. The goal is to get the Shared Services Centers and Campus Technology Services (CTS) up and running first. Of the institutions that we looked to for shared services examples, none were able to immediately fix their salary inequities.

Q. If staff resign because they do not want to move to hubs, will their open positions still move? If so, from where will the salary line come?
A. We will utilize our current processes to determine whether to fill position, and then go through a recruitment process if needed. We do not yet know whose salary line would be used in that scenario.

Q. When will staff find out who will transition to the hub?
A. Staff will find out who transitions prior to “go live” date, and there will be continual communication with staff before then. You will not simply receive an email and your position description right before you move to the hub.

For the second Shared Services Center, it is our goal to bring the SSC on-line in the fall of 2019. Staff will know well in advance if they are transitioning and will be directly involved in the specific plans for their transition.

For CTS, bringing the remaining 30% of the University under the CTS umbrella of services will take place in the summer 2019. Staff will know well in advance if they are transitioning.

Q. Will anyone lose his/her job?
A. No one will lose their job. Some individuals will do some different things than they do now, from a different location, reporting to a different supervisor, and some things individuals do now that they continue to do will be done differently

Q. How much discretion will the hub manager have to fill hub staff vacancies?
A. He/she will have a role in the process, and will work with the Leadership Team and unit leadership to determine how to fill the staff positions. Those decisions will be based on what we learn from the conversations with staff and other stakeholders.

Q. If a staff member moves to the hub, how will you determine what schools and colleges with which he/she works? Will that staff member continue working with the same school or college as now?
A. Yes, it is likely that you would still serve the same school or college in the hub as you do now. We’ll understand more about how work might be distributed once we’ve completed the data gathering and analysis of staff resources and staffing requirements.

Q. I was wondering about the Shared Services org chart. I know we have a hub 1 manager right now. Will there also be a hub 2 manager?
A. The Leadership team is still in the planning phase and has not yet decided on this. We do understand the importance of that position, so a decision will be based on scope of services and other details to come.

Q. Can incoming IT staff apply for management positions within CTS? It feels like the management spots have already been filled. Additionally, some IT staff located in smaller units within schools and colleges have managerial duties even if they do not have direct reports. How will you ensure that they do not feel like they are receiving a demotion?
A. IT staff in hub 1 did not have a change in titles or compensation, so we did not add management positions within CTS. There will be a round of recruitment to fill in capacity where needed depending on the next budget numbers. No promotions or demotions are happening to staff being transferred into CTS. Roles might change but titles will not. We want to align processes with what will work for incoming staff.

Q. Staff are apprehensive about this process and I did not get a sense that a lot of new information shared today about details like in-scope and out-of-scope services.
A. The service catalog provides detailed information about services provided by the hub. As you work your way through the survey, please let us know if you have follow-up questions that we can record in the FAQ section of the website.

Q. Can some hub 1 staff talk to potential hub 2 providers who are nervous about a transition?
A. We will talk more with the prototype hub about organizing opportunities for potential new hub providers to talk to current hub staff.