Shared services business center proposals

March 16, 2020

Tori Tragis

— by Dan White, chancellor

Thank you to those who submitted shared services business center proposals. 

The Chancellor’s office received six proposals in total and all with different ideas around a business center. Two proposals focused on a transactional-based business model that would handle everything from travel, procurement, and personnel/payroll support, to financial transaction management. Both proposals suggested that the location could vary depending on how the office was structured. 

An additional two proposals focused on research business needs. For example, a business center could coordinate and support proposal development and submission and grant management. 

One proposal focused on serving a few large units as a human resource office hub and providing service to departments in need of temporary or full-time support that may be co-located or share core functions with the groups being served. 

The final proposal outlined a central travel office that would provide a customer-centric business center around travel. The office would serve staff and faculty travel services from start to finish, eliminating some of the confusion that a corporate travel management system can create for small departments with infrequent travelers.

All of the proposals brought forward different ideas for doing business more efficiently or effectively within a shared services office. We are continuing to review the models proposed while also exploring hybrids of the plans presented. 

Thank you again for your submissions. Our next step is to determine which models or hybrid model(s) would serve UAF best. I expected to solicit additional feedback in the coming weeks.