Consultancy
Restructuring
The Arcus College in Heerlen moved into a new building around mid-2014, which prompted a restructuring of the organisational structure. The relocation brought new educational realities to light, such as larger student numbers and changing teaching formats. This led to the ‘STIP New Style’ project, aimed at improving educational support. The focus was on redesigning processes such as timetabling, planning and examination to align with the new situation and emerging needs.
Previously, educational support had been organised per programme, which resulted in fragmentation and limited knowledge sharing. In the new organisation, there was a need for consistency and standardisation. The challenge was to transform this fragmented way of working into a centralised, standardised approach. In doing so, account had to be taken of both the physical layout of the new building and the provision of information to students and lecturers, ensuring that services could function optimally.
Information points
Inspired by a visit to Orlando, the idea emerged for central information points within the building. These Front Offices provide students and lecturers with direct access to support. The division into Front Office and Back Office became the guiding principle, with five to six strategically positioned information points. These are linked to processing workflows and information systems, enabling services to be organised efficiently and in a customer-focused way. Students and lecturers now know exactly where to go.
Process management played a crucial role in designing the new structure. Using Service Blueprinting, the interaction between the customer, Front Office and Back Office was shaped. BPM Consult facilitated the process in a professional and participative manner. Through brown paper sessions, 60 to 70 staff members were actively involved. Transparent decision-making and tight planning ensured support and acceptance of the new design, allowing everyone to contribute and see their input reflected.
Results
The new Front Offices provide accessible support close to the customer, leading to satisfied students and lecturers. Fears of scaling up and loss of personal contact proved unfounded. Thanks to physical proximity and well-designed processes, personal attention is maintained. In addition, task rotation within the Back Office has increased, strengthening both continuity and motivation. An additional outcome is a 20% reduction in staffing levels, without compromising quality.
“This way of working just makes sense,” is a commonly heard remark within Arcus. The uniform approach makes it possible to take over tasks and use knowledge more broadly. Centralised support enhances the quality of service delivery and contributes to a professional working environment. The tight project planning and open communication have strengthened confidence in the process and resulted in a widely supported outcome that is embraced by employees.
Embedding
Frans Eurlings advises colleagues in education to approach the process professionally. Careful planning, open communication and participation are essential. By actively involving staff in the design process, support is built and the best solutions are developed collaboratively. Centralisation and standardisation offer benefits for both the organisation and the student. It is important to take everyone along in the process and to remain transparent.
The ‘STIP New Style’ project demonstrates that centralised educational support works. By designing processes intelligently and involving staff, a future-proof structure is created. Arcus College has thus laid a solid foundation for further development and improvement of services for students and lecturers. The approach is widely supported and provides scope for further optimisation and innovation within the organisation.
