Operational Excellence is committed to leading the culture of continuous improvement across the VPFO and UBC.
In July 2021, we began to roll out Lean Six Sigma White Belt training across the VPFO portfolio, with the goal of building a baseline of tools and problem-solving capacity to help develop operational excellence in our work. Building on that roll-out, Operational Excellence has also coached three cohorts of staff through yellow belt training, and the first green belt training is taking place this month.
Now that the tools and knowledge to support and lead successful continuous improvement projects are beginning to spread — how do we measure our success?
In Operational Excellence, we measure the success of every project through Benefits Realization Management (BRM).
What is Benefits Realization Management and why is it important?
Benefits Realization Management (BRM) is all about clearly stating our desired outcomes and defining measurable success when implementing any initiative. BRM allows us to show progress, drive accountability and identify room for improvement, in order to achieve our desired outcomes.
Ultimately, BRM answers the question: What is this initiative achieving?
What role does BRM play in our past and future projects?
BRM provides us with a way to measure how our initiatives add true value to UBC and gives us visibility into our progress towards achieving operational excellence.
We first used this structured approach for HR and Finance during the Integrated Renewal Program (IRP). Following the implementation in Nov 2020, a continuous improvement approach was applied to communicate progress and success, and take action when not on track.
We plan to continue this approach and methodology for Operational Excellence projects, system renewal projects and other continuous improvement initiatives, including our EMMS Planon, IRP Student, as well as Yellow and Green Belt Certification projects.
In the coming months, we will share reports of some projects we’re currently working on — starting with Lean Six Sigma training.
How can I learn more about BRM?
You can learn more about BRM on the Operational Excellence website.
If you’re interested in learning about how the university is progressing towards achieving IRP benefits by reviewing our BRM dashboards, please visit our IRP BRM Dashboard Sharepoint site (VPN connection required).