DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY
1676 – Transformation
The University’s investment in modernising its core IT systems was the catalyst for the development
of the Target Operating Model (TOM) – providing an opportunity to stand back and consider the overall
configuration and operation of the professional services. SUMS was asked by De Montfort University to
facilitate the development of the TOM, considering and challenging the way the University operates core
professional services and how it should develop them over the next 5-7 years.
Professional services in scope included Faculty Administration, Finance and Purchasing, Information
Technology and Media Services, Marketing, People and Organisational Development, Research Business
and Innovation, Strategic Planning, Estates and Student Admin and Academic Services.
SUMS worked intensively with the University to consider and challenge each of these services: What are the
services we provide? Who are the customers and what do they value? What is the form/channel we use for
delivering these services? How do we structure our resources to enable and support delivery? How do we
cluster and organise the delivery of these services? How might the above change in the next 5-7 years?
The TOM set out four high-level strategic themes providing a long-term, high level framework for the
professional services. The objectives, priorities and services under each theme were aligned to the overall
theme aims. The thematic approach enabled the University to set clear services priorities; which for some
services were delivering low cost standard services, but for others were around investment to increase
service and process maturity. The high level framework provided a clear service development path – setting
out over 50 detailed TOM statements of how the services should be configured and delivered in the future.
For each TOM statement we worked with the University to agree the high-level change agenda.
The relevant University Steering Groups and Boards ratified the Target Operating Model in February 2016.
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SUMS Consulting Annual Review 2016