Launching UTM's Continuous Improvement Program
Dear colleagues,
I’m writing to announce UTM’s first continuous improvement (CI) program, which will launch the week of 16 September, as led by our campus-wide project management office (PMO).
The program realizes an idea raised during conversations about the strategic framework and academic plan. Our people – staff, faculty, librarians – are leading their fields; they’re also managing a lot of work. We can make that work easier by streamlining awkward, time-consuming processes we rely on every day.
UTM’s CI program shares tools, technologies, and training to review our processes regularly and make incremental and breakthrough improvements in their efficiency. The result will strengthen our collaborations and open more time for teaching, research, and student supports – not to mention for our own wellbeing.
CI @ UTM
Our CI program learns from models set by many other leading universities worldwide, including in the University of California. It draws on the peer-reviewed research and experience of lean six sigma to:
- Identify, analyze, and improve cumbersome or repetitive processes
- Define consistent metrics to measure the effectiveness of new processes over time
- Share training to promote successful processes widely
- Cultivate a culture where employees feel valued and empowered to lead positive change.
The program will advance, and open new resources for, UTM’s core mission, where less time in a process bottleneck means more time for our collective priorities.
I also hope that it will bring more balance to our work. UTM is a leader in research and teaching. We foster sustainability, belonging, and operational excellence. Our community gives students the lift of a lifetime. That’s truly fulfilling work, especially when we create more time to do it.
What’s Next?
To get involved in UTM’s continuous improvement program, you can:
- Register now to attend launch events in person or online on the week of 16 September.
- Express your interest to participate in training sessions on lean six sigma.
- Explore continuous improvement tools and templates on this new webpage.
Thanks for all the work you do. I hope this program will make the processes that support your work smoother.
Best,
Alexandra Gillespie
Vice-President & Principal
University of Toronto Mississauga
