Update on BAS InSite: ‘We’re working intensively’
At the moment, many staff members are working intensively on the implementation of BAS InSite, our new administrative system. Much is already up and running – salary payments, invoice processing and the new staff hiring procedure – but some elements still need to be finalised and not everything is working as it should. This is an update on where we stand.
Major impact
BAS InSite has been deployed to over 11,000 users, making it a large, multi-year project. A change of this scale has a major impact on nearly all our staff, teams and managers. Colleagues working daily with the new system have found that some parts are not working as they should, which understandably leads to frustration.
It may help to know that more than 140 colleagues are working every day within our faculties, services and expertise centres to support users of the new system. This ‘hypercare’ phase is expected to continue for another month or two and represents a major effort for all staff involved. It is an intensive period for them.
'We are working hard to leave this intensive phase behind.'
‘The Executive Board would like to say a huge thanks and express our support to all the colleagues from the departments supporting the implementation of BAS InSite’, says Vice-President Timo Kos. ‘We can see they are going the extra mile to ensure a smooth user experience and to find solutions to the issues that have arisen. We are incredibly grateful to them.
And for colleagues who need the system for their daily work and whose patience has been tested at times, we also want to express our appreciation. We recognise the impact of this change and what this hypercare phase entails. In this crucial phase of the programme, it is important to treat each other kindly and offer collegial support. We are working hard to leave this intensive phase behind.’
How far are we with the implementation of BAS InSite?
Although the technical foundation is now in place, not all administrative processes are running smoothly. This depends on the process and the faculty or department.
Some aspects are on schedule (procurement, for instance), a few are even ahead of schedule (such as salary payments), while others are facing major or minor problems (for example, project management, management information). A small number are facing a cluster of issues.
Several problems have been resolved in recent weeks, while others are proving more complex and require more time than anticipated. These will be addressed in the coming weeks. Additional support has been arranged for issues requiring immediate attention. There is also more specialised functionality that still needs to be deployed.
What happens next?
We expect the intensive hypercare phase to continue for another month or two. This will be followed by a new phase of roughly six to nine months, during which a large number of remaining issues and less urgent problems will be addressed. This may involve redesigning processes that work, but which, on closer inspection, turn out to be inconvenient or more labour-intensive and less user-friendly than desired.
It was a deliberate choice in our implementation strategy to follow this sequence: first establish the new technical and functional foundation and then optimise the processes. After each phase, we will evaluate what has gone well and what has not within this major programme, and the lessons learned will be incorporated in the next phases and projects.
We’ll keep you informed.