Background:

For more than 15 years, the CSU has been conducting various forms of quality improvement (QI) programs.  Beginning with benchmarking, expanding to process improvement, and developing into formal QI programs such as the Balanced Scorecard, the CSU system has pursued methods to improve services to its broad customer base, garner greater efficiencies in its operations, and achieve superb results in the preparation of financial reports and other records. 

The Chief Administrators/Business Officers (CABO) would now like to expand the CSU QI Program to include a Best Practices Initiative.  CABO discussed the desire to achieve even greater results in the CSU quality improvement effort by honing in on the functionality made available through the administrative systems defined by the Common Management System (CMS) project.  The discussion focused upon developing sets of best practices that would produce disciplined processes, enable high standards of performance, produce high quality results, and/or contain costs.  Measurable standards of best practices may include (but are not limited to) such variables as quality of service, accuracy, and timeliness/cycle time.

This Best Practices Initiative is in alignment with the CMS Enterprise Mission Statement in the CMS Project Charter that states that, by 2006, the CSU will perform administrative functions in concert with a common set of administrative “best practices” approaches.  The Charter also identified the following as critical success factors in achieving a successful implementation:

• A willingness to change and improve our business must be demonstrated.
• “Best practices” models for business processes must be defined and implemented where feasible.

Current Activities:

Travel Best Practice