Processes, probabilities, performance: How O.R. enables success for university administrators

The field of operations research (O.R.) provides a platform of opportunities to contribute to our communities. Scientists extend the theoretical underpinnings of our discipline. Educators convey concepts in the classroom. Practitioners build analytical models to investigate situations encountered by actual organizations. Indeed, O.R. has an inspired past, promising present and flourishing future.

Notwithstanding the well-documented success of our discipline in academia and industry, I am convinced that proper application of O.R. principles and tools is pivotal for success in another area – university administration.

Like many of you, I can trace my O.R. passion to the university classroom. Various notions planted in the undergraduate teaching space were further nurtured through graduate academic programs. I have enjoyed a career as a practitioner in the healthcare sector and as an academic at two North American universities. But for the past 13 years, I have combined my current business school academic appointment with university administration service – first as an associate dean and now as a dean.

The lessons learned and experienced cultivated in my O.R. training have proved invaluable in my administrative service. Undoubtedly, the tools, techniques and theories of O.R. are helpful in other managerial positions and leadership domains. Understanding and utilizing O.R. can address process challenges, enhance a team’s skills and improve decision-making – regardless of the specific organizational setting.

Permit me to offer four instances in which O.R. has offered conceptual understanding and analytical awareness, thereby enabling my ability to serve in university senior leadership positions.  

#1: Everything – and I mean everything – is a process.

Our organizational systems feature an interconnected array of processes, which in turn are composed of myriad activities. Understanding the interrelationships among and connectivity between processes unlocks opportunities for process improvement and system enhancement.

Granted, these notions are well understood in O.R. – but beyond the confines of our discipline, folks may not recognize or appreciate this inherent interconnectivity. When we recognize that processes constitute important mechanisms in any organization, then we are better able to pinpoint bottlenecks and identify misalignment.

I have observed the process phenomenon frequently in my administrative career. Processes are at the core of university systems, whether it be faculty onboarding, alumni engagement, student retention or donor development. Each of these processes includes certain activities that must be performed for process completion to occur. Various operational processes particular to an organization have existed for so long that people may no longer know the reason why they are delivered in a specific manner!

Deploying a process mindset permits a university administrator to leverage the skills of a team instead of laying blame on the shoulders of staff. Indeed, I have frequently used the phrase “good people, poor systems” when discussing process challenges faced in our organization. Although our people are reasonably talented and capable, they function within a system that is clunky, congested and clogged. Implementing a process framework is essential in detecting the sources of waste at the core of operational inefficiencies (e.g., defects, waiting, overprocessing).

#2: Welcome to the wide world of alternatives, uncertainties and rewards.

Similar to organizational leaders across all industries, university administrators are required to make decisions – scenarios ranging from commonplace to consequential. Which faculty candidate should we hire for a tenure-track position? Should we pursue an international partnership with a particular agency? How do we best deliver 21st century courses to meet the needs of 21st century learners? And the list goes on!

Equipped with a thorough foundation of decision analysis training, I have approached dean-level decision scenarios with a blend of confidence and calmness. Decision analysis has taught me the proper sequence of alternatives (what choices do I have?), uncertainties (what is outside my control?) and rewards (how do I evaluate the success of my choices coupled with the resulting uncertainties?). 

This conceptual awareness has provided considerable benefit in decision-making circumstances. Have I ever scribbled a decision tree on a napkin while contemplating a strategic decision for our business school? Not yet. But I have mentally followed the structure of alternatives, uncertainties and rewards when evaluating critical opportunities with my school’s leadership team. Moreover, I have sought opportunities to reduce variation through standardizing work processes, thereby generating more reliability in the decision-making environment. Absent my decision analysis background, I would not have the analytical bench strength to shepherd my team through the decision-making process. 

#3: What about “what if”?

Continuing with the theme outlined in #2, the concept of sensitivity analysis (or “what-if” evaluation) has offered instrumental impact in my service as a business school dean. Decisions are made within environments characterized by uncertainty. But I have rarely encountered other senior administrators who appreciate and recognize the value of exploring circumstances beyond the “one-time” decision. Fortunately, the fundamental training in O.R. permits one to extend any decision-making analysis by incorporating different values of key model parameters.

This has generated sensible, sound insight in scenarios such as course delivery (how many additional sections of a course do we need to deliver if enrollment increases by 15%?), class scheduling (how do we organize courses if one classroom is planned for renovation during the upcoming academic year?) and enrollment management (how many international students will enroll in the business school if the tuition differential rises by 10%?).

As dean, I am not obviously tasked with making the operational decisions for the topics outlined above. However, I use the logic of “what-if” analysis to acquaint my business school leadership team with the impact of our college-wide decisions. Ultimately, these nuggets from O.R. enable me to manage scarce resources in the best possible fashion. 

#4: Always remember – Challenge the givens!

For this final lesson learned, I am indebted to Edward Silver, an O.R. pioneer (and my doctoral supervisor at the University of Calgary). His timeless teaching focused on continually confronting the actual circumstances faced in any operational environment. Why does an organization incur relatively high carrying costs for its inventory? Why are we unable to smooth demand for our services? These questions are at the core of process improvement and operational excellence. As Ed instructed, never shy away from posing the proper question. 

As a business school dean, “challenge the givens” is an effective instrument in my O.R toolkit. It has enabled me to ask “why” when encountering the daily dilemmas associated with organizational leadership. Why does it take so long to launch a new course? Why do some alumni lose contact with the school? Why does it require extended periods of time to recruit faculty? 

I pose these questions not to intimidate or belittle others but rather to identify root cause and explore possible improvements. Doing so enhances a spirit of collaboration among our team. This feature is truly fundamental to successful O.R. initiatives.

I extend these insights in the hopes that my fellow O.R. academics won’t view university administrative service as a “career killer.” Rather than being career-limiting, these service opportunities are career-enabling. Universities – like all organizations – require skilled leaders who can manage scarce resources, evaluate complex decision-making scenarios and generate managerial insight from data. Based on my experiences, O.R. experts can provide substantial leadership lift in their respective organizations.