NUService Hub, which commenced in mid-2021, has been getting the thumbs up so far. Fully launched in June, it marks a significant step in NUS’ vision to strengthen its operational efficiency and administrative excellence. Operating as a one-stop platform to submit administrative service requests, NUService Hub enables users to access multiple service catalogues across departments through a single interface, streamlining work processes while improving the University’s service delivery standards.
Led by NUS Information Technology (NUS IT) and the Organisational Excellence Transformation Unit (OETU), NUService Hub is the result of close collaboration across multiple NUS units, including the Office of Human Resources (OHR), the Central Procurement Office (CPO) and the Office of Finance (OFN).
Phased rollouts of platform functionality began in Dec 2021 with the availability of the OHR service catalogue. This was followed a month later by the inclusion of CPO services. From June 2022 onwards, NUS staff will be able to utilise NUService Hub for service requests to OFN.
Ms Yasmin Musthafa, Senior Manager, who helped develop the platform in her previous capacity with OETU, spoke highly of the teamwork involved: “Many [NUS] services are interconnected and inter-dependent on one another. While working on this project, the teams were able to brainstorm together to achieve better service workflows which would benefit the teams with a more efficient and coordinated service request.”
Digitalisation paves the way
The platform, powered by Cherwell Service Management, is an example of how NUS is leveraging technology to digitalise and streamline administrative work. Prior to the launch of the NUService Hub, service requests were made and fulfilled through a number of channels, including manual forms, phone, email, as well as disparate systems maintained by the various corporate functions. In many cases, staff members would need to know specifically who to contact for their requests, leading to confusion and loss in time and productivity.
With NUService Hub, requests can now be submitted via a unified platform and automatically routed to the correct team of fulfillers within OHR, CPO and OFN. Integration with core NUS systems like CHRS, Concur and FS2, allows basic fields to be pre-populated within request forms, reducing manual input and minimising the risk of missing data.
The NUService Hub project team from CPO. Clockwise from top left: Ms Jennifer Chng, Ms Rachel Kho, Mr Mahimai Chelvan Nalliah, Mr Jonathan Lee, Mr Lim Eng Xiong and Mr Eujin Liew.
Ms Sim Peck Lian, Associate Director at CPO, is one of more than 1,700 staff members who has accessed NUService Hub for their work. “Using this platform has simplified the way we work. We used to fill in manual request forms, seek approvals and submit requests offline. Now all these manual processes are eliminated and the status of requests can be tracked through this single platform,” she said.
The digitalisation of service requests also facilitates continuous service enhancement and collaborative management. Departments can analyse request trends, identify bottlenecks and target areas of improvement to provide better customer support and adequate allocation of resources. Users can also provide feedback through short surveys following the completion of their service requests.Ms Amirah Kalyisah and Ms Winnie Koh, team managers at OHR Shared Services,noted “Across faculties and departments, teams now collaborate and track work requests and service performances from initiation to closure via a single portal with the help of dashboards, journals and automated approvals. A planned chatbot accessible from the NUService Hub portal will add convenience and improve user experience for staff to easily access popular queries regarding HR matters.”
For instance, staff can use NUService Hub to make general HR enquiries by raising requests or using the forthcoming chatbot to report the loss of staff cards, request for employment certificates, CorpPass Access, MOM card replacement, staff card replacement, or CPF contribution changes.
The NUService Hub project team from NUS IT works in close collaboration with other units across NUS to create a seamless user experience.
The shared nature of the platform also facilitates cross-function visibility and cooperation. Ms Rachel Ang, Associate Director at NUS IT, shared, “One example is the hiring process, which involves a whole series of steps that HRP, HR Shared Services, the new hire and UHC team need to take before onboarding. For departures, the process involves HR, Payroll, Concur, and Corporate Card teams. Through this platform, workflows between different teams, processes and business functions have to be agreed upon and these were done through rigorous and inclusive discussions and open communications among the various functions.”
To date, over 21,000 tickets have been serviced.
NUService Hub aims to be the University’s sole platform for service requests and will be bringing on more departments that have indicated interest in joining the platform. NUS staff can look forward to more comprehensive offerings in the future as NUS continues its digitalisation journey.
To access the NUService Hub, click here (NUS login required).
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