An improved process
The project UiO Process Improvement is working on addressing routines and processes at UiO that can be made simpler, better, and more efficient. One such process the project has worked on is the PhD admission. A new routine is now ready to be implemented, which involves, among other things, the automatic transfer of web forms and information from the case management system RT directly into the archive system Elements.
Good cooperation
– We have been working on this for a while now, and we have the automation ready, says assistant project manager Lars Oftedal. The technical aspect is an integration between Nettskjema, RT, and Elements, but for the users, it saves time and reduces irritation. And for those applying for admission, the entire process appears simpler and more organized. I am especially pleased with the good cooperation we have had between the Study Administration, ESAK, and the IT department. Employees with high expertise in their respective fields have worked well together, and the result is truly worthy of the celebration we have here today, says Oftedal.
Implemented across all of UiO
Andreas Tandberg from the study administration's digital services section demonstrated directly how an application is received in the system and followed all the way to a decision. Tandberg is very satisfied. – This process is to be used by all units at UiO. We will implement it gradually, and there will be good training provided. Both applicants and staff will notice that the new process is beneficial. I have followed the improvement work on this process from the very beginning, and this is a really solid job, right from the needs assessment and up to the final user testing and rollout we are starting now, he says.
Nettskjema archiving directly in Elements
An important component of the PhD process is the integration between Nettskjema and the archive system Elements. The integration, which is a link between Nettskjema and Elements, allows submitted web forms to be automatically retrieved to the appropriate case in Elements. The integration can also be utilized in other processes that involve the submission and archiving of web forms. The integration has been developed by the Nettskjema team in the IT department.
Andreas Botnen from the IT department and Toralf Nyst?yl from ESAK were able to demonstrate and explain the technical aspects of the integration, including how submitted web forms automatically go to the right place in the archive system. Previously, each web form had to be extracted, temporarily stored, and then transferred to the archive, which was a manual and time-consuming process.
– The integration is in production and can be used by others who receive web forms for archiving. It can also be easily adapted to Websak, the new archive system that is coming, so we have a solution that many will benefit from, explains Botnen.
Nettskjema is UiO's solution for data collection, surveys, registrations, and more. Since Nettskjema is developed at UiO, the solution can be further developed and adapted internally. In the IT department, there is a dedicated team working on this, and from the Nettskjema team, Jan Ming Lam, ?yvind Elgvin, and Are Gulbrandsen contributed to the work on the Nettskjema-Elements integration.
Process improvement at UiO
The work on improving the PhD admission routine has been carried out under the UiO Process Improvement project. Goals for the improvements include ensuring that employees experience working in a meaningful way, freeing up time for research and education, ensuring legal certainty and privacy, safeguarding equal treatment, and ensuring that user needs are recognized and met. An important part of the improvement work is to assess whether the process makes good use of the digital tools we have at UiO and whether the potential for digitalization is being utilized. The routine for PhD admission has been improved and standardized, and has received a significant digital upgrade. The project continues to work on several other processes at UiO.