By Emma Scoffield
The Management Accounts Team Brief was held last week which was actually a workshop rather than a team brief.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Matt gave us an overview of GDPR. We then had a team discussion on the impact for the MA teams, considering which data was being processed, collected and stored. We also considered the lawful basis for doing this and if it was for internal or external use. Matt will now assess all of the teams responses and we will consider what action we need to take to minimise any risk.
Tableau – visual business intelligence software
Gary Allen and James Berry led a session on tableau reporting. One of our objectives this year is to make a step change in our reporting making it more accessible to the organisation on a self-service basis. James introduced tableau and gave examples of how it could be used both inside and outside the University. Gary then went through the work he and James (who did all the work!) had done to create a tableau version of the University Performance Report which could be drilled into to look at faculty, departments and directorates. In mixed teams we looked at what the key information was that budget holders want to see, how they may want to use it and what visuals will help them. Gary and James will use this information to develop the reporting further so we are ready for the start of the new academic year.
Financial Environment
Deborah went through the presentation she gave at the Transforming Lives session – if anyone has not yet watched this it is well worth it. We were able to talk about this in more detail in this smaller group so that the management accounts community feel able to answer questions that their stakeholders may raise.
Non-Pay Savings
I then followed with some more detail on the target to save £4m in non pay spend and how this will be rolled out and communicated across the University. The communications about this initiative began with Deborah’s update at the July Transforming Lives session; this has been followed by an email from the VC to all Senior Leaders for cascade through their management team which explains more about the initiative. Communications to all staff will follow throughout the next few months, and an intranet page has been developed where you will be able to find out more about this initiative; the policies that have been developed so far to help achieve our goal; how progress against our savings target will be shared; and best practice from across the University.
Everyone can make a difference, so please start thinking about ways in which we can save money. If you need to buy something, challenge yourself (and others) as to whether you really need it, and consider cheaper, alternative options.
Please email your ideas to ! non-pay initiatives.
