The challenge
A university needed finance and procurement functions that could better support academic priorities while responding to changing funding pressures and service delivery demands.
A large university operating within Australia’s evolving higher education sector was facing increasing strategic and operational challenges amid broader pressures across the industry. Reduced government funding, intensifying competition and the emergence of alternative teaching and learning models were reshaping demand and creating a more complex operating environment. Against this backdrop, the university was seeking to enhance teaching and learning outcomes while improving the quality and consistency of professional support provided to academics.
The university’s finance, procurement and broader professional services functions were transitioning towards a more customer-focused and commercially oriented model. However, existing structures and capabilities needed to evolve to support this shift. The university required a clearly defined future-state operating model that built on work already undertaken, strengthened service delivery and staff development, and enabled more effective and responsive corporate services.
How we helped
A practical operating model aligned services with the university’s new College-based structure and established clearer responsibilities and more consistent ways of working.
OCM partnered with the university to design a future-state Finance and Procurement Operating Model aligned with its new College-based structure and broader transformation agenda. The approach was tailored to the university’s academic and operational environment, taking account of existing constraints and building on work that had already been completed.
Through targeted data validation and stakeholder engagement across Portfolios, Faculties and Schools, we addressed gaps in understanding and developed a comprehensive view of current service delivery. This informed the refinement of a clear service catalogue and collaborative decisions about how services should be delivered across embedded College teams and central Portfolios.
OCM also supported the design of the future organisational structure by grouping activities into coherent job families, helping determine the most appropriate delivery model for each service and defining the skills, capabilities and experience required. Drawing on our finance function expertise, best-practice design principles and targeted research, we brought contemporary thinking and proven approaches to the redesign. This ensured the proposed model was practical, aligned with the university’s strategic objectives and designed to support more integrated, customer-focused and high-performing professional services.
Results that matter
A clearly defined future-state model strengthened accountability and alignment, creating a practical foundation for improved capability, performance and continuous improvement.
The university received a future-state service delivery model supported by a right-sized organisational structure and role profiles aligned with its strategic and operational requirements. The recommended model clarified responsibilities across teams, strengthened alignment between central and embedded functions, and established a foundation for improved capability, performance and accountability.
The redesign positioned the university to progress workforce planning and functional improvement initiatives with greater confidence. It also supported the establishment of professional services functions capable of delivering enhanced customer service, stronger staff development opportunities and more effective corporate services.
Together, these outcomes equipped the university with a practical and sustainable operating model designed to improve service delivery, strengthen organisational capability and support its long-term success.
Our people
Jonathan Cherian
