XplanaZine

The friendly LMS rep promised a scalable enterprise solution that, together with an Oracle database, would result in a virtual campus that would run itself. It was a scene right out of R.U.R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots. The only worry was that the computer would come alive a la Terminator and try to take over. Ah, if only that were true!

Quite the reverse is true on most campuses. Instead of a sleek, smoothly functioning factory, what usually results is more akin to a cottage industry or, worse, a sweatshop.

From the outside, everything appears to be integrated and automated. One would never suspect that each step of the online process is accompanied by laborious piecework, and that it is not possible to expand the program, or to control quality of content, services, instruction, or access. In order to detect where bottlenecks are occurring, and hand-crafted, cottage industry piecework takes place, it is necessary to conduct a thorough review of the process.

The characteristics of cottage industry in online programs, beginning with course development, and progressing through administrative and academic services, include the following:

1. Processes Knitted Together by Hand. Instead of seamless integration of services, there pieces in the process that involve faxing information, taking it over the phone, or processing printed forms, with resulting duplications of effort, bottlenecks, and time-intensive work.

2. Facades of Automation. The online forms are not true forms that integrate into a database where the information is easily retrievable. Instead, the information comes in and must be re-entered by hand into a database program.

3. No Division of Labor. This is probably the most important aspect of the process, and the key to improving efficiency and providing a uniform product of high quality. Specialization of labor is involved, after a close analysis of the work flow, tasks, and procedures.

4. Ergonomically Incorrect. The average workspace or lab is often ergonomically incorrect, resulting in potential physical injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome.

5. Too Many Repetitive Tasks. Although specialization is important, and appropriate division of labor, it is possible to push this concept to unhealthy extremes. The worst is perhaps the call center atmosphere — the university has been turned into a giant call center, which reminds one of a medical insurance claim processing center rather than an institution of higher learning.

6. No Integration of Tasks, No Sense of Flow. In addition to failing to analyze tasks and coordinate them, institutions often fail to properly integrate databases, tasks, and/or responsibilities. As a result, information does not flow to the proper places, and it has to be submitted multiple times.

7. No Uniformity of Process. It is important to develop procedures and to follow them — even in other parts of the college. This allows training to be developed and depth / breadth of personnel so that surges in volume can be accommodated, and a truly scalable solution can be developed.

8. Unnecessary Intermediaries. If there are intermediaries, they should serve a real function (eArmyU, for example) that cannot be otherwise replicated. Even when intermediaries are necessary, it is important to develop policies and procedures to avoid the “high-centering” phenomenon (the work gets hung up and does not progress past the intermediary) or the “ping pong effect” where the tasks bounce from one intermediary unit to another, without resolution.

9. Tasks Not Classified, Task “Families” Not Developed. In developing appropriate division of labor and specialization, it is vital to analyze the tasks and classify them. Thus classified, “task families” can be developed and individuals with “like” activities can be grouped together. This helps allocate tasks for maximum efficiency.

There are other issues and problems that hinge upon human relationships and leadership decisions and policies. These are dealt with in Part 2 of this series.