Transforming HR and finance
Who will benefit (and how)
Academics, frontline workers, support staff – all of us, one way or another. Our sector is going through a challenging time right now, with extra pressure on universities to do more with less. All the more reason to join the conversation.
With your help and insight, there will be plenty of smaller improvements we can make along the way. As the picture becomes clearer, these pages will be your hub for any dates, details and decisions, and news of any wins as they happen.
- Department heads or directors: accurate reporting on the status of grants and budgets, and less time on administrative complexity.
- Academic teaching or research staff: far fewer manual tasks and spreadsheets, and more opportunities for proactive business partnering.
- HR, finance or admin staff: self-service for managing staff expenses and more, and quicker financial transactions and approvals.
- Line managers or budget holders: straightforward tools for recruitment and approving leave, and simpler guidance around their policies.
- General University staff: easy access to personal data and daily processes, and confidence that payroll information is up to date.
What will improve (and when)
The systems we all use are expiring soon: Agresso, ResourceLink and more. Rather than replacing them like-for-like, this is an opportunity to reimagine what we do, and avoid the duplication and fragmentation that comes with what we have now.
By November 2026, we'll be switching to an all-in-one system for HR and finance. Right now, the main aim is to explore ways to streamline how various teams go about their work; from March 2026, it'll be to demonstrate how day-to-day processes might soon look and feel; from August 2026, it'll be to roll out training to prepare us for new ways of working.
Just a few examples…
Areas related to HR
- Recruiting new staff
- Managing contracts
- Checking pay grades
- Claiming staff benefits
- Settling into a new role
- Working more flexibly
- Logging hours and leave
- Supporting wellbeing
- Developing new skills
- Managing other staff
- Reporting attendance
- Checking performance
- Progressing a career
- Leaving or retiring
- Overseeing pensions
Areas related to finance
- Handling purchasing and expenses
- Procuring goods and services
- Processing any student payments
- Selling products or services online
- Recording income and outcome
- Creating budget plans and forecasts