Satisfaction in McMaster services has dramatically improved

A program that tracks satisfaction scores finds that experience with staff-provided services at Mac have improved notably over the last five years

UniForum@McMaster is a program that relies on employees from across the university to submit their views to a database that measures the effectiveness of operational and administrative services and tracks satisfaction. The results provide McMaster with insights into how support services are delivered across the university and whether they are delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible. Universities from across Canada and the world participate in the program and submit the same data to allow institutions to benchmark their outcomes.

Results from the past five years have shown that not only has satisfaction gone up in every measured service, but satisfaction scores across many operational functions at McMaster are among the highest of the universities that submitted data.

“Operational excellence is one of the key pillars of the university’s strategic plan and I want to congratulate and thank all of our staff who work so hard to improve the services we provide to students, faculty and staff,” says McMaster University President, David Farrar.

Throughout June, staff from academic and operational units across the university are completing the annual UniForum data input. This data provides insight into how work is distributed across the university, which professional services are outsourced, and the balance between transactional and strategic work.

“Information from Uniforum@McMaster provides an important picture of how we are providing services and spending funds across the University and helps us ensure we are getting the best value for resources,” says Saher Fazilat, Vice-President (Operations and Finance) at McMaster.

“Data collection is not always glamorous, but the data submitted from across the institution have already inspired change and positively impacted the quality of our services to students, faculty, and staff.”

Units from across McMaster have used this data to improve services. For instance, in custodial services, increased cleaning and waste pick up in high-traffic areas was made possible by using the data to adjust schedules. Instructors were also encouraged to call a hotline if there was a classroom deficiency so it could be quickly corrected. Since 2017, facility services, including custodial services, have seen substantial growth in satisfaction in all their services.

Another example includes Financial Services, where UniForum@McMaster data helped inform the business case to streamline and modernize many services, including day-to-day purchasing and billing. This has led to millions of dollars in savings and much higher satisfaction.

“It’s a testament to our staff that they are willing to find new and innovative ways to continue making this a great university,” says Fazilat. “Thank you to everyone involved in collecting data since the program began, and I look forward to working with and seeing all the new information this year.

Activity coding for UniForum @ McMaster Respondents extends through June 24, 2022. Contact uniforum@mcmaster.ca for any questions/assistance.