Process Optimization Framework
Overview
Project Sponsor: Office of the Vice-President (Finance and Administration)
Memorial is strengthening institutional effectiveness by developing a process optimization framework that will provide a consistent approach to reviewing, redesigning and improving administrative processes across the university. This framework will help Memorial identify opportunities to reduce inefficiencies, improve service delivery and better support the university community.
Staff Recruitment has been selected as a pilot process for this work. Throughout the pilot, Memorial will test and refine the framework while addressing known challenges with the current recruitment process.
The university’s current staff recruitment process includes inconsistencies and inefficiencies that can result in delays and create challenges for hiring managers, candidates and newly hired employees. The pilot is examining the end-to-end recruitment process to identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce time to hire, improve the user experience and ensure compliance with university policies and labour regulations.
Anticipated phases of the project include:
- October - November 2026: Current state assessment
- November - December 2026: Future state design and recommendations
- December 2026: Implementation planning
Why This is Important
Developing a process optimization framework will help Memorial build a sustainable, repeatable approach to evaluating and improving how work is done across the university. As institutions face increasing expectations and resource pressures, it is important to continually look for opportunities to simplify processes, reduce administrative burden and improve service delivery.
A key outcome of this project will be the development of internal expertise within the Transformation Office. By working alongside experienced practitioners throughout the project, Transformation Office staff are developing the tools, methodology and skills needed to support future process improvement initiatives across Memorial. The project is also aimed at developing a process for identifying and evaluating other areas that may benefit from process optimization. The framework and knowledge developed through this work will create a foundation for ongoing transformation efforts and help ensure future optimization projects can increasingly be led internally.
Updates
- November 2026: Current state assessment to be completed, future-state design will begin.
- October 2026: Memorial's staff recruitment process was selected as the pilot process, current state assessment meetings took place. Transformation Office began developing internal process optimization capabilities through hands-on participation in the current state assessment and process redesign activities to support future optimization initiatives across the university.
- September 2026: A consultant was engaged for this project to support development of Memorial's process optimization framework and methodology. A key objective of the engagement is knowledge transfer and capacity building within the Transformation Office, ensuring the framework, methodology, and associated skills can be applied independently to future process improvement initiatives across Memorial.