University of Roehampton

“Initially, we contacted Simitive because we needed a new online workload management system. Previously, we had been using a spreadsheet developed by a talented member of staff but that was easily corruptible. People across the university were making variations to it, so it was very hard to get accurate management information. It wasn’t accessible or transparent, and it was difficult to control and extract meaningful management information, and we couldn't use it to deliver on our strategic priorities effectively.

I went to a workload meeting and Paul Sheppard from Simitive was presenting about their exciting and enlightening development in the sector. I realised this was what we needed to meet our strategic priorities and have oversight. It seemed very straightforward and exciting and was a positive step forward for us. Our main criteria for WAMS were that it had to be straightforward and easy to use, that we could run clear management reports from it, and that it was accessible to staff so they could access their workload. There are also a whole host of other benefits that come with Simitive WAMS.

There were no concerns about how the institution would be impacted by using Simitive’s product because it was external. Obviously, the IT team were all over it to check security, but they were very happy once they had taken a detailed look. We took a strategic decision not to hold personal information on workload, but that is possible with the system if you wish. We are a lean institution that has a long history of trying to build our own things, which has led to a number of systems that don’t speak to another, so an external provider was a positive step forward.”

“We have been working with Simitive since 2022. We now use WAMS, are starting up TAMS, and have also benefitted from their consultancy offering.

WAMS — When we started using WAMS, many issues disappeared completely. Workloads are now equitable and fair, and we can easily check for discrepancies, have easy access to management reporting, and ensure an equitable and transparent operation. The integration of process and modelling augments senior management oversight and helps us drive any necessary improvements.

In our first year, we used WAMS and our old spreadsheet method simultaneously, and the discrepancies in the spreadsheets were obvious. The moment we put WAMS in and started reporting, the information became very visible, and we could drill into the details to address inequities, whether under-allocation or equally over-allocation.

TAMS — TAMS is a very exciting step forward as a teaching allocation management solution and will address some of the key issues that are plaguing the sector. For many peers, the unions and the universities, workload is a very real topic of concern. What TAMS does is show if the workload that has been allocated is actually doable throughout the year. There may be acute pressure points during the year which will make our staff’s normal workload untenable during that period. TAMS maps and forecasts these intolerable levels so we can make targeted interventions and allocate them differently. We want to give fair workloads that staff can actually do.

It is especially complex because of varying entry points, different modes of delivery, and so on. There are some very real points in time when everything could otherwise come crashing together. This is now visible and forecastable, and we can change workloads accordingly.

Consultancy — We are a very lean organisation, so the consultancy services have been invaluable. There are times when we need to do some deep dives and extra work, but don’t have the personnel resources and capacity to do it.

Benchmarking is essential for us because we need to understand whether our approach to allocating work to tasks is consistent with the sector. It has been very reassuring and helpful for our discussions with the University and College Union (UCU) to demonstrate that we are on the mark.

We did 360 degrees around our workload to model curriculum changes and to understand the potential impact of the changes we were making because there might be some different local understandings about things. We had intensive workshops with Simitive for our workload allocators to get the most out of the system.

Simitive’s aftercare and customer service are very good. They inform us about product developments and want to understand the sector's needs to develop new products that meet those needs. The products fit into each other nicely, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel when you add to the basket of products. It is good to have it all done in one place; otherwise, you may not get reliable content and repeat data entry and add to the workload.”

“The most obvious advantage of Simitive’s WAMS, TAMS and benchmarking, is our ability to effectively collect data and report and gain oversight on how our academic staff, one of the university's biggest resources, meets their objectives. This then shapes how we proceed with other initiatives. Simitive’s products have helped the university achieve its objectives.

Until WAMS and TAMS, we didn’t have an accurate overview and visibility, so the results were fairly worrying. That can become very quickly untenable financially, so the ability to report accurately is key. We have a better understanding of EDI issues and equity around workload, and it is very important to have these systems to check and probe and to reflect on whether it meets strategy priorities. We are always checking for institutional issues that pop up that we haven’t thought about. It is organic and dynamic, and we are on much firmer ground now in terms of knowing what is actually going on and being able to make useful and positive interventions.”