Office of Business Transformation (OBT) advances a culture of continuous improvement that supports UC Davis' strategic goals.
Serving as internal consultants, the team creates opportunities to collaborate, innovate and develop in order to promote efficiency, encourage learning and facilitate engagement.
With a strong focus on fostering continuous innovation, OBT partners with individuals and departments to support incremental projects and transformative initiatives. Through guidance and leading, OBT team members use methodologies from Project and Change Management, Lean Six Sigma and Business Process Management to deliver outcomes.
Office of Business Transformation Services
Explore the different ways OBT can help your organization.
Below are some common scenarios that illustrate how we partner with teams to overcome challenges and deliver results — but our support doesn’t stop there. If you have a unique need or complex problem, we’re ready to collaborate with you to find the right solution.
Ready to work with us? Submit a Service Request
Process Improvement
Partner with Lean Six Sigma experts to examine, analyze, and improve your business processes for greater efficiency and impact.
- We have a process that's confusing, slow, or stressful.
- OBT can help you review the process, spot bottlenecks and waste, and work with you to redesign it so it's smoother and more efficient.
- We're doing more with less. We want to keep quality high without burning people out.
- OBT can help you review and rethink your key business processes to identify opportunities for improvement.
- We have staff retiring and want to capture their work and role(s) in our processes.
- OBT can help you document the critical work of retiring staff and identify where there is need for knowledge transfer. This ensures continuity and prepares the organization for a smooth transition of responsibilities.
- We have a heavily manual process that takes a lot of our staff's time.
- OBT can help you map your workflow and explore how you might streamline or automate tasks, freeing up staff time for higher-value work.
- We have an annual review process (e.g., merit reviews, accreditation, financial reporting) that we struggle with each year.
- OBT can help you document a repeatable process with clear roles and responsibilities. This promotes consistency, builds confidence for existing team members, and can also be used to train incoming staff.
- We have physical space and supplies that are crucial to our work, but keeping the space organized and appropriately stocked is an ongoing challenge.
- OBT can help you create and maintain a clean, organized, and efficient workplace through the 5S methodology -- Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.
- We’d like a workshop for our team that introduces Lean Six Sigma basics—how to spot waste and create small improvements in their own work.
- OBT can design and facilitate a custom presentation for your team that can be delivered in person or virtually. You might also consider signing up as a group to attend our in-person Yellow Belt training.
Change Management
Collaborate with certified Change Management practitioners to prepare and equip your team to navigate change successfully.
- We have a fairly straightforward change coming to our department, but we need some guidance on how to best support people through the transition.
- OBT can provide Change Management consultation to help you build change management activities into your transition plan, so your team feels informed, supported, and ready for what’s ahead.
- We are introducing a new business process, system or technology, and folks are nervous about the change.
- OBT can help your department navigate the transition with confidence. Our Change Management support focuses on clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and practical tools that build readiness so the new process or system is adopted successfully.
- We want new employees to have a consistent, welcoming onboarding experience that helps them get up to speed quickly and feel confident in their new role.
- OBT can help you develop a standardized onboarding process and structured training plan so new team members feel welcome, supported and ready to contribute sooner.
- We want to grow our team's Change Management knowledge so everyone feels more confident navigating frequent change.
- OBT can design and facilitate a customized Change Management workshop to help your team think about change differently. Whether you have 60 minutes or four hours, sessions are tailored to your goals and can be delivered virtually or in person. Grounded in the Prosci Change Methodology, our workshops offer research-based insights and practical tools to equip your team to navigate change successfully.
- We want to strengthen the Change Management competency of our managers and supervisors so they feel more confident supporting their teams through change.
- To get started, we recommend that people leaders attend the Change Management for Managers and Supervisors instructor-led training, available for registration in the Learning Management System (LMS).
To build on that foundation, OBT can design and facilitate a Change Management workshop focused on the critical roles people leaders hold during times of change. From creating a common language around change to better managing resistance, we leverage the Prosci Change Methodology to provide a practical framework and actionable tools that help leaders guide their teams with confidence and success.
Training
Work with OBT Instructional Designers and Technical Writers to create engaging learning experiences and training materials that build skills, knowledge, and confidence across your organization.
- We want to develop a micro-learning video or e-learning course for our customers, student employees or staff.
- OBT can provide instructional design support to help you create engaging, effective learning experiences. Meet with a member of our team to clarify your learning objectives and design a course to reach your audience.
