Robert Blundell

I joined the Mathematical Institute in June 2022 to provide support to the Academic Administration team with reviewing their business processes, identifying areas for potential improvement, and implementing solutions to deliver more robust and streamlined processes. I use Continuous Improvement tools (h/t the FOCUS team, and the Continuous Improvement Community of Practice) to ensure that existing processes are accurately mapped and fully understood, and that problems are correctly diagnosed. Only when this is complete do I then start to consider potential solutions, which might involve changes of process that need no significant technological input; at the other end of the scale, it might be that a variety of IT tools might be employed in concert to deliver the new process. These tools include SharePoint Online to store documents; Power Automate to disseminate those documents, manage permissions, and gather input from the process owners; Excel macros to automate the manipulation of raw data into a format that can be more easily shared; and Word mail merges to insert summary information into a template.

More recently, I have expanded to working with other Professional Services teams in the MI, including Finance and HR, and have provided secretarial support and data analysis/modelling to a departmental working group on teaching stint.

As well as continuing to work on these activities, I will be providing administrative support to the Institute's work to prepare its submission to REF2029.