Abstract:
In the current global context, there is a growing interest in
streamlining higher education institutions in particular. In this
context, this study was aimed at making Sri Lankan universities more
efficient. The immediate impetus for this study was the policy
agreement of the authorities to make the University of Kelaniya
efficient according to the Zero-Defect concept. The study was
conducted as a prelude to the university's attempt to adopt a new
strategy. This study has a main objective and two specific objectives.
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which
the existing administrative framework contributes to achieving the
goals of the Zero-Defect concept. In addition, among the specific
objectives, 1. To identify the process priority that the Zero-Defect
concept should be introduced to improve efficiency 2. To calculate
the expected effectiveness of introducing the Zero-Defect concept to
priority processes within the existing administrative framework. 21
processes of the Research and Publication Unit of the University of
Kelaniya were selected for this study. The time spent on each process
was calculated in minutes, and on three occasions the same data was
collected to obtain an average value. The time frame of the study was
considered as one year and the frequency of each process was
calculated accordingly. Percentage values and Pareto Analysis were
used for data analysis, while tables, charts and graphics were used
for data presentation. This study confirmed that 72% of the time
spent on the research and publishing unit's operations depends on
uncontrollable factors. It was further established that the maximum
effect on controllable factors to increase efficiency was 38%. This
study further highlights the need for further studies to minimize the
impact of uncontrollable factors as much as possible to increase unit
efficiency.
