Particular attention was paid to the key evaluation topics agreed in advance:
- Scope / areas of activity of the service unit
- Performing the role of a business partner
- Relief of resources, re-focussing and further development of the IT landscape
The evaluation was carried out by an international team of experts chaired by Francoise Bommensatt (EPF Lausanne), together with Dr Jürgen Rümmele (University of Basel) and Matthias Schwarte (University of Münster). The evaluation was based on the DLE's self-evaluation report and discussions with the Rectorate, management and staff of the DLE, as well as internal stakeholders during the three-day site visit.
The evaluators attest to the high quality, strong service orientation and broad acceptance of the unit Accounting and Finance within the university. Particular emphasis was placed on the reliable cooperation with the Rectorate, the technical expertise and the IT affinity of the unit. The Accounting and Finance unit is considered a ‘reliable partner’ for all university levels and has earned an excellent reputation through its proactive and competent support.
Recommendations on the key evaluation topics
The reviewers recommend strengthening unit's governance function, in particular by expanding its responsibility for guidelines and delegating budget execution powers. Legal tasks should be located outside the unit, and cooperation with Human Resources and the Central IT Service (ZID) should be more clearly defined. The establishment of a central procurement department under the leadership of the Unit for Accounting and Finance is seen as an opportunity.
The role of individuals as strategic contacts should be institutionalised and structurally anchored. The aim is to involve them at an early stage in strategic decision-making processes and to integrate technical and financial planning.
They recommend the further standardisation and digitalisation of core processes, the introduction of a finance lab for agile process optimisation and the further development of the IT landscape with a focus on SAP S/4HANA and, in the future, AI-based solutions. Cooperation with the ZID and the Austrian Federal Computing Centre is to be intensified.
Implementation and monitoring
The Rectorate discussed the evaluation results in detail with the management of the service unit. A large number of expert suggestions for improvement were included in the implementation agreement. The agreed measures are monitored as part of the target agreement process. The evaluation report and DLE statement are available to university members at https://qs.univie.ac.at/en/evaluation/administration-service/evaluation-reports/.
