Lean machines

How to become more efficient.

Greater efforts should be expended on collaboration to save money, says a report published today by Universities UK.

Universities in England have collectively saved more than £1 billion over the past three years by pooling their resources, according to a review of efficiency led by Sir Ian Diamond of the University of Aberdeen. The report, which builds on the work of a task group formed in 2011, says that delivering efficiency and value for money should be considered “an absolute operational priority”. It also advises that universities should maintain first-rate support services and infrastructure to reflect the competitive pressures arising from the increased tuition fees in England and greater investment in higher education from other nations.