Core Improvement Initiatives

Would your core facility benefit from a core user survey? Have you discovered an unexplained drop-off in usage or have you struggled to retain users? Do you want to know where your customers would like to see improvement in your services? ORT has developed a Core Customer Satisfaction Survey template and can work with you to customize it, collect anonymized responses, and help you understand the data. Please contact ORT if you would like to discuss our survey services for your core..

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool for identifying:

Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats

that affect a business, project, or your core laboratory.  Interested cores can use this research-backed assessment technique to distinguish between where you are now and where you wish to be and help develop a strategic plan using the results.  Check out the ORT SWOT Training presentation from the Sept. 2018 Core Director meeting for specific instructions and advise, then fill out the ORT SWOT Template and ORT SWOT Actionable Strategies document.  

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NIH requires all research grants and RPPRs emphasize rigorous approaches to ensure robust and unbiased results.  To this end, we have prepared a Rigor and Reproducibility template for core facilities and fully support the R&R initiative.  We are requesting that each core use this template to create a rigor and reproducibility section on their core website, customized to your core.  Learn More

Decision making in core facilities can often benefit from the guidance of a a core advisory board.  This board can balance the myriad needs of multiple stakeholders and lead to data-based decision making.  Check out our user guide for establishing a core advisory board.

UNC Green Labs works with all members of the UNC community to encourage sustainable practices and promote awareness of environmental issues in UNC labs including the UNC Freezer Challenge. Learn More

ORT offers training and assistance with initiatives focused on process mapping, strategic planning, continuous improvement, time studies, visual control board implementation, improved customer service, improved communication, turn-around time tracking and root cause analysis.  These processes can enhance efficiency and drive customer satisfaction.  Please reach out to ORT if you are interested in any of these initiatives for your core.

ORT pays for an institutional membership to the Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities (ABRF). This access is open to ALL core directors and staff. However, you must contact ORT to activate your access to the member-only content.