Optimize Rolls On!
There was a lot of positive energy in Howarth 005 this week as MIS representatives Robbie de Leur, Jessica Ewald, and Tina DuBose joined the Campus Solutions team in discovery sessions focused on financial aid, charges and payments, academic requirements, academic exceptions, and enrollment. As Melanie Sullivan from the Office of the Registrar noted, “The best part of these sessions is getting to work with people from across campus that we don’t typically work with!”
The Financials team signed off on their Fit-Gap document to guide design and configuration of the module. The Human Resources team is making good progress as they explore opportunities for integrating the current timekeeping processes for faculty, staff, and students.
Project Manager Travis Nation and Associate Academic Dean Alyce DeMarais continue with presentations about Optimize Puget Sound to faculty and staff groups across campus. To schedule a presentation for your department or office, please contact Travis at 253.879.2710 or tnation@pugetsound.edu.
Financials Marks Milestone, Campus Reviews Registration
The Financials team reached an exciting milestone Monday with the presentation and review of their first Fit-Gap summaries. These documents are critical in guiding the configuration and testing of the system which is scheduled to go live in July. MIS is now integrating feedback from the team as they set up the module.
Discovery sessions for the Campus Solutions team focused on registration. The group was particularly happy to learn the new system will automate some important processes currently done manually.
Those who attended last week’s Higher Education User Group (HEUG) conference in Nashville shared their experiences with campus colleagues in a one-hour session on Monday. Learning the meaning of technical jargon, networking with counterparts from other institutions, and building rapport with Puget Sound colleagues were cited among numerous benefits of the conference.
Jody Putman of Accounting and Budget Services sends a big thank you to those 80 respondents who heeded her call to take the Budget Administration survey. If you did not get a chance to complete the survey, please contact Jody at jputman@pugetsound.edu.
HEUG and Other Happenings
This week, over 3000 people from 24 countries attended the annual conference of the Higher Education User Group (HEUG) in Nashville, TN. Fourteen members of the Optimize team were among them! Three and a half days of wall-to-wall sessions provided excellent opportunities to network and learn from other institutions utilizing PeopleSoft. Project Manager Travis Nation noted that “learning what not to do is as valuable as learning what works.” A debrief on the conference is scheduled for Monday, March 26. If you are interested in attending, please contact Emily Precht-Patterson at 253.879.2596 or eprecht@pugetsound.edu.
Meanwhile, back in the Underground at Puget Sound, the Campus Solutions team participated in remote discovery sessions on tuition calculation. The Financials team engaged in productive discussions on annual budget processes.
Project Coordinator Emily Precht-Patterson provided an overview for team members who access the Optimize SoundNet site (requires Puget Sound login). The site is a key tool for facilitating collaboration and managing the wealth of documents related to the project. To learn more about SoundNet, see the schedule of training sessions offered by Technology Services.
Survey on Budget Administration Now Available
Jody Putman of Accounting and Budget Services is managing a survey on the Optimize SoundNet site to gather campus input on budget administration. The survey has 10 questions and takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Survey results will aid in designing the new Chart of Accounts (COA). Please complete the survey by Monday, March 26. For any questions about the survey, please contact Jody at jputman@pugetsound.edu.
This week the Financials team marked an important milestone in the data conversion process by loading the first set of test data in the new system. Procurement module work focused on the approval workflow structure, while Jessica Ewald and Robbie de Leur from MIS worked on site with the Campus team to map admission and academic processes.
Several campus representatives are heading out for the annual conference of the Higher Education User Group (HEUG) scheduled to begin Sunday in Nashville, TN. Hope everyone packed their shorts, since the forecast is for temperatures in the 80s during the conference! Besides soaking up a little sun, it will be a great opportunity for our team to engage with colleagues from similar institutions who use PeopleSoft and other Oracle applications.
A Superb Week for Financials
The Financials team had a great week as they continued discovery sessions with MIS consultants Suresh Pandurangam, Michelle Welch, and Teri Mills. Puget Sound and MIS staff are developing strategies for data conversion and integration between PeopleSoft and third party systems.
Jody Putman, director of financial reporting and tax for the university, has met with the Steering Committee and other campus members to solicit preferences on budget administration. If you have feedback for Jody, please contact her at 253.879.6110 or jputman@pugetsound.edu.
Also this week, the Campus Solutions team participated in discovery sessions conducted remotely by MIS consultants Jessica Ewald, Robbie de Leur, and Tina DuBose.
Project Manager Travis Nation has been meeting with faculty groups across campus to share information about Optimize Puget Sound. To schedule a time for Travis to meet with your department or office, please contact him at 253.879.2710 or tnation@pugetsound.edu.
Financials and Campus Solutions Progress
More remote discovery sessions happened this week for Financials and Campus Solutions. The teams are closing in on their requirements and documenting the rationale for each decision. Discovery sessions will continue next week for Financials and Campus Solutions, and the Financials team is excited to meet their new MIS consultant, Suresh Pandurangam, in person.
As a means to learn from other universities that have implemented PeopleSoft, several of the Steering Committee members, or their representatives, will attend the annual conference of the Higher Education User Group (HEUG) from March 18-21! This conference provides networking opportunities as well as informational sessions that will guide our teams throughout the implementation and training process.
Procurement, Budget, and Campus Solutions: In Motion
The turnout was incredible for the Procurement, Budget Development, and Campus Discovery tracks this week. The team members and our MIS consultants were able to meet face-to-face and begin review of our requirements. Together, people discussed business processes in different lights and envisioned how the future may look.
Next week, we will conduct remote follow-up sessions as we continue to elicit requirements.
Thank you so much for everyone’s continued participation.
Work on Procurement and Campus Solutions Set to Begin
Things keep rolling along for Optimize Puget Sound! This week, the Financials team and the technical folks initiated touch-base meetings as an ongoing way to document recent accomplishments and plan for upcoming hurdles. The Financials team also conducted a phone interview with several new consultants coming on board from MIS, our implementation partner.
Seven representatives from MIS will be on campus next week to facilitate discovery sessions for Procurement, Hyperion (budgeting), and Academic Structure/Campus Community. Numerous campus members will be involved in these discussions to finalize requirements for the new system.
As an FYI for those of you involved in all this hard work, Travis has stocked up on yummy treats to help keep you going!
Optimize Update – Friday, February 10, 2012
It was another busy week, with Stephen Phillips from MIS on campus to finish up the development tools training that started in January. Staff from Technology Services are progressively learning the technical aspects of PeopleSoft applications. These sessions are critical in the development of preliminary and long-term maintenance strategies. As Stephen put it, “The idea is if you can make it, you can fix it.”
Project Advisor for Quality Assurance Jim Fleming of Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, was on campus today to become more familiar with the project environment. Jim is going to provide oversight and guidance based on his experience implementing PeopleSoft at an institution similar to Puget Sound.
Want to learn more about Optimize Puget Sound? Project Manager Travis Nation is available to join departmental meetings to answer questions and give a brief presentation on the project and what to expect over the next 24 months. To schedule, please contact Travis at 253-879-2710 or tnation@pugetsound.edu.
Financials Fit/Gap Wraps Up and Other Updates
The Financials team was the first group to embark on the intense journey of design and implementation, and they are blazing a trail for the rest of us to follow! Throughout January, they participated in an extensive fit/gap analysis with representatives from MIS, Inc., our implementation partner. This week saw the wrap-up of those sessions intended to identify Cascade and Banner processes that will transfer easily to PeopleSoft as well as any processes requiring additional configuration or interfaces. Also in January, the development team from Technology Services participated in training on the use of PeopleTools.
Yesterday, several representatives from Puget Sound visited our counterparts at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, to learn about their implementation and use of PeopleSoft. We appreciate the willingness of folks there to share their experiences, insights, and good advice as we move forward!
Today we had a demo of PeopleSoft for representatives from Human Resources and CES as design and implementation will start in their area in July.
Special thanks to everyone for their active engagement in these important activities!