Transcript Slide 1
Upgrade to Financials 8.9 Lessons Learned
•Ben Lowenthal, AVP, Finance/ Controller •Kristal Charles, Project Coordinator
UMUC FACTS & FIGURES
• UMUC is a world leader in online education • In Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, UMUC had over 153,000 online course enrollments. • Currently, UMUC offers more than 100 bachelors and masters degree programs and certificates fully online. In FY 2006, UMUC offered more than 600 distinct courses online. • In FY 2006, UMUC ’s overseas divisions offered on site classes in 24 countries throughout the world, enrolling 42,879 individual students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Currently, UMUC enrolls close to 60,000 active duty military, reserves, dependants and veterans
UMUC FACTS & FIGURES
• UMUC is a USM institution with a significant national
profile
• UMUC is the 12th largest degree-granting university in the United States. • The number of students enrolled in UMUC stateside programs has grown by 49% in the last five years – from 22,233 in fall 2001 to 33,096 in fall 2006.
UMUC FINANCE AND PEOPLESOFT
• Live in September 2004 on version 8.4
• Upgraded 4/16/07 to version 8.9
• Modules GL AP/PO ePro Asset Management • HR/SA version 8.0 interfaces from PR and SF • Tools version 8.48
• nVision reporting for distribution of reports to end-users • Approximately 200 end-users worldwide
PROJECT 20/20 Kickoff
Perfect Future Financials 8.9 Vision
• • • • • • • PROJECT MILESTONES Kickoff – September 2006 Partnered with Cedar Crestone Training and Fit/Gap – October – November 2006 Testing/Lab Implementation – December 2006 Four comprehensive tests of database – two in lab environments and two at UMUC – December 2006 – March 2007 End-user training with UPK – March 2007 Go-live – April 16, 2007
Project Timeline
• 9/11/06 – 11/11/06 – Focus Groups and Fitgap • 11/06/06 – 1 st 8.9 Environment Established – Lab • 2/5/07 – 3 rd 8.9 Environment Established – UMUC • 3/19/07 – 4 th 8.9 Environment Established – Test Database • 4/11/07 – User acceptance testing and signoff completed • 4/16/07 – Go-live
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Lessons Learned - Playbook
Allow for separate, dedicated times to develop test scripts, perform testing and develop training materials in the project plan.
Ensure IT involvement in the RFP and planning. Determine whether lab is needed or if the technical upgrade can be done internally. If a lab is used, understand the responsibilities of the lab vs. in-house IT. Must test all integration points in house - - cannot be tested in the lab. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Change business process to fit the system and not vice versa.
Lessons Learned – Playbook
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Project schedule must be created up front and honed to throughout the project. Regular review will identify changes and/or adjustments.
Key people must be identified in advance. Employees dedicated 100% to the project should have backfill in the department prior to project launch.
Key personnel such as the Project Manager should be 100% dedicated to the project. Project Manager should oversee ALL project related efforts to ensure consistency.
Establish a small committee with knowledge of the project that is empowered to make decisions. Require a 72 hour turnaround on decisions and 24 hours for emergency decisions.
Lessons Learned – Playbook
• • • • TAKE OWNERSHIP. Plan knowledge transfer. Eliminate consultants shortly after go-live to limit over-reliance. Determine Post Production support plan prior to go live.
Retain key personnel throughout the project. Set goals and CELEBRATE them. Promote TEAM concept.
Involve departmental end-users in early planning via focus groups. Clearly define project deliverables and necessary documentation and track them.
Lessons Learned – Playbook
• • • Train users up front (prior to any other project activities) on any new technology. For example UPK, Mercury, etc.
Conduct an orientation with all departments involved in the upgrade/implementation so that all understand the scope of services, the resources required, and the departmental expectations.
Conduct an orientation with the core project team and the consultants at the beginning of the project so that all understand their roles and responsibilities in the project.
Lessons Learned – Player Acquisition
• When procuring the consultant, be sure to fully understand the implications to University resources before accepting any change in the schedule suggested by the consultant. • When pricing alternates, obtain the impact to the resources and the project schedule in the event the alternates are taken (i.e. ePro).
Lessons Learned – Training Camp
• • • Use UPK as your training tool. 24/7 access and different modes are great training tools.
Key project team members must attend Oracle/PS training prior to project launch. End-user training should be “just-in-time” – create a comprehensive training plan in advance.
Lessons Learned - Practice
• • • • • Formulate test plans with known results and follow them. Establish criteria and structure for test scripts, testing resources, and reporting.
Determine who will conduct load/stress testing, within what time frame, and what the parameters are prior to project commencement. Test data extensively prior to go live. If parallel testing is to be completed, define cutoffs and data prior to testing. Test iteratively. Unit and integration testing from beginning to end of process (include outside touch points).
Involve any consultants in testing as a joint process. Establish a lab enabling knowledge transfer with consultants and functional end-users working side by side.
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Lessons Learned – Xs & Os RSTARS/Conversion
RStars – Determine mapping for all transactions, including journal entries, deposits, vendor maintenance, and vendor payments.
Determine selection criteria for RStars transactions. Which transactions don’t go.
Clean vendor file early in the project and compare to RStars – determine how mail codes and service dates will be sent.
Determine how ledger balances and journal detail will be converted – detail vs. summary – start conversion early and balance back to legacy system.
Project Highlight Reel
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ePro!
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Manage Requisitions – ONE STOP SHOP!
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E-mail Collaboration!
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Workflow approval process streamlined!
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System timeout raised to 60 minutes!
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P-card improvements on the way!
Post Game Wrap Up
• Plan, Plan, Plan • Communicate, Communicate, Communicate • Test, Test, Test • UPK Training
Q & A – Expert Panel
• Ben Lowenthal, [email protected]
• Kristal Charles, [email protected]
– Finance – Project Mgmt.
• Janet Foster, Support [email protected]
• Marion Wirschal, – Finance – RSTARS & AP [email protected]
Finance – Functional • Lucy Kallal, [email protected]
Finance – GL & AM • Rob Ahlberg, [email protected]
Finance – nVision Reports • Valerie Rolandelli, [email protected]
• Jason Pruitt, Support [email protected]
Procurement - ePro Procurement – Functional • Renee Marshall, [email protected]
– IT – Technical support