Transcript Slide 1

Financial Systems Needs Assessment
Administrator Briefing
Spring Quarter 2009
Project Schedule
Project Schedule Change
• Schedule extended through December 31, 2009
– Contributing factors:
• Budget cuts: staffing impact to support work group sessions
• Biennium close
• Technical Lead position hiring delayed and reduced to 50%
due to budget cuts
• Business process collection taking longer than planned
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
2
Project Schedule
Phase 1 Needs Assessment Schedule as of 4/15/09
11/08
12/08
01/09
02/09
03/09
04/09
05/09
06/09
Draft Project Charter
07/09
08/09
09/09
10/09
11/09
12/09
Project Charter Brainstorming
GL/COA Focus Groups
As Is Bus. Process Collection
As Is Bus. Process Validation
Bus. Requirements Workgroups
Business Requirements Validation
Tech. Reqs Workgroups
Today
Tech Reqs Validation
Accounting Advisory Team Review
Project Deliverables Development
Key
Project Activity
Project Deliverable
Project Dependency
As-Is Business Process Documentation
Biennium
Close All
Campus
Activities
Biennium
Close
Central
Admin
Activities
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
Business & System Requirements
Business Process Redesign Framework
Phase 2 Scope Recommendations
3
Life Cycle
System Replacement Life Cycle
Winter 2009
Phase 1
Needs
Assessment
Go-Live 20??
Phase 2 Gap/
Alternatives
Analysis
Phase 3
Implementation
Planning
Phase 4
Design &
Development
Phase 5
Final
Preparation
Phase 6
Post
Implementation
Support
Major Investment
Funded
Funded
Timing and funding to be determined at later
date
Communication
Business Process Redesign & Change Management
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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GL/COA Focus Groups
General Ledger/Chart of Accounts Focus Groups
• Conducted 25 focus group sessions across campus between
January and April 2009
– Focus of sessions: find out what is/is not working with our
current chart of accounts (COA)
– 140 participants from central accounting offices, central services,
Bothell and Tacoma campuses, academic units and auxiliary units
– Over 925 comments collected
– Report currently in development which summarizes findings and
recommends next steps
• Will be published on FSNA website after approved by the Steering
Committee
• Website: http://www.washington.edu/provost/oim/SPP/FSNA/
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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GL/COA Focus Groups
Focus Group Questions
• What works and does not work with the current chart of
accounts?
• How would you organize your business if you were not
restricted to the current organization code structure and use?
• What is needed in the COA to meet your department needs?
• What does a “flexible chart of accounts” mean to you?
• What laws/policies (e.g., IRS) exist that drive our chart of
accounts?
• What are the most critical things to consider in defining a new
GL/COA?
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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GL/COA Focus Groups
Key Findings
1. Limited reporting capabilities
2. Inefficiencies
A. Shadow systems, duplicate entry, reconciliations
B. Inconsistent use of COA elements
3. Lack of standards: data definition & reporting / processes &
system usage
4. Improper, unclear and inconsistent classification of activity.
Data Stewardship critical to future success.
5. Lack of financial activity coding/classification granularity
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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GL/COA Focus Groups
Key Findings (continued)
6. System reporting period creates challenges
7. Lack of business rules increases error correction,
monitoring, and other non-value-added activities
8. Financial activity transparency issues: 1) relationship of
financial organization to authorization; and 2) automatic
processing and posting behind the scenes
9. Automatic processing and posting (explosion process)
benefits
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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As-Is Business Process Collection
As-Is Business Process Collection and
Validation
• Documenting and validating 52 core financial processes
around campus
– Receiving input from central accounting, central services,
academic units, and auxiliary/self sustaining units
• Over 80% of core processes are documented and validated
– Also documenting financial processes for units with unique
systems and/or processes (example: Housing & Food
Services)
• Will validate during requirements work group sessions
and with campus
• Documentation will be made available on FSNA website
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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Requirements Gathering
Functional Areas
•
•
•
•
•
Fixed Assets
General Finance
Project Accounting
Accounts Payable
Purchasing & Vendor
Management
• Accounts Receivable
• Budgeting
• Grants Management
(post award)
• Cost Accounting (cost
share & indirect
costs)
• Service Centers
(recharge)
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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Requirements Gathering
Requirements Work Groups
• Conducted Fixed Assets pilot work group on April 27th, 29th, and 30th
– Reviewed, modified, and validated over 180 business and system
requirements for fixed assets
– Broad representation from campus (16 participants)
– Preliminary feedback from attendees on the work group process is
very positive
• “Retreat” approach enhanced level of commitment and was an
efficient use of time
• Great open discussions – participants learned from each other
• As-is process flow diagrams set context for requirements
discussion
• Requirements were broken down into logical groupings
• Participants indicated they will do PR for the project
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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Requirements Gathering
Requirements Work Groups
• Nine (9) Work Groups to be scheduled
– Sessions to be conducted over multiple days
– Working with Core Team to identify participants for each
functional area
– Goal is to notify participants at least a month in advance of the
start of the session
– Scheduling will take into consideration biennium close activities,
impact of budget cuts, summer vacations, etc.
– Goal is to complete all work group sessions no later than
September 2009
Spring Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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Winter Quarter 2009 Administrator Briefing
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