Administrative Systems Update Human Resource Information System Student

Administrative Systems Update Human Resource Information System Student Enterprise System Other Major Administrative Systems May 2005

Program • • Business and System Architecture Impetus for Change Transformations Success Factors Future Enhancements Financial System Replacement Research Data Integration and Access Data Warehousing

Business and Systems Architecture • There must be an architecture: – To support security and compliance – To simplify the user’s experience – To support standard access to information – To streamline software procurements and reduce maintenance effort – To capitalize on industry developments • That improve business processes • That extend the benefit of investments

Architecture for Computing Environment • • The Web - collaboration and mobility Self-service Central identity Integrated software systems using – a standard for inter-system transactions – a common security framework • Real-time systems

Self-Service and Portal • Goal: ease-of-use • Role-based presentation • Open to extension by schools and divisions • Gateway to both internal and external services

Business Integration is Crucial • This integration is not organizational – it is transactional. A single transaction should initiate relevant business actions across systems automatically • Propagating transactions across systems saves time, effort, and reduces errors • Business processes will become encoded and auditable for compliance • Staff will handle exceptions – not every case

Current Point-to-Point Integrations (Sample)

Multipoint Integrations • These point-to-point integrations cannot scale or be affordably maintained • Industry-backed approaches should be deployed

Important Goal : Integration Transaction Bus

Progress • • • Architecture is published Self-service is proving successful A central identity policy is in discussion Designs for new systems are complying Next software releases will allow transactional integrations to begin • Community education is ongoing

Initial Impetus for Change for Human Resource System and Student Enterprise System

Initial Impetus for Change for HRIS & SES • • Y 2 K solution Compliance Old unsupported software No single authoritative data source Inability to meet University service expectations Inability to meet strategic technical directions But mostly…

Transformation

Prior Process Environment • Paper processes and approvals • In-person transactions • U. S. Mail/Campus mail • Redundant data entry • No single source of data • Delayed turn around • Inadequate reporting processes • Temporary workers for peak data entry • “Wet” signature required • Labeled or typed card stock records • Photocopied documents • Filing requirements for all that paper

Transformation Process 1. Implement software to support administrative office functions 2. Business process re-engineering 3. Real-time enterprise enabled 4. Incremental changes

Transformation by HRIS

HRIS Functional Deployment

Employee Self-Service • • Paychecks online Direct Deposit with multiple bank accounts Address and phone number changes Effort reporting Update information to online directory Conflict of interest Benefits online

Time-Entry Self-Service for Employees and Supervisors • • • Electronic approvals – employee, supervisor Electronic notifications - supervisors View timesheets and history View leave accruals – supervisor and employee Change home address - temporary employees Change check address - temporary employees

Manager Self-Service • Update funding • Merit increases • Update temporary employee information – Enter terminations, salary adjustments, transfers and supervisor changes • View self-service for employees – Assist employee paycheck, effort reporting, conflict of interest, online directory • Prepare faculty effort reports for certification • View reports online – Payroll registers, funding suspense, payroll expense distribution • Queries – run and write

Transformation by SES

SES Functional Deployment

Admissions • Facilitate on-line application by students • Electronic load of student entered data • E-mail notification and communication

Student Accounts • • • Online real-time account status Electronic student invoice option Electronic check invoice payments option Self-service refund requests Electronic refund to bank account

Financial Aid • Automated financial aid packaging • Mass financial aid packaging • Electronic loading of federal information for awarding • Electronic verification • Electronic communication • Self-service checklist communication • Self-service notice of award and award changes

Student Records • • • Official transcripts produced electronically Web registration with enhancements Self-service for students • Quarterly class search options • Student class schedule list or weekly grid • Official grade reports • Electronic signature for FERPA release • Enrollment verifications • Request of enrollment verifications • Address/phone changes • Advisory degree audits • What-if degree audits • Unofficial transcripts • Law school lottery • Demographic data information including visa information • View major and school/college advisor

Support for College/School Advisors • Electronic advising system shows advisee’s: – Student class schedule – Unofficial transcript – Degree audit – Student photo – Quarterly grade report • Electronic advising comments • Self-service reports

Support for Faculty • • • Online grade entry Electronic attestation of grade roster Real-time online class lists Photos of students on class lists Course Management System feed

Support for Department Operations • Self-service reporting – 150 reports that can be run as needed with prompts for the data needed • Electronic permission numbers • Electronic waitlists • Online entry of pre-registration class controls

Success Factors

Success Factors • Institutional support from the top • User engagement during design and at all points thereafter • Minimal consulting; skilled staff • Clear, attainable initial goals • Incremental approach to change • Just-In-Time training for users • NUIT/Functional joint leadership • Strong NU/vendor partnerships

What Have We Learned? • • • Manage expectations Quality is as important as deadlines Working together rather than in silos Cross-functional committees essential Budget for ongoing development

What Have We Learned? • Recognize the learning curve is steep • Communicate, Communicate • Train on procedures and system • Development is never over

Future Enhancements for HRIS & SES

Planned for HRIS • Self-service: – Employee: • Enrollment of benefits • Automate distribution of Net. IDs and email – Manager: • • • View Employment Information from one Page Create and update job descriptions Create hiring requisition Review resumes online Update position and appointment information – Job applicant: apply online and upload resume

Planned for HRIS • COBRA • LOA and retiree billing • Interface to RDIA, FMSR and Data Warehouse • Metrics for staff hiring

Planned for SES • Self-service: – Financial aid award letter – Acceptance of financial aid with electronic cash management signature – Transcript requests with credit card payment – Student emergency contact information for Student Affairs – Direct deposit of refunds – Faculty class schedule & room assignments

Planned for SES • Expanded quarterly class search options • Interactive web requests for one-time-event room assignments • Work flow for student administrative processes • Medical school fully into SES • SCS conversion to quarters and non-degree programs into SES • Bidding system for Law School • Interface to FMSR, RDIA, and Data Warehouse

Continuing Forward • Exploiting the software and continual business process re-engineering • Integrating all systems

Financial System Replacement

Financial System Project Goals • Replace NU’s current financial system, CUFS, with a more robust, easier-to-use tool • Implement a new system for administration of sponsored research • Implement new software to provide additional functions, such as for budgeting • Gather feedback from representatives at all levels of schools and departments, ensuring that the project is focused toward the needs of the NU community • Re-engineer and improve financial business processes • Integrate with the existing systems and the RDIA and Data Warehouse efforts • Focus on deploying in a web-based portal environment

Financials Project Modules General Ledger Accounts Receivable Grants Expenses Accounts Payable ESA Portal Pack Asset Management Budgeting e. Settlements Financial Portal Pack Billing Purchasing Internal Controls Enforcer e. Supplier Connection Cash Management e. Procurement Deal Management Catalog Management Supply Chain Portal Pack Project Costing Contracts

Financials Project Timeframe • • January 2005 – Begin convening advisory committees and workgroups – Hire staff – Begin planning vendor site visits February 2005 – Begin requirements gathering – Begin software demonstrations at NU Spring 2005 – Have initial installation of People. Soft financials certified by People. Soft – Begin gap-fit analysis Summer 2005 – Publish first targeted draft of gap-fit and requirements documents – Begin detailed Business Process Improvement/ Re-engineering data gathering – Begin mapping gap-fit and requirements documents to software test environment – Make a recommendation on the purchase of a pre-award administration solution (proposed) – Recommend module phasing/ implementation plan

Financials Project Timeline • • September 2005 – Hire remainder of team – Bring full-time representatives from user areas onto project October 2005 – Begin detailed requirements gathering based on phasing document November 2005 – Begin first demonstrations on how NU requirements might be met in the software September 2007 – Go-live date of core functions (proposed)

Research Data Integration & Access S N U P E R

Purpose Develop a web-based application that will provide faculty and administrators with access to research data from existing and planned systems • Using a three-Phase approach - integrate financial, human resources, student, and research data • Improve access to information for planning, analysis and management decision making

What Can You Do In Phase I? View the information from your PC or Mac View using Netscape, Firefox, Safari, etc. View your account balances for authorized accounts Choose the date ranges by which you view the data Download the data Drill down by object code to individual expenses Proxy authorized access to others Search data by name, sponsor, text field, etc. Create and save ad hoc reports Sort your information

Coming in Phase II Expanded authorization (roles and rules) Expanded integration of data Roll-up of associated accounts Additional protocol information Other expanded research areas including effort, student, etc.

Data Warehousing Initiative

Goals • Facilitate decision-making and planning across the University • Provide a simplified, consistent, and robust method of accessing timely and validated data integrated from multiple enterprise systems that supports a variety of purposes and perspectives • Fit data warehousing solution into an overall reporting and decision support strategy • Coordinate data warehousing with other initiatives including RDIA and financial systems replacement

Strategy • Engage stewards and stakeholders across the University • Utilize ADC as advisory group • Establish RDIA and data warehousing alignment and sequencing • Build data warehouse solution incrementally • Planning and project implementation under Change Management • Current sponsorship under Institutional Research

Recommendations for Academic Year 2005 -06 • Deliver a ‘foundation’ for a warehousing solution: – Prioritize sources of University business information and define the data across the sources – Provide a structure for balancing security with access (data classification policy and roles/responsibilities for access) • Define and develop an institutional reporting strategy in collaboration with the other initiatives and systems: – Technology, development approach, and process to access data • Establish longer-term governance and organizational structure • Develop a more detailed set of expected outcomes including longer-term deliverables, resources, sequencing, and timeframe

Web Sites • Architecture – http: //www. it. northwestern. edu/isa/ • HRIS – http: //www. northwestern. edu/hr/hris/ • SES – http: //www. it. northwestern. edu/SES/ • FMSR, RDIA, Data Warehouse – http: //www. northwestern. edu/changemanagement/adminsystems/

Contact Information • Tom Board, Director, Information Systems Architecture, teb@northwestern. edu • Suzanne Anderson, University Registrar and Director, Student Enterprise System, smwa@northwestern. edu • Kathryn Tessendorf, Director, Human Resources Information System, ktessendorf@northwestern. edu • Jeff Mundt, Director, Financial Management System Project, jmundt@northwestern. edu • Candy Poolman, Project Director, RDIA, snuper@northwestern. edu • Bill Hayward, Director, Analytical Studies, bh@northwestern. edu

Questions?