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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.
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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 KickoffPerfect 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 – 1st 8.9 Environment Established – Lab • 2/5/07 – 3rd 8.9 Environment Established – UMUC • 3/19/07 – 4th 8.9 Environment Established – Test Database • 4/11/07 – User acceptance testing and signoff completed • 4/16/07 – Go-live
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 • 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.
Lessons Learned – Xs & OsRSTARS/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 • ePro! • Manage Requisitions – ONE STOP SHOP! • E-mail Collaboration! • Workflow approval process streamlined! • System timeout raised to 60 minutes! • 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, blowenthal@umuc.edu – Finance • Kristal Charles, kcharles@umuc.edu – Project Mgmt. • Janet Foster, jfoster@umuc.edu – Finance – RSTARS & AP • Marion Wirschal, mwirschal@umuc.edu Finance – Functional Support • Lucy Kallal, lkallal@umuc.edu Finance – GL & AM • Rob Ahlberg, rahlberg@umuc.edu Finance – nVision Reports • Valerie Rolandelli, vrolandelli@umuc.edu Procurement - ePro • Jason Pruitt, jnpruitt@umuc.edu Procurement – Functional Support • Renee Marshall, rmarshall@umuc.edu – IT – Technical support