ERP at The University of Nebraska: Defining Roles

1. ERP at The University of Nebraska: Defining Roles Don Mihulka, University of Nebraska Dave Reifschneider, Prescient Consulting Jim Buckler, Prescient Consulting

2. Overview • Brief history of project • Identification of roles and responsibilities needed from IT, functional and consulting team members • Values and skills sets required by team members • Staffing the team – multi-campus process and issues

3. Overview - Cont. • Communication methods used to keep team and University informed • Team building activities • Lessons learned

4. Brief History • Multi-campus system each with unique missions • Over 46,000 students • Almost 11,000 full-time faculty & staff

5. Brief History-Cont. • Accounting, finance, purchasing, budgeting, budgetary control, human resources information, payroll, etc., for: • $1.1 billion budget • 150,000 orders/invoices per year • 400+ departments and auxiliaries • 970 on-line users daily • 360,000 paychecks or electronic deposits per year • 42,000 employee records

6. Project Timeline • Preparation Phase 9/97 - 11/97 • Analysis Phase 11/97 - 2/98 • Design Phase 2/98 - 11/98 • Implementation Phase 11/98 - 6/99 • Go-Live with Financials/procurement - 7/1/99 • Go-Live with Human Resources – 10/22/99

7. Current System Deficiencies • Difficult to use (very complex) • Limited in functionality • Disparate systems (not integrated) • Multiple databases • Inflexible, difficult to change • Not year 2000 compliant • Encourages use of “shadow systems” • Do not meet business needs

8. Guiding Principles • User comes first • Cost effective • Empower people – • Provide appropriate training and assistance • Facilitate process redesign/Allow for evolutionary changes

9. Guiding Principles-Cont. • Client server direction • University commitment • Reporting standards • Easy to use • Support diverse needs

10. Knowledgeand Skills - Functional • Knowledge of University business processes • Empowered decision maker • Ability to work in diversified teams and guide and motivate project team members • Ability to work in both a management capacity and hands on detail in the system

11. Knowledgeand Skills - Functional • Ability to multitask and provide strong time management skills • Requires excellent communication skills to work with diverse groups on multiple campuses • Advance application software skills, including but not limited to, presentation, spreadsheet, word processing and planning applications

12. Knowledgeand Skills - Technical • Willingness to learn new programming and development skills • Adapt to new client/server technologies and tools • Communication skills - work closely with business processes and team members • Build business and integration knowledge

13. Team Member Responsibilities • Work as a partner with consultants and other team members • Work closely with all other project teams to understand the inter-relationships and integration of the R/3 system • Attend R/3 training classes • Report progress to team leader via status reporting mechanism that is defined

14. Team Member Responsibilities • Learn and utilize methodology and software • Act as a change agent for the University of Nebraska • Communicate back to campus units on business decisions and progress of the project

15. Team Member Responsibilities • Address campus concerns as University concerns. Stay focused on the goal of a University-wide solution in which business processes across campuses are the same unless truly unique requirements require otherwise. • Major issues that could result in a change of scope for the project should be elevated to the team leader as soon as they become known.

16. Team Member Responsibilities • Develop and execute system testing and acceptance strategies, to include both unit testing and system integration testing. • Assist in development of training materials and in conducting end user training as necessary • Provide post-implementation support.

17. Implementation Team • NU-SAP team comes from all four campuses • Steering Committee oversees the project • Core and Extended Teams (~ 25 people) • 7 functional and support teams • several cross-functional teams • Implementation Consultants (~15) • Technical Resources (~ 25 people) • Campus Primary Resources (~ 60 people) • Campus Transition Teams (~ 40 people)

19. Team Communications • Shared database, so all team members had access to status reports, project documents, etc. • ‘Bullpen’ meetings • Weekly team meetings • Campus presentations by project team

20. End User Support • SLUGO—Lotus Notes and Web • Online help and printed materials • Campus tailors to meet their needs • Computer Based Training (SAP Navigational) • Downloads (Install SAP GUI, G/L Account listings, Business Forms) • News (Disseminate information) • Training Registration • Profile Management (access to secure area of SLUGO)

21. Team Building Activities • Social activities • Golf tournament and other evening outings with team • Rewards & Recognition program • Team Bonus – sharing successes during project phases • Gifts provided to team – ex. Team shirts • ‘Bullpen’ work environment

22. The Human Story • The University of Nebraska has had a very successful ERP implementation • The people involved with this effort have done an outstanding job • What is clear, is that we have only just begun with the total implementation of SAP • Large multi-campus implementation, we had to coordinate the development of U-Wide common business practices necessary in order to implement the first phase of SAP

23. The Human Story • The sophistication and complexity of the SAP system is significant especially for the end user • The continuation of training and development activities is key • Changing the culture and matching the right talent to the new way of doing business, all takes time

24. The Human Story • Enterprise systems only raise the stakes to new levels of cost and interdependency between technology and business • The role of the IT organization is critical to the success of the implementation • require training and skills to develop and support the new system while maintaining the legacy system until go-live date

25. Outcome • A successful, on time implementation • Knowledge transfer • New skill set and processes involvement with technical/functional team members. Transition and support of legacy and new system

26. Outcome • Appropriate staffing resulted in a successful implementation, on time and very little turnover in staff over a 2-year period. • Collaboration of consulting, technical and functional team members resulted in knowledge transfer. • Team focus on system wide issues, instead of campus issues, to quickly resolve conflicts

27. Lessons Learned • Avoid scope creep • Full time team members • Interaction between between consultants, technical and functional team members • Minimize customization • Knowledge transfer

28. Lessons Learned • Data conversion is critical • Test, test, test - use testing tool if possible • Consider other system components earlier in project planning - automation scheduling, printing software & processes • Plan for after go-live!!