Karen Combs reviewed the possible models for IRIS Human Resources/Payroll security. She began by explaining first the functional roles (department head-HR, business officer, departmental time, and time entry). Beyond the functional roles, two viable options exist for implementing security: SAP role-based security with no restrictions or SAP role-based security combined with SAP structural authorizations using the HR organizational structure.

As Karen explained, the latter model adds to the standard role-based security option and it is the recommended model for the University. It allows for the restriction of employees with assigned roles to the portion(s) of the organization structure for which they have responsibility. The Steering Committee received illustrative material on how the second model would work.

This model will be recommended to the President’s Staff for adoption for the April 1 Go Live of HR/Payroll.

Diana Sage reviewed the training cancellation policy and reminded everyone of the March 1 effective date.

Training for FI and MM continues and HR/Payroll training is in high gear now, with the team challenged by a shortage of instructors. Training for Hospital Inventory is in development, with delivery expected in mid-March.

The Steering Committee received an update from Kevin Stevens on Hospital Inventory. Kevin reported that the biggest issue area is interfaces, but progress is being made. The project continues to be on schedule, with the cutover plan nearing completion. The MM Team will move to the hospital to set up a Go Live Command Center for the first two weeks of Go Live.

Lynda George gave a detailed report on the new financial aid system implementation. This project continues to be on target: Financial Aid staff members have received training; the 2006-2007 ProSAM Release is installed, and Sigma’s web services were deployed on February 9. With the production environment created, the initial load of SIS interim data has been completed. Lynda outlined the plan for ongoing data loads, ISIR record loads, and other processing. She expressed confidence in the March loading of ISIRs into production and outlined the upcoming tasks in the schedule.

Steering Committee members next heard from Jennifer Miles, who updated them on the progress of the Grants Management module. Jennifer reviewed the issues associated with the October 1 Go Live (billing program, availability control, status management, validity dates, and distribution of financial aid to grants). She provided an update on work being done in each of these areas. In addition to addressing these issues, the team also is focused on reporting (ledger updates), letter of credit reconciliation report updates, the report schedule, and invoice schedule.

Roxanne McLetchie outlined the interim budget solution for the Steering Committee. Tasks completed include the budget calendar development, process instructions, demonstrations, copy over of recurring expense budget, and preparation of the SAP budget transaction for revenue budget input. In progress is the establishment of a budget role for reports in BW, work on an expense budget report, testing of position validation, and process development for land grant budgets. Also underway are arrangements for demonstrations on budget reports in Business Warehouse, testing of programs to extract information from FRS, and development of programs to convert position and benefit budgets. According to Roxanne, master data groups to convert budget data will need to be developed, as will a program to load salaries into HR/Payroll. As she reported, all of this is a temporary solution for the budget process, until the future implementation of Business Planning Simulation and Position Budget Control in IRIS.

Kathy Hamperian acknowledged that reporting poses some of the biggest challenges for everyone. The Business Warehouse (BW) implementation is not where it needs to be. Two groups – the Provost Area Users Group and the BW Advisory Group – are helping to define where attention should be focused at this point. Kathy stressed that the team is working on solutions and asked everyone to remember that it took the institution 20 years to get where it is today with reporting and it will take awhile to develop and expand reporting out of the new system.

Kathy spoke about tools and the status of Business Explorer (BEx). A committee is examining other potential tools in order to offer a recommendation on another product. Along with dissatisfaction with the tool now available, there are problems with knowledge of data (R/3 versus BW). Jayna Cheesman and Dale Austin are at work now to create a cross-reference aid for report writers.

Kathy concluded the Steering Committee with comments about the campus frustration with the new system. Employees are struggling with trying to learn the system, its data, and reporting mechanisms. Everyone is overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done, and the HR/Payroll Go Live is just four weeks away. There is general uneasiness with the amount of change. The project team recognizes the frustration and uneasiness and is working to achieve results that will minimize the difficulties that this volume of change has introduced to the University’s workforce.