Finance Program Transition Report August 31, 2017

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1 Finance Program Transition Report August 31, 2017 In August 2015 SFU Finance began a journey to successfully implement a number of SFU Finance strategic initiatives to improve service to the community through clearer, simplified financial processes, streamlined business processes and the automation of workflow for many existing manual processes. The Finance Department wants to thank the hundreds of people from the Community who have been involved to date in making the program successful. We are approximately 66% d in a three year program, however, in August 2017 the program management transitions from the Finance Department to Information Services. This report recaps our progress to date as the transition to the new structure begins. Our goals The goal of the three year Finance Program was to: Provide a new streamlined, flexible, chart of accounts that will more discretely delineate and classify spending categories, and be easy to use and understand. Upgrade to the latest 9.2 version of Oracle's PeopleSoft Financials and reduce customizations to provide SFU with an extended support window until March Deliver streamlined financial processes that will reduce manual effort, improve data ness and accuracy, and be easy for both the Financial Services staff and the overall SFU community to use. Build on the streamlined financial processes by implementing automated approval workflows that will reduce effort, provide better data, and increase user satisfaction. Implement a new budget system that will improve and support the value-add functionality for users in the areas of budgeting, forecasting, planning, analysis, and Quote The program to implement these changes was the biggest financial systems advance for SFU ever! Larry Guthrie, Director, Financial Services Quote We began the planning the program 18-months before the project began, seconded staff to the project, put a project team of both staff and consultants in place and held hundreds of meetings with stakeholders. The new chart of accounts impacted our PeopleSoft suite of systems (Finance, Student Services and HR) and over 30 systems that interface with the general ledger. It s been a huge project. Alison Blair, AVP Finance pg. 1

2 reporting, and that will provide the SFU community with greater access to relevant information. Implement a tool that will provide robust reporting capabilities for the finance department. Our guiding principles The following principles were adopted: Business processes will be redefined and streamlined, wherever possible, to realize all available efficiencies and support the implementation of online approval workflows. Efficient operation of the system on a university-wide basis through a combination of measures like standardization of common processes, and forms, ongoing training and support should contribute to a low 'cost of ownership'. Internal financial reporting should be user friendly and readily available to approved users. The need for 'shadow systems' should largely be eliminated. Recurring financial reporting requirements should be produced from the system. Effective financial management and internal control should be facilitated by the system's design and operation. Customizations will be eliminated wherever possible and minimized where they are deemed to be unavoidable. Data will only be entered and maintained in the source system. Service satisfaction of all systems participants should be enhanced in terms of information, support and ease of conducting business. Our approach With stakeholders One of the Finance Program guiding principles was to involve all affected areas of the SFU community to ensure that their requirements and other input regarding the Program were clearly heard. In order for the Community to adopt the changes the program was clearly focused on using a collaborative approach where stakeholder representatives were highly involved from the start of the program. This triggered the need to apply an organizational change management methodology to ensure the program provided open and transparent communications, effective stakeholder participation from both the Community and the Finance Department, training and proactive resistance management. In Phase 1, the Program built on the foundation of the stakeholder groups put in place to discuss a new Chart of Accounts and the design of the SAM system. Multiple stakeholder meetings were held to gather input to revise the SFU systems that aligned with the SFU General Ledger, restructure department and program numbers and object codes, participate in the selection of the new budget planning and forecasting tool, changes to FAST and to provide pg. 2

3 regular interactive communication events. Regular online surveys were used to gather input when face to face meetings were not possible. In Phase 2, we applied a more formal process to engage with our stakeholders. Working Groups, each focusing on a specific change were created to review solution options and identify preferences and make recommendations while fostering cross University collaboration where created in April When needed, these individuals from both Faculties and Administration departments were tasked with reaching out to their colleagues and peers to provide their voice. Meeting notes from every session were posted on the Finance Program website accessible to anyone who wished to learn about the discussions. Our goal was to be as open and transparent as possible and to focus on building a trusted working relationship while we encouraged stakeholders to think first about what is best for the University, how we could make a change happen rather than what could stop it, and finally how that would impact their department. Visit our website to see all the people who have participated in the three Working Groups at The three Working Groups used from April August 2017 were: Automated Approval Workflow Working Group STAR Working Group (Financial Reporting and Analytics Tool) Hyperion Planning Working Group Phase 2 Pilots In Phase 2, we adopted a mantra of crawl, walk, run to implement changes which allowed the luxury of piloting changes (crawl) and gradually rolling out functionality by user groups (walk) and then finally adding additional features (run). The planned pilots as of August 2017 are: Automated Approval Workflows Department Status 1. Faculty Professional Development Expense Faculty Relations Operational Claims (one business purpose) 2. Requisition Approvals (2 departments, one fund) 3. Requisitions, Travel and Expenses, and Cash Advances (2 departments, one fund) 4. Requisitions, Travel & Expenses, Cash Advances (multiple funds, project reviewers and notifications) Life Long Learning Faculty of Sciences To be selected Operational Begins 28-Aug Date to be confirmed pg. 3

4 STAR (SmartView Tool Analytics and Users Status Reporting Tool Working Group Members Working Group Planned for early October Supplier Portal Users Status Vendor pilot group 50 hand selected corporate Planned for vendors (no individuals) October Our accomplishments Our overall goal was to deliver streamlined financial processes that will reduce manual effort, improve data ness and accuracy, and be easy for both the Financial Services staff and the overall SFU community to use. At the same time, we wanted to add new functionality provided through a newer version of PeopleSoft Financials and reduce the number of customizations so future upgrades would take less effort. The Chart of Accounts (COA) Redesign and FINS Upgrade Project (Phase 1) marks one of the largest changes to the University s financial systems in 25 years. The table below reports our status as we begin to transition the management of the projects. The goal Phase The status Provide a new streamlined, flexible, chart of accounts that will more discretely delineate and classify spending categories, and be easy to use and understand. Phase 1 The new COA was implemented October 2016 Upgrade to the latest 9.2 version of Oracle's PeopleSoft Financials (FINS) to provide SFU with an extended support window until March Phase 1 FINS was upgraded to version 9.2 October 2016 Reduce FINS customizations Phase 1 With the upgrade to FINS 9.2 customizations were reduced by 36%. Build on the streamlined financial processes by implementing automated Phase 2 July 2017 two pilots went live: approval workflows that will reduce Faculty Relations began online effort, provide better data, and increase user satisfaction. approvals for a newly designed Professional Develop Reimbursement (PDR) claim that will allow PDR claims to be submitted and paid more than once a year pg. 4

5 The goal Phase The status Life Long Learning began online approvals for purchase requisitions. Implement a new budget system that will improve and support the value-add functionality for users in the areas of budgeting, forecasting, planning, analysis, and reporting, and that will provide the SFU community with greater access to relevant information. Implement a tool that will provide robust reporting capabilities for the finance department. Additional opportunities: Over 30 SFU systems that integrate with SFU s general ledger were revised to align with the new Chart Of Accounts in additional to changes to the HR system (HAP), the Student Information System (SIMS), and FAST (the financial reporting tool) Develop online training available to both Finance and Community end users. Phases 1 and 2 Phase 2 October 2016 SFU implemented Oracle s Hyperion Planning system for annual budgeting and forecasting. As of August 2017, a second phase of enhancements is in development with rollout planned for November The new financial reporting and analytics tool (called STAR) is developed using the Oracle Hyperion product and will provide aggregated financial information to supplement the more transactional information available in FAST. Rollout is scheduled for the fall of Phase 1 Implemented October 2016 Phase 1 The Finance Online Knowledge Centre was launched June 2016 and now includes 25 courses including: FINS Requisitions, Travel and Expenses and Cash Advances (and more) FAST Uploading Journal Entries Hyperion Planning (Budget and Forecasting System). Developed and maintained a program website to provide stakeholder communications. Developed a website to document the Chart of Accounts structure and use. Phase 1 and Phase 2 Phase 1 Additional courses will be uploaded as future changes are implemented. The websites focused on stakeholder events, communications, status updates and a link to the online training. The website included listings and examples of all the chartfields and a pg. 5

6 The goal Phase The status conversion tool so users could find old or new chartfield combinations. Implement a Supplier Portal for external vendors to provide contact information and view the status of invoices, payments and so on. Implement Onbase document storage system to manage the storage of expense receipts, supporting documents for requisitions and invoices. Enhancements to the Signing Authority Management System (SAM) to allow the addition of persons with signing authority to participate in approval workflows. Phase 2 Phase 2 Pilot is planned for the fall of 2017 with full rollout by Procurement to be determined. Not currently scheduled. Phase 2 Implemented July Additional Finance PeopleSoft modules Phase 2 Not currently scheduled. Our project team In both phases we blended external consultants, IT resources, and finance subject matter experts. In Phase 1 the blend was: Internal SFU Resources External Resources 8 Finance Resources 1 Program Director 7 IT Services Resources 1 Project Manager 1 Change Consultant 1 COA/People Soft Consultant 3.5 Hackett Hyperion Planning Developers Plus Backfilled positions in Finance and IT 3 Coop Students Plus Numerous part time resources in Finance and IT 6 Developers The Oracle Lab (to assist with upgrade to FINS 9.2) In Phase 2 the blend until August 31, 2017 was: Internal SFU Resources External Consultants 6 Finance Resources 1 Program Director 5 IT Resources 1 Change Consultant 2 Coop Students (1 departed 30 April 2017) 1 Developer Plus Backfilled positions in Finance and IT 1 Hackett Group PM pg. 6

7 Plus Numerous part time resources in Finance and IT 1 Hackett Group Solutions Architect 1 2 Hyperion Planning Developers 1 Oracle PeopleSoft Workflow Consultant (2 months) 2 Onbase Developers All full-time resources were co-located in Discovery 2 which was identified as one of the reasons for success in the Phase 1 Lessons Learned review. Another of the key success factors was the high level of management support from the Finance management team and a highly engaged program sponsor. Resources leaving the program August 31 Resources remaining after August 31 Janet Backe, Program Manager Catherine Chui, Enterprise Systems Cal Smith, Functional Lead Carina Albrecht, Enterprise Systems Luis Motolinia, The Hackett Group Kari Sampson, Finance Reena Dhiman, Finance Lesley Dougans, Finance Jennifer Thibeault, Finance New Resources as of August 31 Morgen Allward (Consultant part time) Henrik Agerskov (IT Program Manager) Elizabeth Janssen, Finance Zharkyn Baiazova (Coop Student) Monique Ataei, Finance Sandra Price, Finance (part time) Jimmy Wong, Finance (part time) Harjot Guram, Finance (part time) Hyperion Planning Audrey Hamade, Finance Sally Huang, Finance Nancy Geng, Finance Cindy Liou, Enterprise Systems Brett Williams, Project Manager, The Hackett Group Javier Sy-Quia, The Hackett Group Juan Alvarez, The Hackett Group Sam Brkopac, The Hackett Group The Finance Department wants to thank everyone on the Project Team who has contributed to keeping this program moving forward with enthusiasm and hard work. pg. 7

8 Our next steps On August 31, 2017 the project management of the Finance Program moves from the Finance Department to IT Services as part of the One IS strategy. During the transition stage, the IT Program Manager will develop a resource plan as the external resources were contracted only until the end of August. A high level plan to the Phase 2 scope was developed, however, a detailed plan will be required to the outstanding work. The following image shows the original Phase 2 scope and the percentage as of August 31, % 70% 0% 55% 0% 50% 95% The rollout plan past August 31 is outlined in the following image, however, the approach and timing will be revisited during the project management transition from the Finance Department to IT Services. pg. 8

9 The Finance Program is a significant transformation for both the Finance Department and the community users. Every faculty and all departments were impacted by the redesign of the chart of accounts and the implementation of the Hyperion Planning Budget and Forecasting system. These changes laid the foundation to introduce automated workflow approvals that will eliminate paper forms and handwritten signatures on purchase requisitions, travel and expenses, cash advances and invoices. The Hyperion Planning System provided SFU with software to design and implement a new financial reporting system for both the community and the Finance Department. The FINS upgrade in Phase 1 provided us with the functionality to develop a Supplier Portal allowing vendors to maintain their own contact information and monitor the progress of their invoices. Thank You The Finance Program Team wants to thank the Community and Finance staff that played so many critical roles in attending stakeholder meetings, participating in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), attending training and keeping Quote This program has been successful to date because of the commitment and dedication of all those involved from the Finance Department, IT resources and external consultants to a constructive approach to overcoming the inevitable challenges of an initiative of this scope and magnitude, for the long term benefit of the SFU Community. Janet Backe SFU Finance Program Manager August 2015 August 2017 pg. 9

10 the program informed on what was and wasn t meeting their needs. The team also wants to extend their thanks to everyone in IT Services who backfilled those assigned full-time or parttime to the program or provided their guidance and support. It has been truly a University-wide program and the various projects stayed on time and on budget. We look forward to the next stage of the program. pg. 10