Enhancements list for EFS, requirements

July 28, 2009

To: RRC Managers, EFS Functional Steering Committee, Financial System User Network Members, Grants Management User Network Members, Certified Approvers

From: Michael Volna, University Controller

EFS Enhancement Plan for FY 2009-10

First, on behalf of myself and all of the Business Process Owners, we would like to extend a big thank you to all of you for the incredible amount of hard work you have put in this past year. The implementation and transition to the new system has clearly been more difficult than was hoped. Thank you for hanging in there.

Second, I wanted to update you on plans to address some of your issues with the new system. During the first half of FY 2009-10, we will concentrate our efforts on addressing as many user issues as possible. We are using the input of financial system users from numerous existing user groups - the EFS Functional Steering Committee (FSC), the Financial System User Network (FSUN), the Grants Management User Network (GMUN), Certified Approvers, and RRCs.

Beginning in May, members of the EFS FSC worked with the other user groups to assemble a list of EFS user issues. The list identifies numerous examples of processes that are inefficient, slow, difficult to use, or do not accomplish what was intended by the original system design. The issues were classified by users into seven categories: Purchasing Card related, Reporting related, Purchasing related, Workflow/Separation of Duties related, Chart of Accounts related & Other Issues, System Performance related, and Human Resource / Workload related. The original issues list is available for viewing on our Web site. (pdf)

To begin addressing the list, we sought volunteers with specific knowledge in those categories. Over 31 individuals from the EFS FSC, FSUN, GMUN, Certified Approvers, and RRCs have volunteered and formed subcommittees. The subcommittees are meeting to prioritize the issues (from the user perspective) and to define specific requirements for resolving the issues. The full list of volunteers and participants is available for review on our Web site.

Work has begun to transform those requirements into fixes or solutions. In situations where the user subcommittee proposed a system change, analysis work will evaluate the proposed solutions and alternatives. System changes that are approved will be rolled out on a monthly schedule over the first half of FY 2009-10. Where the subcommittees felt that a non-system solution was appropriate (for example, a change to a policy or procedure), they will be rolled out as quickly as possible.

This list will be re-evaluated periodically. New suggestions for enhancements continue to come in every day. The FSC has agreed to add those at a later day after significant progress has been made on this initial list of issues.

Finally, we will communicate the status of the enhancements regularly. We will issue quarterly communications on the status of the enhancement efforts, beginning in September. And the above-noted documents and any subsequent materials relevant to tracking the enhancements will be available at any time via the Web site (http://www.finsys.umn.edu), so that you can track the status of the original issues list.

Once again, thank you for your hard work this past year. We are committed to making the new system work better for you.

Cc: EFS Executive Steering Committee
President Bruininks & Senior Vice Presidents
Twin Cities Deans Council