Weekly Update and Key Messages for the Week of 01/14/13

Phase 1 Activities Underscore ESUP’s Unprecedented Scope
One of the ongoing communication challenges associated with ESUP is conveying the scope and pace of the work underway. One way of capturing this is to take a closer look at the hours, number of people, and work product devoted to ensuring each phase of the program is successful.

Last week, for example, the leaders of the Student work stream shared the following:

• Since the first Phase 1: Plan and Discover session on Oct. 24, the team has completed 76 of 78 scheduled fit-gap validation sessions, each of which ran two to three hours and yielded 6 to 7 pages of notes.
• On average, 15 and 25 people attended each session, either in person or virtually. (The highest was more than 80.)
• These sessions have resulted in more than 500 pages of Plan and Discover workbook deliverables that will serve as the foundation for the work of Phase 2: Analyze and Design.

In Phase 2, Interactive Design and Prototyping (IDP) sessions will move the discussion from “what” to “how,” as teams of stakeholders, subject-matter experts, and consultants re-examine each business process, compare it to best practice and the latest delivered functionality in PeopleSoft and associated systems, and decide how best to configure the process and system to meet business needs, improve operations, and reduce customizations and cost. These sessions will be more intensive than the Phase 1 fit-gap validations, but also promise to be more rewarding, as we begin to shape new ways of doing business and delivering on the University’s mission. Student IDP sessions will begin in February.

The HRMS project is also moving rapidly through Phase 1; its timeline is approximately four to six weeks behind Student. The HRMS team will spend the next several weeks conducting sessions on new PeopleSoft modules not currently implemented at the University, as well as completing Benefits, HR, and Payroll fit-gap validation sessions (some in conjunction with Student and Finance) and reviewing workbooks in preparation for Phase 2. HRMS is also planning IDP sessions, which are slated to begin in mid-March.

The other three work streams are at various stages of ramping up for Phase 1:

• The Finance work stream is working on its project plan and communications infrastructure in preparation for launch this spring, while also taking part in relevant Student and HRMS sessions that impact EFS. 
• The Portal work stream continues its planning and team-building activities in preparation for its Feb. 4 kickoff event (see below).
• The EDMR team is attending Phase 1 sessions for Student and HRMS, fleshing out its own plan and team, and looking ahead to Reporting IDP sessions in the spring.

These staggered project timelines are part of the plan, enabling the program to coordinate across projects and implement in a timely manner with the most efficient use of resources. Kudos to all of the work streams for the hard work done so far!

Portal Charrette Lays Groundwork for Vision and Engagement
The Portal Leadership Team and Portal Project Team held a charrette last Monday to begin the work of collaborative engagement that will be the hallmark of the Portal project.  A charrette (sha-RETT) refers to a collaborative session in which a group drafts a solution to a design problem -- in this case the design problem is how to lead the portal initiative. The teams will continue their work this week in part two of the charrette, refining a draft of the charter and considering stakeholder engagement planning.  We are gearing up for kick-off on Monday, Feb. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. on all campuses (invitation with sign-up instructions coming the week of Jan. 22). We'll be looking for input on the charter from the entire University community, and everyone is welcome!

Portal Team Launches Web Site; Other Work Stream Sites In Development
Portal now has a web site! Keep up to date with Portal happenings at z.umn.edu/portal, or by clicking the Portal tab on the ESUP blog. (If you are viewing the ESUP blog on a mobile device, click the drop-down arrow at the upper right on the screen to access the tabs menu, then select Portal.) The HRMS, Finance, and EDMR work streams plan to launch similar sites in the next few weeks.