After The Upgrade: Reports

In April 2015*, the PeopleSoft upgrade is scheduled to usher in a new Reporting Center that consolidates UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft reports.The Reporting Center provides a single window into commonly used reports from multiple reporting tools. Features include: Improved search function, real-time data, ability to "like" favorite reports, links to the data warehouse web query tool, HRMS query viewer, and EDMS. 

Here is some important information for people who use reports:

• Some UM Reports will go away because they aren't frequently used or the information is duplicated elsewhere.
• Some reports will have different names and content.
• UM Reports favorites and bookmarks will not transfer, so save a list in order to find them after The Upgrade
• If you have created and saved ad-hoc queries in the Data Warehouse, they may need to change due to business process changes.
• During the one to two-week system cutover period in April, most UM Reports will be view-only with static data.
• Find out details about reporting changes.
• Watch a short video to prepare for the new Reporting Center.

*This article was updated on 02/04/2015 to reflect the most recent timing information.

Position Management and Reporting Center Key Topics of August HR Stars’ Meeting

More than 80 people participated in-person and online at the HR Stars meeting on Aug. 26 on the Twin Cities campus. The Stars are a key advance team of more than 100 HR professionals throughout the five system campuses that was organized by the Office of Human Resources to provide valuable leadership, insight, and advice regarding the upgrade of the Human Resources Management System, as well as the larger Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program. The Stars convene monthly and serve as important resources within their units.

During its meeting, the group heard a presentation about the new Position Management capability that will be part of the HRMS upgrade to PeopleSoft 9.2, which plans to go live in April 2015*. Among the data collected in Position Management will be position number, job title, salary plan, supervisor, supervisees, and other information. According to Lori Mein, business process owner in the Office of Human Resources, Position Management is the “heart” of the HRMS.

“Everything starts with, and follows, Position, and it is essential to many HRMS functions,” Mein said. “Position management makes automated approvals, workflows, and data updates possible.”

Carrie Meyer, co-facilitator of the HR Stars, addressed the group at its August meeting.

The Stars also benefited from a demonstration of the new Reporting Center that will be part of the Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program. University faculty and staff will access the center through the new MyU portal and be a catalog of reports from multiple sources like UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft in one location. Amy Winkel and Amy Schult, from the Reporting and Data Management team, led the discussion and answered questions.

The Stars’ meeting was led by the group’s new co-facilitators, Teri Spillers, from the Office of Human Resources, and Carrie Meyer of the Controller’s Office. Kathy Brown, Vice President for Human Resources, kicked off the meeting and thanked the group for sharing information about the upgrade within their units.

To see a video recording of the meeting, please click here. For more information about the HR Stars, or the group’s upcoming meetings, please contact Nicole Salm in the Office of Human Resources at (612) 626-2286 or salm0078@umn.edu.

*This article was updated on 02/04/2015 to reflect the most recent timing information.

ESUP Reporting information sessions and program status update

On June 18, ESUP staff presented the latest information on the Program’s status as a whole and its efforts around University reporting and data management to approximately 100 colleagues.

Amy Winkel presenting at the reporting and data
management information session in Nicholson hall

Dennis Wenzel, executive program director, gave an overall Program update recognizing the progress and effort made so far, the hard work and high level of collaboration on the project from across the University and acknowledging the road ahead won’t be easy.

Amy Winkel, Amy Schult, and Barbara Scotford from the Reporting and Data Management team also talked about their team’s scope for ESUP with more specific information about what’s happening with UM Reports, the Data Warehouse, and the new Reporting Center, which is being developed as part of the Program.

Amy Schult presenting
on the new Reporting Center

“I was most interested in the status and new developments in UM Reports,” said Mark Bultmann, director of Advising Initiatives and coordinator of Special Scholarships. “It is my lifeline to data for the student groups I monitor. I also appreciated the Reporting Center job aid and the features highlighted on that document.”

Click here to watch a recording of the first session, to see the reporting presentation, and to see the Reporting Center job aid used at each session.

Q & A with ESUP Integration Directors

Answers to help campus and collegiate units integrate their local applications with centralized systems

Change is a common theme for the Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP). Some changes will take place centrally and ripple across the University. This may be true for University units with applications or systems that pull data from the three centralized systems, Finance, HRMS, and Student, to meet their needs.

Connecting with these units is the job of the ESUP Integration team. We asked Tim Gagner and Bill Collings, ESUP Integration project directors, a few questions about the integration part of the Program and how they are working with local University units to help them make use of the upgraded enterprise data.

Q: What is the Integration Team responsible for with ESUP?

A: Our main focus is on the system campuses, University units, colleges, and departments with applications or systems outside of the Finance, HRMS, and Student systems that use PeopleSoft (PS) data including real-time and nightly copies of the data, the Data Warehouse, and PS production environments.

So far, we’ve met with technical staff from nearly 50 University units who support their local systems and databases. The purpose of these meetings is to identify the systems leveraging PS data, discuss how the table definitions or data they depend on may change with ESUP, and talk about how these changes could affect their systems or applications.

Q: Why should University units outside of ESUP care about these changes?

A: Table and data changes resulting from ESUP could impact local systems, applications, and databases that pull data from these enterprise systems. Changes to underlying data structures or to the data like those stored for employees, students, and guests mean local units will need to modify their systems or it’s possible their tools will not work properly after launch.

ESUP fosters University reporting and data management collaboration

Through ESUP, a strong partnership has formed between the Program’s Reporting and Data Management (RDM) work stream and the Enterprise Data Management and Reporting (EDMR) initiative. Together, RDM and EDMR are addressing important reporting and data-related capabilities for the University over the short and long-term.

RDM is a project within ESUP which creates a more short-term focus. Its goals for the Program include:

• Meeting Go-Live reporting needs related to the upgrade
• Aligning central reports to business processes
• Identifying and creating reports needing real-time data

“Our goal is to work with the work streams to make sure their Go-Live reporting needs are met for faculty and staff,” said Amy Winkel, RDM project director for ESUP.

EDMR is the business owner, or governing body, for RDM and will continue to oversee reporting beyond the life of ESUP. EDMR’s overall goal is to improve the availability, understanding, use, and value of data used throughout the University. It will reach its goal through:

• Shared data: access to common and comprehensive data sources
• Shared understanding: a common platform for institutional and unit reporting
• Shared tools: awareness and application of standard metrics and data definitions
• Shared development: a structured environment to exchange knowledge and ideas

“EDMR is about getting the most out of the data, reporting, and analysis assets available to the University,” said Steve Gillard, University data custodian and director for the Analytics Collaborative. “The two groups have a very good working relationship and this collaborative effort improves approaches to problem solving which leads to better solutions.”

A concrete example of this partnership started recently when RDM staff identified three topics that required EDMR collaboration:  reporting standards, direct data access and the identification and definition of key data elements. As a result, one of EDMR’s tactical committees, the Data Governance Team (DGT), is considering these topics at an institutional level to develop actionable next steps and recommendations for long-term solutions.

In the coming weeks, the ESUP Update blog will include articles with more details about the collaboration around these three topics. In the meantime, please send questions to esup@umn.edu