A Guide to Planning for the Cutover of the Upgraded Human Resources System

As we move closer to our April 20 Go Live date, when the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) transitions from PeopleSoft 8.9 to 9.2, several crucial events and deadlines may cause some disruption in normal business activities. Most importantly, the transition means that PeopleSoft and related systems will be unavailable or view-only from April 9 through April 19.

To help you plan for the cutover period, here are the most important dates and events for your human resources work. More detail is on the HRMS Tools and Resources web page under “HRMS Cutover Resources.”      

BEFORE THE CUTOVER (Now through April 5)

Send in all benefits forms as early as possible. From March 27 to April 7, send benefits forms (such as enrollment, ORP/457, severance agreements, phased retirement agreements, releases, etc.) as soon as you get them.

Make sure your staff with security roles are trained by Friday, April 3. Anyone who needs security access in PeopleSoft 9.2 must take required training by this date to ensure access for Go Live.

Post job openings by Friday, April 3. The last day to post new job openings is Friday, April 3. Job requisitions can’t be submitted again until April 20.

All units should be ready to finish payroll by Tuesday, April 7. Pay Entry will close at 4:00 p.m. on that day. Payroll Services will close payroll on April 8. Any paysheet updates must be received by 3:00 p.m. on April 8.

DURING THE CUTOVER (April 6-19)

Most PeopleSoft and related systems will be unavailable or view-only from April 9 through April 19. Deadlines may vary by business process. For human resource business processes, submit information in plenty of time to meet these deadlines:

• The last day to enter Position Management requests is Monday, April 6.
• The last day to enter job data is Tuesday, April 7, including new hires, additional pay, position requests, and HRMS corrections.
• The last day to enter benefits enrollments is Tuesday, April 7. Employees can still enroll or register family status changes by paper during the cutover; these will be entered into the new 9.2 system beginning Monday, April 20.
• The last day to enter paper time off requests is Sunday, April 5.
• Pay Entry will be open April 17-21. All job data entry and pay entry for the period ending April 19 is 5:00 p.m. on the 21st. Payroll Services will close payroll on April 24. All paysheet updates must be received by 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24.

GO LIVE (April 20)

On Monday, April 20, the upgraded PeopleSoft 9.2 system will be up and running! On the first day of Go Live, data entry resumes for all business processes suspended during the cutover, including:  

• New hires, additional pay, position management, and other job data
• Requisitions for new job openings
• Time and labor
• Time-off requests (including absences requested during the cutover, April 6-19)
• Benefits enrollments and family status changes (including those requested during the cutover)

Employees begin reporting hours and requesting time off electronically on Monday, April 20. Make sure your staff understands the new procedures and has taken the online training. (Go to The Upgrade Training and Education web page, click on Human Resource Systems, then click on “Time Reporting” and “Absence Reporting.” In the left-hand column, under “Training for:” look for the courses that apply to your role as employee, manager, supervisor, etc.)

POST-GO LIVE (After April 20)

COBRA notices will be issued by central Employee Benefits, instead of by units, starting Friday, May 1.

The first pay period using electronic time and absence is April 20–May 3.

The last day to fill or close job openings in the old PeopleAdmin system is Tuesday, June 30. Hiring managers will not be able to see or access old job requisition information after that date. Hiring and job requisitions will be done exclusively in the new Recruiting Solutions system.

After The Upgrade: Entering Appointment Data Before Employee’s First Day Is Critical for Payroll

With the PeopleSoft upgrade, new capabilities will require changing our processes, including entering Appointment data into the Human Resources Management System. In fact, accurate and timely Appointment Entry drives pay and virtually every other important HR function.

Currently when an employee is hired, the entry of that person’s data may happen at any point after we know their start date, up until the deadline for Pay Entry for their first paycheck. This is changing: After The Upgrade, the Appointment must be entered into the system before a new employee’s first day of work.

In simple terms, Appointment Entry will drive payroll. If someone is not entered into the system before their first day of work, they cannot report time or absence, and their pay will be affected.

For online training about Appointments, Position Management and other functions, go to The Upgrade Training & Education site.

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.