On the Road Again...

Santiago Fernandez-Gimenez between
Nolte and Williamson Halls going to another
University unit to share ESUP information

In the past year ESUP staff, mostly Santiago Fernandez-Gimenez, Change Management director, has logged many miles visiting over 100 unit, governance, and professional network meetings including the:

• Senate Committee on Finance and Planning 
• College of Science and Engineering
• Carlson School of Management
• All five system campuses
• College of Biological Sciences

The visits offer the opportunity for face-to face communication between ESUP staff and stakeholder communities across the University’s five-campus system.

These crucial conversations have transformed over time, starting with executive and leadership meetings focusing on the why and how of ESUP. (Watch the first three “About ESUP” videos for this high-level context.) As the program moved past the analysis phase and into its current development phase, these conversations are starting to address specific changes coming with ESUP. 

Many blog posts in the Upgrade newsletter are based on questions faculty and staff asked during these face-to-face meetings. Listening and responding to stakeholder concerns is at the core of ESUP’s change management strategy. 

ESUP is interested in meeting with more faculty and staff prior to or during fall semester to hear concerns and share the latest information on faculty-facing changes. Please email the program at esup@umn.edu if your college or unit is interested in more information.

Weekly Update for the week of March 25, 2013

New Faces in ESUP
There will be some new faces on the ESUP team in the coming weeks. ESUP would like to extend a warm Minnesota welcome to the following new team members:

• Cynthia Murdoch, lead business analyst on the Portal work stream
• Staci Ludwig, developer and analyst on the Portal work stream
• Mike Murphy (CCI), co-project director on the Finance work stream

HRMS Welcomes IDPs and Oracle Software
The HRMS work stream was busy last week with the start of their Interactive Design and Prototyping (IDP) sessions. The week ended on a high note with the release of Oracle 9.2. The release of this version had previously been delayed; now HRMS can move forward with 9.2 implementation as planned. The work stream hopes to receive a 9.2 database in June that can be used in IDP sessions.

For more information on IDPs, check out the “What is an IDP?” post.

Quick Hits and Reminders From Across the Work Streams

• The Portal work stream continues to host Design Thinking workshops around the state. The next workshop is scheduled for this Thursday (3/28) on the Duluth campus from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Kirby Student Center, room 310 [http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5542999260].
• Reporting and Data Management plans to complete work on the BI Roadmap this week. The information will be presented to the EDMR Steering Committee for their review, input, and direction. 

Subscribe to the ESUP Blog!
As ESUP progresses, you can expect more information to be shared more frequently on the ESUP blog. Get every post delivered to your inbox by entering your email address in the Subscribe by Email window at upgrade.umn.edu and following the instructions. Once your subscription is activated, you will receive an email alerting you to new ESUP posts late in the afternoon the day they are published. If there is no post, you receive no email -- simple as that!

Weekly Update and Key Messages for the Week of 12/3/12

ESUP Continues to Move Forward, Reach Milestones
Last week the Student work stream reached Upgrade Workbook Checkpoint #1, another milestone in the Student upgrade project. Essentially, this means that the extensive fit-gap documentation we have at this time has been compiled for preliminary review, first by the business analysts, then by the functional steering committees. Once reviewed and approved, this iterative Plan and Discover “workbook” will serve as the foundation for the next round of sessions in the Analyze and Design phase. Since the fit-gap validation sessions are not quite completed yet, the current workbook may be subject to revision if new information surfaces in the remaining sessions.

Also last week, the Enterprise Data Management and Reporting (EDMR) work stream invited a group of college and central-unit data warehouse users to demonstrate their systems for the ESUP Integration team in order to provide CCI with a better understanding of how the data warehouse is currently being used. Users representing Institutional Research, Graduate Education, Academic Support Resources, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Education, the Academic Health Center, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Carlson School of Management, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs all participated in the demonstration.

Finally, the Upgrade Lab is currently ahead of schedule with upgrading the Student and HRMS systems to version 9.0. This initial upgrade is the first step in the process of splitting the Student and HRMS shared database into two separate databases, enabling the two systems to be upgraded and maintained independently going forward.

Williamson Hall Is Bustling!
A number of HRMS and EDMR team members moved into the Williamson space last week, and despite a network outage on Tuesday, began to settle into their new surroundings. Additionally, ESUP team members from WBOB will be moving to the Williamson space while work on the WBOB space continues. Adjusting to more communal/shared office space, new technologies, and new ways of working together is certainly easier with the support of your colleagues, so please take the time to introduce yourself to new team members and pitch in when needed!

Stakeholder Assessment Survey Launches This Week
The ESUP Change Partners Team is sending a stakeholder assessment survey to roughly 5,000 people across the University’s five campuses this week. The purpose of this survey is to gather baseline information on ESUP awareness, knowledge, concerns, expectations, and engagement. Most of the respondents will be University staff -- we started with a baseline list of ESUP team members and stakeholders, then asked each work stream to add their own list of key stakeholders, users, and influencers, as well as people who have self-identified as wanting to stay informed or engaged in ESUP.

If you received the email invitation to take this survey, please complete the survey by Tuesday, Dec. 11. If you did not receive the survey, please keep in mind that this is only the first of many opportunities for users and stakeholders to engage with ESUP and make their opinions heard. If you would like to be included in future assessments, please email esup@umn.edu.

First ESUP Quality Review on the Horizon
In the coming weeks, an independent consultant from CCI will be conducting our first Program Quality Review to ensure that the appropriate leadership, structures, processes and documentation are in place for quality assurance. This independent reviewer may reach out to certain ESUP members to ask about certain aspects of how the program is being administered. Please understand that the purpose of this review is strictly quality assurance, so your honest feedback is requested and encouraged.

Weekly Update and Key Messages for the Week of 11/26/12

Sessions Back In Full Swing 
After a short and relatively quiet Thanksgiving week, ESUP sessions are in full swing again this week. Topics, schedules and locations are available online at upgrade.umn.edu/p/calendar.html. For more information, please contact the person listed in the event details or your work stream project manager. 

ESUP Internal Site to Launch This Week 
Later this week we will launch an ESUP program management web site, including internal program communications and tools pertaining to program norms and resources, onboarding materials, space and equipment information, and more. The ESUP blog at upgrade.umn.edu will still be the primary source of up-to-date program news and information about the upgrade, however, the new site will enable us to communicate information and updates pertaining specifically to ESUP team members in a more targeted manner. Of course, anyone interested in ESUP will be able to access both sites whether they are an ESUP team member or not.

Key Messages for the Week of 10/08/12

• Don’t forget to RSVP online for the ESUP Kickoff Event next Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m., Great Hall, Coffman Memorial Union.
• President Kaler will be welcoming the ESUP team and talking about the importance of this effort to the University of Minnesota.
• This is also a great opportunity for ESUP team members to meet their project directors from the U and CedarCrestone (CCI), as well as a couple hundred of their new ESUP teammates!
• We would like you to participate either in person or via ITV from the coordinate campuses, if possible.
• Anyone who is interested can follow the kickoff online at www.livestream.com/umntv.

• The project directors will be meeting with their ESUP teams separately following the kickoff to delve more deeply into roles and responsibilities, expectations, next steps and to begin the work of the project.

• The ESUP Kickoff marks the official beginning of the first phase of the project, called Plan and Discover.
• This phase reaffirms and builds upon the preliminary fit-gap analyses and planning that has already occurred and will set the scope and schedule for ESUP going forward.
• The full schedule of the Plan and Discover phase is being worked on and should be complete by Oct. 26.
• We should know in the next few weeks how long we expect Plan and Discover to last before moving to Analyze and Design.
• At the end of Plan and Discover, we will be able to share a targeted “go-live” date.

• ESUP work is already underway!
• The Upgrade Lab statement of work has been completed.
• We are also beginning discussions about shared Person/Bio-demo data on Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25 (if needed). 
• Invites for these sessions will be going out by the end of the week, and the sessions will be streamed via UMConnect.  

• The ESUP team welcomed a number of new people from CedarCrestone this week -- be sure to introduce yourselves to:
• Technology Project Director: Chris Cameron
• Campus Community/Recruiting/Admissions Lead: Greg Patterson
• Financial Aid Lead: Mary Gilbertson
• Student Financials Lead: Jeff Johnson
• HR Lead: James Ellis
• Benefits Lead: Cheri Kitchens
• HRMS Technology Lead: Vijay Javvadi
• Training Specialist: Tammy Staneart
• We plan to share a list of current University of Minnesota team members following the ESUP Kick-Off next week.

• Work continues on the ESUP space in Williamson Hall and the West Bank Office Building (WBOB), and the Space Transition team is beginning to test space and equipment.

Key Messages for the Week of 10/01/2012

• The Enterprise System Upgrade Program (ESUP) Kickoff is confirmed for Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Coffman Memorial Union’s Great Hall.
• ESUP team members and stakeholders from the coordinate campuses will be able to attend in designated ITV rooms on their campuses; those arrangements are being finalized.
• The Kickoff will consist of two sessions:
• Session 1 (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.) will be an ESUP overview for all team members, University leadership and key stakeholders.
• Session 2 (2:30 to 4 p.m.) will be a deeper dive into project methodology, norms and expectations, etc., specifically for ESUP team members.
• We will take a break from 2 to 2:30 p.m. to get to know each other, enjoy refreshments, and so those who are not ESUP team members can leave if they choose.
• Both sessions will also be streamed live and recorded for viewing after the event.
• A more formal invitation with a detailed agenda to team members will go out shortly.
• The ESUP team welcomed a number of new people from CedarCrestone this week -- be sure to introduce yourselves to:
• Integration Lead: Bill Collings
• Payroll Lead: Greg Marks
• Student Records Lead: Dan Doremus
• Student Tech Lead: Dan Croce
• Account Manager: Kirk Bertram
• Work continues on the ESUP space in Williamson Hall and the West Bank Office Building (WBOB), and the Space Transition team that will be “piloting” the space and testing its systems should move in next week.
• Wireless internet connectivity has been improved, printers are accessible, and chairs and desktop monitors will be arriving within the week.
• Card-reader access is also being finalized this week.
• Project laptops are being configured, and delivery to ESUP team members is being planned for kick-off week and afterward as team members join the project.
• Cellular service is not yet available on the lower level of Williamson or WBOB, however, headsets for use with “soft phone” technology (phone software for your project laptop that enables you to forward and answer your office phone remotely) have arrived.
• Your project director is your go-to person for questions, concerns, resources and training needs.

Key Messages for the Week of 09/24/2012

• ESUP team members are moving to the project during the next several weeks. 
• We continue to renovate and equip the ESUP office space in Williamson and WBOB. 
• Renovations will continue through the end of the month. 
• Between now and Nov. 1, ESUP team members can work in any space reserved for project use. Your project director will help identify team work space during this period.
• ESUP team members will receive their project laptops and other necessary equipment and software delivered directly to them as close to their starting date as possible.
• We will schedule training and provide support for the use of the Google application suite and “soft phone” technology, as needed. Other training will be scheduled by your project director as these needs are identified.
• The ongoing renovation of the workspace will NOT delay the overall project timeline.
• During this initial period, our high-level project plans and schedules are developing and evolving on a daily basis.
• It isn’t practical at this point to engage all ESUP team members in all aspects of project planning, however, your areas are appropriately represented in these planning meetings.
• We are committed to sharing project plans, schedules and information as they are finalized.
• Your project director is your go-to person for questions, concerns, resources and training needs.

Update From the Program Directors

The following message was shared with the ESUP Integration Steering Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012:


FROM: Andy Hill and Rebecca Collings, ESUP Program Directors
TO: Integration Steering Committee

Dear Colleagues,

We wanted to take a moment to recognize the important progress we’ve made on the Enterprise System Upgrade Project (ESUP) in recent weeks. As you may know, earlier this month a number of key stakeholders met to work through our options regarding the required split of the current shared database for the University’s human resources (HR) and student systems. The benefits of creating two independent databases are several, including improved functionality and the ability to maintain and upgrade the HR and student systems independently.

Separating HR and student data is no small task. We want to congratulate and thank the project team members and stakeholders who made time, on very short notice, to work through the options and recommend a workable plan that provides increased flexibility and reduced risk for the University. The plan was approved by the Integration Steering Committee at its meeting last Thursday and is a milestone: the first critical decision point for work on the project. We are officially underway!

For an overview of the database planning discussion, please see CedarCrestone’s presentation, available online. If you have questions or concerns about the split, the decision, or its impact on your work, please share them with your respective project managers, and we will do our best to answer them for you.

ESUP project leadership, change management, and communications teams are meeting regularly to plan the move to assigned project space in Williamson Hall and West Bank Office Building and an official kickoff event for the project. The targeted date for these spaces to be ready for occupancy is Monday, Oct. 1, and the project kickoff event is tentatively slated for the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 16. More details about space and kickoff planning will be available in next few weeks.

Thank you again for your great work!

Andy Hill, Program Director, University of Minnesota
Rebecca Collings, Program Director, CedarCrestone