PeopleSoft Training Plans

As thePeopleSoft project prepares to launch new human resources and financial serviceson July 1, user training plans are starting to emerge. For example:

·       Currently, theDelta Steering Committee estimates about 400 employees will train and work withat least one of seven PeopleSoft “touchpoints” related to finance, procurementand human resources. These include:

o      Finance

- General ledger and financialreporting

- Grant proposals

o      Procurement

- PCard reallocation

- Requisitions

o      Human Resources

- Timesheets/entry

- Payroll

- New hires

Currently, the Delta Project'sFinance Module Advisory Committee (MAC) is working with divisions to identifywho needs PeopleSoft training. The HR MAC will be conducting a similar survey.

·       Because thePeopleSoft implementation is so broad, the Delta Steering Committee isestablishing a divisional model to coordinate end-user training and support. ByMarch 31, each division will appoint a training coordinator who will

o      Help make surethe right people are identified for training;

o      Work within thedivision to provide backup and support, if necessary, when people are out fortraining;

o      Identify peermentors within the division for early training;

o      Work with OIT toreschedule training, if necessary;

o      Keep thedivision head apprised of progress in training people; and

o      Provide feedbackon training back to the Delta Steering Committee

·       In addition,each division will identify “peer trainers” who can assist with follow upsupport. Once identified, these division peer mentors will be among the firstcohort to receive PeopleSoft training near the end of April. The number of peertrainers may vary with the size of each division, but each one will be supportedby the Delta team as well as OIT's New Media Learning & Developmentunit. In addition to helping respond to user questions, perhaps on acampus-wide PeopleSoft listserve, peer trainers will also work closely with eachdivision's training coordinator to help identify issues or concerns to the DeltaSteering Committee.

·       The DeltaSteering Committee has hired Donna Meek, a PeopleSoft training consultantwith seven years experience, including one year with the most recent version (8)that UMBC will be implementing. Her clients have included Air Canada, the USMint, Bell Atlantic, Honda America, Capital One, and Freddie Mac. After workingat her alma mater Penn State as a grants and contract analyst—she earned abachelor's degree in accounting in 1983 and her teaching certification insecondary English in 1990—Meek taught in a local high school on a part-timebasis for five years. She then began her PeopleSoft financials consultingpractice which has included creating documentation and developing courses forPeopleSoft General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, nVision, Query, CostManagement, Budgets, Projects, eExpense, and eProcurement. She started at UMBCon March 17 and will be developing an overall training plan as well assupporting documentation and workshops.

·       To help get thecampus oriented to the new system, “Introduction to PeopleSoft” generalorientation sessions will likely begin in mid-April. While these are not formaltraining sessions on any finance, procurement or HR functions, they should helpthe campus become more familiar with general PeopleSoft features like how tologin, set personal preferences and navigate to key content. This will be usefulfor prospective users as well as managers and supervisors. Look for anorientation session schedule the first week of April atwww.umbc.edu/peoplesoft andwww.umbc.edu/training.

·       Since theramp-up for training is intense, all OIT training workshops currently scheduledafter April 1 have been cancelled. OIT's training coordinator, Marie Toomes(x53679 or marie@umbc.edu), will schedulerefresher courses on Windows basics, using email or the Web for departments whofeel this would help them be more efficient with a Web-based system likePeopleSoft. But for the next 4-6 months, most of OIT's training efforts will befocused on PeopleSoft.

“Whilethe breadth of PeopleSoft use almost dictates a divisional model of usersupport, I also think this approach reflects UMBC's day-to-day business culturevery well,” says Jack Suess, UMBC's chief information officer and the DeltaProject's director.

For moreinformation on PeopleSoft, visitwww.umbc.edu/peoplesoft.