Frequently Asked Questions about Project ORION

Why are we changing the current systems now?
Why PeopleSoft?
What functions will PeopleSoft provide?
When will the system be available?
When should I have access to the system?
How will this system affect my worklife?
When will I learn how to use it?
What other universities are installing PeopleSoft? How are their projects doing?

The university's personnel management computer systems were installed beginning in 1972; the student records system has been computerized since 1981. Besides being outdated, difficult to maintain, and expensive to operate, none of the systems are Year 2000-compliant. To bring the existing systems into compliance would have cost about $2 million -- without addressing the university's needs for the technologically sophisticated 21^st century.

Why PeopleSoft?

Several vendors offer partial solutions -- systems that address personnel management alone, for instance -- but not many software suppliers are presently offering systems that provide all of the functions that the university needs. The PeopleSoft integrated database, which maintains a single, unified repository for all of the "people" records (student, staff, faculty); client/ server architecture; and PeopleSoft's experience, quality, and service were the strongest recommendations for purchase of this system.

What functions will PeopleSoft provide?

The PeopleSoft system, when complete, together with some additional facilities also being implemented, will continue many familiar services and add new ones for students, staff and faculty:

"Self-service" scheduling, degree audits, catalogue consultation, and transcript services through interactive voice-response, and World-Wide Web access for students;

Full-scale online career services for University staff and faculty from applicant-tracking, through employment and promotion, to retirement;

Improved personnel services that promote recruitment and retention of high-quality students, faculty and staff;

Improved accuracy and delivery of payroll and benefits information and services;

Accurate data and analysis functions for state and federal institutional reports;

Year 2000 compliance.

When will the system be available?

The PeopleSoft installation is a complex process. In the "foundation phase" (through Fall 1999), essential functions to continue present services will be brought into operation. The "enrichment phase" will focus on the implementation of new functions that exploit the resources of the client/server architecture, the World Wide Web, and other advanced technologies that existing systems cannot handle. As a result, the new system is being brought into service incrementally, beginning with the Course Catalogue and Admissions Pre-Application modules in November 1998. The complete implementation schedule is available online.

When should I have access to the system?

Here is the projected schedule for end-user access to ORION in calendar year 1999:

Student Services

• Financial Aid is currently being moved into production. Those end-users who support Financial Aid functions are now receiving training and access to the appropriate ORION software.
• The next major milestone for end-users will be the implementation of the Admissions module in May. Those individuals who support Admission functions will be affected by this change.

Human Resources

• While Payroll will be moved into production in April, access to ORION will not be required by UBMs or other end-users who support Payroll functions. Paychecks will have a different look and a different form will be used for time reporting.
• The first major milestone for end-users will be the implementation of applicant tracking in September and October. Those individuals who support recruiting functions will be affected by this change.
• The time and labor module will be implemented in the November and December. Those individuals responsible for supporting time and labor functions, such as timesheets, will be affected. Time reporting will be based on exception. The new payroll system willl assume an individual works a normal work week. Only exceptions (e.g., sick leave, vacation) will be reported. Supervisors will be required to have ORION access to approve exception reports, although project plans are now going forward to provide web access for this approval process.

Operating System

Windows NT has proven to be the most stable environment for the Orion software. While Windows 98 is not yet certified by Peoplesoft, the Orion software has been installed under this operating system. Windows 2000 is expected out this summer, but it will probably not be immediately certified by Peoplesoft.

How will this system affect my worklife?

If you get a paycheck from the university, your worklife will be affected. When the two phases are complete, all other personnel management functions -- including benefits management (insurance open enrollment, for example), personal directory information, promotion and tenure records -- will be processed through the PeopleSoft system.

More specific and extensive changes will affect university staff who deal with human-resources matters, both in the central administration and across campus. When fully implemented, many centralized functions (for example, payroll time-reporting) will be distributed so that the information is entered directly by the units rather than being passed from one office to another. These distributed tasks will increase efficiency and minimize errors in transmission of vital information. Other processes will be revised to take advantage of the system's workflow functions, which reduce paperwork and unnecessary duplication of effort.

Finally, every aspect of student administration will be affected: admissions and recruiting, financial aid, majors and degree programs, and student records.

When will I learn how to use it?

Training will be critical for the university to receive maximum benefit from the PeopleSoft investment. Academic and service units have already begun to improve computer hardware to meet the system requirements for the distributed workload. An extensive end-user training program is already in preparation, and more information about enrollment and scheduling will be forthcoming in January.

What other universities are installing PeopleSoft? How are their projects doing?

Copyright © 1999 University of Louisville. All rights reserved.