FST Update October 28, 2021

 

Want to listen to this update instead of reading it? Click here to tune into the WFST Broadcast!

No time to read paragraphs? Check out "Five Things to Know about WFST"

FDM Mapping

Schools and units continue the work mapping to the FDM, the new chart of accounts. The FST Team is constantly updating the files on the FDM Resource page, and they’re keeping the FAQ section of the resource page updated as well.  Read more about Mapping on the blog.

End-to-End Testing

The Online Community is updated each Monday with the latest testing metrics .   In those metrics, you can see the scenarios they tested, the ones that passed, the bugs they found, and more.  Catching those issues now will ensure a smoother go-live experience next July.

Workflow Control & Approvals

The functional team is completing configurations based on initial recommendations, and then Baker Tilley, our consulting partner on this portion of the project, will help us assess the results and the team will start sharing with our governance groups, so you can expect to see more on this in November.  Read more on the blog.

Training Update

Finance Strategic Transformation isn’t just a Workday Financials implementation;  the training team is thinking carefully about the transformative part of the project.  The future state will be different in terms of what tasks people perform in their daily work, and the team is working to make sure people are prepared for the changes.  Read more from Patty Marbury.

University Financial Model:  Continuous Improvement

The UFM Review Committee submitted their final report, which was accepted and is available online.  We’ll link to where you can review it online.  The aim of the committee was to make sure the plan has what it needs to support the UVA 2030 strategic plan.  Read more and access the report.

Adaptive Planning Implementation

The Adaptive Team has been showcasing improvements in the tool to stakeholders lately. These are updates made to the tool based on stakeholder feedback, and the adjustments get us just that much closer to the version of Adaptive that will integrate with Workday Financials at go-live. Read more on the blog.

System Remediation

The System Remediation Network is plugging along, making sure all the ancillary systems out there in use in the schools and units will integrate with Workday Financials.  Read more about their work here.

FST Update October 28, 2021

 

Want to listen to this update instead of reading it? Click here to tune into the WFST Broadcast!

No time to read paragraphs? Check out "Five Things to Know about WFST"

FDM Mapping

Schools and units continue the work mapping to the FDM, the new chart of accounts. The FST Team is constantly updating the files on the FDM Resource page, and they’re keeping the FAQ section of the resource page updated as well.  Read more about Mapping on the blog.

End-to-End Testing

The Online Community is updated each Monday with the latest testing metrics .   In those metrics, you can see the scenarios they tested, the ones that passed, the bugs they found, and more.  Catching those issues now will ensure a smoother go-live experience next July.

Workflow Control & Approvals

The functional team is completing configurations based on initial recommendations, and then Baker Tilley, our consulting partner on this portion of the project, will help us assess the results and the team will start sharing with our governance groups, so you can expect to see more on this in November.  Read more on the blog.

Training Update

Finance Strategic Transformation isn’t just a Workday Financials implementation;  the training team is thinking carefully about the transformative part of the project.  The future state will be different in terms of what tasks people perform in their daily work, and the team is working to make sure people are prepared for the changes.  Read more from Patty Marbury.

University Financial Model:  Continuous Improvement

The UFM Review Committee submitted their final report, which was accepted and is available online.  We’ll link to where you can review it online.  The aim of the committee was to make sure the plan has what it needs to support the UVA 2030 strategic plan.  Read more and access the report.

Adaptive Planning Implementation

The Adaptive Team has been showcasing improvements in the tool to stakeholders lately. These are updates made to the tool based on stakeholder feedback, and the adjustments get us just that much closer to the version of Adaptive that will integrate with Workday Financials at go-live. Read more on the blog.

System Remediation

The System Remediation Network is plugging along, making sure all the ancillary systems out there in use in the schools and units will integrate with Workday Financials.  Read more about their work here.

Five Things to Know about FST: October 28, 2021

 1.  Schools and units are making serious progress on mapping the PTAO to the FDM, our new chart of accounts.  Get the details here. 

2. The functional team is completing configurations on Workflow Control & Approvals, and more information will be shared in November.  Read the update on the blog.

3.  The Training Team is focusing on the people part of FST and preparing people for how their roles may change.  Read Patty's update on the blog. 

4.  Continuous Improvement is a big part of the project, and the University Financial Model just got a CI review.  Read more and access the report. 

5.  End-to-End Testing continues, finding and fixing bugs so the go-live of Workday Financials is smoother on July 1, 2022.  Visit the Testing Tracker.

Training Update: Preparing for Transformative Change

We’re 8 months (plus a few days) from the go-live date for launching Workday Financials. There is a reason we have called this project Finance Strategic Transformation and not the Workday Financials Implementation Project. It is not JUST a system implementation (although that in itself is no small feat!) 

So you may wonder—what’s so strategic or transformative about it? What is changing other than the system? With FST the changes we are making affect processes and sometimes policy, people, and of course, technology.

To identify and understand what processes will change, we’re asking the following questions:

• How does work get done and when? What are the overall processes and the associated tasks and steps? 
• Where is the data coming from? Does it come from another source, or does someone enter it (and who is that)?
• What reports and outputs exist and what do people do with them?
• How do we communicate these process changes?

We also need to know if current policies need updating to reflect the changes in processes, and if so, ensure that those policies are updated, reviewed, and approved well in advance.

The changes affecting people are so important in change management. We need to know:

• What new skills will be required for people to do their jobs?
• What shifts in behavior and culture need to happen?
• Who makes decisions?

Ultimately some people may end up with additional tasks and some may have less. Most work will be different. It’s important to help people prepare for these changes.

Obviously, we are preparing for a change in technology. We’ll be working in a new system. Some tasks that people currently do may be automated, and it’s important to know what the system will look like to end-users and how to provide help when there are questions.

So as you prepare for July 1, 2022, and the changes in processes, policy, people, and technology, remember to stay connected and informed, and let us know what concerns and questions you have!

UFM Review Committee Issues Final Report

The University Financial Model (UFM) Review Committee has issued its final report on recommendations for the UFM going forward.  The plan has been accepted by University Leadership and is available for viewing on the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis website (the UFM website is currently under construction).  

Access the UFM Review Committee's Final Report

If you have questions or concerns, contact budget@virginia.edu

_________________________________________________________________

Read more about the UFM Review Committee's work on the UVAFiance blog.

Student Tuition Committee reviews Tuition & Fee Proposal

University leadership and members of the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis sat down with two Student Tuition Committees via Zoom earlier this October as FY2023 Budget Season got into full swing.

The group discussed the 2022-2024 tuition and fee proposal set to be considered by the Board of Visitors this December.  The discussion delved into what can be done with increased revenue,  reviewing needs for additional faculty, updated labs and technology, library collections and digital subscriptions, and new student services, among other things. 

Students in attendance were particularly interested in support of electronic material costs in the library, competitive faculty pay, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and they also shared concerns about a funding solution for insurance loans. 

Meetings with student representatives will continue as the budget season progresses. 

For more information on the FY2023 Budget process at UVA, read more on the blog here. 

FY2023 Budget Process Kicks Off

Schools and units across UVA came together virtually on October 15 to kick off what just might be UVA's first post-pandemic budget (we're crossing our fingers).  Vice Provost for Planning Adam Daniel, who, along with Associate Vice President for Financial Strategy Bill Ashby, opened the Kickoff Session, noted that the FY23 budget offers UVA a chance to reassess and be creative in the budgeting process. 

In addition to the possible distinction of being the first budget after COVID, FY23 will also be the first budget to incorporate the "hard funding" model recently adopted as part of Finance Strategic Transformation (read more about that here on the blog).

Ashby stressed how "genuinely exciting" this moment in budget planning is for UVA.  Greater clarity into fund balances, a multi-year planning sensibility, and long-term view, the strategic partnership of the financial planning and analysis team, and enhanced reporting and analytical capability were cited as transforming budgeting at UVA.

Key dates in the FY2023 Budget Timeline:

• October 15:  Kickoff of the FY2023 Budget Process
• November:  Review of tuition & fees with student committees, public notice of tuition & fees, and submission of tuition & fees to BOV
• December:  BOV approval of tuition & fees, Governor's budget proposal
• February:  Budget submissions due
• April:  Final budgets completed in Adaptive Planning

__________________________________________________________________________

Read more about budgeting on the blog:  
Student Committee reviews Tuition & Fee Proposal 
Budget Process Redesign
Improving Fund Ownership Visibility
OFP&A Begins Rounding Allocations

Progress with PaymentWorks

PaymentWorks went live with Oracle on October 18th. That means we are nearing two full weeks using PaymentWorks for supplier management. 

Overall, PaymentWorks had a successful launch day: lots of invitations were sent out, minimal technical issues were reported, and two ACH payment files were transmitted to Bank of America. Here's a more detailed look at some of the stats from October 18th: 

• 729 invitations to register were sent (some of these were during the previous week's soft launch)
• 136 new suppliers and payees completed their registration 
• Two ACH were successfully processed with Bank of America for a total of $1600
• 150 pre-existing suppliers were invited to register with new payment methods and payment terms
• Specialized training documentation delivered to clinical research/human subjects to purchase gift cards on Marketplace
• Only 3 minor technical issues were reported, and fewer than 15 questions/issues were reported by schools and units

Make sure to keep an eye on this space for future PaymentWorks updates. To learn more about PaymentWorks,  head here for a list of resources. If you have any questions for the PaymentWorks Team, please send them to vendors@virginia.edu. 

Halloween Viewing from the Inclusive Excellence Committee

Contributed by ToShun Campbell,  Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee

As a homage to Halloween and actor Michael K. Williams's passing, I invite you to revisit HBO’s groundbreaking series, Lovecraft Country. The series is a Sci-Fi examination of a family’s 1950’s struggle to survive Jim Crow America. Based on a novel by Matt Ruff, the series is brought to life by modern horror phenoms Misha Green, J.J. Abrams, and Jordan Peele, to name a few.  

Click this link for the first (free) episode.

An episode-by-episode podcast accompanies the series with Ashley C. Ford and Lovecraft Country writer Shannon Houston. The pair examine the role of race in the series, share their thoughts on the ties between the horror genre and Black culture, and explore how the show’s themes connect to contemporary social issues in our present culture. Following is a link to the Lovecraft Country Radio Podcast:

https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country/podcast

Parental discretion is advised for both the show and the podcast!

______________________________________________________________________________

Want to learn more about the UVAFinance Inclusive Excellence Committee?  Visit https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/about-uvafinance and click "Diversity, Equity,& Inclusion", or click HERE for past blog posts about the group.

Karen Templeton Joins FST as Communications Generalist

Karen Templeton

With Workday Financials go-live fast approaching, Karen Templeton has had to jump into the deep end in her role as Communications Generalist for the FST Team. She has already started developing content about End-to-End Testing and Workflow Control and Approvals, all while learning lots of other important information about Finance Transformation and the University in general.

Karen is definitely up to the challenge, though, and says that “so far, everything has been great. I have always admired UVA, and it’s
exciting to be part of the University. Everyone has been welcoming and helpful, and I’m enjoying getting up to speed.”

Karen’s experience in risk communications and work in higher education, where she often had to create straightforward communications around complicated issues, will undoubtedly prove helpful in her role on the FST Communications Team. In addition to writing about End-to-End Testing and Workflow Control and Approvals, Karen will also be assisting the Communications Team with numerous other communications throughout implementation. She will also be working closely with the Provost Office change leaders.

Karen with her daughter, Cora

Outside of work, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, their two children, and their rescue dog, Phoebe. When not atone of her children’s soccer games or tennis practices, Karen likes to run, usually outdoors with Phoebe. She also loves to travel and has missed being able to do so these past 20 months. “I look forward to getting back on a plane!” She says.

Karen is also an avid reader and belongs to three book clubs. Additionally, she rarely misses an episode of Jeopardy, so it's probably best to avoid challenging her to a game of trivia. No wonder she’s learning about FST so quickly.

Glad to have you on the team, Karen!

Karen Templeton Joins FST as Communications Generalist

Karen Templeton

With Workday Financials go-live fast approaching, Karen Templeton has had to jump into the deep end in her role as Communications Generalist for the FST Team. She has already started developing content about End-to-End Testing and Workflow Control and Approvals, all while learning lots of other important information about Finance Transformation and the University in general.

Karen is definitely up to the challenge, though, and says that “so far, everything has been great. I have always admired UVA, and it’s exciting to be part of the University. Everyone has been welcoming and helpful, and I’m enjoying getting up to speed.”

Karen’s experience in risk communications and work in higher education, where she often had to create straightforward communications around complicated issues, will undoubtedly prove helpful in her role on the FST Communications Team. In addition to writing about End-to-End Testing and Workflow Control and Approvals, Karen will also be assisting the Communications Team with numerous other communications throughout implementation. She will also be working closely with the Provost Office change leaders.

Karen with her daughter, Cora

Outside of work, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, their two children, and their rescue dog, Phoebe. When not at one of her children’s soccer games or tennis practices, Karen likes to run, usually outdoors with Phoebe. She also loves to travel and has missed being able to do so these past 20 months. “I look forward to getting back on a plane!” She says.

Karen is also an avid reader and belongs to three book clubs. Additionally, she rarely misses an episode of Jeopardy, so it's probably best to avoid challenging her to a game of trivia. No wonder she’s learning about FST so quickly.

Glad to have you on the team, Karen!

Putting the Puzzle Together: Keith Carter takes on a new role

Keith Carter of the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis has been with UVAFinance for 14 years and has provided accurate and timely analysis to leadership by assisting with the development and execution of the University’s $1.8 billion operating budget.

Recently, Keith was promoted to Budget Manager and now oversees core institutional funds on both Major Funding Sources and Cash and Strategic Investment Funds files. He is also stepping into a position of growing his mentorship and advisement within his team.

“I will serve as a mentor to the OFP&A analysts by teaching and advising them during the budget development, year-end carryforward and settlement processes; transferring historical knowledge about the University’s institutional funds, the Integrated System Finance transactions application, and the University Business Intelligence reporting application,” he said. “Also, I will be providing support and encouragement to help them grow, think through and resolve issues, and develop their ideas.”

Keith Carter

Prior to joining OFP&A, Keith worked for UVA Housing Division and as a lifelong Hoo values collaborating with his colleagues above everything else.

“Working with my colleagues in OFP&A is what I enjoy and value most about working here,” he said. “There is never a dull day working in this office because we receive, on a regular basis, questions from both leadership and our stakeholders to address/resolve budget-related issues, some of which can be complex like a jigsaw puzzle.”

Keith graduated from the University of Virginia in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies and Philosophy, and from Averett University in 2009 with a Master of Business Administration degree. He enjoys playing music (piano and bass guitar), traveling, and spending quality time with his family.

End-to-End Testing Update

 

Testing, testing. 1-2-3, testing. Workday Financials end-to-end testing process continues to evolve and a diverse set of scenarios are being run to replicate real-user experiences. Catching issues now will ensure a smoother go-live experience in July. The community hub is updated each Monday with the latest testing metrics to keep you all posted on the status of the testing scenarios. 

Find the Testing Tracker information here:  https://communityhub.virginia.edu/docs/DOC-3611 

Further progress toward Adaptive 3.0

The Adaptive Team held a second session to show stakeholders "part two" of the revisions they made to Adaptive Planning in order to incorporate the feedback shared in this spring's budget process redesign sessions.  

Read about the "part one" session here on the UVAFinance blog.

At this session, stakeholders got to see a demonstration of the Adaptive 3.0 compensation model.  Additionally, they were introduced to reporting that will allow them to see the FTE of each person budgeted to a particular cost center.  

The Adaptive Team took additional questions back to the drawing board for clarification with the intent to get the stakeholder group together again soon as they work toward the go-live of Adaptive 3.0 along with Workday Financials on July 1, 2022.

Visit the Online Shoutout Board

Do you have a colleague you'd like to thank? The Online Shoutout Board is a great way to do just that! 

The virtual board has lots of fun features like gifs and images to add to your post and the ability to like and comment on others' posts. Plus, since many of us are still working from home, the Online Shoutout Board allows everyone to see your message of appreciation. 

Head here to post a thank you message to one of your team members (or to see if anyone has thanked you). It's easy to use, but you can also view a quick walkthrough if needed. 

SRN Update

The System Remediation Network (SRN) continues to assess system-specific impacts and complete any necessary changes. System remediation is the process of identifying and implementing changes that are required to non-Workday systems to successfully integrate with Workday Financials or consume new financial data following the transition from Oracle. 

The network enables participants to share information, documentation, tools, and best practices necessary for effective system remediation. It will also help system owners navigate project processes, such as testing, and gain access to information related to system remediation from other FST workstreams as needed.

A reminder of who participates:

• Owners/sponsors of systems affected by Workday Financials implementation
• Functional and technical support staff for those systems
• FST project support staff from the technical and functional teams
• FST change management team members

Click image to enlarge.

We are now in the third phase, or Build phase, of SRN and that entails building/coding:

• System changes
• Integration changes
• Report changes
• Unit testing

Click image to enlarge.

Important updates from this phase:

• All work tags including Project are solidified and finalized
• Topic-specific technical workshops are being conducted to ensure system owners have the integration information they require and understand it fully
• For those who utilize ODS (Oracle Data Store) information, the future state equivalent information will be available
• Currently ensuring system owners know where to find data resources such as work tag value sets, crosswalks, and conversation reports and data

As the Build phase continues, the Testing phase. SRN has a dedicated area in the online Community – please visit it for more details on each phase.

SRN Update

The System Remediation Network (SRN) continues to assess system-specific impacts and complete any necessary changes. System remediation is the process of identifying and implementing changes that are required to non-Workday systems to successfully integrate with Workday Financials or consume new financial data following the transition from Oracle. 

The network enables participants to share information, documentation, tools, and best practices necessary for effective system remediation. It will also help system owners navigate project processes, such as testing, and gain access to information related to system remediation from other FST workstreams as needed.

A reminder of who participates:

• Owners/sponsors of systems affected by Workday Financials implementation
• Functional and technical support staff for those systems
• FST project support staff from the technical and functional teams
• FST change management team members

Click image to enlarge.

We are now in the third phase, or Build phase, of SRN and that entails building/coding:

• System changes
• Integration changes
• Report changes
• Unit testing

Click image to enlarge.

Important updates from this phase:

• All work tags including Project are solidified and finalized
• Topic-specific technical workshops are being conducted to ensure system owners have the integration information they require and understand it fully
• For those who utilize ODS (Oracle Data Store) information, the future state equivalent information will be available
• Currently ensuring system owners know where to find data resources such as work tag value sets, crosswalks, and conversation reports and data

As the Build phase continues, the Testing phase. SRN has a dedicated area in the online Community – please visit it for more details on each phase.

FDM Mapping Update

Click image for a larger view

Schools and units continue the work of mapping, meeting regularly in their pod groups.  The FST Team is constantly updating the files on the FDM Resource page, and they’re keeping the FAQ section of the resource page updated as well.

Those involved in the mapping effort and anyone else who’s interested to take a look at the FAQ page for answers to questions that come up in the pods.  As always, please send questions and ideas to the FDMMapping email and the team will continue to answer them on an ongoing basis. 

FDM Mapping Update

Click image for a larger view

Schools and units continue the work of mapping, meeting regularly in their pod groups.  The FST Team is constantly updating the files on the FDM Resource page, and they’re keeping the FAQ section of the resource page updated as well.

Those involved in the mapping effort and anyone else who’s interested to take a look at the FAQ page for answers to questions that come up in the pods.  As always, please send questions and ideas to the FDMMapping email and the team will continue to answer them on an ongoing basis. 

Update: Workflow Controls & Approvals

 

Workflow Controls and Approvals

- The functional team is completing configurations based on the preliminary recommendations. After those configurations are made, Baker Tilly will help assess the degree to which risk-control matrices are aligned
with future-state processes.

- Current evaluations regarding concerns shared by the architects about the degree of post-transaction vs. up-front approvals are being considered.

More solid updates on Workflow Control & Approvals are coming very soon!

Update: Workflow Controls & Approvals

 

Workflow Controls and Approvals

- The functional team is completing configurations based on the preliminary recommendations. After those configurations are made, Baker Tilly will help assess the degree to which risk-control matrices are aligned with future-state processes.

- Current evaluations regarding concerns shared by the architects about the degree of post-transaction vs. up-front approvals are being considered.

More solid updates on Workflow Control & Approvals are coming very soon!

Mid-Week Coffee Breaks

Now that Carruthers is open to all employees again, those working in the building can celebrate by enjoying a weekly treat. 

Every Wednesday, from 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., coffee and various breakfast pastries will be available in the break area outside conference room Carr-2. It's the perfect chance to get away from your desk for a few minutes, maybe grab breakfast or a morning snack, and catch up with colleagues you might not have seen (in person) in a while. 

UVAFinance: Veteran's Day Recognition (respond by November 4)

Veteran's Day is Thursday, November 11. We would like to pay tribute to the men and women on the UVAFinance team who have served our country.

Participation is voluntary; if you would like to be recognized, please submit your name, rank, branch of service, and time of service (plus other information you would like to share—pictures and comments are very welcome!) to vpf-comms@virginia.edu 

We ask for your reply by Thursday, November 4.

Recognition will be shared here in the UVAFinance blog and on the Carruthers Hall lobby screen.

Thank you for the opportunity to honor your service!

 

“Future of Work” Green Tips - Energy

If it has been a while since your whole team has been together in the workplace, you may want to re-examine some energy settings and remind each other of some relevant policies.

Make your “Future of Work” more energy-efficient by focusing on these actions as a workplace.

• HVAC Scheduling - Many workplaces at UVA have smart thermostat settings that automatically adjust at different times of day or days of the week. Contact Facilities Management to check your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) schedule & compare that to the days/times when your team is in the workplace versus working from elsewhere. Office schedules may have changed significantly over the past year and a half!
• IT Settings - Double-check your computer settings periodically to get the most out of every charge. Follow these Sustainable IT recommendations and do it yourself, or ask your Local Support Partner (LSP) to change energy settings on all the computers in your department.
• Space Heaters - Just say no! If you weren’t already aware, the use of personal space heaters is actually prohibited at UVA for both environmental and safety reasons. To stay comfortable as the weather cools down, dress for the season and consider keeping a small blanket or microwavable rice bag at your desk.

______________________________________________________________________________

The UVA Office of Sustainability is continuing its series of green tip emails that can help you settle back into sustainable routines on Grounds. If you have feedback for their office as they re-engage with you, please complete this short survey.

Have you signed up to receive your W-2 electronically?

Before we know it, tax season will be here (sorry for the reminder!).

If you receive a paper copy of your W-2, it will be mailed to you by January 31, 2022.  You can, however, simply go into Workday and opt-out of the print copy and just access your electronic copy in the system.  

Sign up to receive your W-2 electronically 
How to print your W-2 

Register for Fall Focus, November 8-12

November 8 - 12, 2021
Virtual Host: George Mason University
Site Contact  Sharon Heinle

FOCUS will be virtual this November 8th – 12th, hosted by George Mason University.

See the link below for registration, agenda and speaker details. You will be able to do multiple registrations, complete the first registration then select “Register Another Participant” in “My Cart”. At some point after your registration is complete but before the conference starts, you will receive an email from Whova. They are an event app and management site and will send you a personal non-shareable link to the conference sessions. If you do not receive the link from Whova, please email focusonlineteam@gmail.com. The cost for attending the Fall 2021 Virtual FOCUS Conference is $50.

Register here:  https://focus.vpfinance.virginia.edu/sessions/fall-2021

Fixed Assets Oracle Documentation Reminder

As you are aware, we continue to organize and plan for our Workday Transformation and all that entails. In an effort to ease our data conversion and expedite processing during the latter half of this fiscal year, we are asking that all PO Purchasers include the following information on all capital equipment purchase requisitions in the Oracle "reference number" field. Please note that many of you already do this, so this is simply a reminder and a note of appreciation for your support in this endeavor. Oracle reference number field should include:

• ETF Priority Number (ETF only)
• Responsible Person
• Building, Floor, and room location

This will significantly aid in the coordination around the location of assets with preparing documentation for capitalizing the asset and will also aid in processing capital equipment costs prior to our Workday conversion. Capital equipment requisitions without this information will be returned with a request for this information.

Please contact Lisa Layne and Joyce Gredler with any questions.

From Melody's Desk

Dear UVAFinance Team,

You may have seen the recent communications regarding the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, or CVC.

The CVC provides an important opportunity to support nonprofit and charitable organizations across the commonwealth – including over 50 here in our own community. Since the CVC’s inception, UVA faculty, staff, and others have collectively made a significant impact on these organizations and have led all state entities in terms of total giving.

Unfortunately, since the pandemic began, many CVC-supported community organizations have seen a drop in giving while the need for their services continues to increase.

I ask that you consider giving through the CVC, in any amount. Every gift makes a difference, and the online giving process takes just a few minutes to complete. Most importantly, it allows us an opportunity to live our values and support the greater good right here where we live and work.

If you’d like to learn more about the CVC, please read this recent UVA Today story. Or follow this link to give, in any amount. In addition, charitable donations that you have made already this year (and through December 31st) directly to CVC-approved charities can be counted in UVA’s CVC participation, with the proper documentation. Here’s the Direct Giving form that you can use if you wish to submit documentation for a gift made directly to any CVC-approved charity. You may have already made a contribution that can be counted in UVA’s CVC participation!

Julie Richardson also made the point that it would be helpful to have recommendations of favorite charities, so I’ll make one quick plug as I close. The Haven (CVC Code 200114), is a day shelter near the downtown mall that provides many resources to the homeless every day (hot breakfast, showers, laundry, computers, phones, storage bins, and mail services) with the ultimate goal of housing the homeless, something I think we all can agree with! More Charlottesville/Albemarle CVC charities can be found here: Local Charities_Participating_in_the_2021_CVC.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

FST Update October 14, 2021

 

Want to listen to this update instead of reading it? Click here to tune into the WFST Broadcast!

No time to read paragraphs? Check out "Five Things to Know about WFST"

Foundation Data Model (FDM)

Pods of schools and units continue to meet on a regular basis, between once a week to a few times per month, working on mapping their PTAO values to the FDM. So far, fourteen schools or units have already submitted mapping files for review, and the FDM team has provided clarity to those working groups on how to use the project, program, and activity worktags, as well as the faculty-start up structure. Read more on the blog.

End-to-End Testing

The project entered the End-to-End testing phase in October, and the testing phase will stretch on into March of next year. The aim of the testing process is to confirm that our tenant of Workday Financials is functioning as we designed it in cooperation with stakeholders, during our two rounds of Configuration and Prototype. The team is looking for any and all bugs in the system so that they can solve any problems before go live.  Check out the Testing Tracker on the blog.

Progress toward Adaptive 3.0

This week, the Adaptive team met with the stakeholders who worked with them all this spring on budget process redesign and showed the group the improvements they’ve made to Adaptive based on their feedback. The team showed new compensation input sheets based on employee type, the addition of payroll costing and FTE columns, HCM Reference data, and the addition of Position ID. They’ll have an additional session soon to illustrate other improvements.  Get the details on the blog.

Business Analysts Join FST Team

Four new business analysts joined the change management team this Monday: Iteari Perry, Detria Thomas, Derrick Carter, and Riley Carper. They'll be working with our trainers to keep a careful watch on functional areas within end-to-end testing to make sure all business processes are adequately tested, that process flows are created and validated, and to work toward the creation of and review of training materials.  Read more about our new team members.

Enhanced RAPID Decision Documentation

We’ve always had the Decision Log on the FST portion of the UVAFinance website, but we’ve done a deeper dive in the online community – we’ve established a landing page related to FST RAPID decisions, including explanations of the RAPID decision-making process and documentation for major decisions. 

Five Things to Know about FST: October 14, 2021

 

1.  Foundation Data Model mapping is continuing, with the goal of having most existing PTAOs mapped by December.  Read more on the blog.

2.  End-to-End Testing is progressing well, as FST Team members search our Workday Financials tenant for bugs.  Check out the Testing Tracker to see how it's going.

3.  RAPID Decision documentation is easy to find in the Online Community, in this space that expands on our online Decision Log.

4. Adaptive Insights got some improvements based on user feedback, making it that much closer to the version we'll use on July 1, 2022, when Workday Financials goes live. Read all about it on the blog.

5.  The FST Team added four new business analysts, who will be key in making sure all business processes get thoroughly tested in End-to-End.  Meet them in this blog post.

PaymentWorks Goes Live Monday

PaymentWorks is going live with Oracle this coming Monday, October 18th. As a reminder, here's a look at the benefits of using PaymentWorks for supplier management: 

• The ability to see steps of supplier registration.
• Departments will be able to send invitations to suppliers and easily correct email address issues.
• Access to all information on suppliers (e.g. supplier number) directly from their personalized dashboard.
• The ability to view accurate information in the supplier database as it gets updated or corrected.
• ACH payments will be available for suppliers and payees.
• Suppliers will have the option to get paid faster if they sign up for faster payment terms.
• The process for individual registration requires fewer fields and can be completed on a mobile device. 

If you would like to know more about PaymentWorks, you can find a list of resources here. If you have any questions for the PaymentWorks Team, please send them to vendors@virginia.edu. 

RAPID Decision Documentation on the Community

The FST team is constantly looking for new ways to keep stakeholders better informed. For RAPID decisions, the project team has created the FST Decision Log and provides consistent decision updates here on the blog and the Community. In addition to those resources, you can now also find documentation explaining how the project team and stakeholders made each major decision. 

These documents, and a general explanation of the RAPID decision-making process, have been posted on the Community. Links to all documents are on this page, but you can also use the search tool in the upper right-hand corner if there's a specific decision about which you would like to know more.

2022 Open Enrollment Ending Soon

Open Enrollment for 2022 benefits ends this Friday, October 15th. If you haven't completed your benefits enrollment in Workday, now is the time to do so! 

Remember, even if you aren't making any changes to your health, dental, or vision plans, you'll still need to re-elect the FSA and HSA programs if you want to keep them in 2022.

You can view more information regarding available options on UVAHR's Open Enrollment Website.

 

Budget Process Redesign: Progress Toward Adaptive 3.0

Stakeholders had an opportunity to view demonstrations of how the Adaptive Team has incorporated their feedback into the build of Adaptive 3.0 compensation models. In a series of ongoing meetings, participants in this past spring's budget process redesign sessions got to see how their input has been incorporated into Adaptive.

At this week's session, the team showed new compensation input sheets based on employee type, the addition of payroll costing and FTE columns, HCM Reference data, and the addition of Position ID. They’ll have an additional session soon to illustrate other improvements.

These changes are part of the overall process of getting Adaptive Insights, UVA's budgeting and planning tool, ready to integrate with Workday at go live in July of 2022.

Budget Process Redesign: Progress Toward Adaptive 3.0

Stakeholders had an opportunity to view demonstrations of how the Adaptive Team has incorporated their feedback into the build of Adaptive 3.0 compensation models. In a series of ongoing meetings, participants in this past spring's budget process redesign sessions got to see how their input has been incorporated into Adaptive.

At this week's session, the team showed new compensation input sheets based on employee type, the addition of payroll costing and FTE columns, HCM Reference data, and the addition of Position ID. They’ll have an additional session soon to illustrate other improvements.

These changes are part of the overall process of getting Adaptive Insights, UVA's budgeting and planning tool, ready to integrate with Workday at go live in July of 2022.

End-to-End Testing Update

 

Workday Financials end-to-end testing is in full swing. The process involves replicating the full gamut of real-user scenarios and identifying any issues or bugs in the system. This all helps the team ensure data and process integrity before we go live. Each bug is assessed, and corrections are made for further testing.

In testing, the team has set goals for the testing scenarios they expect the system to pass, and the data below illustrates how those compare to the actual passed tests. are compared to the actual outcomes.

Click the image for a larger view

Thus far, the testing is going smoothly - scenario pass rate is high and issues are being quickly identified and corrected. For more information on testing for specific functional areas and a more detailed report, visit the metrics posted Community Hub. Testing is continuous and integral to our implementation so we will be providing regular updates so you know what testing systems are finding and how we are solving each issue that arises well in advance of July 1.

Change Readiness Assessment #3 Results

 

Last month, FST's change management workstream sent out the third Change Readiness Assessment (CRA) to stakeholders. The FST team uses this assessment to see how ready stakeholders are for implementation based on what stage of the project we are in. The assessment also informs the project's future communications, engagement, and training strategies. 

The third CRA was sent out to 1275 stakeholders from various departments across the University. 276 completed surveys were submitted, which is a 22% response rate (this number may seem low, but this is actually a pretty normal response rate). 

The overall results are currently being shared with FST governance groups. The next step is to provide insight to Change Leaders to inform future communication and engagement activities within their departments. 

As we get closer to Workday Financials go-live, the FST team will distribute additional Change Readiness Assessments to maintain awareness of stakeholders' readiness for implementation.