Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Five Things to Know About FST: January 27, 2022

 



1.  Mapping Sprints: The FDM Mapping Sprint has wrapped, achieving the goal of 85% mapping complete.  While FDM mapping work will continue, the focus of the sprints will shift to Security Role Mapping.  Read more on the blog

2.  Testing: As end-to-end testing of the Workday Financials tenant draws to a close, the team is gearing up to extend opportunities to UVA folks to take part in User Experience Review. Read more about end-to end testing and UER.

3. Adaptive Planning Testing: The Adaptive team and volunteers are testing the third version of Adaptive Planning so that it will work with Workday Financials at go live.  Read more on the blog

4.  System Remediation: All systems are nearly go!  System remediation work is continuing, with a bulk of the systems that will need to interact with Workday Financials on track to be ready to roll on July 1. Read more on the blog.

5.  Change Readiness: As we move together through these months before go-live, the Change Management Team is excited to work with Change Leaders and our Governance groups to make sure all key areas are ready, steady, go!  Read more about change readiness on the blog.

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FST Update: January 27, 2022

 

  Listen to the update instead of reading it on WFST Radio!

We’re in the final six months running up to the go-live of Workday Financials.  Remember, though:  the launch of the tool doesn’t mean the end of the project.  It will take three to six months of stabilization as we all adjust to new ways of doing business and build new work routines before we will see many of the benefits.

FDM Mapping Sprint Segues to Security Role Mapping Sprint

The FDM mapping sprint is complete!  We reached our goal of having 85% of the mapping tackled.  Mapping efforts will continue, but the weekly FDM All Pods meetings and office hours will focus on Security Role Mapping.  The roles we identify during this process are the lynchpin in so many things, not the least of which is the role-based training we’re developing.

Read more on the blog.

Testing Updates

End-to-end testing will wrap up soon – the team is working on mitigating the defects found in testing and identifying folks from across Grounds to participate in user experience review.  Change Leaders from each school and unit are helping the team to identify folks from their areas who could take part in this effort – we’re grateful that there are so many folks interested in taking the system for a test drive. 

Read more:  End-to-End and UER

Adaptive Planning

Over on the Adaptive Planning team, they are also doing end-to-end testing, and they’ve got a whole group of folks from across UVA helping them ensure that Workday’s budgeting software is ready to integrate with Workday on July 1.  They’re even getting to take the new FDM for a test drive while they test.

Read more on the blog.

System Remediation

Of the 172 systems the System Remediation Network has identified that will interact with Workday, 70 systems won’t require any remediation, 87 systems need remediation, and 15 systems (including Recon@) will be decommissioned as a result of the Workday Implementation.

Read more on the blog

Roles in the Future State 

We're welcoming Joey Carls from the School of Education and Human Development in the new role of Finance User Success Manager and our own SueClements will be the Director of Workday financial systems and data support.

 

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FST Update: January 27, 2022

 

  Listen to the update instead of reading it on WFST Radio!

We’re in the final six months running up to the go-live of Workday Financials.  Remember, though:  the launch of the tool doesn’t mean the end of the project.  It will take three to six months of stabilization as we all adjust to new ways of doing business and build new work routines before we will see many of the benefits.

FDM Mapping Sprint Segues to Security Role Mapping Sprint

The FDM mapping sprint is complete!  We reached our goal of having 85% of the mapping tackled.  Mapping efforts will continue, but the weekly FDM All Pods meetings and office hours will focus on Security Role Mapping.  The roles we identify during this process are the lynchpin in so many things, not the least of which is the role-based training we’re developing.

Read more on the blog.

Testing Updates

End-to-end testing will wrap up soon – the team is working on mitigating the defects found in testing and identifying folks from across Grounds to participate in user experience review.  Change Leaders from each school and unit are helping the team to identify folks from their areas who could take part in this effort – we’re grateful that there are so many folks interested in taking the system for a test drive. 

Read more:  End-to-End and UER

Adaptive Planning

Over on the Adaptive Planning team, they are also doing end-to-end testing, and they’ve got a whole group of folks from across UVA helping them ensure that Workday’s budgeting software is ready to integrate with Workday on July 1.  They’re even getting to take the new FDM for a test drive while they test.

Read more on the blog.

System Remediation

Of the 172 systems the System Remediation Network has identified that will interact with Workday, 70 systems won’t require any remediation, 87 systems need remediation, and 15 systems (including Recon@) will be decommissioned as a result of the Workday Implementation.

Read more on the blog

Roles in the Future State 

We're welcoming Joey Carls from the School of Education and Human Development in the new role of Finance User Success Manager and our own SueClements will be the Director of Workday financial systems and data support.

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Assessing Change Readiness as We Get Closer to Go-live

In the Fall of last year, FST’s change management workstream sent out the project’s third Change Readiness Assessment Survey to stakeholders. While feedback given in this survey was helpful, the project team has decided to do things a little differently for the fourth round of change readiness assessment.

Instead of distributing a survey, a newly-developed Readiness Dashboard will help the FST team understand readiness at the leadership level, as will combining Advisory Group and Steering Committee meetings. While some information will be still be shared at these combined meetings, the primary purpose of this change is to have an informal working session around key areas of unit readiness. These areas of readiness include Budgets, FDM Mapping, Security/Role to Position Mapping, Process Transformation, and prepping for Expendable Fund Balance Realignment to occur after go-live.

Also, the project’s change management workstream will hold a series of focus groups in February to talk to end-users. These focus groups will provide two important functions, the first of which is the opportunity to discuss how well end-users are receiving communication and information about training. The focus groups will also help the project team better understand current concerns and perspectives related to go-live.

Keep an eye on this space for more updates on the readiness assessment focus groups.

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Exciting things happening in Supplier Diversity

Supplier Diversity at UVA is an exciting place to be right now!

During December, SWaM held the third and fourth workshops developed in partnership with local experts in order to educate our local small businesses. Nearly 300 folks attended these two webinars, which focused on the basics of bonding and preparing winning proposals. SWaM’s Lori Strother, who organized the events, says the sessions’ focus on both academic and construction procurement is vital to developing relationships with the local business community.

These workshops are made possible by an Inclusive Excellence grant from UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Read more about the grant here.

Procurement’s Jenn Glassman was featured in the Fall issue of AMPLIFY, the magazine from UVA’s Division for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Glassman talked about Supplier Diversity’s role in UVA’s overall DEI efforts, including their current and future goals. 

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Sue Clements Accepts Director of Workday Financial Systems and Data Support Position

Sue Clements

Recently, Associate Vice President of Finance, Augie Maurelli, announced that Sue Clements accepted the Director of Workday Financial Systems and Data Support position.

Clements, the current Director of Finance Applications at UVA, will bring lots of knowledge and experience into her new position. 

“I’m excited to use my ERP and leadership skills to build and grow a top-notch team that will configure, maintain, and provide support for our Workday Financial workstreams,” Clements says. 

In addition to her ERP knowledge and leadership skills, she has three decades of experience at UVA and a thorough understanding of the University’s financial requirements.

In her new position, Clements will work with several groups across the University, including the Workday Stakeholder Support Team, the HR People Data and Technology Team, and the ITS Integrations Team, to create a highly collaborative work team responsible for managing Workday Financials.

For the moment, Clements will take on the responsibilities of her new position while also continuing her duties on the FST project. She seems more than up to the task, though.

“I am looking forward to the challenges that this new role brings my way,” she explains. She is particularly looking forward to the opportunity to work with a strongly integrated financial and HCM solution and the ability to grow her knowledge of Workday.

Congratulations, Sue. It’s good to know such an integral part of UVAFinance’s future state is in good hands.

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Sue Clements Accepts Director of Workday Financial Systems and Data Support Position

Sue Clements

Recently, Associate Vice President of Finance, Augie Maurelli, announced that Sue Clements accepted the Director of Workday Financial Systems and Data Support position.

Clements, the current Director of Finance Applications at UVA, will bring lots of knowledge and experience into her new position. 

“I’m excited to use my ERP and leadership skills to build and grow a top-notch team that will configure, maintain, and provide support for our Workday Financial workstreams,” Clements says. 

In addition to her ERP knowledge and leadership skills, she has three decades of experience at UVA and a thorough understanding of the University’s financial requirements.

In her new position, Clements will work with several groups across the University, including the Workday Stakeholder Support Team, the HR People Data and Technology Team, and the ITS Integrations Team, to create a highly collaborative work team responsible for managing Workday Financials.

For the moment, Clements will take on the responsibilities of her new position while also continuing her duties on the FST project. She seems more than up to the task, though.

“I am looking forward to the challenges that this new role brings my way,” she explains. She is particularly looking forward to the opportunity to work with a strongly integrated financial and HCM solution and the ability to grow her knowledge of Workday.

Congratulations, Sue. It’s good to know such an integral part of UVAFinance’s future state is in good hands.

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FDM Mapping Sprint Ends; Security Role Mapping Sprint Begins

It's the end of an era and the beginning of another! The Sprint led by Elissa Morton, Jacob Mair, and Katie Walker to get 85% of the FDM mapping done by January 14 has ended successfully, reaching its goals.  

THANK YOU to the sprint leaders, our functional team, and all the sprint participants for your hard work!

Of course, work on FDM mapping will continue, but the focus of the sprints will shift to another big piece of the FST and Workday Financials puzzle:  Security Role Mapping.  

We've repurposed the weekly FDM All Pods meetings and office hours to focus on this subject.  Last week, Augie Maurelli kicked off the discussion with a high-level overview of what’s to come, and we’ve started documenting business processes, frequently asked questions, and much more in the online community.  

Thank you to everyone who's stepping up for this next sprint effort! 


Check out the Community Resources here: https://communityhub.virginia.edu/community/uva-finance-transformation/blog/2021/12/21/workflow-resources 






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FDM Mapping Sprint Ends; Security Role Mapping Sprint Begins

It's the end of an era and the beginning of another! The Sprint led by Elissa Morton, Jacob Mair, and Katie Walker to get 85% of the FDM mapping done by January 14 has ended successfully, reaching its goals.  

THANK YOU to the sprint leaders, our functional team, and all the sprint participants for your hard work!

Of course, work on FDM mapping will continue, but the focus of the sprints will shift to another big piece of the FST and Workday Financials puzzle:  Security Role Mapping.  

We've repurposed the weekly FDM All Pods meetings and office hours to focus on this subject.  Last week, Augie Maurelli kicked off the discussion with a high-level overview of what’s to come, and we’ve started documenting business processes, frequently asked questions, and much more in the online community.  

Thank you to everyone who's stepping up for this next sprint effort! 


Check out the Community Resources here: https://communityhub.virginia.edu/community/uva-finance-transformation/blog/2021/12/21/workflow-resources 






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Tuesday, January 25, 2022

End-to-End Testing Closing Cycle 3

The End-to-End Testing team has been hosting daily check-ins and working steadily toward finishing Cycle 3 testing while also preparing for User Experience Review. The Change Management Team is involved by getting Change Leaders identified to take the system for a test drive. More updates on the UER testing process will be available soon as all testers are to be identified by Monday, Jan. 31. 

What we know about UER now

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Adaptive End-to-End Testing Update

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The Adaptive team and a much-appreciated band of volunteers from schools, auxiliaries, and units are almost mid-way through End-to-End Testing of Adaptive Planning.  

The implementation of Adaptive Planning, Workday's budgeting software, is one of the four integral parts of Finance Strategic Transformation (read more about the Adaptive journey on the blog).  The testing taking place now started on January 18 and will continue until February 25. 

Testers are taking the Adaptive 3.0 tenant for a test drive, a critical step in the final push to get that version of Adaptive ready to go live with Workday Financials on July 1.  They're also getting to see some of their FDM data in action as they work in the tenant. 


If you have questions about testing, please contact one of the team members listed here (there's probably someone in your area participating!).



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User Experience Review: Time for a Test Drive

The Change Management Team is working with their Change Leaders to identify personnel to test the system. 

Specifically, they will provide feedback on the look and feel of the system, identify pieces that might be missing, and evaluate the business process. It is important to ensure the efficacy of the forward-facing business processes. 

Each process has multiple embedded tasks and UER testers will evaluate the familiarity of those tasks and ensure each step is included. 

As the UER testers get started, we will provide updates and information that will be helpful to aligning and streamlining business processes within the system.

Interested in End-to-End testing updates?

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System Remediation Network: Action Item and Update

System remediation work continues as we work to get all of our ancillary systems ready to interact with Workday Financials on July 1, 2022.

The SRN team hosted an informative monthly meeting and instructed those who use ODS to review materials by the end of January.


SRN Status overview highlights:

  • 172 total systems
  • 15 - systems are to be decommissioned
  • 70 - systems do not require remediation
  • 87 - systems are to be remediated

Remediation Updates:

  • 62 systems are in green status, 72%
  • 16 are in yellow status,1 8%, 9 are low or medium impact, 1 is high impact.
  • 9 systems have not responded which is 10% and require follow up, 6 are medium impact, 3 are low impact 



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System Remediation Network: Action Item and Update

System remediation work continues as we work to get all of our ancillary systems ready to interact with Workday Financials on July 1, 2022.

The SRN team hosted an informative monthly meeting and instructed those who use ODS to review materials by the end of January.


SRN Status overview highlights:

  • 172 total systems
  • 15 - systems are to be decommissioned
  • 70 - systems do not require remediation
  • 87 - systems are to be remediated

Remediation Updates:

  • 62 systems are in green status, 72%
  • 16 are in yellow status,1 8%, 9 are low or medium impact, 1 is high impact.
  • 9 systems have not responded which is 10% and require follow up, 6 are medium impact, 3 are low impact 

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Monday, January 24, 2022

From UVA Sustainability: MLK Event

click image for a larger view

Affordable Housing is Sustainable Housing

Monday, January 31 from 6:00-7:30pm on Zoom

Register here

Affordable housing has long been a challenge our community faces, and housing can’t be truly affordable unless it is thoughtfully designed with sustainability principles in mind. Join the UVA Sustainability Civic Engagement Sub-committee (CES) and the Community Climate Collaborative (C3) for a virtual event in conjunction with the UVA Community MLK Celebration. Speakers from PHA, PEC, Cultivate Charlottesville, and LEAP will each share points of interconnection for just and equitable housing and climate solutions.

We look forward to great conversation with our amazing panelists Dr. Melody Jackson (PHA), Claudette Grant (UVA Health), Peter Krebs (PEC), Richard Morris (Cultivate Charlottesville), and Chris Meyer (LEAP). 

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Supplier Diversity welcomes new director


Mark Cartwright

To say Mark Cartwright has devoted his career to provide opportunities for small, woman-owned, and minority-owned businesses is something of an understatement. With over six years of combined experience leading Supplier Diversity at Virginia Tech, a stint as a Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia leading the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity efforts, as well as several years of experience in a variety of large private companies, Cartwright has both depth and breadth in his field.

This January he brought his experience and expertise to UVA, becoming Procurement’s new Director of Supplier Diversity. We caught up with him on his second day on the job for a conversation about his new role.

What interested you in coming to UVA, especially during a time of transition in UVAFinance?

From my time at Virginia Tech, I was able to establish a working relationship with the procurement and supplier diversity staff at the university. That relationship continued when I joined the staff of former Governor Robert McDonnell. More recently, I was a member of the working group that assessed the status of the university’s supplier diversity initiative and well as helped to chart the path forward. This exposure provided critical insight to the authenticity of UVA’s supplier diversity commitment. I’m convinced that the university would have a supplier diversity initiative even without the state mandate. You can’t build true inclusion in the supply chain, workforce, or student body with compliance as the primary catalyst.

Given its standing among the elite institutions of higher education, the university has willingly embraced not only the opportunity to drive diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also the obligation to do so. If you look at hires in instruction, administration, athletics, and the health system, UVA’s diversity commitment is being boldly demonstrated. This excites me. Additionally, the university had made a commitment to providing the support staff necessary to buttress a best-in-class supplier diversity program.

What are the challenges you anticipate leading Supplier Diversity?

Not all purchasing decisions are made in Procurement – they’re made across Grounds in the various schools and departments. We must influence those decisions by building relationships and identifying allies across the university that grasp the importance of building inclusion in the supply chain. Additionally, there are likely some suppliers that tried to do business with the university in the past that found the process less than welcoming. Such a mindset can’t be changed overnight.

What are your priorities in your first months in this role?

While the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity initiatives are focused on small, women, and minority-owned (SWaM) businesses, we know from disparity studies and internal tracking that the biggest gap lies in the utilization of minority and women-owned firms. We will focus on strengthening connections with the local supplier community.

I’ll explore the creation of supplier development initiatives with the support of local advocacy groups and perhaps McIntire or Darden. I’d like us to buttress a mentorship/protégé program, where our larger suppliers partner with smaller suppliers to help build capacity and scale.

Thinking further into the future, what is your hope for Supplier Diversity at UVA?

With the confluence of leadership, resources, commitment, and opportunity, the future is bright. However, some heavy lifting lies ahead. We need to achieve a level of sustainability where are supplier diversity policies, processes, and practices are so deeply ingrained that they become habitual. My vision is based on what’s right for the University. Yes, there is a Commonwealth SWaM spend goal, but our focus should be on doing the things that help grow our program and strengthen the economic impact within our local community.

Your work has taken you to Texas and Georgia in recent years; how do you feel about this next phase of your journey?

It’s good to be back in Virginia and I look forward to engaging with the Charlottesville community. I’ve completed about 95% of my doctoral program in supply chain and logistics, and I look forward to using my newly found “free” time. You can’t build an impactful supplier diversity program within a standard workday. You must meet the supplier community where they are. I’m excited to see some basketball games – Coach Bennett is exceptional. Beyond that, I’ll be doing some landscaping and tackling whatever projects my wife dreams up.

Read more on the blog about the good things happening in Supplier Diversity 

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Tuesday, January 18, 2022

2021 W-2s are available online

2021 W-2 forms are available now in Workday:  Just click the "My Pay" icon, then choose "My Tax Documents." 

If you did not opt-in for an electronic copy, your paper W-2 will be mailed before January 31.  Here's how to opt-in for an electronic W-2 for the future.

Questions?  Contact payroll@virginia.edu

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Thursday, January 13, 2022

FST Update January 13, 2022

Happy New Year!


Training 

We’ve been gathering information on new roles and processes along with reporting and analytics, technology, and policy. That information is guiding tailored training that will be available in May and June of 2022. Users can take a self-paced training in May or wait for live instructor-guided training available in June. Some personnel may want to take both trainings. The training will be tailored specifically for roles and help address questions we've collected throughout the process thus far.

Read more about training in this blog article.

Testing

End-to-end testing continues.  The team was thrown for a bit of a loop what with our snowy start to 2022 and all the power outages it brought with it, but they’re working hard to catch up and also preparing for User Experience Review.  In March, they’ll be working with our Change Leaders across UVA to identify folks who can take the system for a test drive.

Read an E2E testing update on the blog.

Reporting & Analytics

We’ve shared before how UBI would still be around after the implementation of Workday Financials, but recently Mark Anderson clarified that after working with their reporting and analytics focus groups from across Grounds, the team has determined that UBI’s role in the future state will be larger than previously expected.  We’re not moving away from Workday Financials reporting but the team is planning on taking advantage of some of the capability UBI has to make for a better experience after go live.  

Foundation Data Model (FDM)

Mappers from schools and units are meeting weekly and attending office hours as well, to work through the twists and turns of converting the PTAO to the FDM.  We’ve built up quite a bank of resources and news in the online community about this topic.  Visit the resources on the FDM Resource Page and catch up with the weekly FDM Bulletin.

Business Terms site Launches

Building upon the financial glossaries and Workday Words working documents we began with early on in the project, our business intelligence team has put together a new Business Terms website available for all.  You can find definitions to frequently-used terminology on the site, and you can submit a request for definitions, too.

Read more on the blog and visit the site.

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Five Things to Know about FST: January 13, 2022

 



1.  Training:  Self-paced training for Workday Financials will be available in May, and shortly afterward, instructor-guided training will roll out. Read more about training on the blog.

2.  Testing: End-to-End testing continues, and the testing team is prepping to work with Change Leaders in schools and units to roll out User Experience testing in March.  Visit the Testing Tracker.

3.  Reporting & Analytics: UBI will still be used in the future state, especially regarding managerial reporting.  We'll still use Workday Financials reporting, but UBI will supplement. 

4.  Online  Finance Terms dictionary: As transformation continues, it's important that we all speak the same language.  To that end, we're pleased to unveil the Business Terms Site.  Read more and get the link to the site.

5.  Chart of Accounts: Schools and units continue their FDM mapping work as we move toward Go-Live of Workday Financials on July 1, 2022.  Visit the FDM Resource page in the Online Community.

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FST Update January 13, 2022

Happy New Year!


Training 

We’ve been gathering information on new roles and processes along with reporting and analytics, technology, and policy. That information is guiding tailored training that will be available in May and June of 2022. Users can take a self-paced training in May or wait for live instructor-guided training available in June. Some personnel may want to take both trainings. The training will be tailored specifically for roles and help address questions we've collected throughout the process thus far.

Read more about training in this blog article.

Testing

End-to-end testing continues.  The team was thrown for a bit of a loop what with our snowy start to 2022 and all the power outages it brought with it, but they’re working hard to catch up and also preparing for User Experience Review.  In March, they’ll be working with our Change Leaders across UVA to identify folks who can take the system for a test drive.

Read an E2E testing update on the blog.

Reporting & Analytics

We’ve shared before how UBI would still be around after the implementation of Workday Financials, but recently Mark Anderson clarified that after working with their reporting and analytics focus groups from across Grounds, the team has determined that UBI’s role in the future state will be larger than previously expected.  We’re not moving away from Workday Financials reporting but the team is planning on taking advantage of some of the capability UBI has to make for a better experience after go live.  

Foundation Data Model (FDM)

Mappers from schools and units are meeting weekly and attending office hours as well, to work through the twists and turns of converting the PTAO to the FDM.  We’ve built up quite a bank of resources and news in the online community about this topic.  Visit the resources on the FDM Resource Page and catch up with the weekly FDM Bulletin.

Business Terms site Launches

Building upon the financial glossaries and Workday Words working documents we began with early on in the project, our business intelligence team has put together a new Business Terms website available for all.  You can find definitions to frequently-used terminology on the site, and you can submit a request for definitions, too.

Read more on the blog and visit the site.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2022

End-to-End Testing Remains a Priority

 


Just as End-to-End Cycle 3 ramped up, a snowstorm wiped out power for many of our team members. We are so glad that power has been restored and our team is safe and finally warm. Disruptions to work are expected and as we've demonstrated over the last few years, we can manage the challenges through open lines of communication and strong support. Testing has resumed and will remain a priority. The more bugs found and resolved now, the more smoothly go-live will run in July. Each week, testing metrics are updated here

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Gene Crouch takes on new role at George Mason University

As Gene Crouch approaches his last day at UVAFinance, he says that what he’ll miss most are the relationships and camaraderie with his colleagues. Thankfully, the UVAFinance team intends to keep those strong friendships alive and well as Gene transitions to becoming the Treasurer and Assistant Vice President of George Mason University’s first-ever Treasury Management Department.

In his new role, Gene will support treasury management operations with a focus on capital and operating financing strategies and planning. He will provide expert oversight of day-to-day operating cash activities and he will also provide leadership for pension plan investment fund performance and of debt issuance and management.

A big undertaking that he is prepared for because of his keen ability to build new initiatives with lasting power even during complex restructuring.

Serving as the Director of Treasury at UVA and leading projects that have added significant value to the university, he says that taking on challenges has made his time with UVAFinance memorable.

Gene Crouch

“I was in the budget office during restructuring and was able to participate in building from the ground up,” he says. “With strong mentorship and a good team, I’ve benefitted from watching the university grow through projects like providing capital for the University Medical Center expansion and the John Paul Jones Area construction.”

For more than ten years, Gene has been a key part of managing the long-term debt portfolio, commercial paper issuance, and derivate activities, as well as day-to-day operations of the Internal Bank.

“When Gene joined Treasury, the Internal Bank was relatively new with a debt portfolio of barely $1B and a handful of internal loans,” says Julie Richardson, University Treasurer. “Gene’s efforts helped develop the Bank to one that is modeled throughout higher ed, with almost 100 internal loans, and over $3.2B of capitalization, generated by multiple record-setting transactions. It’s been an honor to work along-side Gene to create something truly amazing. Though I’ll miss working with Gene, I know he will go on to do great things for GMU also!”

Gene’s commitment to UVA, expertise, and daily presence as part of UVAFinance’s mission will be greatly missed. You are invited to share well wishes with him here.

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Training Update

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As we move closer to go-live with Workday Financials, we understand that there is much anticipation of new roles and processes. We are continuing to gather information on those roles along with reporting and analytics, technology, and policy. That information is guiding tailored training that will be available in May and June of 2022. 

Role-based training will be required before users can work in the system. The training will emphasize more than just function, it will delve into the when and why, giving users a good understanding of their roles and impact on university business processes. Users can take a self-paced training in May or wait for live instructor-guided training available in June. Some personnel may want to take both trainings. The training will be tailored specifically for roles and help address questions we've collected throughout the process thus far. Speaking of questions, please reach out any time with yours: vpf-training@virginia.edu.




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Mair and Marbury Honored: Promoting the Great and Good

The Leonard Sandridge Awards are the highest honors the University gives to its employees. Each year, selections are made based on the work the nominees do to make the lives of students, faculty, staff and patients not just easier in their spheres of influence, but better overall. The recent awardees include two UVAFinance team members Jacob Mair, financial accounting and reporting analyst, and Patty Marbury, finance director of training and development. Our team is fortunate to know first-hand the influence these dedicated team members have on living out UVA’s aim of being “great and good.”

Jacob, with UVAFinance for almost four years, prepares the audited financial statements, overseeing year-end close procedures, ensuring adoption on all new accounting rules and coordinating with both the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Commonwealth Department of Accounts and its sub-systems and has taken a lead role in the Finance Strategic Transformation project.

According to Nicole Ferretti, FST financial lead, “Whether it is leading an effort that involves cross-functional collaboration, drilling into complex financial principles, or sitting with our stakeholders over countless Zooms and in-person sessions, Jacob is always willing to go the extra mile to get everyone across Grounds comfortable with how our financials will look in future state. He never backs down from a challenge and, as you can imagine, there are always a few to go around when it comes to FST.”

Always focused and dedicated, Jacob didn’t even consider he would be recognized for his incredible contributions.

“I was surprised to be notified of the award,” he says. “I am honored someone would even consider nominating me; many others deserved it just as much as I did.”

Jacob Mair

Of his role with FST he says, “The project is challenging and massive in terms of scope and the options Workday makes available to us. This change will impact the everyday work with do in UVAFinance and for the university as a whole, it will certainly impact most internal and external financial reports that are available and produced.”

Patty oversees programs to enable the University community to understand and navigate the complex financial environment. She serves as the training and development expert on the FST project’s Change Management workstream

“Over the past 20 years, Patty has made many meaningful contributions, but her performance across multiple dimensions in 2021 has truly distinguished her,” wrote nominator William L. Ashby, associate vice president for financial strategy.

Patty Marbury

In addition to the dynamic initiatives she manages, Patty leads the Inclusive Excellence Committee and has brought in recruitment training and organized dynamic discussions and a book group.

“Leading the Inclusive Excellence team has been both a challenge and an honor, She says. “The most meaningful part is developing relationships with the people I’ve been working with on the team, especially our group who plan the bi-weekly Sprint discussions. We’ve had deep and honest discussions and have become close friends. Inclusive Excellence has benefited UVAFinance in that we’re working on making diversity, equity, and inclusion a part of who we are, not just another initiative. My hope is that we continue to work toward creating a culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued, and who, like me, want to stay at UVA.”

No one on the UVAFinance team is surprised to learn of Patty’s recent honor but she was, “I was completely surprised! I am truly honored. I’m so grateful to my manager, colleagues, and especially my team. Without them, I would not have been able to do the work I do for which I’m being honored. They are exceptional people.”

Read more about the UVA Leonard Sandridge awards here.


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Tuesday, January 11, 2022

You're Invited: First Sprint Discussion of 2022

The Equity Action Team is excited to come together next week to discuss the most recent podcast episode of “This American life: Talking While Black”. In this episode, Emanuele Berry looks back on how the Summer of 2020 “racial reckoning” that garnered so much support and solidarity has transitioned to backlash and resistance in 2021.

Berry sums it up best, “The line of what's acceptable to say about race and racism in America, it moved. It's as though we were having one argument, and then the terms changed. And that shift has left many Black people exposed and vulnerable and living with those consequences.”

The podcast shows just two of the many stories of people trying to navigate this changing landscape and their responses to it. Please join us as we discuss this and the climate that we find ourselves in as a community.

Please try to listen to the podcast prior to the next SPRINT.  It is not required but will aid in the discussion of specific scenarios brought up in the podcast. It is just under an hour long and can be accessed in various ways.

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Future State Townhall Event

On Wednesday, January 12, UVAFinance leadership, in partnership with UVAHR, held a Workday Financials Support Recruiting Townhall to provide more information and answer questions about post-production support group positions and the recruiting process.

The video of the session and slide presentation are available online here: https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/workday-financials-support-recruiting-townhall 


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UVA Business Terms online dictionary launched

The Business Intelligence Team has launched a dictionary of business terms in an effort to have all of UVA "speak the same language" when it comes to doing business at UVA.  Moving forward, the Business Terms site will be the source of truth on the meaning of business terminology.  

Think of it as UVA's Rosetta Stone, ensuring common understanding. 

The site is currently populated with several pages of searchable definitions (from "Accounting Date" to "Working Budget") and users can request a definition via a form on the site.  

Mark Anderson, Director of Business Intelligence and one of the leaders of this effort, stresses that although UVAFinance is hosting the site, the dictionary itself belongs to all of UVA and is a collaborative effort based on input from all stakeholders.

"Just like any language is a living and growing thing, we expect that the terms available in this online dictionary will grow and change with UVA as we move through Finance Transformation and past it," says Anderson.

Visit UVA Business Terms Site

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Monday, January 10, 2022

UVA Annual Financial Report Available

UVA's Annual Financial Report is available online.  

Visit the Financial Reporting & Operations site to access the report and view an archive of past reports

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Related:  The Annual Financial Report is a Continuous Improvement Story. Read more on the blog.

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Announcing the UVAFinance Equity Action Team

As 2022 begins, so does a new group of UVAFinance team members on the Equity Action Team, a working group that is part of the broader Inclusive Excellence Committee.  The team consists of one representative from each of the major UVAFinance departments, plus at large representatives and ex-officio roles.  The team will work together to meet the objectives outlined in UVAFinance's Inclusive Excellence Plan and to engage with UVAFinance staff on DEI strategies, as well as making recommendations and providing feedback to the leadership team. 

UVAFinance has also formed a group of Sprint Coaches to select topics for, identify background materials for, and facilitate our bi-weekly Sprint Conversations.  


There are still open spots in the Sprint Coaching group.  If you would like to serve, contact Patty Marbury.


Membership & Corresponding Teams

Chair, Patty Marbury; Executive Sponsor, Melody Bianchetto; SWaM Director, Mark Cartwright; External to UVAFinance Rep, LaVerne Harris-Grant; Procurement, Zachary Jackson; Financial Reporting, Tim Lingo; Payroll, LeTricia Mathis; Engagement, Brandi Van Ormer; Financial Planning & Analysis, Rafa Kouki; Treasury, TBD; FST, Phil Hamlett; At Large, ToShun Campbell and James Cobb.

Initial Sprint Coaching Staff

ToShun Campbell, Patty Marbury, LaVerne Harris-Grant, Brandi Van Ormer, Mohammed AlKaisy, James Cobb

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