FST Updates: May 26, 2022

 

No time to read all the text? Check out Five things to Know about FST

Or listen in to WFST, the FST Radio News Broadcast

Workday Finance Training

Over 1000 folks have attended a Workday Finance training at this point.  Keep in mind that courses were designed for roles that have high-impact transactions in Workday, so not all security roles have required training.  If you go to the Workday Financials Training page on the website, you’ll see an overview of which roles have required training, which don’t, and what resources are available for all.  See also this quick reference guide on how to sign up for training in Workday Learning.

Read the full training update on the blog here. 

Cutover from Oracle to Workday

"Cutover" refers to a span of five days from June 29 over the Independence Day weekend where the FST Team executes the process of switching over from Oracle to Workday Financials. Now is the time for everyone in schools and units to review the business processes that will be affected by the cutover period.   It’s important that you consider what deadlines related to common business practices in Oracle will affect you and your team, and that you think about what your area needs to do to be ready and have what you need by the time the cutover is in full swing.  See the Cutover Resources page for all the deadlines.

Read about early Payroll deadlines - Review Cutover impacts on Sponsored Accounts - Read the full Cutover update

Fund Balances after Workday Finance Launch

The transition from Oracle to Workday means we’re going from a two-ledger system to a flat ledger system, and while that is great in the long run, it does mean that there’s a significant adjustment required. Right now, the FST team is working on converting the funds from Oracle to Workday at a high level.  After go-live, that high-level group of funds will need some intensive review by fiscal professionals in the schools and units to settle where those funds need to be specifically, using the new Foundation Model, which replaces the old Oracle PTAO.  It may take a couple of months post go-live for fund balances to get sorted out.  We know that work and spending go on, though – so know that Faculty and others will still be able to assess their fund balances, via UBI’s record of historical balances and an understanding of current spending.

Read the full Fund Balance Update here.

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Five Things to Know about FST: May 26, 2022

 

1.  Training, both instructor-led and on-demand, is ongoing between now and after the go-live of Workday.  Don't wait to get your training.  Visit the Workday Financials Training Resource page for information, schedules, and how-tos.

2. Cutover between Oracle and Workday Financials is quickly approaching (June 29 - July 4).  Many common business practices will be affected, including the areas of grants, HR, payroll, expenses, and more.  Review cutover deadlines and make preparations by visiting the Cutover Resources page.

3.  Fund balances will look different after Workday Financials launches.  The FST team is transferring them from Oracle over to Workday at a high level, but there will be a time of cleanup after go-live to get funds settled in the right (expected) places.   Want to know more?  Read this blog article.

4.  The launch of Workday Financials will impact payroll deadlines for the Medical Center, UPG, and the Academic Division.  Review the timelines and make plans now to address expected needs.

5.  The FST Team, including our training team, the Finance Solution Center, and more, are actively preparing a time of "hyper care" to support you during and after go-live, to help everyone adjust as we stabilize Workday Financials.  We look forward to sharing more about this as the July 5 launch date approaches.

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How do I see my funds after Workday Financials goes live?

When Workday Financials goes live on July 5, the fund balances you see in the new system will require some clean-up (read this previous blog post for a rundown of how things will look at go-live).  

As you might know, the transition from Oracle to Workday means we're going from a two-ledger system to a flat ledger system, and while that is better for UVA in the long run, it does mean there's an intensive adjustment required. 

As you read this, the FST team is working on converting the funds from Oracle to Workday at a high level.  In the weeks and months after go-live, fiscal professionals in your school or unit will be working to settle that high-level pool of funds where they need to be, using the new Foundation Data Model (FDM), which replaces the old Oracle PTAO.  

What if you need to know fund balances during that post-go-live transition time when balances are still being sorted out?  

The good news is that UBI is still a part of our future state, so you can check your historical balance there.  That, coupled with your understanding of your recent spending, should give you a solid idea of where your funds stand as your local team sorts out the FDM worktags on the funds in Workday.

Preparation for the process of realignment could take up to two months after Workday Financials launches.  Please be patient as your team does this important and detailed work. They are learning the new system, too -- and within a short time, we are all going to reap the benefits of the massive effort we've put in as we enjoy the flexibility and insight that a modern financial system gives us. 

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Read previous coverage of the GLfund balance realignment on the blog

Cutover Impact: No Sponsored Account Set Up for June 10-July 4

The University is upgrading its financial system from Oracle to Workday Financials on July 1, 2022. How will the transition impact sponsored account setup?

• The creation of new or modification of existing Oracle sponsored accounts will suspend on June 10. 
• The creation of new and modification of existing sponsored accounts will begin in Workday on July 5.
• OSP and your local research administrators are working intensely to process as many actions as possible before June 10.
• We strongly recommend that you submit requests for:
• At-risk accounts for new awards that likely will not get processed but have start dates before July 5, and
• At-risk extensions for awards that will expire between June 10 and July 5.
• To expedite processing, ensure that all of your required compliance training and disclosures (COI, External Activities, Undue Foreign Influence, etc.) are current.
• To help with the transition, please assist with your administrator’s efforts to close old accounts and complete all recons.

Should you have questions, please reach out to your unit’s research administrators or email osp-help@virginia.edu.

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Read more about Cutover on the blog.

Visit the FST Cutover Resources page.

Adaptive Planning Considerations as Cutover Nears

As we get closer to the launch of Workday Financials, don't forget that Adaptive Planning 3.0 will go live at the same time!  Adaptive 3.0 is the version of Workday's budgeting software that will integrate with Workday Financials.

Some new things folks will notice about Adaptive 3.0 as opposed to previous versions include: 

• reference data from the HR side of the Workday platform to inform budgeting
• the ability to balance transfers across UVA based on each area's input sheet
• Multi-year Financial planning and model scenarios
• Three compensation input sheets (faculty, staff, wage)
• Option of budgeting at the Month level
• Option for collecting internal request information for compensation and non-compensation
• and more!

If you'd like to see a preview of how Adaptive Planning will function, check out this demonstration in the Online Community.

And just as we consider what we'll need to plan for before, during, and after cutover from Oracle to Workday, there are also some considerations UVA budget folks might want to keep in mind after Adaptive 3.0 goes live in late July:

• You'll need to add the "Transfer To/From Cost Center" and ensure that all transfers in/out are budgeted if known
• Updates to the budget will need to be made to reflect the new, more granular cost codes
• You'll need to review the initial conversion of Employee to position and update your budget as necessary for the correct Workday positions by employee
• You might need to update Function
• If a One to Many relationship in the current state prevents you mapping to FDM prior to the Freeze, you'll need to update that after go-live
• Units should maintain a list of changes since the submission of the original budget. After stabilization post-go-live, adaptive will remain open with snapshots taken throughout the year; no changes made after a snapshot is taken will be included in that snapshot.

The Adaptive Team and everyone who's been involved in the piloting, testing, and review processes are pretty excited about the functionality our new budgeting software provides already, and we're looking forward to sharing the "future state" version with you this July!

If you would like a one-on-one consultation about Adaptive Planning, please email askfinance@virginia.edu.

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View FST's Cutover Resources page 

Cutover from Oracle to Workday Financials

As the launch of Workday Financials approaches, you hear the word "cutover" frequently, referring to the switch from Oracle to Workday.  The term sounds short and sweet, but the process is several days long.  Starting June 29 and running through the Independence Day weekend, cutover from Oracle to Workday Financials will take five days. The end result is that we come back from our holiday weekend to a brand-new, cloud-based financial system (hopefully with few fireworks!).

Now is the time to review the business processes affected by the cutover period.  The FST Team has assembled pre-and-post go-live resources to assist you. 

May:  Preparation

Review checklists for work areas like payroll, expense, grants, and more.  Think about what your area needs to do to be ready and have what you need by the time the cutover is in full swing.  Review the May resource page. 

June:  Deadlines

Take a look at the deadlines for cutover; you can sort the chart by area.  Consider what deadlines related to common business practices in Oracle will affect you and your team.  Review the June resource page. 

July:  Clean-Up

Review the checklists related to clean-up post-go-live (we'll be adding to these resources in the coming days).  Think about what activities you'll need to plan for once Workday Finance has launched. Review the July resource page. 

Questions?  Concerns?  Reach out to us at askfinance@virginia.edu - we're happy to help!

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Related Resources:  Workday Finance Cutover and Entering Time for Payroll

SRN: Readiness to Launch

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

The network continues to provide participants to share information, documentation, tools, and best practices necessary for effective system remediation. Now in the Readiness phase, SRN participants are preparing for Cutover and the launch of Workday Financials. Pertinent details will continue to be included on the Cutover Site.

Rylee Wiley Joins the Workday Finance and Data Support Team

Rylee and her husband in France

Rylee Wiley recently joined UVAFinance's Workday Finance and Data Support Team. She says she was “excited to hear about UVA’s  implementation of Workday Financials” and knew she wanted to be part of that implementation process.

As a Workday Financials Architect on the Data Support Team, Wiley will interact with various people involved with Workday, including architects, analysts, subject matter experts, and end-users.

Though still new, she says she is excited about the responsibilities and   opportunities related to her role.

Wiley is particularly excited about the people with whom she gets to work. The Data Support Team, led by Director Sue Clements, includes several people familiar with UVA and FST. Wiley, however, is one of two people from outside UVA to join Sue Clements’ Team. Both Wiley and fellow member Mandy Eames (Senior Architect) came to UVAFinance from the Nevada System of Higher
Education.

“The opportunity arose to be part of this community while continuing to work with an awesome previous coworker of mine, and that was difficult for me to pass up,” she says.

She spends most of her time outside of work with her husband and two dogs, Cooper and Rocky. Wiley and her husband enjoy traveling, kayaking, and camping and have recently taken up Disc Golfing. Also, they occasionally like to off-road race in her husband’s vintage class 10 car.

Chailey Nyssen joins Procurement as Travel & Expense Programs Analyst

Chailey and son, William

After living in Australia for six years, Chailey Nyssen knows a thing or two about travel. That combined with her background in finance, travel planning, and customer service, made her the perfect person to join UVAFinance as the new Travel & Expense Programs Analyst. She was also attracted to the role because she “admires UVA as an institution and as a central part of our community.”

As Travel & Expense Programs Analyst, Nyssen is part of the Travel and Business Operations Team within Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services. She will be working closely with the rest of the Travel and Business Operations Team: Connie Alexander, Danae Polemi, Jenny Godden, Anders Coe, and Team Lead Raegan Harouff Gaye.

“I’m really enjoying it so far!” Nyssen says. “I’m still learning a lot of processes and am excited to really dig in and get to work. My team is amazing, and I’m so pleased to work with them.”

Nyssen describes who she is outside of work as “mostly a mom” who loves spending lots of time with her 8-year-old son, William. She also enjoys trying to improve her acoustic guitar skills, spending time with her friends, and watching shows and movies.

Chailey Nyssen joins Procurement as Travel & Expense Programs Analyst

Chailey and son, William

After living in Australia for six years, Chailey Nyssen knows a thing or two about travel. That combined with her background in finance, travel planning, and customer service, made her the perfect person to join UVAFinance as the new Travel & Expense Programs Analyst. She was also attracted to the role because she “admires UVA as an institution and as a central part of our community.”

As Travel & Expense Programs Analyst, Nyssen is part of the Travel and Business Operations Team within Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services. She will be working closely with the rest of the Travel and Business Operations Team: Connie Alexander, Danae Polemi, Jenny Godden, Anders Coe, and Team Lead Raegan Harouff Gaye.

“I’m really enjoying it so far!” Nyssen says. “I’m still learning a lot of processes and am excited to really dig in and get to work. My team is amazing, and I’m so pleased to work with them.”

Nyssen describes who she is outside of work as “mostly a mom” who loves spending lots of time with her 8-year-old son, William. She also enjoys trying to improve her acoustic guitar skills, spending time with her friends, and watching shows and movies.

Wellness Resources May 26, 2022

 

FEAP Resources

MANAGE NEGATIVE AND ANXIOUS THOUGHT PATTERNS
In this Hoos Well reward-eligible webinar, you will learn top strategies from Bethany Teachman, UVA Psychology Professor and Director of Clinical Training, on managing negative and anxious thoughts so they don’t become so overwhelming. We will also discuss how to look at situations from different perspectives and generate alternative ways of thinking about situations.
Register for the June 30 webinar

CONNECT FOR SUPPORT - EMPLOYEES & MANAGERS
Join a 30-minute drop-in session to check in with colleagues, share strategies for challenges you are facing, and discover resources available to help.
Sessions occur the second Tuesday of each month

EXPERIENCE FEAP'S 21 WAYS IN 21 DAYS TO REST AND RESTORE
FEAP invites you to take care of yourself in a new and accessible way. Many people are so keenly tuned into others, their own needs are often overlooked. In a few brief minutes each day, this program will remind you and encourage you to attend to your own needs kindly every day as well as guide you through a series of effective strategies to do just that. The goal of this program is to help you rest and restore your own energy tank in the midst of everything else that you do. Read more and register.

Don't forget Yoga in UVAFinance

Read more here!

Training Update

Contributed by Patty Marbury

Training for Workday Financials is in full swing.  By the time you read this, over 1000 users will have attended an instructor-led or self-paced course and gotten the training they need to do their jobs when the system goes live on July 5, 2022.  

See training calendars and more on the Workday Financials Training page

Training courses were designed for those roles that execute high-impact transactions in Workday and/or roles that have large numbers of people assigned to them. Not all roles have required or formal training. We've put together a Security Role and Training Overview to go over which roles have required training, which don't, and what resources are available for all. You can access this resource at the website linked above, or via this direct link.

It's good to bookmark the Workday Financials Training page, as it contains many helpful resources, and all learning materials associated with the courses will be posted there by mid-June.  

Training will continue through go-live and after, but don't wait to complete your training.  Here are some other actions besides training that you can take to get  ready for Workday Financials: 

• Review FST Friday Materials, posted on the FST Resources page (scroll to the bottom).  You can also access this Q/A document from the sessions.
• Get familiar with Workday Digital Assist, which offers on-screen guidance and step-by-step assistance in real-time.
• Review the relevant QRGs (Quick Reference Guides) related to the things you'll do in Workday (QRGs are located at the bottom of the page).
• Check out the Security Roles: Day in the Life Summaries to learn more about what different roles do in Workday. 

Need guidance signing up for training in Workday?  There's a QRG for that!  You're also welcome to reach out to askfinance@virginia.edu -- we are happy to help make sure you get the training you need to be ready on July 5!

Workday Finance Cutover & Entering Time for Payroll

Workday Financials launches July 5, 2022, a little over a month from now.  Between now and then, both the FST project team and finance personnel in schools and units will be working carefully on the process of cutover from Oracle to Workday. 

You can find all cutover deadlines here.

UVA Payroll will of course ensure that all employees are paid during the cutover, but deadlines for time entry will be earlier than usual.

Medical Center & UPG bi-weekly payroll

• Deadlines for the MC/UPG bi-weekly payroll 07/01 check date, must be adhered to.
• The week of 6/27, the Payroll Department will be unable to process any late timecards or manual adjustments. We are completing the 7/1 payroll in a single day.
• Any missed time will be processed on the next regular payroll.
• Off-cycle payments will not process until the week of 07/11.

Academic Division bi-weekly payroll

• For the Academic Division's bi-weekly pay period end 7/3 (check date 07/08), all standard time entry deadlines will be followed. Employees should enter all hours by the end of their last day worked in the pay period and submit their time for approval.
• The week of July 4, Payroll will be unable to process any late timecards or adjustments.
• Any missed time will be processed on the next regular payroll.
• Off-cycle payments will not process until the week of 07/11

Please note these timelines and make plans now to address any expected needs as soon as possible.  To see all payroll calendars, visit the UVA Payroll website.  

Five Things to Know about FST: May 12, 2022

 

1. Workday Finance Training is taking place now; make plans to get training completed for you and your team before go-live.  Instructor-led and self-paced options are available.  If you have any questions about your training, reach out to askfinance@virginia.edu

2.  Now is the time to plan for Cutover Deadlines.  Visit our Cutover Resources page to view the deadlines and get more info about what you can do now to prepare for the shift from Oracle to Workday Finance.

3.  FST Friday recordings are available, including a new demo of reporting in Workday Finance.  Check them all out on the FST website (scroll to the bottom of the list of resources).

4.  Future State Finance Considerations:  the FST Team is working with schools and units on Fund balance realignment (shifting funds from Oracle, which is a 2-ledger, to Workday Finance, which is a flat ledger) and fund balance ownership (a new way of seeing budgets vs. actuals).  

5. Workday Finance goes live July 5, 2022!  But wait!?  Didn't we say July 1 was the date?  July 1 is the day things begin to happen with go-live, but July 5 is the first day for you as a stakeholder to get into the new system.  

Click image for a larger view

FST Updates: May 12, 2022

No time to read all the text? Check out Five things to Know about FST

Or listen in to WFST, the FST Radio News Broadcast

Workday Finance Training 

At this point, folks have been assigned their security roles within Workday Financials and know what training they need to take.  The training team has been holding instructor-led sessions on Zoom for weeks, and we have a selection of web-based, self-paced training you can take advantage of, too. 

In the instructor-led classes, you can ask questions, and do hands-on exercises to get yourself familiar with the system, and in those web-based courses, you’ll see demonstrations and you can share questions with our Finance Solution Center at askfinance@virginia.edu  

Read this week's full training update on the blog.

Cutover from Oracle to Workday:  Mind the Deadlines

Cutover is a complicated thing!  There are dates at which some functions cease in Oracle, to be picked back up when Workday Financials goes live.  Because there are so many areas of work to consider, we’ve built a whole section of the FST website dedicated to cutover to help you plan for the deadlines and prepare so things move as smoothly as possible for you and your team.  We're adding to the Cutover Resource page regularly.   You’ll notice when you visit the site that we’ve broken things down into the months of May, June, and July.  May walks you through things you need to do to prepare for the cutover, June gives you all the various deadlines to note, and July gives some post-go live cleanup information you’ll need to know.

Read the full cutover update on the blog.

FST Friday Recordings and Materials are Available

The recordings and materials from all of our FST Fridays sessions are posted on the FST part of the UVAFinance website (scroll through the list of resources to find them).  In that section, you’ll also find the demonstration of reporting that Mark Anderson did for Fiscal Administrators in the first week in May.

Read the full update on the blog.

Future State Finance Considerations

Fund balance ownership:  In the future state, you’ll see funds in actuals that didn’t appear there in the past, as they were only managed through budget allocations.  IN this new way of doing things, it will be much clearer who owns the funds, and they’ll show up in any fund balance reports you run. 

Read the full update on fund balance ownership on the blog (link to video resources as well)

Fund balance realignment: The conversion to Workday Financials from Oracle means that we’re going from a 2-ledger system where we have GA and GL, to a flat ledger system, where we just have GL.  This definitely makes things easier for us, but it does mean there will be some data clean-up after your funds transition from Oracle to Workday. Units are preparing for fund balance realignment to take place in the first two months of the fiscal year – which means that fund balances in Workday will be changing while the realignment takes place.  During this time, we won’t have access to detailed balances or budgets, but there are workarounds and bridges in place to get us through this time.

Read the full fund balance realignment update on the blog

Click image for a larger view

 

FST Updates: May 12, 2022

No time to read all the text? Check out Five things to Know about FST

Or listen in to WFST, the FST Radio News Broadcast

Workday Finance Training 

At this point, folks have been assigned their security roles within Workday Financials and know what training they need to take.  The training team has been holding instructor-led sessions on Zoom for weeks, and we have a selection of web-based, self-paced training you can take advantage of, too. 

In the instructor-led classes, you can ask questions, and do hands-on exercises to get yourself familiar with the system, and in those web-based courses, you’ll see demonstrations and you can share questions with our Finance Solution Center at askfinance@virginia.edu  

Read this week's full training update on the blog.

Cutover from Oracle to Workday:  Mind the Deadlines

Cutover is a complicated thing!  There are dates at which some functions cease in Oracle, to be picked back up when Workday Financials goes live.  Because there are so many areas of work to consider, we’ve built a whole section of the FST website dedicated to cutover to help you plan for the deadlines and prepare so things move as smoothly as possible for you and your team.  We're adding to the Cutover Resource page regularly.   You’ll notice when you visit the site that we’ve broken things down into the months of May, June, and July.  May walks you through things you need to do to prepare for the cutover, June gives you all the various deadlines to note, and July gives some post-go live cleanup information you’ll need to know.

Read the full cutover update on the blog.

FST Friday Recordings and Materials are Available

The recordings and materials from all of our FST Fridays sessions are posted on the FST part of the UVAFinance website (scroll through the list of resources to find them).  In that section, you’ll also find the demonstration of reporting that Mark Anderson did for Fiscal Administrators in the first week in May.

Read the full update on the blog.

Future State Finance Considerations

Fund balance ownership:  In the future state, you’ll see funds in actuals that didn’t appear there in the past, as they were only managed through budget allocations.  IN this new way of doing things, it will be much clearer who owns the funds, and they’ll show up in any fund balance reports you run. 

Read the full update on fund balance ownership on the blog (link to video resources as well)

Fund balance realignment: The conversion to Workday Financials from Oracle means that we’re going from a 2-ledger system where we have GA and GL, to a flat ledger system, where we just have GL.  This definitely makes things easier for us, but it does mean there will be some data clean-up after your funds transition from Oracle to Workday. Units are preparing for fund balance realignment to take place in the first two months of the fiscal year – which means that fund balances in Workday will be changing while the realignment takes place.  During this time, we won’t have access to detailed balances or budgets, but there are workarounds and bridges in place to get us through this time.

Read the full fund balance realignment update on the blog

Click image for a larger view

 

UVAFinance Spring Fling 2022

Spring on Grounds: sun shining, flowers blooming, birds singing and the UVAFinance team gathering in-person. 

April 26 was a great day for our team to celebrate progress, review goals, and further focus on the upcoming Workday Financials go-live. The team learned more about Workday support, FST projects, among other priorities and also got the chance to connect in person. Complete with food trucks, Cav Man, and remarks from UVA President Jim Ryan - it was a fun day.

The Fall Fling/All Staff Meeting will be on Sept. 29 and we look forward to it!

Talk about focus! We're ready!

Our team keeps each other motivated.
We love all the kind words shared among colleagues.

There is no doubt our upcoming go-live will have excellent support before, during, and beyond.
What a great panel session!

We have such supportive leadership!
Many thanks to Melody and Jim for continuing to motivate us. 

Is it a party if Cav Man doesn't make an appearance?

FST Fridays: Final Stats

In April, the FST Change Team held six FST Friday sessions that offered stakeholders an early glimpse of some financial transactions in Workday. 

Over 1,265 participants attended these sessions which focused on the Foundation Data Model, Employee as Self, and Procurement. In addition to topic-specific information, each session also featured an overview of the FST project, the benefits of switching to Workday, and live transaction demos. 

FST Fridays received an overall positive response. Here's what a few people had to say about the sessions: 

      

If you weren't able to attend a session live, or would just like to review what you saw in a live session, you can find all session recordings and slides on the UVAFinance FST Resource page (scroll all the way to the bottom of the page).  You can also check out the bonus FST Friday session held on May 6 -- an overview of reporting capabilities in Workday Finance!

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Ready to start training now that FST Fridays are over? Click here to read more about training on the blog!

Tim Welsh Joins the UVAFinance Team

Tim Welsh has joined UVAFinance as Senior Contract Negotiator and has already noticed one of the best parts of being a part of the team is the diversity of the work and the supportive environment.

His new role according to Welsh, ". . . in a nutshell, means I’m reviewing and helping in the preparation and negotiation of complex (multi-year procurements for the sourcing of enterprise-wide goods and services as required by Academic departments) procurement documents and agreements."

Tim Welsh (left) and family

Part of that review and drafting includes determining if and when to bring in senior management or the Office of University Counsel. Welsh is also part of the effort to standardize and streamline the procurement process, which includes updating processes, documents and so on that are used on a daily basis.

Prior to joining UVA, Welsh was Senior Counsel for Fiserv, a global financial services company for nine years and a practicing attorney for over 25 years, primarily in corporate work and also trying cases at the federal court level.

"While there are many similarities in the work I’m doing, and will be doing, when compared to my previous experiences, this is the first time I’ve worked in higher education and for a state entity," he says. " I’ve found there is a learning curve involved, particularly concerning the open-book policy of UVA when compared to the efforts of private companies to keep everything confidential."

Thus far, Welsh especially enjoy two things about being a part of UVAFinance—the people and the scope of the work.

"I’ve found, without exception, that the people I’ve had an opportunity to work with, particularly those whom I work with regularly, are incredibly smart and talented, while also being kind and engaging," he says. "As to the work, I’m finding it much more diverse and interesting than some of what I was doing as part of a corporate legal team. Rather than dealing with a limited scope of products or services, I’m getting the opportunity to work on something different nearly every day. It's challenging and, as I mentioned, I have a lot to learn, but its also very enjoyable."

Welsh's favorite activity, though curtailed lately, is travel. He also enjoys spending a lot of time with his kids. "They’re all starting to leave the nest, so I’m enjoying it while I can!"

 

Tim Welsh Joins the UVAFinance Team

Tim Welsh has joined UVAFinance as Senior Contract Negotiator and has already noticed one of the best parts of being a part of the team is the diversity of the work and the supportive environment.

His new role according to Welsh, ". . . in a nutshell, means I’m reviewing and helping in the preparation and negotiation of complex (multi-year procurements for the sourcing of enterprise-wide goods and services as required by Academic departments) procurement documents and agreements."

Tim Welsh (left) and family

Part of that review and drafting includes determining if and when to bring in senior management or the Office of University Counsel. Welsh is also part of the effort to standardize and streamline the procurement process, which includes updating processes, documents and so on that are used on a daily basis.

Prior to joining UVA, Welsh was Senior Counsel for Fiserv, a global financial services company for nine years and a practicing attorney for over 25 years, primarily in corporate work and also trying cases at the federal court level.

"While there are many similarities in the work I’m doing, and will be doing, when compared to my previous experiences, this is the first time I’ve worked in higher education and for a state entity," he says. " I’ve found there is a learning curve involved, particularly concerning the open-book policy of UVA when compared to the efforts of private companies to keep everything confidential."

Thus far, Welsh especially enjoy two things about being a part of UVAFinance—the people and the scope of the work.

"I’ve found, without exception, that the people I’ve had an opportunity to work with, particularly those whom I work with regularly, are incredibly smart and talented, while also being kind and engaging," he says. "As to the work, I’m finding it much more diverse and interesting than some of what I was doing as part of a corporate legal team. Rather than dealing with a limited scope of products or services, I’m getting the opportunity to work on something different nearly every day. It's challenging and, as I mentioned, I have a lot to learn, but its also very enjoyable."

Welsh's favorite activity, though curtailed lately, is travel. He also enjoys spending a lot of time with his kids. "They’re all starting to leave the nest, so I’m enjoying it while I can!"

 

UVAFinance Welcomes Susanna Huang to the Team

Susanna Huang is no stranger to working in higher education. Before joining UVAFinance, she worked as a Finance Analyst at the University of Notre Dame’s Procurement Services Office under the Finance Division. She supported the department with data analysis, forecasting, systems enhancement, and continuous improvement projects. The projects helped create a strategic sourcing methodology that streamlined the internal purchasing process.

Huang started a new chapter of her life in November 2021 at UVAFinance’s PSDS as a Business Systems Analyst. She provides functional support and stabilization to various university software, such as Jaggaer (Marketplace), PaymentWorks, Oracle, and Workday. She is also on the FST team, assisting with the test configuration of Workday, validating data conversions, and designing training documentation. She blends her interest in research and technology into everyday tasks.

Susanna Huang

“I am super lucky to be part of this large, vibrant team. With supportive team members, I hope to make a positive difference for our department and the university.” 

Huang is particularly impressed by the customer service-oriented and mission-driven mindset of the team.

“I hope everyone embraces the significant change from Oracle to Workday and sees it as an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of UVAFinance.”

Huang graduated from Mount Holyoke College in May 2017, majoring in Economics, and minoring in Business. Having lived in several states, she has a deep understanding of diversity and the distinct cultures of different regions. Her hobbies include listening to music, watching historical dramas, keeping up with world affairs, and going to the gym. She believes that continuous learning and improvement are crucial to staying ahead of the curve.

Artaga Carey joins UVAFinance, Provides Support to UREG and SFS

Artaga Carey has been a part of UVA for almost 17 years, bringing her institutional knowledge and experience to UVAFinance after working in Student Health and Wellness.

Artaga Carey

As an Administrative and Front Desk Assistant, Carey is expertly supporting the Carruthers' Student Financial Services and University Registrar teams.

She says any challenges she may face in her role will be overcome with the help of the teams she supports.

"The teams I work with are so gracious in explaining processes," Carey says of getting up to speed in her new role.

Her favorite part of her new role thus far is "everyone's willingness to help and the sense of community."

Outside of work, she is usually listening to music, hanging out with her little people, reading, and enjoying time with her friends and family.

 

Artaga Carey joins UVAFinance, Provides Support to UREG and SFS

Artaga Carey has been a part of UVA for almost 17 years, bringing her institutional knowledge and experience to UVAFinance after working in Student Health and Wellness.

Artaga Carey

As an Administrative and Front Desk Assistant, Carey is expertly supporting the Carruthers' Student Financial Services and University Registrar teams.

She says any challenges she may face in her role will be overcome with the help of the teams she supports.

"The teams I work with are so gracious in explaining processes," Carey says of getting up to speed in her new role.

Her favorite part of her new role thus far is "everyone's willingness to help and the sense of community."

Outside of work, she is usually listening to music, hanging out with her little people, reading, and enjoying time with her friends and family.

 

Cutover: Preparation Checklists and Deadlines

May is the time to prepare for the cutover from Oracle to Workday Financials.  

Although the calendar says we still have forty-something days until launch, June 2022 contains many deadlines for common business processes to be completed in Oracle before the transition begins.  

We've put together Cutover Resources on the FST webpage to help you be aware of the deadlines and prepare for them as soon as possible.  

Here are some things to note when you visit the page: 

• The May 2022 Section focuses on preparation.  You'll find checklists for areas of work like payroll, expense, grants, and more. Use this section to think about what your area needs to do to be ready and have what you need by the time the cutover is in full swing.
• The June 2022 Section gives you the deadlines for each area of work.  We've built a chart of cutover deadlines that you can sort by area.
• The July 2022 Section shares checklists related to cleanup, after Workday Financials goes live.  

We ask that you please review these affected processes and start preparing so you can manage them appropriately before each process deadline. Many processes may take several weeks to administer, therefore they should be addressed now.

These resources have been and will be updated continually.  Questions or concerns?  Let us know by emailing askfinance@virginia.edu

A Note for New Folks

If this is the first time the UVAFinance blog digest has made its way into your inbox: hello and welcome!  

You may be wondering how you got on the mailing list.  The answer is related to Finance Strategic Transformation (the implementation of Workday Financials). You were added because you have a business role in Workday Financials.  

In the past, UVAFinance had no consistently reliable way of identifying folks across Grounds who did finance work and needed updates from central finance.  We sent the blog digest to those who worked with us in groups like Fiscal Administrators and Business Officers Council, and of course many opted in to the mailing list on their own.  

With the advent of Workday Finance, it's possible to identify those who are doing finance transactions across Grounds, and so we have added you to our mailing list.  The blog digest comes out every other week and has information related to all finance functions: procurement, financial reporting, budget, treasury, risk management, travel and expense, and more.  The news we share is pertinent to the job you do.

We're glad you're here!  If you have questions or concerns about finance news, the Workday Finance implementation, or anything else finance-related, please reach out to us at askfinance@virginia.edu -- we'll be happy to help!

Attention UVAFinance: Come to Yoga on Thursdays!

UVAFinance will be offering a Zoom yoga class (Yoga Flow) each Thursday, May 23 – July 30, from 12 - 12:45 pm. 

If you are back in the office and would like to participate, you are welcome to do so in Carr-2. To ensure we have enough space, please RSVP if you plan to attend in person, and don’t forget to bring your yoga mat!

Contact Carrie Crosby to RSVP and obtain the Zoom link and password.

Priscilla Slaughter Joins the FST Team as Administrative Support

Priscilla Slaughter

With go-live quickly approaching, the FST team is busier now than ever before. Luckily, the team also has more administrative help now than ever before because Priscilla Slaughter has recently joined the project as an Administrative Assistant.

Slaughter knew right away that being part of UVA and the FST team was for her. “[Everyone during the interview process] made me feel as though I fit right in,” she says.

After quickly learning her new responsibilities, Slaughter has already scheduled several meetings and helped with other important tasks. “When I first started, things were a little challenging,” she explains. “Until I learned more about FST and learned the system.”

As she is in an administrative role on the project, Slaughter interacts with many people throughout her day and supports the entirety of the FST team. However, she works most closely with Anthony Pearson, the other Administrative Assistant on the project (Jamie Wilson is also still providing administrative support part-time). She also works closely with Angela Knobloch, the Change Management Team Lead, and with the project’s PMO team members.

Slaughter is a mother of three and a grandmother of one. She loves to be outgoing, have fun, and joke around with her children, family, and friends. Several hobbies keep her busy outside of work, including cooking, baking, and writing poems. She also enjoys exercising every day, which she does through activities like taking on her son in basketball, bowling, playing pool, and miniature golf.

Glad to have you on the team, Priscilla!

Priscilla Slaughter Joins the FST Team as Administrative Support

Priscilla Slaughter

With go-live quickly approaching, the FST team is busier now than ever before. Luckily, the team also has more administrative help now than ever before because Priscilla Slaughter has recently joined the project as an Administrative Assistant.               

Slaughter knew right away that being part of UVA and the FST team was for her. “[Everyone during the interview process] made me feel as though I fit right in,” she says.

After quickly learning her new responsibilities, Slaughter has already scheduled several meetings and helped with other important tasks. “When I first started, things were a little challenging,” she explains. “Until I learned more about FST and learned the system.”

As she is in an administrative role on the project, Slaughter interacts with many people throughout her day and supports the entirety of the FST team. However, she works most closely with Anthony Pearson, the other Administrative Assistant on the project (Jamie Wilson is also still providing administrative support part-time). She also works closely with Angela Knobloch, the Change Management Team Lead, and with the project’s PMO team members.

Slaughter is a mother of three and a grandmother of one. She loves to be outgoing, have fun, and joke around with her children, family, and friends. Several hobbies keep her busy outside of work, including cooking, baking, and writing poems. She also enjoys exercising every day, which she does through activities like taking on her son in basketball, bowling, playing pool, and miniature golf.

Glad to have you on the team, Priscilla!