FST Update: July 29, 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

Adaptive Planning 3.0 is LIVE! 

Adaptive Planning is a Workday's budgeting tool, and we’ve been working with it at UVA since 2019 when a handful of schools did a pilot with the system.  Then the pandemic came along, and all of UVA adopted the tool to take advantage of its flexibility.  Now, just this week, we launched the version of Adaptive that interacts with Workday Financials, Adaptive 3.0.

Congratulations to the Adaptive Planning team and our partners across Grounds on this successful launch!

Read more on the Adaptive Launch

Workday Financials, Post-Launch

Workday Financials is live as of July 5.  There have been issues, adjustments, bumps, and snags, but all in all, the launch has gone pretty smoothly.  Our Finance Solution Center is working its way through your questions, the FST Team is resolving issues behind the scenes, and the training team is hosting drop-in office hours with our functional experts in attendance to answer questions and address issues.

Please refer to the Workday Financials training page to view August Office Hours schedules as well as several other resources that will help you now that you’re actually in the system doing your work – we’ve got links to the online training, training course slides, and quick reference guides, and even video demos from the training classes.

Remember that we’re tracking system updates, known issues, and other important news items related to FST on the UVAFinance website homepage – on the lefthand side of the page, you’ll see the FST News Ticker, as well as links to the system/status page where we share known issues.   

Related:  Resource Reminders for the Workday Financials Launch

Updates of Interest

Problems resolved, new processes taking effect, ongoing parts of the FST Project.

• The Vendor Invoice/Payment Status Lookup is back up!
• Account Certification begins on Monday, August 1
• Full Delivery Addresses are now in Workday Financials
• Fund Balance Realignment Process and Timeline
• Request-based Access for Workday Financials

Five Things to Know about FST: July 29, 2022

 

1.  Adaptive Planning 3.0 launched on July 28.  Adaptive, which is Workday's budgeting system, is one of the four key parts of FST.

2. Workday Financials has been live since July 5.  You can keep up with system issues and timely updates through the FST News Ticker on the UVAFinance home page. 

3. Support for Finance Strategic Transformation is everywhere!  Check out the Workday Finance Training page for training resources and office hours schedules, and contact askfinance@virginia.edu with your questions.

4. Security Role Requests for Workday Financials are now done within Workday.  To request access to a role, log into Workday and choose the "System Access Requests" application.

5.  Month End close deadlines are a little different this year, given the Workday Financials launch.  Be sure you're familiar with the details.

Account Certification starts August 1

It's time for another first in the world of Workday Financials, post-launch.  On Monday, August 1, the first Account Certifications in Workday will be pushed to Preparers.  

If you have an Account Certification role, you can begin preparing by ensuring you've completed the training required.   Visit the Workday Finance training page and view "Account Certification" for a direct link to the self-paced training, as well as quick reference guides, course slides, and video demonstrations. 

Many Account Certification Resources are available on the UVAFinance website.

The first Office Hours session focused on Account Certification is Monday, August 1 at 9:30, and it's the first of several scheduled in August.  Check out the Office Hours schedule and find the link to join here.

The Vendor Invoice/Payment Status Lookup is back in action!

Contributed by Anders Coe

We're pleased to share that the Vendor Invoice/Payment Status Lookup is available again, with a few key differences. 

Here are some things you should know:

1. The link has changed.  The Vendor Invoice/Payment Status Lookup can now be found through the UVAFinance Website. The portal to the Vendor Invoice/Payment Status Lookup will be the first option when you search “Invoice Status” from the UVAFinance Homepage.

2. Supplier Numbers have been updated. Communication has been sent out to Vendors regarding their new Supplier Numbers. Supplier Numbers can be confirmed by searching the Supplier in Workday, using “View Supplier.”

3. Information is still integrating.  It is possible that some of the information is not up-to-date or is not mapping over correctly. We appreciate your patience as we work to get everything up and running. If a Supplier reaches out to you, please direct them to AskFinance@Virginia.edu.  The most accurate information regarding their invoices can be found by viewing their Supplier Profile through “View Supplier” in Workday.

Full Delivery Addresses now available in Workday Financials

Over the past few days, the FST Team has implemented a solution to bring your Deliver-To location onto Purchase Orders.

We're happy to share that as of July 25th, all new Purchase Orders have your Deliver-To information listed on the PO along with the Ship-To information. Deliver-To information may include building or location name, floor and room numbers, lab, loading dock, etc. We are communicating technical details to our punchout suppliers so they can accept this information successfully.

Please ensure that your default Deliver-To location is set by following the “Change My Work Space” quick reference guide.

Thank you for your patience as the team worked to resolve these location issues.

As July draws to a close, please make sure you've completed the required training for your role in Workday Financials. There are a wealth of resources available on the Workday Finance Training page, including direct links to online training courses.

If you have questions regarding your Deliver-To location or required training, please visit the Workday Finance Training page, or reach out to us at askfinance@virginia.edu

Adaptive 3.0 is Live: Next Steps for Budgeting

Congratulations to the Adaptive Planning Team and our partners across UVA on the launch of Adaptive Planning 3.0!

We have a wealth of Adaptive Resources for you on the UVAFinance webpage, as well as training resources on the Workday Financials Training page (look for Budget/Adaptive).

Now that the version of Adaptive that interacts with Workday Financials is live, please keep a few things in mind:

• You will not see your budget in Workday Financials until August 17.
• If you're an Adaptive user, you'll need to be logged into the VPN to access the worklet in Workday Financials.  You will also need to have completed your Adaptive 3.0 training to see data in the system.
• 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 relationships in the current state prevented you mapping to FDM prior to the Freeze, you'll need to update that after go-live
• 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.

View more resources, considerations, and guidance on the Adaptive Resources site.  

We're offering Drop-In Office Hours daily between July 28 and August 19, from 11 am to 12 pm.  Please add this to your calendars and join as needed!  The Zoom link is https://virginia.zoom.us/j/98925504269?pwd=NjJnZS9TUkg0M3I0QjJDSi9pTmhqQT09

Billy Mak Joins Finance Business Intelligence Team as Business Intelligence Analyst

Joining Michelle Gregory on the Finance Business Intelligence Team is Billy Mak, who recently accepted the role of Business Intelligence Analyst.

In his new role, Mak’s primary responsibility is to serve as system administrator for Adaptive Planning. He will also help with resolving tier 2 and 3 cases. Additionally, the long-term goal for Mak is to be able to manage other systems like Workday and Qlik Sense.

Mak says he is “excited about branching out from financial analysis, learning to be a back-end administrator for financial tools, and serving UVAFinance and the rest of the University community.”

Last year, Mak joined UVA as a Senior Business Analyst in the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis. Before that, he worked at George Mason University and the University of California, Davis. Mak had a leading role in several change initiatives at both universities, including implementing Adaptive Insights (now Adaptive Planning) and automating direct revenue reports. He also has considerable higher education experience in budgeting, working with data, and process improvement.

You can read more about Billy Mak here.

Billy Mak Joins Finance Business Intelligence Team as Business Intelligence Analyst

Joining Michelle Gregory on the Finance Business Intelligence Team is Billy Mak, who recently accepted the role of Business Intelligence Analyst.

In his new role, Mak’s primary responsibility is to serve as system administrator for Adaptive Planning. He will also help with resolving tier 2 and 3 cases. Additionally, the long-term goal for Mak is to be able to manage other systems like Workday and Qlik Sense.

Mak says he is “excited about branching out from financial analysis, learning to be a back-end administrator for financial tools, and serving UVAFinance and the rest of the University community.”

Last year, Mak joined UVA as a Senior Business Analyst in the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis. Before that, he worked at George Mason University and the University of California, Davis. Mak had a leading role in several change initiatives at both universities, including implementing Adaptive Insights (now Adaptive Planning) and automating direct revenue reports. He also has considerable higher education experience in budgeting, working with data, and process improvement.

You can read more about Billy Mak here.

Month End Close Deadlines

Monthly close activities will be performed from July 29th through July, 31st. Please note the following deadlines and cutoff dates:

The business Assets activity group will be closed on Friday, July 29^th. All asset transactions including transfers, asset registrations, disposals, etc. for the month of July must be entered by Thursday, July 28^th. Business Assets activity will resume when the next accounting period becomes available (see below).

Accounting Journals and Accounting Adjustments will be closed on Friday, July 29^th at 4pm. All Accounting Journals and Accounting Adjustments (e.g. supplier invoice and expense report adjustments) must be approved by Friday, July 29^th at 4pm, otherwise they will be canceled by Central Accounting as they will prevent the period to be closed. Users are encouraged to enter all Accounting Journals and Accounting Adjustments by Thursday, July 28^th to allow sufficient time for approvals. Canceled accounting journals and adjustments can be copied and resubmitted in the next accounting period when it becomes available (see below).

Payroll will be closed on Friday, July 29^th at 4pm. All Payroll Accounting Adjustments should be approved by Friday, July 29^th at 4pm, otherwise, they will post to the next accounting period, when it becomes available (see below).

All other activity groups and transaction types will be closed on Sunday, July 31^st at 5pm. Users can continue to enter and approve expense reports, requisitions, purchase orders, ad hoc payments, banking transactions, customer invoices, etc. until this time to be posted in the current period. Any pending/unapproved operational transactions at cut-off will post to the next period when it becomes available (see below).

The August period will be opened on Sunday, July 31^st, at 5pm. Users can continue to process Accounting Journals, Accounting Adjustments, as well as all other transactions at this time to be posted to the August period. Note that the Accounting Date for all transactions must be in the August period as July will be closed which may require the default Accounting Date to be changed to August.

Integrations:

• The last scheduled Supplier Invoices Integration for the month of July will be on Thursday, July 28^th at 7pm. The next scheduled Supplier Invoice Integration will be on Sunday, July 31^st at 7pm, but will post to the August period.
• The last scheduled Accounting Journals Integration (SIS and FM) for the month of July will be on Friday, July 29^th at 12pm. The next scheduled Accounting Journals Integration will be on Monday, August 1^st at 7pm and post to the August period.
• goog_53283400The last scheduled Customer Invoice, ISD, and SIS Misc Payments integrations will run on Friday, July 29^th from 6:30pm to 7:00pm as normal.

As we become more comfortable with the new system, deadlines and cutoff dates may be adjusted in the future.  

Questions or concerns?  Contact askfinance@virginia.edu

Meet the Newest Addition to the Finance Solution Center: Ben Tolson Joins as a User Success Agent

The Tolson Family

“I’ve always been drawn to working at the intersection of people and processes,” Ben Tolson says when asked what attracted him to the role of User Success Agent. “Also, the opportunity to join UVAFinance during FST was really intriguing to me. I knew my skills and experience could contribute to the success of the Finance Solution Center, the project, and would support the whole of UVA.”

Tolson, who is originally from Crozet, returned to the area four years ago. Before that he lived in Boston working in the moving industry developing an expertise in operations and customer service, accumulating experiences that ultimately led him to UVAFinance and the Finance Solution Center. Prior to joining UVAFinance, Ben was a special investigator and customer service representative at CFA Institute.

As a User Success Agent for the Finance Solution Center, Tolson will be in touch with people across Grounds and outside UVA. “I’ll be fielding inquiries from stakeholders across the institution as we all work in and learn a new system,” Tolson explains.

Tolson says that he is excited to learn new things each day and that “the team, and the rest of UVAFinance, have all been really welcoming.” He is enjoying getting to know everyone and is looking forward to learning everything he can about Workday Financials so he can provide the best assistance possible.

“I’m process-oriented and I can see opportunities where I can have an impact on maximizing efficiencies to help the team provide great customer service,” Tolson says.

Outside of work, Tolson and his family love spending time outside and often go hiking and camping, usually accompanied by their lab-hound mix, Jameson. Tolson and his wife, who also works at UVA, are proud parents to their energetic eight-year-old son. Tolson can often be found playing games like Minecraft, Mario Kart, and Fall Guys with his son when they aren’t exploring the outdoors.

Tolson also enjoys golf, visiting local breweries and wineries, and is a big sports fan.  

Addie Coe and Joel Kreider Chosen as Interim Assistant Directors for Procurement

Addie Coe and Joel Kreider are taking on new roles in Procurement and Supplier Diversity Services (PSDS). Earlier this month, recently appointed Interim PSDS Director, Alita Salley, announced that Addie and Joel will serve as Interim Assistant Directors for the department. As Interim ADs, Addie and Joel will help ensure PSDS operations continue to run smoothly during the Workday transition period and the search for a permanent Director of PSDS. Here's a little more about what each of them will be doing in their new interim roles: 

Addie Coe: Interim AD, Business Solutions and Data Analytics

Addie has already led PSDS's Business Solutions and Analytics team in stabilizing and integrating existing and emerging procurement tools like PaymentWorks. In her interim position, she will continue assisting with the maintenance of procurement tools. Additionally, she will manage PSDS's data analytics solutions and work with the UVAFinance Data & Technology and Business Intelligence teams to maximize stakeholder satisfaction. 

Joel Kreider: Interim AD, Strategic Sourcing

In addition to his current duties, Joel will utilize his extensive procurement and technical knowledge to support UVAFinance customer success measures and Workday stabilization and to oversee functional compliance and contract management activities. He will also manage the Services & Athletics and Facilities MRO & Aux Support teams.

Interim roles will conclude once a new permanent Director of PSDS is appointed. 

Welcome to Adoption!

Contributed by Angela Knobloch

We successfully launched Workday financials on July 5, 2022! Now the journey of change is a reality as we navigate learning, new experiences, and questions you didn’t know to ask until you were active in the system. This is the phase of ADOPTION.

This stage includes advancing through the initial chaos of the change, through cautious optimism as you are understanding certain aspects better, increasing confidence as you continue to learn, and finally, reaching the future state where now you are competent once again in utilizing the financial system. That’s the future state all of us our navigating toward together.

Adoption after a change is expected to take anywhere from 3-6 months to reach a competence state for individuals. This is common in all large-scale transformation initiatives. How quickly you advance through the change journey is in large part based on actions you can take. 

Consider the following tangible adoption activities:

• Review learning resources available at the UVAFinance training website
• Attend office hours to ask questions and view refresher demos from trainers on targeted topics
• Submit a question to askfinance@virginia.edu
• Reach out to Change Leader (search for Advisory Group member in your area toward the bottom of the page)
• Contact Expense Ambassador in your area for assistance with Expense Reports
• Find a co-worker who has successfully navigated a transaction that may assist you

Here are some thoughts that may help you in this transition phase:

• We’re all learning
• I’m capable of learning this
• Everyone’s doing the best they can
• This is chaotic right now – but it won’t stay this way
• The benefits we’ll reap in the future state will be worth it
• Others are not in the same place as me in the adoption phase
• Adoption is a transition process
• I’ve been through change before, and I can navigate this too
• I’m not alone and there is plenty of support 

Remember that we’re in this together and we will eventually reach a more comfortable state once again!

Change is Inevitable. Growth is Optional. – John Maxwell

 

Resource Reminders

Issues and Updates

• System / Status Updates in the blue bar at the top of every UVAFinance site page; also linked on the left-hand side of the home page. 
• Timely Updates on the FST project landing page
• Items still in progress post Workday Financials' launch on the FST project landing page

Training and Support

• Bookmark the Workday Financials Training page on the UVAFinance website.  Includes:
• Schedules for July and August Office Hours
• Links to Online, web-based training
• Slides and demos from training sessions
• Quick Reference Guides (note:  these are frequently updated; please visit the site to make sure you're accessing the most recent version)
• Workday Digital Assist is available in Workday Financials for help as you do your transactions.  Be sure you have enabled Workday Digital Assist to access this extra help.
•  Finance Solution Center:  askfinance@virginia.edu; 434-924-3400
• Adaptive Planning Resources
• Faculty Resources

Fund Balance Realignment: Process & Timeline

Now that Workday Financials is live at UVA, the FST Team is working with finance professionals across Grounds to ensure that fund balances are distributed accurately in the new system.

On July 23, the team began to make updates to fund balances based on information schools and units shared.  By August 2, these updates will be reflected in Workday Financials.  School and unit partners will then receive further instructions for submitting additional fund balance realignment requests in August, a process that will repeat in September (the final fund balance realignment submission).

After the final realignment period in September, schools and units can continue to move balances, but they will be reflected in the period when the transfer is made.  

Fund balance realignment resources can be found here: 

• Fund Balance Realignment Quick Reference Guide
• GL Fund Balance Realignment Journal Template

Finance Security Role Access Request in Workday

Need to request access to a role in Workday Financials?  Just log into Workday and choose the "System Access Requests" application.  

See a listing of the Finance Security Roles and the training required/recommended for each: visit the Finance Security Roles & Training List found here. 

Did you know?  There's a Workday Financials section of the newly-refreshed UVAFinance website.  This is where Workday info will live permanently after the FST project-related content segues off of the site. 

UVAFinance Service Awards

Congratulations to these UVAFinance team members who are celebrating milestone work anniversaries!

Five Years

• Matthew Bonham
• Mara Hilliar
• Teri Bowen
• Clara Tang
• Adeline Coe
• Tomas Schneeberger
• Brandi Van Ormer

Ten Years

• Scott Adams
• Naomi Ward

15 Years

• Kristin Dinwiddie
• Lorie Strother

20 Years

• Linda Estepp
• Janet Jones
• Linda Vannatta
• William Ashby

25 Years

• Marcy Straker

35 Years

• Shelly Winston-Bowers

New on Finance Matters: Hear from our first intern cohort

Six members of UVAFinance's first summer intern cohort spoke with Patty and Brandi about their experience in Central Finance at UVA. 

Thank you to Luke Blair, Samyukhtha Venkateswaran, Karly Fuentes-Parades, Raymond Costa, and Amanda Lin (all UVA students), and Maheswar Ghimire (Piedmont Virginia Community College student) for taking the time to join us.

LISTEN HERE

__________________________________________________________

LSP Tip: Update Prompt for Cisco AnyConnect

A Cisco AnyConnect update began rolling out yesterday, July 19th. This update is safe and you should install it when prompted.

The prompt should occur sometime over the next month when you attempt to establish an HSVPN connection.

FST Update: July 14, 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 Financials is Live!

As of July 5, the UVA community is transacting all its operational business in one single modern, cloud-based system, Workday.  We appreciate your continued patience as the system stabilizes – as we fix bugs, address questions, and make adjustments.  We will continue to experience bumps along the way, and there are further parts of the transformation planned now that Workday Financials is live.  

Where to keep track of Workday Financials Issues and Updates

The UVAFinance webpage is a great resource to you at this moment in the implementation.  We're reporting and tracking known issues with the system  and it’s linked right from the homepage: check out the FST News Ticker as well as System Status / Updates.

Related content: New UBI Workday Financials Apps, Interim Security Request Process

Workday Finance Training Resources and Office Hours

If it's been a minute since you took your training and you need a refresher on how to perform tasks in the system, we've got your back.  On the Workday Finance Training page, you'll find: 

• Quick Reference Guides for system roles (QRGs are updated frequently based on feedback; we advise always coming to the site for the latest version)
• Slides from each training course
• Short video demonstrations of common tasks
• Links to online, web-based training
• the July schedule for instructor-led training
• a calendar of Office Hours available in July

Be sure and take advantage of Office Hours.  The training team and our functional experts have plotted out a topic-specific schedule of drop in sessions where users can ask questions and get help with their tasks.

Fund Balance Realignment 

Now that Workday Financials is live,  the FST team is working intensively with finance colleagues across Grounds to get the fund balances that moved over from Oracle distributed accurately within Workday (read more on the blog). This will be an ongoing effort and there are other ongoing efforts to deliver pieces of the project.  If you’d like to take a look at the rest, visit the FST portion of the UVAFinance webpage and click on “items in progress” – there you’ll see the other items the team is working on and what’s coming next.

Next off the Launchpad:  Adaptive Planning 3.0 on July 28

The Adaptive Team is working with budget officers at UVA on getting their budgets ready for the launch of Adapative Planning 3.0 on July 28.    If you work on budgeting in your school or unit, you might’ve been assigned training for Adaptive Planning 3.0 – this is available in Workday as a 45 minute online, on-demand class.   We recommend getting in there and getting it done before the July 28 launch! A link to the training and more Adaptive Planning Resources are found on the UVAFinance website.

Finance Solution Center Updates

Thank you to everyone who has contacted the Finance Solution Center, or, as you probably know them, our AskFinance Team.  They have are diligently getting solutions to your questions as quickly as possible – thank you for your patience as they get the answers you need!  We'd also like to thank the FST Team, including our functional folks, the training team, and more, who have pitched in to help with this increased volume at go live.  The Ask Finance user success agents are a wonderful group and they’re learning so much – we’re going to get better and better at answering you quickly, and we appreciate you partnering with us in this phase of the project just as much as we have any other phase.

5 Things to Know about FST: July 14, 2022

 

1.  Now that Workday Financials is live, you may need a refresher on what you learned in training.  Find resources, slides, demos, and the office hours schedule on the Workday Financials Training page. 

2.  We're tracking issues with the Workday Financials system, as well as timely updates, on the UVAFinance website.  Look for the FST News Ticker on the left side of the page. 

3.  Fund Balance Realignment is coming into focus after the launch of Workday Financials.  You can keep track of this and other ongoing efforts on the FST webpage under "items in progress."

4.  Adaptive Planning 3.0 goes live on July 28.  Resources and training are available on the UVAFinance website.

5.  The Finance Solution Center is working hard to help you in these early days of the new system.  Thank you for your patience as we answer your questions as quickly as possible!

FST Update: July 14, 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 Financials is Live!

As of July 5, the UVA community is transacting all its operational business in one single modern, cloud-based system, Workday.  We appreciate your continued patience as the system stabilizes – as we fix bugs, address questions, and make adjustments.  We will continue to experience bumps along the way, and there are further parts of the transformation planned now that Workday Financials is live.  

Where to keep track of Workday Financials Issues and Updates

The UVAFinance webpage is a great resource to you at this moment in the implementation.  We're reporting and tracking known issues with the system  and it’s linked right from the homepage: check out the FST News Ticker as well as System Status / Updates.

Related content: New UBI Workday Financials Apps, Interim Security Request Process

Workday Finance Training Resources and Office Hours

If it's been a minute since you took your training and you need a refresher on how to perform tasks in the system, we've got your back.  On the Workday Finance Training page, you'll find: 

• Quick Reference Guides for system roles (QRGs are updated frequently based on feedback; we advise always coming to the site for the latest version)
• Slides from each training course
• Short video demonstrations of common tasks
• Links to online, web-based training
• the July schedule for instructor-led training
• a calendar of Office Hours available in July

Be sure and take advantage of Office Hours.  The training team and our functional experts have plotted out a topic-specific schedule of drop in sessions where users can ask questions and get help with their tasks.

Fund Balance Realignment 

Now that Workday Financials is live,  the FST team is working intensively with finance colleagues across Grounds to get the fund balances that moved over from Oracle distributed accurately within Workday (read more on the blog). This will be an ongoing effort and there are other ongoing efforts to deliver pieces of the project.  If you’d like to take a look at the rest, visit the FST portion of the UVAFinance webpage and click on “items in progress” – there you’ll see the other items the team is working on and what’s coming next.

Next off the Launchpad:  Adaptive Planning 3.0 on July 28

The Adaptive Team is working with budget officers at UVA on getting their budgets ready for the launch of Adaptive Planning 3.0 on July 28.    If you work on budgeting in your school or unit, you might’ve been assigned training for Adaptive Planning 3.0 – this is available in Workday as a 45 minute online, on-demand class.   We recommend getting in there and getting it done before the July 28 launch! A link to the training and more Adaptive Planning Resources are found on the UVAFinance website.

Finance Solution Center Updates

Thank you to everyone who has contacted the Finance Solution Center, or, as you probably know them, our AskFinance Team.  They have are diligently getting solutions to your questions as quickly as possible – thank you for your patience as they get the answers you need!  We'd also like to thank the FST Team, including our functional folks, the training team, and more, who have pitched in to help with this increased volume at go live.  The Ask Finance user success agents are a wonderful group and they’re learning so much – we’re going to get better and better at answering you quickly, and we appreciate you partnering with us in this phase of the project just as much as we have any other phase.

Interim Security Requests

The Interim Security Requests Process is different than prior to go-live of Workday Financials. Senior Finance Approvers are asked to batch requests using a template found in the Online Community.

See the template and instructions for completing and submitting it here.  

Note that for any security role requested, the individual must have completed the web-based training prior to the role being processed.   

All web-based training courses are live in Workday Learning – you can even access them directly from our training website.

OFP&A Welcomes New Director of Budgets and Planning

After 12 years in the UVA School of Education and Human Development, most recently as its Senior Director of Finance, Chris Peper joined UVAFinance’s Office of Financial Planning & Analysis as the Director of Budgets and Planning.

Chris Peper

According to OFP&A Executive Director Katie Walker, “This position is a key hire for OFP&A. In partnership with the Senior Director of Operations, the Budget Manager, the Director of Cost Accounting & Fixed Assets, and myself, the Director leads the stakeholders through the budget development and implementation processes.”

As a member of the OFP&A team, Peper will help guide the internal budgeting, planning, and reporting efforts for the Academic Division.

"Partnership will be a primary focus with those units to help improve the overall quality of the annual budgets and multi-year financial plans, enhance the quality of the budget conversations with leadership, and optimize process efficiencies in the OFP&A and unit processes,” Peper says.

His first challenge will be navigating and gaining familiarity with the new systems - Adaptive Insights and Workday Financials - and translating that knowledge into planning and reporting outcomes.

“That and helping to ensure that we collectively maintain and grow the strong collaborative element that arose during the FST project amongst the university-wide business units,” he says. “To do my part, I aim to help the OFP&A team engage the various units we serve and familiarize myself with their business and budget structures. I know I have some knowledge and experience that I can lean on, but I will rely heavily on my team and be an active learner and listener, and consistently seek opportunities for unsolicited feedback to deliver reliable service to our units.”

Jokingly he says that the first noticeable benefit to working with UVAFinance is “Parking close to my office and it being more affordable than working on Central Grounds.”

What really stands out to him with UVAFinance is that, “The collaborative process was a critical element of the FST project. As a result, I developed solid relationships with many folks in UVAFinance and gained a better perspective on its day-to-day operations. There is a tremendous assembly of talent within the operation, and I am excited to collaborate, learn, and be part of the team.”

Outside of work, Peper shares that he and his wife Michelle “Are raising three teens in a crazy world, so maximizing those experiences before they leave the nest is our focus.”

He is a big hockey fan and passionate about fly fishing and takes every opportunity to watch a Colorado Avalanche game or tie flies and stalk trout in the rivers of our region.

Let's Connect!

UVAFinance has been on LinkedIn for a few months and our online community is growing exponentially. With the launch of Workday Financials, our LinkedIn network now includes fiscal administrators across Grounds, Workday experts, Deloitte consultants, and of course, UVAFinance staff. 

Our staff has found the connections helpful in sharing information about the use of Workday, training, recognition of teamwork, and sharing initiatives. The goal is to continue to grow the LinkedIn following to ensure a wider reach when advertising for positions and sharing important information. 

Since launch day, the impressions made through UVAFinance's LinkedIn posts have grown 343 percent! The week of July 5 was busy with 33,400 engagements from UVAFinance's posts about the launch, training materials, and shout outs for FST teams. 

Hiring managers can take advantage of this wide net when looking to fill specific positions on their teams. Please share job postings and information for sharing with the communications team. 

If you aren't following us on LinkedIn, join in now at linkedin.com/school/uvafinance1!

Danae Polemi recognized for Talent, Teamwork, and Leadership

Many of this year’s recipients of the University of Virginia’s Hoos Building Bridges Awards have been noticed for stepping up the pandemic and helping provide much-appreciated assistance across Grounds. The awards celebrate cross-disciplinary partnerships and projects among UVA employees, and honor recipients for their leadership, collegiality, and efforts in establishing strong relationships that help get things done. It is truly no surprise that UVAFinance’s Danae Polemi, Travel & Expense Program Analyst, received one of the awards.

“Danae is a rockstar! She is extremely organized, detail-oriented, conscientious, and kind. I can always count on Danae to step up and do a great job! Also, she is an excellent communicator,” says Raegan Harouff Gay, Travel & Business Operations Manager.

Polemi stepped up as the main point of contact for TravelUVA and worked with travelers and travel assistants across Grounds to help them navigate the complex, ever-changing, and often frustrating travel industry.

“Her background in travel allows her to understand where the issues are and help our customers work through whatever roadblocks are in their way,” Harouff Gay says. “She has developed relationships with fiscal leaders in schools and units while managing about $350,000 in unused ticket credits, which we accrued when tickets had to be canceled due to the pandemic.”

Danae Polemi

Even in the midst of managing travel issues in the pandemic, she is also an Expense Project Associateon the Finance Strategic Transformation Project, which has helped her become an even more valuable member of the Travel, Expense, and Business Operations Team.

Polemi has been at UVA for almost two years and enjoys the people she works with and the supportive and collaborative environment of her team.

Of the award, Polemi says, “It was unexpected, but I was excited that my work is having an impact across the university. I look forward to continuing to build connections with others across Grounds and promoting the TravelUVA program!”

When not building bridges across Grounds, she enjoys exercising, reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Time to Realign

Now that Workday Financials is live at UVA, the fund balance realignment effort is beginning in earnest within schools and units.  The FST Team is working with finance professionals across Grounds to ensure that fund balances are distributed accurately in the new system. 

The "All Pods" meeting from pre-launch has been repurposed to help with this effort in the coming weeks and months.  Thank you to everyone who is jumping in to ensure fund balances are properly aligned in Workday Financials!

Questions about Fund Balance Realignment?  Contact the Finance Solution Center at askfinance@virginia.edu 

Wellness Resources: July 14, 2022

Recordings of Previous FEAP webinars & more

Have you been unable to attend a previous FEAP session that sounded interesting? No worries; you can view recordings of past sessions at “FEAP For You.” This new offering provides easy access to resources developed and curated by FEAP.

Yoga Classes at Carruthers Hall thru end of July

Reduce your stress and improve your flexibility by joining this weekly Yoga Flow class on Thursdays through July 30 from 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.

You can join via the Zoom link (password= cavman) or if you are back in the office, join the group in Carr-2. Be sure to let Stacey Rittenhouse know if you’ll be joining in person and bring your yoga mat!

Zoom Link: https://virginia.zoom.us/j/93547785207?
Password: cavman
Yoga Instructor: MaryLewis

Maximize Your Physical Activity Success  July 19, 12 PM  / Presented by Hoos Well

Update from the Finance Solution Center

 The Finance Solution Center is hard at work answering your Workday Financials questions. Since go-live on July 5th, the FSC team has logged over 1,000 cases. That's a lot for just two weeks! 

The number of calls the FSC team receives has also increased since go-live as you can see in this chart from the FSC SalesForce Dashboard:  

So what kind of questions are people asking? The FSC team also uses SalesForce to track key areas people need assistance in. These key areas include: 

• Payments
• P2P System Administration
• Expense
• Invoices
• Admin (Procurement)
• Security (Workday)
• Supplier Management AP
• Travel and Expense Card
• FDM Mapping
• Accounting (Payroll)

And judging from the User Success Survey results, the majority of end-users are satisfied with their resolution, the team's responsiveness, and the level of service. Here's a look at the survey stats: 

• Average Rating: 4.76/5
• Satisfaction with Resolution: 4.74/5
• Satisfaction with Responsiveness: 4.75/5
• Satisfaction with Service: 4.8/5

If you have questions for the Finance Solution Center, you can speak with a User Success Agent by sending your question to askfinance@virginia.edu or calling (434) 924-3400 between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. 

Adaptive Planning 3.0: Time for Training

Adaptive Planning 3.0 goes
live July 28!

So many launches, so little time!  Now that Workday Financials is live, the finance community at UVA is looking next to the launch of Adaptive Planning 3.0 on July 28.  

Training for Adaptive Planning 3.0 is available now in Workday.  This 45-minute training is online and on-demand.  At press time, a little over 30% of those required to take the training have completed it.  If the training has been assigned to you, get in there and get it done before launch!

The Adaptive Planning Team has a variety of resources available on the UVAFinance website for those of you that are preparing for the transition from Adaptive 2.0 to Adaptive 3.0.  Check them out here!

__________________________________________________________________________________

Related:  Working on your budget in Adaptive 2.0 before the 3.0 version launches?  Be sure and see this helpful presentation in the Community.

Keeping Track after the Workday Financials Launch

We did it!  Workday Financials has launched and we're all taking our first steps in the new system.  

As expected, there has been an assortment of issues and adjustments to address in the aftermath.  Thank you to everyone who has reported problems to Ask Finance, to our FST team and partners across Grounds who have collaborated to fix or mitigate the issues, and to the entire UVA Community for your continued patience as Workday Financials stabilizes.

We're keeping track of everything happening in the Workday Financials atmosphere.  If you want to stay in the know, here's where to go: 

• The FST News Ticker and Known Issues/Changes on the UVAFinance home page
• System Issues / Status page
• Timely Updates & Items in Progress on the FST home page

_________________________________________________________________________

Please let us know if you encounter issues in Workday Financials.  Reach out via askfinance@virginia.edu. 

Training Refreshers and Resources

Workday Financials is live and we're all putting our training to good use, attempting our tasks in the new system.  If you're finding that you need a reminder or two on the right steps to take, you're not alone, and the Training Team has resources to help:

• Office Hours:  Trainers and functional experts are hosting subject-specific office hour sessions where you can drop in and get your questions answered.  See the full schedule here.   NEW:  We've added sessions that focus on Delegation!
• Quick Reference Guides: You can find a QRG under each course listed on the Workday Finance Training page.  QRGs are updated frequently based on feedback; we advise always coming to the site for the latest version.
• Slides and Demo Recordings from Classes: In addition to the QRGs, we have also posted slides from instructor-led classes as well as demonstrations of tasks that were shown in the class.  Find these under each course listed on the Workday Finance Training page.

If you'd like a more complete refresher, remember that you can access the web-based training at any time (and they're handily linked under each course listed on the Workday Finance Training page).  

Still have training to finish?  Don't wait! Sign up now!  View the July training calendar here.