Introducing UVAFinance is a recurring blog feature created to introduce our team to our team, a couple of members at a time. Every other week, we present readers with a team member or two to get to know. __________________________________________________________________
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| Mark Anderson |
What do you do as Director of Business Intelligence in Finance?
My team is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the reporting and analytics related to finance for the UVA Academic division. Sometimes we are asked to do simple maintenance on existing reports such as adding a field or changing a prompt, and at other times, we're asked to come up with creative solutions to more complex issues or questions. These data challenges can be related to new processes, streamlining existing processes or access to data, or ad hoc requests for data and analysis. Our accounting structure in Workday has created greater visibility than we've ever had before, but that comes with the challenge of managing that complexity and delivering consistent reporting results alongside the flexibility needed by the individual Schools and Units in how they use those tags and hierarchies for reporting.
Who are the people/departments you work with regularly?
I work most closely with the Financial Planning and Analysis team, but I get to work with just about everybody that uses Finance-related data across the University and that's one thing that I've loved since I first came to UVA in 2014. In a typical week, I might work with one or more School Dean's Offices, a department or grant administrator, or the Office of Sponsored Programs, all in addition to our Central Finance Procurement, Payroll, Compliance, Accounting, and FP&A teams.
What seasons are busiest, or what rhythms exist in your job?
The workload in our team is fairly consistent throughout the year, although the budget cycle, BOV meetings, and fiscal year-end can sometimes cause an uptick in requests.
What might surprise people about the work you do/this role/your department or area?
Speaking for my team, I think one of our defining traits is that we love a challenge. If you come to us and say, "It would be nice if..." or, "I don't know if this is possible, but...," that's when we get to be creative. We have a broad, deep base of experience and a diverse set of tools (UBI, Qlik, Adaptive, and the Workday Reporting Suite) that we can apply and part of the fun is figuring out how to best apply those tools to solve the challenge at hand.
How do you connect your work with the UVAFinance Values?
The obvious answer for my role and team would have to be delivering accurate, consistent, and reliable information which is critical, but what I really get satisfaction from in creating innovative solutions and pursuing continuous improvement- what we can be doing to make things easier, more streamlined, or efficient for our users across the University.
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| Micah Boothe |
What do you do as an LSP?
My team supports active systems, recommends IT solutions, and tests new technology before implementation, as well as guiding finance’s technological advancements. There’s always so much out there in terms of possibilities, so we keep up on what’s new and try to guide people in the right direction and improve their workflow.
Who are the people/departments you work with regularly?
Of course, we mainly pair with UVAFinance departments, but we also service SFS and the Registrar’s office in Carruthers. We enjoy working with everyone we serve. If you have questions about something we're currently using or something you'd like us to consider, I’d love for you to reach out. I’d be happy to investigate it.
What seasons are busiest, or what rhythms exist in your job?
Things usually pick up around fiscal year end – people need extra help as they wrap things up. We get busier during the start and end of the school year, as well. When we are at these extra-busy times of the year, quick solutions to technological problems are even more critical.
What might surprise people about the work you do/this role/your department or area?
Well, as other LSPs have mentioned in this space, we also support SFS and UREG, which people may not think of. Another surprise might be the rapid pace of this role – we keep up with system & security threats, as well as finding solutions that solve organizational needs. We aren’t just reacting to problems, but proactively looking out for system changes and opportunities.
What do you like best about working in UVAFinance?
My colleagues in UVAFinance are so communicative and easy to reach. It makes it faster and easier to accomplish things when colleagues are responsive and collaborative.
How do you connect your work with the UVAFinance Values?
I’m often on the lookout for innovative solutions and ways to improve the technical solutions for finance, as well as being a collaborative partner (this includes being an open source of communication – if you need something, feel free to reach out!).
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