What is the 9.0 HRMS upgrade project?
The Human Resource Management System (HRMS) includes Administer Workforce, eRecruit, and the self-service applications for Direct Deposit and Personal Information accessed through Blu. Additionally, HRMS interfaces with several systems, including PPS, IVR, BFS, BIBS/PRT, HERC, SIS, ICE/BREEZE, BLU, CalNet Directory, and the Data Warehouse (BAIRS).
At the present time, HRMS is running on the 8.3 version of the PeopleSoft Enterprise software. It is being upgraded to the 9.0 version in order to take advantage of new features and software improvements, and to comply with campus security standards.
When will the HRMS upgrade take place?
The Upgrade Strategy Committee members jointly determined that in order to best support the operational needs of the campus, the upgrade to version 9.0 will be targeted to begin on Friday, October 31. 2008.
Who is working on the HRMS upgrade project?
Staff from BTS—Enterprise System Solutions, IST—PeopleSoft, Human Resources, and the Academic Personnel Office (APO) began doing analysis, fit/gaps, and technical upgrade passes in July 2007. We are also reaching out to other campus partners and interface stakeholders to gain early feedback to make the transition a smooth one.
Will enhancements to the 8.3 version of the software continue during the upgrade project?
While the 9.0 upgrade project is underway, development to the 8.3 software is limited. Guidelines have restricted development/enhancements to the current HRMS 8.3 version to mandated functions only (e.g., PPS changes, Merit Cycle) as of October 1, 2007.
Will end users of the HRMS system notice differences after the upgrade or will the changes be transparent?
There will be both behind-the-scenes changes that most end users will not notice, as well as obvious changes. One of the most noticeable changes will be the navigational paths that users follow to carry out their business processes. Other significant changes include a nearly complete replacement of eRecruit, and single ID numbers for people with both employee and nonemployee affiliate roles in the system.
How will changes to HRMS affect reporting in the Data Warehouse (ETL/BAIRS)?
The Data Warehouse structures (data extracts, predefined queries, reports, etc.) will be updated to reflect new data elements that may have been changed in HRMS as a result of the upgrade. These changes will be transparent to users and the reports themselves will not change as part of the HRMS upgrade.
There is a separate upgrade of the Data Warehouse, also underway, that is due to complete in May of this year. After both upgrades are complete, there may then be changes to reports to take better advantage of the new data structures.
What about training?
The HRMS Training Team will begin the development of a training strategy for the upgrade this quarter. This will be followed by a review of existing documentation and training materials to determine the appropriate updates. Due to the volume of HRMS users, various training methods are also being pursued. Campuswide training will commence in late August 2008.