They’re responsible for running integral processes at the University – from payroll to vacation and sick leave requests to job applications. Now, after a thorough audit and the resulting improved processes, the Administrative Management Systems have increased system availability to 90 per cent uptime.

To bring this project to life, the team at Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI) formed a working group in late January 2019 to see how to improve system availability. This included looking at scheduled outages due to bi-weekly and monthly payroll, fiscal month-end and year end and system restart and backups.

“We decided to look objectively at these outages and ask if they were needed,” says Gary Raposo, manager of Enterprise Shared Services at EASI. “We focused on web-based applications, which are more commonly used during off-business hours, and we were able to make significant improvements to maximize uptime.”

One of the main drivers for improved processes was new developments for Employee Self-Service (ESS) and Manager Self-Service (MSS).

“We’re asking users to report vacation and sick days through ESS, but in the past this service was only available between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. the following day,” says Raposo. “Now someone who needs to take a sick day can submit their ESS request right away rather than having to wait until after 7 a.m. It’s much more convenient.”

After cataloging the systems for a month and examining processes, the team implemented changes gradually over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition.

“We’re trying to move more towards a 24/7 user experience,” says Paul Littlefield, security and solution developer/analyst with EASI and technical project lead. “Another noticeable improvement is that staff can have access to their T4 slips during the last week of April. In the past, they didn’t have this because we would shut down many systems for fiscal year end. Now ESS stays open and staff can easily get what they need.”

In the future, the team will continue to improve processes. This work will continue with the U of T Enterprise Modernization Program – a three-to five-year project that will transform the entire HR Talent Management Suite and the core HR, Research and Finance systems.

“We look forward to making future improvements to our systems, especially through the U of T Enterprise Modernization Program,” says Raposo. “Our ultimate goal is to provide more streamlined and convenient services for an overall better user experience.”

From human resources to financial and research applications, technology touches all aspects of the U of T employee experience. Now, the U of T Enterprise Modernization Program is set to transform the future for staff and faculty who depend on the Administrative Management Systems.

After a comprehensive review of current technology options, Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) will use the latest SAP technology over the next five years to upgrade these systems – providing a modern, consistent and streamlined user experience.

“The original system was implemented in 1995, and over time has undergone many upgrades. Now it’s time to bring U of T into the future,” says Cathy Eberts, executive director of EASI. “The new version of SAP promises vast improvements in system performance and a new user interface for our mobile friendly HR talent management products.”

The first phase of the overhaul, part of the HR Technology Roadmap, includes a “one-stop-shop” for all human resources needs. This includes learning management, performance and goals, recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning.

“This suite of applications will provide an integrated employee experience from hire to retire, and is designed to attract, retain and develop each employee,” says Erin Jackson, chief human resources officer with Human Resources & Equity. “We want to empower employees with modern software so that they can grow and develop their careers at U of T, and to provide HR professionals with strategic HR resources that they can use to deliver best-in-class HR services.”

The project team will first tackle learning management, which will link employees’ personal and development goals using dynamic online material and external online learning sources. It will also allow staff to conveniently register for courses and record completion of mandatory courses.

The new learning module helps users easily view personalized training plans, and access new course catalogues and online learning.

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“I’m especially excited about the new SAP Learning Management System for staff.  We haven’t had a system like this at U of T,” says Eberts. “With so many new technologies and applications, such as Office 365, VoIP, and the new SAP products coming on board, staff really need a state-of-the-art system to find the training they require. We’re planning to make this new module available to staff in September 2019.”

From 2019 to 2020, EASI will also be retiring Performance and Goals and Recruitment, and replacing these applications with new versions from SAP SuccessFactors.

Beyond the HR Technology Roadmap, later phases of the project include updates to U of T’s research, financial and procurement applications, and payroll processing.

“This is a whole new world from a technology standpoint,” says Sheila Brown, U of T’s chief financial officer. “The new financial system will be faster, more flexible and user-friendly. We’re one of the top universities in the world, and this technology upgrade reflects our ongoing dedication to excellence in everything we do.”

All of these applications will run on a more robust cloud platform, allowing for faster performance and 24/7 support. It will use SAP HANA, which is a large in-memory database that consolidates thousands of tables and allows users to run faster reports.

These upgrades will lead to new analytics and improved insight into financial, HR, and research administration operations at the university, allowing managers to make enhanced evidence-based decisions.

As next steps, the EASI and HR&E teams are currently participating in workshops to outline project objectives, timelines, and roles and responsibilities.

“This is one of the biggest projects happening at U of T and we’re excited about how it will transform operations at the university,” says Eberts. “With large strategic projects like SAP now in motion, U of T will soon be positioned to offer a first-rate employee and administrator experience.”

Do you create tables and graphs as part of your day-to-day work? Have you struggled with which visualization best communicates the data you’re working with? Have you encountered issues with what to do with missing values, data that spans wide ranges, or an overwhelming number of values?

The University of Toronto’s Institutional Data Hub, a collaboration between the Planning & Budget Office and Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration, is pleased to host one of the world’s foremost Data Visualization workshops on April 30 and May 1, 2019.

Based on Stephen Few’s bestselling Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten, Nick Desbarats will take you through a two-day workshop on how to design graphs and charts that are quick and easy to understand. You’ll also learn how to make key insights within your data clear and accurate to minimize the risk of presenting misleading visualizations.

This free workshop will consist of interactive presentation segments as well as eight group exercises and discussions that will be reinforced by examples.

Upon completion of the workshop, each participant will receive a copy of Stephen Few’s book, Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten. For those unable to attend, you can borrow a copy from the Map & Data Library– HA31.F49 2012Y.

Details:
WHERE: University of Toronto, St. George Campus
WHEN: April 30 and May 1, 2019: 9am – 4pm
LOCATION: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 5170-252 Bloor St West. Toronto, ON. M5S 1V6.
PRESENTER: Nick Desbarats – Practical Reporting Inc.

Questions?
Please contact us at data@utoronto.ca.

Vacation – it’s a time of relaxation and rejuvenation. But in the past, requesting vacation and other types of leaves involved multiple spreadsheets, emails and a lot of hassle. Soon, U of T staff and faculty will be able to submit leave requests online, have them approved by managers and view their updated records in real time.

On January 28, the Division of Human Resources & Equity (HR&E) along with Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) launched Phase 2 of Manager Self-Service (MSS) – Leave Requests and Approvals. This new feature is more convenient than the previous paper-based process, and will allow for more accurate tracking.

“In the past, our HR information system that tracks leave was manually updated retroactively each month, and didn’t account for future planned vacations,” says Hayley Fuller, communications and change manager with HR&E. “Now users can make a request online, meaning fewer emails, accurate data, and improved tracking.”

Users simply log into Employee Self Service, select their leave details, and requests are sent to managers for approval. Users also receive a confirmation email that their leave was submitted correctly. It is currently being piloted with HR&E, Information Technology Services and the Financial Services Department. Leave requests include sick days, bereavement, training, personal days, and vacation leaves.

“Honestly, my team loves it – the training took all of two minutes and it’s very intuitive,” says Cherilyn Nobleza, director of HR Strategic Initiatives and a member of the pilot project. “Since January 28, I’ve had over 35 leave request notifications. In the past, staff would send an email and then managers would have to log each of the leaves into a spreadsheet. Then it would go to the business officer for them to track in HRIS. Now, it’s a much easier, streamlined process.”

Clara Pereira, business manager for Information Technology Services, agrees.

“I love it. Managing leave requests used to involve a lot of back and forth with emails and often key information would be missing, which meant even more emails for clarification. Now, everything is in one system and the transition has been very smooth. It’s saving time and reducing the amount of work for everyone.”

Managers can also log in at any time to view their team’s calendar and coordinate scheduling. Everything in the system is exportable, printable and up to date.

“The process of requesting and approving leaves through MSS and Employee Self-Service (ESS) ensures leaves are accurately reflected in our HR information system on a timely basis. Requesting and approving a leave through this process is straightforward,” says Karen Jang-Leung, a business officer with U of T’s Finance Division.  “The MSS/ESS pilot provides the Finance Division with an opportunity to provide input on improving the system for all users.”

Beyond the pilot units, developing this feature was a highly consultative process.

“We have a diverse project leadership group that consults representatives from across the university,” says Nobleza, who is part of the group. “For example, there are nuances to how academics work versus other staff members, and understanding all aspects of different processes will ensure the success of this project.”

Next steps for the project will allow managers to designate a substitute leave request approver.

After the pilot, the function will be available to any other units at the university. Those who are interested in using this system can contact request.notification@utoronto.ca to start the process.

“This really is an exciting development that will help to streamline a previously cumbersome process,” says Fuller. “Staff and faculty will be able to manage their leaves accurately and this helps us from an audit and data integrity perspective. Overall, it will help staff to focus on what’s important.”

An intuitive interface, multi-year compensation planning, and detailed five-year compensation forecasts are just some of the benefits of U of T’s new planning and budgeting application, a project that officially kicked off on March 4.

The University has partnered with Questica to deliver a new cloud-based compensation planning software solution, set to go live in advance of the 2020-21 budget implementation. The project will replace the existing B6 application, a home-grown add-on to the SAP system that U of T’s business officers have used for over 25 years to track annual salary commitments.

“Selecting Questica was a very consultative process,” says Trevor Rodgers, assistant vice-president of the Planning and Budget Office. “We’ve chosen a tool that will meet the needs of a decentralized community of administrators with a diverse range of budgeting processes. By partnering with divisions in the upfront development, we expect to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and avoid duplication of resources.”

To bring the project to life, the Planning and Budget Office in partnership with Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration (EASI), worked with a team of 15 participants from across all three campuses.

Following an extensive public request for proposals, a short list of four vendors presented their systems to the team and selections were narrowed down to two. The two vendors each developed a proof of concept using a mock-up of U of T’s data, and the team tested the competing systems for 20 business days. Based on the test results, the team chose Questica Budget to move forward.

“The selection process for this RFP was extremely thorough and detailed. I am confident that the best tool for the University of Toronto has been awarded the contract,” says Darshan Harrinanan, project manager at EASI. “We’re excited and looking forward to this project.”

Beyond other benefits, the new tool will allow managers to create “what if” scenarios to make accurate projections and it will provide monthly data downloads to track budget variances. It also has a comprehensive multi-step workflow for budget reviews and approvals.

“We’re happy to be moving forward with this process. Timelines are tight but we have the advantage of the vendor now being familiar with our decentralized and complex business environment, as well as our technical environment here at U of T,” says Harrinanan.

Next steps for the project include an initial status meeting, data management, training, integration and launch. Training will include 38 sessions for various user groups, which will prepare staff for the change.

“This tool is more robust than the previous solution and will meet divisional and departmental needs for accurate multi-year resource planning,” says Rodgers. “It will also better support the University’s long range budgeting process.”

What does it take to be Executive Director (ED) of Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI)? Darshan Harrinanan, a project manager with EASI, found out on Thursday, January 31, when he donned the grey turtleneck and took the reins from Cathy Eberts for an hour. He won the prize to be Cathy’s replacement at a previous event called EASI Discovery Days.

Before Harrinanan arrived at the office, he faced a harrowing commute after being stuck on a GO train for two and a half hours in -21 degree weather – with the doors wide open.

Find out how he fared during this action-packed hour.

When you first arrived to replace Cathy, what did you expect?
After freezing during my morning commute and a brisk walk from Union Station, I thought that being ED would be easy. But I was in for a lot of surprises! To start, I wasn’t expecting to be sworn in as the new Cathy. I especially liked the part about “being kind to animals and the environment.”

The official EASI ED swearing in ceremony.

Alex Dault, who is regularly Cathy’s assistant, gave me an agenda that was pretty sparse, so I thought this was going to be a cake walk. But it became hectic really quickly and it turned into chaos. The only thing that went according to the agenda was the managers’ meeting. Everything else was random.

What happened during the hour?
Luckily I had a communications update from Alex and Katie Babcock and that helped me to prepare for the hour. Right off the top, Joanne Sukhai, Kaelyn Lindquist and Kelly Jay stormed my office to complain about building safety. Shortly after, Richard Chow and Dana Pogaceanu arrived to complain about how cold it is, so I offered them hot chocolate to warm up the situation – hot chocolate makes everything better, as my kids say.

Kelly Jay, Joanne Sukhai and Kaelyn Lindquist air their grievances.

Richard Chow and Dana Pogaceanu jump in on the action.

Then Bo Wandschneider dropped by to discuss the ITS strategic priorities and budget cuts that was a really serious meeting but I benefitted from some of my knowledge gained from my  ‘previous role’.

Bo Wandschneider makes a surprise visit.

Shortly after, I met with the managers to discuss expanding the size of the kitchens at 215 Huron Street. Vik Chadalawada said that people were going bananas and Gerry Lindo kept hitting home the fact that we have to meet deliverables while keeping staff productive and motivated. I thought there was going to be an uprising, but I assured them we would need to look at our priorities before accommodating the request. Alex will follow-up on some analysis.

EASI’s managers make their case.

After that, Pamela Harris and I had a confidential closed-door meeting and Randy Samsoondar dropped by regarding an expense reimbursement claim for an Uber ride he took to OISE. Suddenly, David Lock burst into my office. Apparently, David had been trying to download Game of Thrones to his machine and was now locked out by ransom-ware. Things just ramped up from there.

Randy Samsoondar asks for reimbursement.

David Lock is foiled by ransom-ware.

John Ogg dropped by to complain about a contract issue, Gerry Lindo came in to say that the financial systems were offline, and Frank Boshoff came by to say that there had been a breach with the student information system. Everything seemed to be falling apart!

John Ogg tries to resolve contract issue.

Gerry Lindo raises alert that financial systems are down.

Frank Boshoff adds to the tension with news of a student information system breach.

To top it off, Joe Bate and Sarosh Jamal called about Payment Card Industry compliance for our applications and I assured them that we are compliant. Joe was having a hard time holding it together.

Cathy came back and she was sworn back in and I could breathe a sigh of relief. The storm was over.

What were you thinking when it became more and more chaotic?
Oh, this was just a day in the life for Cathy. Issues arise and we need to deal with them, and it’s important to keep a level head and not overreact. Always keeping the prime directives in mind (see oath).

What were you most surprised about with this experience?
When Bo dropped by I wasn’t sure whether he was part of the plan. He kept a totally straight face and we had a very serious discussion about the strategic plan. Luckily, he was asking for help with projects I’m involved in. It was only at the end that he said he was in on it – impressive acting!

What are your main takeaways from the hour?
It was a great experience and it’s something I can certainly see myself doing when I grow up. The turtleneck really put me in the right frame of mind. I also really relied on Alex to make sure many plans were put into action.

You have to have a good understanding of every application you need to keep you staff motivated, have a sense of humour, and be the calm person in room. The priorities vary so much from trivialities to absolute chaos. You have to assess a situation quickly and Cathy certainly does that on a daily basis.

If you empower your leaders and you have shared vision, it makes the work so much easier. Then we’re all swimming in the same direction.

What was Cathy doing during your hour of action?
I’m not sure…I hope she was taking a break!

Cathy takes a well-deserved break.

Would you do it again?
Oh yeah! But I would take the time to have breakfast before I got into the office – because I wouldn’t have a chance to eat here unless I closed the door!

 

The Course Information System (CIS) is kicking off the New Year with a new look and feel – ready to save U of T faculty and administrators hundreds of hours of work.

After three months of usability testing and a survey conducted in early December 2018, CIS will display a redesigned homepage and other functional screens starting March 2019.

CIS was first developed with essential functionality for select units. Now it has been redesigned for a further expansion of its features and a broader user base, including new academic units across U of T. It streamlines syllabi and exams processes for instructors and administrators.

“CIS was initially designed to address some essential business needs. It served that purpose fairly well, but it’s also a living, breathing product that we envisioned as growing to support additional processes,” says Mike Clark, manager of user experience and process design with Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI). “We’re now at a point where it makes sense to update the major aspects of the system’s design to accommodate those changes, and continue to afford a successful user experience.”

The system, created by EASI in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education, is currently being piloted in three divisions on two campuses. It is divided into three modules for instructors to submit syllabi-related materials, pre-exam and final exam details.

“CIS is beginning to reach its full potential in how faculty and staff not only administer courses, but also how it will streamline business processes,” says Julian Weinrib, director of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education. “We’ve built a strong foundation for the system and the design updates are a big step that will signal its growth.”

To create the redesign, the EASI user experience and process design team conducted extensive one-on-one interviews and usability tests followed by a survey sent to all CIS users. The survey asked users to vote on the three different options by ranking them overall, critiquing specific aspects of each concept, and inviting optional long-form qualitative feedback on what respondents thought of each concept.

One option featured the task areas in CIS.

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Another option featured a tab-based navigation with courses at the forefront.

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“We employed our user-centred methodology to figure out which of these options would be most intuitive and usable to the end users,” says Sydney Jia, a user experience researcher with EASI. “We had 85 respondents and were happy with the results, especially because many users provided detailed responses.”

At the end of the extensive research process, users preferred the option with tabs in the navigation and a workflow based on their courses.

The final, preferred option, featured a different tab design with courses at the forefront. 

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“It’s important to have this input,” says Jia. “This is a way for users to be genuinely part of the process early on and we can shape the system for their needs. We’re helping to facilitate the best solution for them.”

After receiving and analyzing all of the feedback, the team then integrated it into an improved final design.

The simple design indicates the statuses of an instructor’s course content and what actions are required.

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What’s next for CIS?

In the future, two more undergraduate divisions will be onboarded to the system in summer 2019. The team will also focus on developing an administrative interface to allow divisions to manage their own data within the system.

“As the system evolves, we will be conducting future research activities to ensure users are getting the best experience possible,” says Clark. “We invite anyone who would like to participate in the process to reach out to us – the feedback is invaluable.”

If you are a faculty or staff member who has feedback regarding CIS, please contact cis.help@utoronto.ca

Applying for programs can be a stressful experience for many students – from writing personal statements to requesting references to hoping for good news. Now, U of T has simplified one part of the process for admitted students, and will soon allow them to pay program admission deposits online.

In the past, students had to mail their admission deposit forms along with deposits in the form of a Canadian dollar bank draft. Starting in spring 2019, students will be able to pay their admission deposits through ACORN anywhere in the world where VISA or Mastercard are accepted.

“Students had to get a bank draft, put it in the mail and wait for it to be received and processed by Student Accounts,” says Audrey Cheung, manager of Student Accounts. “The whole time they’re wondering whether the money has been received and whether their spot in the program is secured.”

The new process will allow students to immediately view a record of their transaction and they will receive a confirmation email. The feature was completed on December 6, 2018, and will appear for those who owe an admissions deposit under the “Finances” section of ACORN.

“We wanted to ensure that this feature would be usable by all divisions, and the natural choice was to build it in ACORN,” says David Lock, information systems analyst with Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration. “It’s important to give students convenient payment options so we can support U of T’s recruitment and admissions efforts.”

Programs use non-refundable deposits, credited against future tuition, to encourage students to make a commitment. Deposits also help enrolment staff plan ahead for incoming classes.

At the moment, 19 graduate units and two professional programs require incoming students to make a deposit as a condition of accepting an offer. In the future, international students in participating first-entry undergraduate programs will be required to pay deposits.

“The School of Graduate Studies has a distributed model, so different units have different business processes and deadlines,” says Josie Lalonde, director of student academic services at the School of Graduate Studies. “It’s important to offer a convenient solution to students, and this will ideally translate into students accepting their offers of admission.”

For the convenience of the service, students pay a 1.75 per cent processing fee to the payment provider, and they continue to have the option to pay by bank draft.

The team at EASI worked closely with Student Accounts, Enrolment Services and the School of Graduate Studies to determine their needs.

“This was a very consultative process. We worked with the team at EASI to come up with a solution that would work for everyone,” says Lalonde. “We were working with an aggressive timeline, and we’re happy with the results.”

The new functionality is expected to be activated by participating divisions in time for the first batch of international acceptances. Admitted students will see the notice upon logging into ACORN.

“We’re excited about offering this new functionality to incoming students, providing a new option for making the deposit that will hopefully bring a little more peace of mind,” says Lock. “Hopefully a more streamlined process for the academic divisions will help them continue to recruit and retain top students from around the world.”