Effective Involvement of Effective Involvement of Shareholders in Key ActivitiesShareholders in Key Activities

SACRAO 2009SACRAO 2009February 10, 2009February 10, 2009Session T1.10

The University of Virginia

Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson Enrollment: 13,762 undergraduate, 6,629

graduate & professional 2008 Budget: $2.2 billion total; $1.2 billion

academic division Endowment: 4.0 billion (last time we checked) 21,511 applications for 3,170 UG slots 6 year graduation rate: 93.1%

Background

Implemented Oracle 11.0.3 Finance in July 2001

Implemented Oracle 11.0.3 Payroll and HR in October 2002

In March 2006, selected Oracle (former PeopleSoft) Campus Solutions 9.0 for Student Information System

Student System Project (SSP)

Project Team: 46 team members plus 7 additional UVa

personnel allocated to the project at varying levels of

involvement

Consulting Team: 16 full-time and additional

consultants

Timeline: Deployment activities began 1/2007; phased

go-live of modules concludes in fall 2009

EARLY INVOLVEMENTEARLY INVOLVEMENTSilo Spotting

Workshops Goal

Develop broad models for global business processes that help define requirements in advance of selecting a system vendor

Objectives Review processes and operational issues at a high level Develop high-level understanding of key issues that:• Support the vision set for by UVa leadership• Address key current operational issues

Identify strategic issues for consideration by UVa leadership

Workshops: Process Flows

Workshops: Process Flows

Workshops: Strategic Issues

Workshops: Academic Issues

REQUIREMENTS GATHERINGREQUIREMENTS GATHERINGHow Unique is Unique, Really?

Requirements Gathering

Objective: Streamline and automate the system planning and selection process

Decision Director, from Advantiv, a web-based collaboration and decisions support tool

~75 HE projects; 200+ institutions; over 45,000 participants

Requirements Gathering Did not want to reinvent the requirements wheel• Started with a comprehensive set of best-practice

requirements• Review, reorganize, and modify as necessary

Wanted to involve stakeholders• Stakeholder buy-in and support is critical• Must be easy for stakeholders to participate• Goals: completeness, quality, speed

Decision Director

Timeline and Results Requirements Gathering Timeline• Preparation: 6/25-9/24• Stakeholder Input: 9/25-10/19• Validation: 10/20-10/29

Requirements Gathering Results• Input from 155 people• 2,523 functional/technical requirements• Foundation for RFI and vendor evaluation

Continued Review Process Mapping• Created Visio diagrams of all business processes

Tollgating• Reviewed diagrams, contingency plans, etc., with

stakeholders and governance groups. Requirements Review• Constantly review Decision Director requirements

list to update how critical and important needs are being met

STRATEGIC SITE VISITSSTRATEGIC SITE VISITSLearning from Others

Why Travel? Learn• Various vendors—strengths and shortcomings• Evolution of project structures and timelines at

other institutions Gather primary lessons learned Create resource network to use during the

implementation Involve key stakeholders

Who Should Travel?

Lessons Learned Executive commitment and visible support is

of paramount importance for project success.

Strategic policy and system-based decision making is required for project success.

Regular communication with appropriate administrators regarding policy and system issues is an effective risk mitigation strategy.

MANAGING INVOLVEMENTMANAGING INVOLVEMENTStakeholder Structure and Organizational Tools

Stakeholder Structures Governance Groups

• Executive Sponsorship – President’s Cabinet• Institutional Policy Makers – Vice Presidents’ Designees• Academic Policy Makers – Deans’ Designees

Advisory Groups• System Advisors• Faculty Advisors• Student Advisors

Other• Local Project Groups• Issues of Common Interest (involving IT organization, etc.)• UREG/SSP, SCPS, Financial Issues, etc.• Student Lifecycle

Tools

CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATECONTINUING TO COMMUNICATEStructure for Going Forward

Communicate Wisely

Choose Wisely!• Key offices must be represented• Size groups wisely – too many people at once

doesn’t work• Need people who know how things work, but also

people thinking of how things might work• Beware the toxic participants – oftentimes, you’re

stuck with them

Communicate Wisely

Be Patient• Everyone wants (needs) to be heard• Groups need time to coalesce and compromise

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate• Policy and procedure changes can’t be

communicated too much• Training, advertising, e-mail, etc.—all can help• People are inclined to trust you; build on past

relationships with your office

Policy Support

Deans’ Designees• Policy decisions• School-level communication• New programs and degrees

Student Lifecycle• Procedural changes• Information sharing• Common communication

Infrastructure Support

Draw down consultants End date of 12/2009 Expect to join with Integrated System

Deployment & Support• Support upgrades and future modifications• Help Desk

Conclusions

Involve stakeholders early and often Encourage search for commonalities Let stakeholders learn along with you Set up structures and tools to facilitate

continued stakeholder input and ownership

Share info on new programs and policy

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

Robert LeHeupRobert LeHeupTeam Lead, Student Records and Academic AdvisementTeam Lead, Student Records and Academic AdvisementUVa Student System ProjectUVa Student System Projectrdl9e@virginia.edurdl9e@virginia.edu