New Payroll Website

Payroll calendars, forms, policies and procedures, and other resources are available on the new Payroll site.  This site will be updated with helpful information as the Payroll team continues to UVAFinance.

We welcome our new colleagues in Payroll, and we welcome your feedback on the site.  Please share any thoughts/suggestions with Lori O'Connor.

Resources for those who communicate in UVAFinance*

* That means everyone! 

Everyone communicates, even though for most of us, it's not our primary job function.  And the better we are at communication, the better and more successful we are at our jobs.  

UVAFinance team members have a whole host of resources available to them to help in the pursuit of more effective communication:

• UVAFinance Brand Resources on Box:  Email bv8h@virginia.edu to be added to this folder, which contains:
• Logos, stationery, presentation templates
• a bank of UVAFinance photos
• guidelines for communicating within UVAFinance most effectively
• walkthrough of communication channels within UVAFinance
• many other helpful communication tools and resources
• brand.virginia.edu:  You can view most of the assets compiled here by University Communications, but it's easy to create a login in order to download an array of great resources:
• UVA photography (searchable by keyword)
• print resources, including word templates for one-pagers
• examples of great communication pieces done by schools and units across UVA
• and much, much more!
• Finance Outreach & Compliance's "Effective Communications" playlist.  All of this Lynda.com content has been vetted by FOC, and covers a wide range of topics including:
• grammar
• writing email
• communicating across cultures
• having difficult conversations
• business writing
• overcoming fear of public speaking
• and much more! 

And one more thing:

Don't forget the April 25 Lunch and Learn session, "Successful Communication 101" from 12-1pm in Carr-1 & 2. 

Financial Planning & Analysis Welcomes Rick Johnson

Rick Johnson has joined the Financial Planning & Analysis team as a Senior Financial Analyst. In this role, Johnson will coordinate the process of budgeting tuition and fees across the University, in addition to working with UVA’s multi-year financial plan.

Johnson, a 2013 graduate of Liberty University, has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration: Finance. He comes to UVA most recently from Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he wore multiple hats in his role as a staff accountant.

That position combined with his previous experiences in accounting and finance inspired him to further explore the analytical side of the profession.

“Numbers tell a story, and what I most enjoyed in my previous roles was using my analytical abilities to clearly and creatively convey that story to our stakeholders,” he said, adding that he saw a move into higher education as a great opportunity to develop that skill.

Collaborative effort produces a targeted class to help UBI users

As the sun went down on Discoverer for Finance, a few UBI users in UVAFinance began to worry that some of their colleagues might get lost in the shadows.

Josh Breeden of Financial Reporting & Operations and Danielle Hancock of Finance Outreach & Compliance were concerned that accounts receivable billing specialists might not be comfortable transitioning to the new tool for their reporting needs.

I encourage UBI users to say what they’d like to see in the tool. The UBI team is very responsive to information from our users that will make the tool more helpful. – Josh Breeden

With his inside knowledge of the AR process, Breeden began working with Hancock on a training session for his colleagues, tailoring his UBI knowledge to fit their needs.

As UBI Trainer Linda Leshowitz points out, accounts receivable is a smaller audience with specific needs. “I was thrilled to learn that Josh and Danielle were putting this session together,” she said.

Upcoming Finance Training: April - June

 

Following are the upcoming courses, workshops, labs, and Brown Bag Sessions for April-June, 2018.

We hope you will take advantage of these professional development opportunities for finance professionals. Links to enroll via Employee Self-Service are available from the Events section on the Finance Outreach and Compliance website at http://foc.virginia.edu/.

Read on for all the offerings!

Finance Strategic Transformation Updates

Consultant Update

Deloitte and Accenture presented to the Finance Project Advisory Council (FPAC) this week, and we’re moving toward making a decision soon.

Other Activities

We’ve begun preliminary planning activities in partnership with internal audit for a project to revise financial internal controls as part of Finance Transformation.

In a related project, we’re working with OSP and the VPR to begin a process improvement project related to GA reconciliation and effort reporting on research programs.

Lean

The first Lean Fluency class was held on April 11, with great reviews from participants. Lean practices will be a big part of Finance Strategic Transformation -- opportunities are numerous for everyone in Finance to make a contribution. We hope everyone will take advantage of Lean Fluency classes (watch for more dates soon) to get familiar with Lean concepts as we think about how our work impacts others and how we can do our work better. 

Share your thoughts and questions about Finance Strategic Transformation:  Questions and comments are always welcome via our physical suggestion box in the Carruthers lobby or online suggestion box  Another option?  Email us at financetransformation@virginia.edu 

"Finance Matters," a podcast from UVAFinance, now available on iTunes

Finance Matters, a podcast featuring thoughts, stories and inspiration from the financial world at UVA, has just been released and is available to listeners for subscription on iTunes or on Podbean.

Let us ride along with you on your commute!

Finance Matters is focused on professional development, process improvement, and the Finance Strategic Transformation initiative at UVA.

Fans of the podcast can contact hosts Brandi Van Ormer and Patty Marbury to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast.

Listen now!

Get ready: A new and improved site for Recon is coming!

The next time you log onto the "Recon@" website,  you could be greeted with an entirely different experience.  The site, currently undergoing a content overhaul and refresh of its look, is set to go live in its new form by the end of April or early May.

A glimpse at the homepage of the new,
not yet live, ReconUVA webpage.

What will be different?

• A new look.  The ReconUVA site will look much different in Drupal format, and content will be organized in a way that makes things easy for you to find (see image above).
• New content.  The site will include both expenditure (GA) and revenue (GL) tabs.
• Fresher content.  Expenditure (GA) reconciliations will contain the same kind of information you're used to, but with better navigation and more up-to-date content.
• Easy launch of Recon@.  Look at that big orange button!
• Access to revenue (GL) info.  Procedures, forms, FAQ, we'll have it all right there.

We look forward to bringing you a new, improved site that makes your experience better.

After the site launches and you've had a chance to take it for a spin, please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions with us at recon@virginia.edu 

Food Truck Friday Schedule

In the Michie Parking Lot

April 20: Yum Yum

May 4:  BBQ U

May 11:  Tako

May 18:  BBQ U

Using the Travel & Expense App in UBI

The recent Travel & Expense Expo showcased a day’s worth of travel and expense-related information to a large contingent of UVA travelers and travel planners in just its second year running.

Matt Douglas explaining the new Travel & Expense App

Attendees visited with dozens of partnering vendors in the travel, expense, and business logistics sectors to learn more about their respective product and service offerings. Breakout seminars throughout the day also offered attendees a preview of new and upcoming travel and expense-related projects at the University.

At one of the Expo seminars, Matt Douglas, Training Developer with University Business Intelligence, presented a brand new module for the UBI data reporting tool: the Travel & Expense App. The demo session offered attendees a unique, first-hand look at the module that helps analyze data sourced from their submitted and approved expense reports and expenses.

Finance Matters: Crucial Conversations

Crucial conversations are high-impact and high-emotion.  They can occur at work or in our personal lives, and, if handled properly, can lead to breakthroughs.  If handled badly, they can lead to breakdowns.  Join pod hosts Patty and Brandi as we start a multi-episode discussion of crucial conversations.

Listen to Crucial Conversations, Part One

Listen to Crucial Conversations, Part Two

Listen to Crucial Conversations, Part Three

Listen to Crucial Conversations, Part Four

Hey UVAFinance: it's time for Spring Fling 2018!

Click for a larger view and hunger pangs.

Blood Drive at Carruthers Hall, May 17

Click to view larger

UVAFinance by the numbers

Click to enlarge image.

Here's an interesting snapshot of what we do here in UVAFinance.   Thanks to our team members and partners across Grounds for helping us be the best financial partner for UVA!

New website for UVAFinance

Mr. Jefferson encourages you to visit vpfinance.virginia.edu

Demos of Groups and Teams in Office 365: Sign up now!

Microsoft Groups and Teams are here! 

Stick your toe in the water or dive deep into the possibilities with these new tools. Come to one of our demos starting next week and continuing through the beginning of May. Dates and times are available on the UVA Office 365 website.

Groups: Integrated collaboration tools for a collection of people with a common purpose encouraging open and transparent collaboration. It allows users to share resources, including an Outlook inbox, a calendar, OneNote notebook, and a document library.

Teams: Modern, chat-based workspace that builds upon Office 365 Groups. It provides a hub for collaboration with access to content in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, Power BI, and Delve without leaving the workspace, plus voice and video conferencing through Skype for Business integration.

Get started with Groups and Teams.

Finance Strategic Transformation Update: Panel Discussion recording/what's happening now

Panel Discussion Recording is Online, On Demand!

Did you miss the panel discussion about Finance Strategic Transformation, or just want to review the details?  View it anytime here!

Consultant Selection

An evaluation committee reviewed consultant proposals, interviewed semi-finalists, and narrowed the consulting firms to two finalists for the assessment & planning phase of Finance Strategic Transformation. Those two firms will visit with the Finance Projects Advisory Council (FPAC) to present and answer questions the week of April 9. Melody and Doug Lischke, the chief accounting officer for the health system, will consider the feedback of the evaluation committee and FPAC to inform their selection of a consulting firm. Depending on negotiations, we hope to award a contract by May.

Launch of Workday Delayed

Last week, Pat Hogan announced that the Ufirst go-live, including the launch of the Workday HCM and payroll system, is being postponed from July 2018 to January 2019. We will update everyone on how this might impact the Finance Strategic Transformation timeline as both the Ufirst team and involved leadership teams adjust their timelines. More soon!

ASG Website is live

 See projects we're working on and projects we've completed, find info on what our
teams do and how we help UVAFinance!  asg.vpfinance.virginia.edu 

UVAFinance Book Club: Next book, new dates!

About 20 people participated in our first book club meetings, during which we discussed James Ryan’s book Wait, What?  (You can also check out a discussion of the book on UVAFinance's "Finance Matters" podcast.)

The next book we’ll be reading is the very short but impactful, Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr. Spencer Johnson. The subtitle of the book is “An Amazing Way to Deal With Change in Your Work and in Your Life”.

Amazon describes the book as "A timeless business classic, Who Moved My Cheese? uses a simple parable to reveal profound truths about dealing with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life."  (You can read more of their description on their website.)

Finance Matters: James Ryan's "Wait, What?"

In this episode of Finance Matters, Patty and Brandi talk about the inaugural book choice for the UVAFinance book club, incoming UVA President James Ryan's "Wait, What?"  Specifically, we discuss how the book has some practical implications for all of our lives, both professional and personal, and how the questions Ryan identifies can be helpful during times of change (hello, Finance Transformation!).

LISTEN HERE!

Mentioned in this pod:

James Ryan's Commencement speech where the book began

Don't forget: Submit your photography/artwork by April 30!

Help make UVAFinance beautiful with artwork and photography by our team.  We've extended the deadline to submit your work for the first wave of consideration -- please consider sending a snapshot or digital copy of your work to finance_engagement@virginia.edu by April 30!

Read more here.

Travel & Expense Expo: Thank you for coming and send your suggestions

Despite cold, rainy weather, a large crowd came out to enjoy the vendors and seminars featured at the Second Annual Travel & Expense Expo. The Expo, hosted by the Travel & Expense Team in Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services, aims to provide practical information to UVA travelers and travel planners.

Comments given on the post-event survey by those attending show that the Expo planning team met their goals:

• I processed a passport renewal, and really appreciate the convenience of having that service here. Thank you!
• The Expo was fantastic – very informative, lots of opportunity for networking, and placing faces to names. 
• I didn’t go to workshops, but I got to talk to vendors and ask questions about their systems. I truly value the face-to-face. Thank you for holding this event!
• The Expo was a good experience. The vendors were knowledgeable and helpful.
• My coworkers and I enjoyed the event and look forward to next year.
• I was amazed at the number of vendors who set up and were so engaging.
• I was especially glad to get the UBI report demo, and there were some very good questions answered at the ExpenseUVA workshop

If you have suggestions for next year’s Expo, please email the Travel & Expense team at travel@virginia.edu – your ideas are most welcome!

See pictures from the 2018 Travel & Expense Expo

Upcoming Lunch & Learn Sessions for UVAFinance

Successful Communication 101 

April 25, 12pm - 1pm

Carr-1 and Carr-2

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw

No matter what your role is in UVAFinance, communication is a part of what you do.  Emails, reports, presentations:  we do these things every day.  The quality and clarity of our communication, and the methods we use to execute it, can be what makes or breaks the success of our project, collaborative efforts, and personal goals.  The purpose of this course, facilitated by Brandi Van Ormer of UVAFinance Communications, is to help you evaluate your area’s communication efforts by focusing on some key points surrounding the message you want to deliver.  We’ll also cover the internal processes for sharing information within UVAFinance and across UVA. 

Time Management:  Prioritizing Life and Work
May 1, 12pm - 1pm
Carr-1 and Carr-2

In this session, Tonia Duncan-Rivers from the Center for Leadership Excellence will help us identify "time robbers" and barriers to effective time manaagement.  In this session, we will learn how to deal with interruptions, procrastination, and disorganization so we can be more efficient and effective in our lives and at work.  (This is a shortened version of the three hour CLE course of the same name.)



Looking ahead to June:  We'll have a session featuring tips on using Outlook to save time and be more organized, productive, and proficient. Date TBD -- watch for updates!

____________________________________________________________________________

Lunch and Learns are short, informative sessions for UVAFinance employees.  Registration is not required and you're encouraged to bring your lunch.

Questions? Suggestions for future sessions?  please contact us at finance_engagement@virginia.edu or foc-training@virginia.edu 

UVA Forward is coming: Hold Thursday, May 24 on your calendar!

May 24th will be here before you know it, so hold the date on your calendar for UVA Forward 2018.  This exciting conference will again be held at the Darden School of Business.  

Last year, over 300 professionals from UVAFinance, Human Resources, and Information Technology Services attended, making UVA Forward the largest professional conference for University staff. 

Visit the UVA Forward website for more information (including speakers and breakout sessions).  

Registration information is coming soon!

See pictures from last year.

Winning with Procurement

Gary P. from the Department of Ophthalmology is Procurement & Supplier Diversity Services' (PSDS) latest winner in a regular quiz feature on the UVA Marketplace Message Board.

Gary won a FREE HP Printer for his department by answering the question: "Cost Savings - what is the definition for your department? Where do you find the best deals?"

Gary’s advice for finding the best deals:

“Our best deals are usually found to come from our contract vendors.”

Good advice, Gary!

Check the Message Board in the UVA Marketplace to be the next PSDS HP Printer Drawing winner!

The message board is circled in red.