Ask Us Anything about Budget & Adaptive!

FST's Adaptive Planning Team and the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis want to make sure your future state budgeting questions and concerns are answered.  Questions asked in meetings and emails are always welcome, but we want to invite you to share your thoughts on our new  "Ask Us Anything" page, linked here. 

All questions/concerns will be addressed on the UVAFinance website on a Frequently Asked Questions page so we can all learn from one another as we move toward the era of Adaptive 3.0 and Workday Financials.  

All questions will be answered without attribution, and you are welcome to make your inquiries anonymous; however, it may be helpful to share your contact information in case we need clarification to best answer your question. 

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Have questions about FDM? You can also Ask Anything about that!  

Brandon Pierce Joins UVAFinance as Senior Payroll Tax Specialist

 

Brandon Pierce 

For Brandon Pierce, a UVA graduate, the chance to return to the University, even remotely, was an exciting opportunity.

Brandon recently joined UVAFinance as a Senior Payroll Tax Specialist. He will be primarily working under Angela Coleman, Assistant Director of Payroll Services, and will also be assisting the Payroll Services team and the Payroll Operations team with any tax-related issues.

“I love the role so far,” Brandon says. Though working for a public University is different from what Brandon is used to coming from a large corporation. “The organizational setup is entirely different, so it’s a learning process,” he explains. “But it’s nice to be able to expand my        knowledge.”

Outside of work, Brandon likes to get outside and experience new places, particularly new restaurants and breweries. He also loves to hike, run, and golf with his dad. He’s also obsessed with luxury real estate and says, “in another life, I would be a real estate agent selling high-end properties.” He often spends time on Zillow looking at what he describes as “houses I could never afford.”

Continuous Improvement Bright Spot: Not perfect but still good

We share Continuous Improvement Bright Spots here in the blog to recognize teams committed to improvement and to inspire others to do the same.  In previous Bright Spots, we've shared stories of processes made simpler, stakeholders served better, and team members who have reduced administrative burden.  Today's story isn't quite as glamorous, because it's about an improvement that wasn't quite perfect, but that is no less inspiring and important.

The Problem

In the thick of the pandemic, Student Financial Services needed a way to serve students and families while still keeping themselves and students safe (i.e., not crowded physically into a waiting area for in-person help).  The team didn't have time to research and invest in a new software product to allow students to make online appointments -- they needed something immediately as students got ready to go back to class. 

The Improvement

Enter UVAFinance's Scott Adams ("Everybody needs a Scott Adams," comments Sarah Doran of SFS).  Working with the SFS team, Adams decided to take something that already existed, a product called Microsoft Bookings, and created a process that could patch SFS through their rough patch.  

The Benefits

Using Bookings, the SFS team was able to offer students set times for appointments, allowing them to choose the time that worked best for them and keep crowds out of the SFS office.  It wasn't a perfect solution, however:  the team found that students would find their way around waiting for their turn by emailing and calling in the runup to their appointment, getting their issues solved, and subsequently not showing up for their in-person time slot.  

The Bottom Line

The team's use of Bookings allowed the SFS team to try on an appointment solution without committing to something costly.  Using Bookings got them through an unexpected and tough situation, helping them to serve students while keeping everyone safe.  Even though the solution didn't fit perfectly, it bridged a gap and helped them understand what sort of solution would be a perfect fit.  

An important part of Continuous Improvement is being willing to try solutions and modify them based on experience.  We applaud this team for creative thinking, rolling with the punches, and their focus on doing the best they can for their stakeholders!

Cheers to Scott Adams, Jenn Bari, Catie Payne, and the whole SFS team for their CI mindset!

Give to the CVC: It's more important than ever!

The Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign provides an important opportunity to support nonprofit and charitable organizations across the commonwealth – including over 50 here in our own community. 

Since the CVC’s inception, UVA faculty, staff, and others have collectively impacted these organizations and have led all state entities in terms of total giving. Unfortunately, since the pandemic began, many CVC-supported community organizations have seen a drop in giving while the need for their services continues to increase.

Please consider giving through the CVC this year, in any amount. Every gift makes a difference, and the online giving process takes just a few minutes to complete. Most importantly, it allows us an opportunity to live our values and support the greater good right here where we live and work.

Thank you!

Click here to give

Get updates on the topics you're interested in!

If you use the Online Community, you've probably noticed that content is tagged by area, author, and more.  Did you know you can use the Community organization structure to create your own customized news streams based on only the content you want to see?

You could get updated every time a resource page is updated, or when certain person posts, or there's news on a specific topic: the possibilities are immense and very customizable!

Check out this informative piece by Community Manager Jessica Rafter and learn how to get updates on just the things you want to know.

Going Paperless with Workday: Considerations from RIM

 Contributed by Caroline Walters

Records & Information Management is responsible for compliance with the Virginia Public Records Act and associated regulations on the management and retention of University records. As UVA transitions to Workday Financials as the system of record for all transactions, attaching supporting documentation to the Workday transactions allows for the reduction in keeping paper and electronic records in the departments. Paperless is the goal, but electronic records are still subject to retention rules.

Did you know?  Following retention rules is the balance between retaining information we need to document transactions and activities, and not keeping information too long. The Virginia Public Records Act is clear that retention time periods are not minimums, and that destroying records regularly and consistently is the goal. Read more on the Records Management Website.

As we replace Oracle with Workday, schools and units may find that they have supplemental systems that that they will keep and some that they will retire. Even if you will no longer use it, the system and its data can't simply be deleted. There are still mandated retention time periods even for the data we aren't transferring to Workday. Please contact Records & Information Management to help you determine what to retain, and to properly document destructions. We are here to help! Records@virginia.edu

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For more information, visit the Records Management Website, or contact them at records@virginia.edu 

Four Excel Tips in Four Minutes

 Contributed by Jack Sherwood 

1. Split up data within a cell 

• Highlight cells you would like to split 
• Go to the “data” tab and select “text to columns” 
• Select “delimited” (this allows you to designate a split based on a character, symbol, or space) 
• Identify your delimiter 
• Click “Next” 6. “Finish” 

2. Bring data together into one cell 

• In a new cell, select the first item to insert (ex. A2) 
• In the cell formula, type &” “& followed by the next cell to insert (ex. A2&” “&B2) 
• Don’t forget the “ “, as this creates a space between the data! 

3. Conditional formatting 

• Select cells to apply highlight to 
• Under the home menu, select conditional formatting 
• Select logic from the dropdown 
• Provide subsequent information about rule 
• “OK” 

4. Transpose data 

• Highlight row/column of interest, right-click, and copy
•  Select row/column where you wish to transpose
•  Right-click, “paste special”
•  At bottom of the module, select transpose 
•  “OK” 

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Want to see a demonstration of these tips?  Check out the recording of the November 3 Fiscal Administrators' Meeting, available here: https://fro.vpfinance.virginia.edu/fiscal-administrator-meetings 

FST Update October 28, 2021

 

Want to listen to this update instead of reading it? Click here to tune into the WFST Broadcast!

No time to read paragraphs? Check out "Five Things to Know about WFST"

FDM Mapping

Schools and units continue the work mapping to the FDM, the new chart of accounts. The FST Team is constantly updating the files on the FDM Resource page, and they’re keeping the FAQ section of the resource page updated as well.  Read more about Mapping on the blog.

End-to-End Testing

The Online Community is updated each Monday with the latest testing metrics .   In those metrics, you can see the scenarios they tested, the ones that passed, the bugs they found, and more.  Catching those issues now will ensure a smoother go-live experience next July.

Workflow Control & Approvals

The functional team is completing configurations based on initial recommendations, and then Baker Tilley, our consulting partner on this portion of the project, will help us assess the results and the team will start sharing with our governance groups, so you can expect to see more on this in November.  Read more on the blog.

Training Update

Finance Strategic Transformation isn’t just a Workday Financials implementation;  the training team is thinking carefully about the transformative part of the project.  The future state will be different in terms of what tasks people perform in their daily work, and the team is working to make sure people are prepared for the changes.  Read more from Patty Marbury.

University Financial Model:  Continuous Improvement

The UFM Review Committee submitted their final report, which was accepted and is available online.  We’ll link to where you can review it online.  The aim of the committee was to make sure the plan has what it needs to support the UVA 2030 strategic plan.  Read more and access the report.

Adaptive Planning Implementation

The Adaptive Team has been showcasing improvements in the tool to stakeholders lately. These are updates made to the tool based on stakeholder feedback, and the adjustments get us just that much closer to the version of Adaptive that will integrate with Workday Financials at go-live. Read more on the blog.

System Remediation

The System Remediation Network is plugging along, making sure all the ancillary systems out there in use in the schools and units will integrate with Workday Financials.  Read more about their work here.

Five Things to Know about FST: October 28, 2021

 1.  Schools and units are making serious progress on mapping the PTAO to the FDM, our new chart of accounts.  Get the details here. 

2. The functional team is completing configurations on Workflow Control & Approvals, and more information will be shared in November.  Read the update on the blog.

3.  The Training Team is focusing on the people part of FST and preparing people for how their roles may change.  Read Patty's update on the blog. 

4.  Continuous Improvement is a big part of the project, and the University Financial Model just got a CI review.  Read more and access the report. 

5.  End-to-End Testing continues, finding and fixing bugs so the go-live of Workday Financials is smoother on July 1, 2022.  Visit the Testing Tracker.

Training Update: Preparing for Transformative Change

We’re 8 months (plus a few days) from the go-live date for launching Workday Financials. There is a reason we have called this project Finance Strategic Transformation and not the Workday Financials Implementation Project. It is not JUST a system implementation (although that in itself is no small feat!) 

So you may wonder—what’s so strategic or transformative about it? What is changing other than the system? With FST the changes we are making affect processes and sometimes policy, people, and of course, technology.

To identify and understand what processes will change, we’re asking the following questions:

• How does work get done and when? What are the overall processes and the associated tasks and steps? 
• Where is the data coming from? Does it come from another source, or does someone enter it (and who is that)?
• What reports and outputs exist and what do people do with them?
• How do we communicate these process changes?

We also need to know if current policies need updating to reflect the changes in processes, and if so, ensure that those policies are updated, reviewed, and approved well in advance.

The changes affecting people are so important in change management. We need to know:

• What new skills will be required for people to do their jobs?
• What shifts in behavior and culture need to happen?
• Who makes decisions?

Ultimately some people may end up with additional tasks and some may have less. Most work will be different. It’s important to help people prepare for these changes.

Obviously, we are preparing for a change in technology. We’ll be working in a new system. Some tasks that people currently do may be automated, and it’s important to know what the system will look like to end-users and how to provide help when there are questions.

So as you prepare for July 1, 2022, and the changes in processes, policy, people, and technology, remember to stay connected and informed, and let us know what concerns and questions you have!

UFM Review Committee Issues Final Report

The University Financial Model (UFM) Review Committee has issued its final report on recommendations for the UFM going forward.  The plan has been accepted by University Leadership and is available for viewing on the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis website (the UFM website is currently under construction).  

Access the UFM Review Committee's Final Report

If you have questions or concerns, contact budget@virginia.edu

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Read more about the UFM Review Committee's work on the UVAFiance blog.

Student Tuition Committee reviews Tuition & Fee Proposal

University leadership and members of the Office of Financial Planning & Analysis sat down with two Student Tuition Committees via Zoom earlier this October as FY2023 Budget Season got into full swing.

The group discussed the 2022-2024 tuition and fee proposal set to be considered by the Board of Visitors this December.  The discussion delved into what can be done with increased revenue,  reviewing needs for additional faculty, updated labs and technology, library collections and digital subscriptions, and new student services, among other things. 

Students in attendance were particularly interested in support of electronic material costs in the library, competitive faculty pay, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and they also shared concerns about a funding solution for insurance loans. 

Meetings with student representatives will continue as the budget season progresses. 

For more information on the FY2023 Budget process at UVA, read more on the blog here. 

FY2023 Budget Process Kicks Off

Schools and units across UVA came together virtually on October 15 to kick off what just might be UVA's first post-pandemic budget (we're crossing our fingers).  Vice Provost for Planning Adam Daniel, who, along with Associate Vice President for Financial Strategy Bill Ashby, opened the Kickoff Session, noted that the FY23 budget offers UVA a chance to reassess and be creative in the budgeting process. 

In addition to the possible distinction of being the first budget after COVID, FY23 will also be the first budget to incorporate the "hard funding" model recently adopted as part of Finance Strategic Transformation (read more about that here on the blog).

Ashby stressed how "genuinely exciting" this moment in budget planning is for UVA.  Greater clarity into fund balances, a multi-year planning sensibility, and long-term view, the strategic partnership of the financial planning and analysis team, and enhanced reporting and analytical capability were cited as transforming budgeting at UVA.

Key dates in the FY2023 Budget Timeline:

• October 15:  Kickoff of the FY2023 Budget Process
• November:  Review of tuition & fees with student committees, public notice of tuition & fees, and submission of tuition & fees to BOV
• December:  BOV approval of tuition & fees, Governor's budget proposal
• February:  Budget submissions due
• April:  Final budgets completed in Adaptive Planning

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Read more about budgeting on the blog:  

Student Committee reviews Tuition & Fee Proposal 

Budget Process Redesign

Improving Fund Ownership Visibility

OFP&A Begins Rounding Allocations

Progress with PaymentWorks

PaymentWorks went live with Oracle on October 18th. That means we are nearing two full weeks using PaymentWorks for supplier management. 

Overall, PaymentWorks had a successful launch day: lots of invitations were sent out, minimal technical issues were reported, and two ACH payment files were transmitted to Bank of America. Here's a more detailed look at some of the stats from October 18th: 

• 729 invitations to register were sent (some of these were during the previous week's soft launch)
• 136 new suppliers and payees completed their registration 
• Two ACH were successfully processed with Bank of America for a total of $1600
• 150 pre-existing suppliers were invited to register with new payment methods and payment terms
• Specialized training documentation delivered to clinical research/human subjects to purchase gift cards on Marketplace
• Only 3 minor technical issues were reported, and fewer than 15 questions/issues were reported by schools and units

Make sure to keep an eye on this space for future PaymentWorks updates. To learn more about PaymentWorks,  head here for a list of resources. If you have any questions for the PaymentWorks Team, please send them to vendors@virginia.edu. 

Halloween Viewing from the Inclusive Excellence Committee

Contributed by ToShun Campbell,  Inclusive Excellence Advisory Committee

As a homage to Halloween and actor Michael K. Williams's passing, I invite you to revisit HBO’s groundbreaking series, Lovecraft Country. The series is a Sci-Fi examination of a family’s 1950’s struggle to survive Jim Crow America. Based on a novel by Matt Ruff, the series is brought to life by modern horror phenoms Misha Green, J.J. Abrams, and Jordan Peele, to name a few.  

Click this link for the first (free) episode.

An episode-by-episode podcast accompanies the series with Ashley C. Ford and Lovecraft Country writer Shannon Houston. The pair examine the role of race in the series, share their thoughts on the ties between the horror genre and Black culture, and explore how the show’s themes connect to contemporary social issues in our present culture. Following is a link to the Lovecraft Country Radio Podcast:

https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country/podcast

Parental discretion is advised for both the show and the podcast!

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Want to learn more about the UVAFinance Inclusive Excellence Committee?  Visit https://uvafinance.virginia.edu/about-uvafinance and click "Diversity, Equity,& Inclusion", or click HERE for past blog posts about the group.