Background
Enterprise Business Systems Projects (EBSP) is working to create connected administrative business systems that support an advancing university.
History
The MSU Board of Trustees authorized the MSU Enterprise Business Systems Project (EBSP) in October 2006 and directed the project management team to replace and upgrade the existing financial, research administration and human resources systems across the university.
This decision recognized the age and fragility of these key systems and acknowledged the potential damage to MSU's ability to conduct business should one or more of these systems fail.
Additionally, the initiative recognized an opportunity to upgrade, improve and streamline processes to serve the faculty, staff and students of the university more effectively.
Issues
The new systems address many issues MSU is facing regarding the way it runs its business operations. Some of the problems addressed by the new systems include:
- Data stored in different files and databases.
- Multiple and sometimes conflicting versions of information.
- Some systems reaching the end of their usable lives (40+ years old).
- Some systems no longer supported by vendors who created them.
- Many processes paper based, causing delays.
- Duplicate data entry causes more work and greater chance of errors.
Project Vision
To replace the present systems with a new approach shaped by a fundamental review of MSU's business and administrative functions and to meet both present day and anticipated future needs.
Benefits
The new systems provide the university with:
- Timely information at your fingertips.
- Streamlined processes and a common approach to doing business.
- Online transactions and approvals.
- Flexible reporting.
Choice of Business Systems
MSU has selected the following system for implementation:
- Financial: Kuali Financial System (KFS)
- Research: Kuali COEUS Research Administration System (KC)
- Human Resources: SAP
- Business Intelligence: Cognos
The EBSP team is designed and built with input from all levels within the campus community. The project teams are committed to extensive communications, training and support to units to facilitate the smoothest transition possible.
The first systems went live in January 2011 and will expand in July 2011.
Guiding Principles
- Business processes, policies and objectives must be designed to support the primary missions of education and research.
- MSU will be fully committed to achieving and demonstrating maximum improvements in Flexibility, Transparency, Standardization, and Delegation.
- MSU (Executive Steering Committee, Steering Committee, project team) will emphasize eliminating barriers (i.e., function/function, central/user) in order to meet MSU's goals.
- In order to achieve its goals, MSU will be prepared to invest in building the necessary organizational competencies and reallocate financial and human resources to support new work responsibilities.
- All existing business priorities, policies and practices must be identified, evaluated and challenged.
- MSU will adopt "best business practices" that have been built into the functionality of the SAP, Kuali and related products.
- MSU will establish standardized enterprise-wide policies, procedures and practices in order to achieve the benefits in standardization.
- New systems initiatives competing for the same set of resources will not be developed during the EBSP development and implementation timeframe without approval of the MSU Executive Steering Committee.
- Universal communication throughout this project about design and decisions is critical.
- EBSP will include and invite commentary from central office and college/unit representatives.
- A commitment to helping the people affected by the changes associated with the implementation processes is essential to help increase the likelihood of a successful change initiative.
