Financials upgrade newsletter [Jan./Feb. 2005 (Issue 1)]

Financials Upgrade Newsletter

Issue 1
Welcome.....
Welcome to the first issue of the SAO PeopleSoft Financials Upgrade Project Newsletter. It is the objective of this newsletter to keep you informed of the activities, milestones achieved, and upcoming events related to the PeopleSoft Financials Upgrade Project. We will be publishing a newsletter on a semi -monthly basis, and it will be posted and archived on the Financials Upgrade section of the Financials Systems Website.
Project Objectives
Retain current Financials application functionality, while upgrading to release 8.8.
Create new, stable and reliable technical architecture for the Financials application.
Analyze business processes , and if necessary, reengineer and provide new or improved functionality where appropriate.
Provide an upgraded system that is operationally effective and efficient.
Ensure agency readiness for new software release by providing timely and effective training.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 Welcome 1 Project Objectives
1 Project Overview 2 Contact Us 2 Upgrade Timeline
2 Milestones to Date 3 What is a Delta Fit Gap? 3 Training Room has moved! Find out where!

January/February 2005
Project Overview
In October 2003, funding was approved to upgrade the Phoenix Peoplesoft applications to the latest webenabled version. The current version is outdated and is no longer supported by the vendor. The Financials upgrade to version 8.8 is now underway. A great deal of organizational and strategic planning has been completed to ensure a smooth and successful transition to the new version.
The Financial Systems section of the State Accounting Office will lead the upgrade effort. Users from a number of agencies will be attending "Fit Gap" meetings to compare the current version of PeopleSoft to the new version 8.8 to ensure that all business processes will be accounted for.
Agencies will also be invited to participate in the training effort, which will include a "Train the Trainer" program, as well as end user training utilizing the new "UPK" (User Productivity Kit) tool.
Scope
The current scope of the project includes: The upgrade to supported technology To implement three way matching, inter/intra agency fund accounting and consolidation of reporting Create a foundation to transition from transactional system to statewide financial management system To review business units, chart of accounts, and cash management to determine the best solutions for the future of state government.
Planned upgrade "Go Live" date is scheduled for July 2006

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Milestones to Date...
November/December 2004 - Detailed Project Plan developed.
January 2005 Fit Gap Planning Sessions o Meetings with Accenture (vendor partner) to review scope changes and determine impact on project. o Establish time frame for sessions, locations, and tools to be used in sessions. o Identify and notify agency participants.
February 2005 Fit Gap Sessions are underway for the PeopleSoft Accounts Payable and Purchasing modules.
o Vendor processing has been reviewed and studied in the Accounts Payable module.
o Items/Categories/Contracts have been reviewed in the Purchasing Module (Visit the Phoenix Website for session summaries of each Fit Gap Session.)

Contact Us
An e-mail address has been created especially for your use.
Contact us at upgradefeedback@gta.ga.gov
A project team member will personally respond to any questions you may have.
If there is anything you would like to see included in the newsletter, please don't hesitate to contact the Communications Team with your
ideas.
Additional information pertaining to the Upgrade Project can be found at the Financial Systems Website:
http://phoenix.gagta.com
Click Upgrade/Financials Upgrade

Glossary
Look for this column in every newsletter to learn new terms and phrases utilized in the upgrade process and the new 8.8 system.
Page formerly a panel a. Each Page contains an effective date, but all pages are saved at one time. b. Pressing the `Enter' key does not save data as the 7.02 Financials system did.
Components formerly a panel group
Clear B utton - Similar to the old Red "X" icon, which is no longer utilized.

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Financials Upgrade Time Line

Phase I: Strategy and Planning

Phase II: System Design

Phase III: Development

Phase IV: Testing and Rollout

Phase IV: Production Support and Knowledge Transfer

11/04 - 12/04

1/05 - 5/05

6/05 - 11/05

12/05 - 6/06

7/06 - 9/06

Delta Fit Gap
Some of you may wonder "what is a delta Fit Gap"? A delta fit gap session is essentially a meeting held with a number of agency subject matter experts to discuss the differences between the current version of PeopleSoft and the new version 8.8. These sessions will offer the opportunity for users to see the new system and to help identify specific areas or needs that may not be addressed.
All session summaries and decision documents resulting from the fit gap will be documented and available by visiting the Financials Upgrade website "Fit Gap" page.
The Training Room has moved!!!!
The training room previously used for PeopleSoft training has moved!!! Effective January 24, 2005, the SAO Financial Systems training room moved from Suite1908 of the West Tower to Suite 1616 of the West Tower. Be on the lookout for the new class schedules for the HCM upgrade training to be posted soon! There are no Financials classes scheduled until after the Financials upgrade is complete. Class schedules for Financials classes will be posted in early 2006.
For more information on the Financials Upgrade Project or for comments/questions about the Project Newsletter contact the Communications Team
at: Upgrade Feedback State Accounting Office - Financial Systems 200 Piedmont Avenue, Suite 1604, West Tower Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: 404-656-2133
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