Gazette Story by Alison Migneault

11 May 2009

Queen’s is poised to replace its general ledger, procurement and accounts payable finance systems. The November launch is the first major milestone for the Queen’s University Administrative Systems Replacement (QUASR) team.

The merging of the three systems into one will mean significant improvements to the university’s current system, which features technology that is more than 30 years old.

“The new system will reduce time wasted on manual entries and make working on the finance system less cumbersome. It supports the university’s academic mission by providing the base for sound operations,” says Finance Project Manager Karen Matheson.

The chart of accounts – the list of about 12,000 account codes used at the university – will see substantial updates. All the account codes will change, and this will affect hundreds of staff and faculty who work with them regularly.

The improvements to the chart of accounts will allow for more consistency in reporting and better quality of information. The reporting tools will be more robust and offer automated reporting. It will also move the system off the mainframe and onto a web-based platform that is much more intuitive and easier to use.

Recognizing the potential impact of these changes, the QUASR team has developed a comprehensive training strategy for all staff and faculty affected by the change. Training will begin 90 days before implementation.

The implementation of the new finance system this fall will create process efficiencies. However, Ms Matheson notes that there will be further improvements to the system and users will still need to do some manual entries after the November launch. Additionally, travel and expense reporting and online procurement, both part of the finance administrative system, are not scheduled to launch until 2010.

Ms Matheson calls the November finance implementation “foundational work for future releases.”

QUASR is a multi-year project aimed at replacing aged systems with Oracle PeopleSoft, a software solution that will provide integrated and web-based functionalities for the administrative systems used in human resources, finance, research administration and student admission, financial aid, records and financials.

The new software platform will increase system functionality, improve administrative processes, integrate solutions across departments, build ongoing support capacities, and help manage risks to the university.

For more information about QUASR, visit the QUASR website and watch for updates in subsequent issues of the Queen’s Gazette.