QUASR on track for new finance systems this fall

Gazette Story by Donna Janiec

31 August 2009

The first major step in fundamentally transforming how we do business at Queen’s is on schedule for this November, when the Queen’s University Administrative Systems Replacement project will be introducing the initial phase of a new finance system.

In November, the decades-old mainframe systems currently used for finance will be replaced by internet- style software from Oracle PeopleSoft. The implementation will affect virtually everyone at Queen’s, directly or indirectly. For example, a new chart of accounts will bring a consistent, organized structure to numbering all revenue and expense accounts, department codes, funds, programs and projects.

There will be a new general ledger system (and a new way of processing journal entries), accounts payable system and commitment control (budget checking). Interface users such as the Library, Residences, Advancement and others will see changes in the way they send and receive information related to the main Queen’s finance system.

A new procurement system will bring changes involving requisitions for purchase orders, online approvals, and providing receipts for goods and services received by the university. It will also affect more than 2,600 Queen’s suppliers.

Testing the new system

The QUASR finance team has now completed its design work and is working through an intense period of configuring and testing the new finance system, checking security roles, and finalizing the transition plan in order to go live at the end of November.

A hands-on training program is also in development. In addition to the “look-and-feel” town-hall sessions attended by several hundred participants since mid-June, QUASR will be rolling out usertraining sessions in October and November, providing users with instruction and practice with the new systems.

The Queen’s University Administrative Systems Replacement (QUASR) project is a comprehensive three-year university initiative to implement new administrative systems serving finance, research, human resources and student areas.

For more information about the QUASR Finance implementation this fall or the Student and Human Resources implementations in 2010, sign up for the weekly bulletin QUASR QuickNotes by email at quasr@queensu.ca.

Donna Janiec is Associate Vice-Principal (Finance).