UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 12, Page 8
November 16, 1995
Employee suggestions are vital to FAMIS team's project

     During the last two months, consultants from Coopers & Lybrand,
specializing in higher education re-engineering efforts, have
conducted interviews throughout the campus to identify opportunities
for improvement of the University's financial systems and business
practices.
     Under direction of the Financial Accounting and Management
Information System (FAMIS) team- consisting of University employees
responsible for designing and implementing a new financial
system-Coopers & Lybrand interviewers have been meeting with deans,
chairpersons, faculty and unit administrators to review current needs
and processes as well as to solicit new ideas.
     The survey covers several core processes, including the
management of grants and contracts, planning and development of
budgets, budget monitoring and revisions, buying and paying, reporting
of management information, billing and collections and paying
employees.
     While the interviews already have provided many valuable ideas
that will help improve existing processes and systems, the FAMIS team
is eager to receive further suggestions from employees.
     To submit a suggestion or question, send e-mail to
FAMIS@mvs.udel.edu.
     Employees who use the current system have made numerous
recommendations for improvement.
     Suggestions received to date include:
        * STREAMLINE: Many stressed the need to streamline the
          University proposal, approval and grant management
          processes;
        * DECENTRALIZE THE BUDGET PROCESS: College deans, in
          particular, would like to play a greater role in setting
          long-range financial priorities that support their long-
          range academic goals;
        * DELIVER TIMELY DATA: EVERYONE AGREES ON The need to receive
          timely information from the central accounting system for
          all financial transactions. As one interviewee emphasized,
          "We need current information about how much money we have
          left in order to make good decisions about future
          expenditures";
        * ELIMINATE REDUNDANT REVIEWS: Although respondents agree that
          it's easier to make purchases than in the past, frustrations
          related to the "pay" side of the process still exist. Users
          said there are too many reviews of purchase decisions, and
          this redundancy increases their workload and frustration;
        * SIMPLIFY REPORTING TOOLS: When it comes to running reports,
          users said information-gathering and processing tools, such
          as SuperNatural are "needlessly complex and difficult to
          use." They want reporting tools with the same look, feel and
          ease of use as their desktop computers;
        * IMPROVE TRACKING SYSTEM FOR OUTSTANDING DEBTS: Users want a
          simplified, comprehensive billing system; and
        * ALLOW USERS THE ABILITY TO MAKE PERSONAL RECORD CHANGES ON-
          LINE IN REAL TIME: For many users, the Personal Action Form
          (PAF) symbolizes the "stifling bureaucracy" of the current
          system. Administrators said the process of changing
          employees' information on pay levels is "confusing, time
          consuming and needlessly bureaucratic."

     As the FAMIS team incorporates feedback into its detailed
analyses and evaluation of core business processes, it also is using
this information as it makes comparisons with other institutions that
are known for their excellent business practices, to determine how
their successes can be duplicated at Delaware.