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Welcome to UGA's OneSource Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page

This page provides a list of general project frequently asked questions as well as links to other topic specific FAQs.

Please contact UGA's OneSource Project team at onesource@uga.edu if you have questions about these questions.

Why is UGA undertaking the OneSource project?

While UGA’s core administrative systems have served the institution well, a modern, vendor-provided system is needed to improve the integration of data across areas, improve business processes to enable faculty and staff to work and plan more effectively, and provide reporting tools that will improve data access and UGA's ability to make data-driven decisions. By improving administrative systems and streamlining processes, support is provided to assist with meeting the University’s goals to strengthen and enhance its teaching, research and public service missions.

Which finance and human resource systems/applications will be replaced by PeopleSoft 9.2 and which systems/applications will remain?

A detailed system mapping and scope has not been developed, but at a high level, any core accounting, budget, human resources, payroll,  payment, travel, asset management, or grants accounting system or process will be transformed through the OneSource project.

Who are other education customers of PeopleSoft?

Many institutions, including some of UGA’s peer and aspirant institutions use PeopleSoft. While not an exhaustive list, the following highlights PeopleSoft’s presence among higher education customers:

  • Georgia Tech and all other University System of Georgia Institutions
  • University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
  • Ohio State University
  • Cornell University
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Florida
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • University of Iowa
  • Brigham Young University
  • Duke University
  • Emory University
  • John Hopkins University

What can we do in PeopleSoft that we couldn’t do in our Legacy System?

While functionality and process improvements will be delivered through the OneSource project, including a system that is accessible using a web browser, the focus of the project is to deliver a modern, vendor-provided platform that will enable UGA to address:

  • Integration of data across functions to reduce data-entry duplication, use of shadow systems, and provide access to authoritative data
  • Streamlined, web-based business processes to enable faculty and staff to work and plan more effectively
  • Flexible reporting tools that will improve data access and UGA's ability to make data-driven decisions
  • A chart of accounts that addresses needs of interdisciplinary projects and activities
  • Identification and adoption of industry standards and best practices for current and future information technology architecture
  • Improved data privacy and security

Will new functionality on existing finance and human resources systems continue during the timeframe of this project?

Using the ConnectUGA project as a successful model, development on the legacy (existing) finance and human resources system will be curtailed and the focus will be on delivering the new system. However, legacy system regulatory and other critical changes will be evaluated by the Project Leadership Team as needed to ensure UGA is able to respond appropriately to the requirements of internal and external stakeholders.

What are the project timelines?

The Project officially began in September 2015. Please see this link for detailed timeline information.

Why is the project timeline so long?

Replacing the University’s core administrative systems and processes is a monumental business transformation task that impacts every aspect of the business operations. The Project Leadership Team has developed a schedule that is purpose driven but also attainable.

Does Senior Administration support this concept?

The OneSource project would not have been initiated without support from the University community. Senior University administration, including the President, Provost, Vice President for Finance & Administration and the OneSource Project Leadership Team, concur with this plan.

How will faculty and staff be impacted?

All faculty, staff and student employees of UGA will see some changes, including the format of their electronic pay stubs and other items currently available via the UGA Employee Self Service website at http://employee.uga.edu. Forms and processes by which employees interact with UGA's central Human Resources and financial systems will change, as well. All university offices that handle any type of financial transactions or Human Resource functions will see significant changes, including changes in procurement, payment processing, accounting, receivables, personnel processing, budgeting, and reporting. 

When will more information be available? How will you reach out to faculty and staff to let them know that events like the Town Hall are occurring? 

More information will be published through the OneSource website. View additional FAQs, events, news, updates, press releases and presentations as they are available.

Methods of communication we will be using include:

  • Making announcements and targeted presentations for groups such as BAAF and BSAG,
  • Creation of a OneSource listserv to contact those interested in learning more about the project
  • Distributing surveys to recruit interested volunteers,
  • Communicating directly with financial directors, HR liaisons, grants coordinators, IT Managers,
  • Posting a list of upcoming events on the OneSource website, and
  • Publishing information in Columns and other university news sources.

Input on additional methods of communicating with campus users is welcome and should be addressed to onesource@uga.edu.

How long will the transition period be during which both the old and new systems are running concurrently?

Currently, there is no concurrent transition period planned. Each component, Budgeting, Financials, and HR/Payroll will go live for the entire university at approximately 6 month intervals, and the corresponding legacy systems will be turned off at that time. Historical data will be made available for reporting purposes.

Is UGAMart staying?

Yes, the going-in position has been validated that UGAmart will continue to be used as the “shopping cart” front end for purchasing. There will be some changes that will be required to accomodate the new chart of accounts and integrations with PeopleSoft.

What do you mean when you say that UGA’s HR and Payroll systems will be on the same system as the rest of the USG institutions? Is this the system in Sandersville?

The new HR and Payroll system will be part of OneUSG, an implementation of PeopleSoft Human Capital Management that will be run by the University System of Georgia. All 29 USG academic institutions and the university system office will be coming together under a single umbrella for HR and Payroll as part of this project. The servers, applications, and system configuration will belong to and be maintained by the USG, with input from UGA and the other 28 schools. The office in Sandersville is Shared Services, which currently provides HR and Payroll support activities for institutions on the ADP HR/payroll system. UGA will still have HR and Payroll departments on site to support our staff, but some processes may be transitioned to Shared Services.

Will the OneSource project include all the accounting, budgeting, and related reporting tools for departmental needs? How should departments plan for change if they currently have departmentally developed tools they are using for accounting/budgeting/reporting? Will we be able to get rid of our “shadow” systems? 

According to the project timeline, it will be early 2018 before any new budget functionality goes live and summer 2018 before any new financial accounting and related business processes are live.  Departments should continue using any departmental tool(s) to sustain internal needs until additional project planning and system configuration information is available.

With a project of this size and complexity, UGA is hiring a third party implementation partner/consulting firm who will be crucial to the process as UGA deploys the new budgeting, accounting and reporting tools.  Once the implementation partner is under contract, the full project plan will be finalized and one of the key/first steps in that project plan will be for the implementation partner to lead UGA stakeholders, including schools/colleges and other UGA users, through fit/gap sessions so that optimal project scope and system configurations can be identified, vetted and agreed upon. 

While at this point we cannot define those exact configurations and solutions, the OneSource project has a set of guiding principles for the project: (http://onesource.uga.edu/_resources/files/documents/guiding-principles-and-desired-outcomes.pdf).  Included in the guiding principles is a recognition that the project will support improved, integrated and expanded services, including the desired outcome of reducing or eliminating the need for duplicate departmental systems/data storage and instead providing functionality through single, authoritative sources. These are indeed high-level goals and there is much work to be done to move from these guiding principles to achievement of the desired outcomes. 

The term “Shadow Systems” covers a broad range of currently running systems on campus and may mean different things to different people. One of the project goals is to reduce the number and complexity of the centrally run shadow systems. Schools, colleges, departments and divisions will need to consider the current business needs of their units against the offerings available in the PeopleSoft human resources and financial solutions and determine the full implications of keeping or decommissioning internal shadow systems. Many of these systems were implemented to meet needs not addressed by the central mainframe systems but they often create duplicate entry work and require extensive time and resources to maintain. We have an opportunity to implement solutions in such a way that they may meet departmental needs that initiated the development of shadow systems. It will be important for departmental Financial and IT staff to be heavily involved in the project in order to make this happen.

UGA is beginning to engage with units about preparing and readying departmental systems and business processes that may need to be modified as part of the transition to PeopleSoft.   Additional information is on this effort is available at:  Preparing Departmental Systems and Business Processes for PeopleSoft 

OneSource website: onesource.uga.edu

Page Last Updated:  1/10/18