All Aboard!
“Selling” KFS to Your School
Troy Fluharty, Colorado State University
Kymber Horn, University of Arizona
Kim Yeoh, Cornell University
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Management Support
• Comparison of KFS to PeopleSoft (Fall 04)
• Based on functioning system (IU’s FIS)
• Controlling our own destiny
– Functionality, timelines, cost
• Technical community source advocates
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Management Support (cont’d)
• Benefits of Kuali
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Designed for higher ed
Workflow can be used for other processes
Designed for distributed access
Code is visible, modifiable, supportable
Proven interfaces with PeopleSoft
Community source consistent with higher ed culture
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Management Support (cont’d)
• Risks of Kuali
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Coordination with partners
Delivery of software
Long term support
Still likely to be customizations needed for Cornell
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Management Support (cont’d)
• Risks of vendor software
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Initial costs (purchase, consultants, customizations)
Long term costs (maintenance, upgrades)
Long term support not guaranteed
Forced upgrade schedule
Extensive modifications to meet Cornell’s needs
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Management Support (cont’d)
• December 2004… WE’RE IN!
– Institutional commitment to join partnership and
implement KFS at Cornell
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Functional Support
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Demos of FIS (Feb – Apr 05)
Demos of KFS Release 1 (Apr – Aug 06)
Kuali Days
Local COA team (Jun 05 – present)
Cornell University
Pre-Implementation
Gaining Functional Support (cont’d)
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Sophisticated workflow tool
Flexible chart of accounts
Labor distribution adjustment process
Budget and accounting data integrated
Distributed capital assets functionality
Enables “soft” commitments
Indirect cost calculated and posted nightly
Endowment management
Cornell University
Chart of Accounts Team
• Composition of team:
– KFS staff: project manager, project director,
functional lead, quality assurance analyst, 2 business
analysts
– Central offices: 2 accounting, 1 reporting, 2 cost
analysis & capital assets, 2 sponsored funds, 3
budget, 1 IT data delivery
– Campus representation: 5 colleges, 2 research
departments, 1 Libraries, 2 enterprises
Cornell University
Chart of Accounts Team (cont’d)
• Reviewed FIS functionality and chart attributes
• Reviewed existing chart attributes
– How they are used? Still necessary?
• Make recommendations for how KFS attributes
will be implemented at Cornell
• Provide sample data for test installation
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
• The process started with preparing an
RFP using the Advantiv Decision Director
– Involved all campus personnel we could
– Resulted in a very comprehensive list of
requirements
Then it happened on the eve of releasing the
RFP….
Colorado State University
• Change in administration halted the RFP
– This actually worked out great for Kuali, it
gave us time to look at it
By the time it all settled we had taken our time
to really look at Kuali including using the
Kualifier from rSmart
Colorado State University
• Our sales strategy was born from
necessity but really was a lesson on how
to sell the system.
• 3 simple steps to selling Kuali
Colorado State University
• Get Kuali up and running on campus
– Kualifier is a very good option and the
campus sessions got excitement started
• Get the academic side of campus involved
and using the system you have running
– We held short training meetings with
everyone we could get interested and
provided simple scenarios for them to
experiment with
Colorado State University
• Find a somewhat simple problem process
on your campus and develop an eDoclite
as a demonstration of the system
– Ours was a moving reimbursement form that
tends to get lost in transit for signatures
– It is used for high cost moves and has to have
Provost’s approval – this meant is caught
attention at all levels of the institution
University of Arizona
University of Arizona
• Early Exploration
– Net Meeting with IU and University of Texas,
2003 – “this won’t work for us”
– Another Net Meeting – wow!
– Visit to IU – double wow!!
– IU (Bill, Damon and Barry) visit Arizona – 2
sessions, attended by 150 each – SRO
University of Arizona
• CIO, Sally Jackson, indicates we will join the
Kuali Development partnership, invites campus
to provide a good reason “why not”
• Everyone is supportive
• Join Development – early focus workflow, no
plans to implement
• Approved by Arizona Board of Regents
• AVP Financial Services, Charlie Ingram, fronts
the investment – functionally driven
University of Arizona
• Net Meetings
– 75 participants from around campus
• SME groups formed, included campus
• Development begins
• Arizona Kuali Website
– Detailed timeline, including meetings, decisions,
progress
• Newsletter with Kuali Update
• Demos and Hands On sessions incl Survey
• Demos, Demos and more Demos
University of Arizona
• Kuali Research enters the picture
• Arizona Board of Regents approved KRA
development partnership AND implementation
• Contribution made to RICE
• New CIO, Michele Norin – picked up the pace!
• Enterprise System Replacement Proposal
created, Kuali – Financials/Research; PSStudent/HR
• ABOR approval – implementation set to begin
July 08
University of Arizona
• rSmart Sandbox with UA Data
– Chart of Accounts
– Beginning Balances w/ Beg Balance
methodology
– Trial Balance
– Vendor and Labor data
– Arizona data is creating excitement and will
be the feature of the next round of demos and
used in hands on.
Cornell University
Cornell University
Implementation Project
• Planning Phase (Jan 07 – Feb 08)
– One-on-one meetings with campus financial leaders
• Provide high level plan
• Hear their issues, concerns, needs
– Begin inventory of current business processes,
reports, and interfaces
Cornell University
Implementation Project (cont’d)
• Start-up Phase (Mar 08 – Jan 09)
– Complete inventory of current business processes,
reporting requirements, and interfaces
– “KualiCU” (KFS 2.2 installed and loaded with sample
Cornell chart data)
– Data warehouse prototype and mock reports
– Campus approval of chart and related org structures
Cornell University
Implementation Project (cont’d)
• Discovery Phase (Feb – Jul 09)
– High level comparison of delivered system with
current processes
– Technical discovery and design
– Final determination of modular vs “big bang”
implementation
Cornell University
Implementation Project (cont’d)
• Implementation Phase (Aug 09 – 2012?)
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Detailed fit/gap analysis by module/process
Customization, conversion and testing
Decision support environment
Training
Cornell University
Implementation Team
• Essentially same team for Planning and Start Up
• Composition of team:
– KFS staff: project manager, project director,
functional lead, 2 business analysts
– Central offices: reporting manager, IT data delivery
specialist
– Campus representation: business service center
director
Cornell University
Implementation Team (cont’d)
• Participate in project plan, including:
– Identification of scope, stakeholders, goals,
objectives, success criteria, risks
– Estimate of resource needs, work breakdown and
schedule
– Define governance, resourcing, management
approach, communication plan
Cornell University
Governance Committees
• Senior Financial Group
– Advisory board for policy or major practice decisions
– Receive periodic implementation status updates
– Business officers from each major college or unit
• Financial System Steering Committee
– Steering committee for the project
– Review and approval of major project decisions
– VP finance (chair), VP info technology, VP planning &
budget, Director planning info & policy analysis, two
college business officers; Director info systems,
Treasurer
Questions?
Troy.Fluharty@ColoState.edu
kymber@arizona.edu
ky16@cornell.edu