2013-14 Action Plan
Business and Financial Services
The following Business and Financial Services Action Plan defines the major goals of the
department that directly support the ASLS Division Focused Initiatives. Within BFS, Student
Business Services, Procurement & Materials Management, and Accounting Services have
established a number of additional department specific goals.
The following goals apply to all areas in Business and Financial Services and serve as the basis
for goals and plans of the individual areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enhance Programs, Services, and Facilities
Enhance Service and Efficiency Through Technology
Improve Communication and Knowledge Sharing
Ensure Security and Integrity of Financial Activities Through Continuous
Improvement of Internal Controls, Training and Monitoring
5. Provide Support for the University’s eStout Laptop Initiative
6. Implement a Training and Development plan
7. Enhance Performance Feedback, Coaching, Recognition and Support * (New)
1. Goal: Enhance Programs, Services, and Facilities
Objective: Implement the new UW-System travel reimbursement and airfare policies and
procedures.
Complete: New UW-System Travel portal and airfare policies implemented in July ’12.
Implemented new e-reimbursement module for travel during spring semester.
Objective: Implement the UW-Stout/UWEC Printing Service collaboration plan.
Complete: Memorandum of Understanding in-place with UW-EC. Implementation began in
Jun/July of 2013
Objective: Expand use of online technology for student services.
Enabled use of student’s campus card as a payment method through Touchnet.
2. Goal: Enhance Service and Efficiency through Technology
Objective: Standardize ImageNow requirements university-wide for business processes. *
Progress: Implemented requirements in PMM that the following forms be submitted through
ImageNow:
 Purchase Requisition – Feb 2014
 Shop@UW application – Feb2014
 P-Card application – Feb2014
 Stores Requisition Order – Feb2014
Objective: Test and implement the Shared Financial Systems (SFS) upgrade
Completed in October
Objective: Enhance Collections account tracking and service by using delivered comment
tracking.
Complete: Comments tracking is in use for all Collections communications.
Objective: Develop electronic process for accepting process improvement suggestions or
comments. *
Complete: Qualtrics suggestion box implemented in Q2.
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Objective: Roll out the new Journal Entry Tool (JET) to campus business managers. On hold
until after the Travel Module Rollout.
Objective: Implement the new Travel Expense Module for tracking travel expenses at a more
detailed level and electronic process. Complete: Campus-wide rollout complete July 1st
Objective: Provide detailed data in WISDM for departmental deposits and link it to
corresponding images in ImageNow.
Progress: ImageNow storage of receipt data is completed – Fully implemented and offered to
Business Managers in August 2013. All business managers have been granted access to the
drawer in ImageNow to view receipt data.
Objective: Increase accuracy of data by developing reports and reconciliation processes to
check setup data and output of Student Financials.
Progress: Ongoing. Several reports are run on a regular basis to check tuition table, item type
and class fee setups. Reports will be tweaked on an ongoing basis as new improvements are
found.
Objective: Implement the collections module in PeopleSoft to enhance and streamline
collections account maintenance.
Progress: 3C’s training has been completed. Implementation of 3C’s for Collections is in
progress.
Additional Achievements: Student Business Services has added eCommerce. This product
enables the Manufacturing Enterprise Practicum (MEP) class to enhance the sales of their
products available at Shoppes@stout. Payment options include credit and debit cards along with
a new option Flex and Baseline Plus.
3. Goal: Improve Communication and Knowledge Sharing
Objective: Develop and begin implementation of a BFS Cross-Training Program which
includes a system for keeping work procedures documented and current. *
Progress: Developed lists of all tasks to be documented for each employee and documentation
by BFS team members is 80% complete.
Objective: Increase communication of university, ASLS division, and unit news to BFS staff. *
ASLS Council minutes, Business Manager meeting minutes, and HR workgroup meeting
minutes are sent to all BFS staff by Controller.
Objective: Broaden the dissemination of business related information to campus from the
Business Manager Meetings. *
Business manager meeting minute distribution list was reviewed and revised to include all BFS
staff and appropriate unit directors/deans across campus.
Objective: Increase access and opportunities for staff/supervisor communication.*
Bi-weekly one on ones or department meetings.
Objective: Implement “Topics of Interest” presentations that bring presenters from various
university departments to BFS. *
Progress: 1) 2 HR presentations provided to BFS in August. 2) Training provided to BFS on
Communicating with Tact and Skill in November.
Objective: Increase student worker involvement in daily activities, communications and training
in SBS and Accounting Services.
Progress: Student worker management has been streamlined with SBS managing student work
for SBS and Accounting Services. Students are involved in a greater variety of work allowing
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more effective use of their time in both areas.
4. Ensure Security and Integrity of Financial Activities Through Continuous
Improvement of Internal Controls, Training and Monitoring
Objective: Review all forms and processes within Accounting Services for updates, necessity,
and efficiencies. Ongoing.
Objective: Develop a PCI Compliance training program for business managers and coordinate a
PCI compliance committee to complete annual compliance forms to help ensure compliance
campus-wide.
Yet to be developed.
5. Provide Support for the University’s eStout Laptop Initiative
Objective: Implement new online process for automatically verifying laptop eligibility.
Completed in January 2014.
Objective: Merge laptop database data with PeopleSoft database for better management and
reporting.
Progress: In discussion and initial phase of implementing electronic completion of contract and
receipt acknowledgement form. Help Desk working on moving assignment data to a PeopleSoft
table for more streamlined collection and use of the data.
Objective: Implement online form submission directly to ImageNow workflow for laptop
transfer program.
Progress: Considering using People Soft – 3C’s Program (communication, checklist and
comments.
6. Implement a Training and Development plan
Objective: Provide training and development opportunities to employees that contribute to
excellence in performance, quality in department services, and positive and safe work
environment for all BFS staff.
Progress: Communication training attended by all BFS employees.
Objective: Develop a BFS New Employee program to welcome and help new employees
acclimate to our unit* BFS Welcome Manual has been developed and provided to new hires.
Objective: Modify the annual performance evaluation to involve greater discussion and
planning of professional development and advancement goals. The performance review form
will be modified and supervisors’ performance will include a measure on how well they support
the professional development of their staff. * Evaluate if more discussion of goals occurred in
this year’s performance reviews. (Evaluate through reissuance of internal survey this summer.)
7. Enhance Performance Feedback, Coaching, Recognition and Support
Objective: Solicit suggestions for recognition activities with a goal of implementing at least one
in FY14. *
New Qualtrics suggestion box provides an avenue for recognizing co-worker’s good work and
includes quarterly “free lunch” drawing.
Objective: Offer training to BFS on “how to provide productive feedback”. *
Progress: Communication training provided to BFS on Communicating with Tact and Skill
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* This was identified as a 2013-14 BFS unit objective/action item in our participative BFS
visioning sessions.
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