BANNER PROJECT CHARTER
CAMERON UNIVERSITY
August 2008
Table of Content
SUNGARD/BANNER IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT CHARTER................................................................................................. 3
BANNER PROJECT MISSION AND GOALS .............................................................................................................................. 3
IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................ 4
BANNER CHARTER ............................................................................................................................................................... 5
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
SUPPORTING ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 6
BOUNDARIES AND CONSTRAINTS ............................................................................................................................................ 7
MILESTONES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLANS ........................................................................................................................................ 7
INITIAL PROJECT ORGANIZATION............................................................................................................................................. 8
EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Team Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 8
IMPLEMENTATION LEADERSHIP TEAM ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Team Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
FUNCTIONAL TEAMS............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Team Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
WORK GROUPS ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
CAMERON UNIVERSITY PROJECT MANAGER (CU PM) ROLE-SHERRY HENDRIX.............................................................................. 10
PM Objectives .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
GLOSSARY.......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
SUNGARD/BANNER SERVICE AGREEMENT ......................................................................ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
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SunGard/Banner Implementation Project Charter
Cameron University is implementing a new student/administrative information system. Banner is the
name of the new system recently purchased from SunGard Higher Education (SGHE). It is expected
that it will take about 18 months to make Banner operational. Implementation of Banner is an
evolutionary process. As we gain expertise and confidence in the system, we will continually strive to
incorporate more functionality and sophistication in the use of the software.
This plan provides an overview of the Banner implementation project: its mission, goals,
implementation approach, project charter, supporting organizational structure, and timetable.
Implementation activities are quickly unfolding and will involve most, if not all, employees at some
point in the implementation process. This plan provides a context for these activities.
Implementing the Banner system will be a challenging and exciting undertaking. It will require a new
order of cooperation, effort, and organization of work. The payoffs for successfully completing this task
are great. When completed, Banner will provide us the capacity to work more efficiently and effectively
and to incorporate current information technology. Most importantly, Banner will enable us to
significantly improve both quantitatively and qualitatively the support and services we provide our
students, employees, and community.
Banner Project Mission and Goals
The mission of the Banner project is to move the University to a highly integrated and effective
information system that supports education, provides accuracy and ease of use, and is consistent with the
University’s Plan 2013: Choices for the Second Century.
The project implementation goals are to:
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Improve services to internal and external users.
Increase staff access to accurate, reliable, and timely data.
Investigate and improve all processes affected by the Banner project.
Provide students with direct access to appropriate information.
Meet state and federal reporting requirements.
Enhance decision-making and planning capabilities.
We will succeed when we have converted from our current “legacy” software to the SunGard Banner
software. This will be demonstrated when:
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Costs associated with the “legacy” system are eliminated.
All employees are educated about the capabilities of the Banner system as it relates to their jobs.
All employees can perform their job responsibilities using the Banner system.
We can track a student’s academic and financial records from first contact through their lifelong
learning process.
We have the mechanisms in place to continually enhance and improve the system.
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Students can access their academic and financial records through the Internet.
Each of the following systems is fully operational:
o Financial system
o Student Information system
o Human Resources system
o Advancement system
All state and federal performance requirements can be met with the Banner system.
Banner provides the data needed for institutional effectiveness measures.
We will achieve these outcomes through:
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Campus-wide teamwork
Effective communication
Customer focus
Training
Process evaluation
Commitment to the success of the project
Organizational flexibility
Timely planning and decision-making
Project Scope
To provide information technology that supports all administrative units with appropriate databases,
information and analytic functions. The Banner implementation project is the orderly and timely
conversion of Cameron University’s entire administrative information system. To the extent possible
and as appropriate, processes currently performed manually will be automated and integrated into
Banner, as will databases that are needed to conduct University business e.g., facilities, demographic,
and research files. The Implementation Leadership Team and its various work teams will use this
implementation plan and related reference materials provided by SunGard to guide the University
through the implementation process.
Implementation Approach
Opportunities and Challenges
The Banner application will allow Cameron University to leverage an already cutting edge
infrastructure, using our networks to their best advantage by supporting a fully integrated enterprise
application. A thoughtful, well-planned implementation will transform our institutional culture to
function effectively in a user-centric environment. The advantages of implementing this system include
a newly empowered user community, state-of-the-art web capabilities, more flexible reporting, increased
productivity, and access to online, real time data.
No one should underestimate the scope, range, and scale involved in implementing this system. Every
University employee will be involved, some extensively. Normal business operations must continue
while staff attends substantial training and planning sessions. Our legacy system will remain operational
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during implementation, which will cause a significant increase in the workload of the employees who
use these systems, and the software and hardware technicians who maintain it.
Training will be critical as we implement new software, hardware, processes and systems, and all
University personnel should realize that this training is required.
Perhaps even more importantly, the University will shift its paradigm in each workgroup as it reexamines how work will be done, when it will be done, where it will be done, and who will do it. There
will be process improvement teams forming to conduct an analysis and re-design of business processes.
It may appear that this new system is about new technologies. Technology is the tool of change;
however the people of Cameron University and their processes will be the focal point of this
implementation. Because of the scope of the changes ahead, the Executive Steering Committee will take
an active leadership role during implementation. This commitment includes making implementation and
all of its aspects a priority.
There will be a moratorium on enhancements and modifications to the existing legacy system.
Banner Charter
Banner Charter
 This Banner Project Charter is a guidebook and a roadmap for the Banner implementation
project. This charter presents the goals, objectives, major assumptions and constraints associated
with the project. It is to be used as the basis for assigning responsibilities, for managing change,
and for developing plans and reports. Issues that arise will be resolved by referring to this
charter.
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Project Objectives
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Creation of a new business model – As a part of the implementation, CU’s administrative
processes will be reviewed via a Business Process Analysis (BPA) to ensure best practices
are executed. The BPA provides the University the opportunity to examine why current
procedures are followed, to improve processes by adopting best practices where possible,
and automating processes to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Increasing Cameron’s Competitive Position – By improving recruitment, retention, public
relations, and customer service efforts of the University, Cameron will enhance its
competitive position among area colleges and universities.
Empowering Users – Administrative users will be authorized to be more directly involved
with University data. This will require added responsibility by user departments for
attention to input, maintenance and processing of University data.
Improve System Functionality – To meet the competitive needs of CU, improved critical
services must be provided at ever increasing performance levels. The new Banner system
will provide real time access to information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24 x 7) via web
access from any computer. This system will provide a scalable solution that will enable
future growth of the University. Finally the system will utilize an integrated database,
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reducing data redundancy and increasing the consistency, accuracy and accountability of
information.
Provide Consistent Official Information – The Banner system will be the official, single
source of data for the University and serve to drastically reduce the number of shadow
systems currently employed.
Provide Common Data Definitions –Consistency and clearly defined terms for all system
components and information will ensure uniformity of data usage throughout the
University.
Enhance Reporting Accuracy – Accuracy in internal and external report information to
students, faculty, staff, state, and federal agencies is imperative.
Provide Enhanced Services – The new solution will provide easy access to services and
functions critical to our constituents.
Offer an Increasingly Less Paper Based Environment – Moving to a more electronic
environment allows the University to be less dependent on paper documents and forms and
reduce related expenditures, while improving communication and efficiency across the
University.
Supporting Assumptions
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Existing Process Change – Change is inevitable. Ways to improve must be considered.
Banner is a catalyst that initiates the examination of processes to improve performance. The
University’s culture will necessarily be challenged to evolve as improvements are made.
Enterprise-Wide Implementation – Banner, and its information, is owned by the University.
Information is shared with user departments to reduce redundancy and improve efficiency
and accuracy throughout the University.
Business Process Review – Offices will review their current business processes. Once
completed, a fit/gap analysis will be developed to determine their needs and facilitate the
conversion process.
Increased Users Accountability– Users will be accountable for their information. System
rules will be established to facilitate accountability and accuracy.
CU Commitment– The University has committed considerable resources to meet the
challenges involved with the Banner project. Consideration has been given to user
departments. Time constraints that might jeopardize the Banner project must be addressed
as soon as they are recognized. These must be discussed with team chairs and the CU
Implementation Leadership Team.
Considerable Time Investment – Work teams and committee members must be provided the
time needed to meet the requirements of the project. It will be incumbent on the affected
employee and his or her Department Head to determine how to manage time so that critical
functions continue and sufficient attention is accorded to setting up and learning Banner.
Each participant is encouraged to evaluate his or her critical and non-critical functions, have
open dialogue with his or her supervisor, and discuss transferring or eliminating non-critical
functions until Banner is implemented.
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Boundaries and Constraints
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No System Modifications – Baseline Banner provides a very broad spectrum for product
configuration. CU will work within the configuration spectrum to implement Banner
without code modifications.
Legacy System – Modifications to all existing systems slated for replacement by Banner
will be suspended unless involving mandatory state or federal regulatory changes. In these
cases, each modification will be carefully considered.
Timeframes Critical – Timeframes have been established and set. Meeting these timeframes
is crucial to implementation success. It is not an option to let dates slip.
Resource Limitations – There is a real need to recognize CU’s resource limitations.
Employees’ time availability to meet the normal, recurring demands of their jobs as well as
facility and equipment resource limitations must all be considered.
Workload Change– Workload constraints must be considered. The Banner project is a
priority and conflicts must be discussed and resolved in a timely manner. All concerns
should be presented to the Implementation Leadership Team immediately.
University’s Operational Calendar –The Banner project will be implemented within the
constraints of the University’s normal observance of holidays, vacation, and critical peak
times within individual offices whenever possible.
Interface Requirements/Shadow Systems – Auxiliary and external systems relative to
Banner will be examined. A determination will be made regarding if and/or how interfaces
should be written. Independent departmental shadow systems will also be examined with
the intent to utilize Banner to fulfill their purposes.
System Integration Requirements – Banner is an integrated system capable of storing the
institution’s data in a single database. Modules share information to eliminate duplication.
Banner also improves accuracy and efficiency as data need only be entered into the system
once. This is why information is considered “University information” and is not owned by
any one department. Departments may be responsible to enter and maintain certain data, but
all departments share the data as needed. External systems are those systems that operate
apart from Banner software. When appropriate, they will be interfaced with Banner.
Highlevel Overview
Once approved the Project Timeline will go here
Project Plans
 Milestones
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The project milestones will be developed from the detailed project plan for the Banner
implementation. The SGHE and CU project manager will maintain this plan, and it will be
monitored by the Implementation Leadership Team.
Detailed Implementation Plans
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Each Banner module has a detailed implementation plan that is maintained by the SGHE
functional consultant assigned to each module. These implementation plans will be
continually updated and adjusted to meet the requirements of a timely and effective
implementation. They are tailored specifically to CU, based upon results of the BPA,
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Discovery results and discussions with lead members of the module and workgroup teams.
These plans will be combined and stored electronically on the Banner project website,
which is maintained by the Implementation Leadership Team.
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Initial Project Organization
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The project structure displayed here includes the team hierarchy, reporting lines, and work
group areas of responsibility. It is expected that issues will be addressed from the bottom to
the top. To accomplish this, team chairs will represent their group to the next higher level.
Executive Steering Committee
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Team Members
Chair, Mr. Glen Pinkston ( VP for Business and Finance)
Dr. John McArthur (VP for Academic Affairs)
Ex Officio: Sherry Hendrix (Banner Project Manager)
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Team Objectives
 Resolve policy and organizational issues
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Clearly/Consistently articulate project importance and commitment message
Support Project Charter objectives
Meet regularly for status report
Expedite decisions
Review and make final approval on modifications/customization
Responsible for the report to the President and Board of Regents
Implementation Leadership Team
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Team Members
Chair of Implementation Leadership Team - Ms. Sherry Hendrix (CU PM)
Student System - Ms. Linda Phillips (Registrar)
Finance System - Ms. Ninette Carter (Controller)
Financial Aid System - Ms. Chris Crandon (Assistant Director of Financial Assistance)
HR System - Mr. Kenneth Gilliam (Payroll Supervisor) and Ms. Corlis McPhaul (Director
of Personnel)
Technical System - Ms. Debbie Goode (Director of ITS)
Advancement System - Ms. Jennifer Bowen (Director of Alumni Relations)
Data Standards and Reporting - Mr. Donald Hall (Accountant)
Faculty Representative – Dr. Helvey (Assistant VP for Academic Affairs)
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Team Objectives
 Establish project priorities and schedule
 Identify project structure and composition
 Meet weekly to review progress and status
 Provides status reports to Executive Steering Committee
 Adjusts project plans when appropriate
 Review and make recommendations on modifications/customization
 Responsible for project deliverables
 Resolve issues
 Make recommendations on policy, resources and organizational issues
 Facilitate administrative and faculty support
 Project communication to the CU community
 Reports to the Executive Steering Committee
 Makes the decisions; however, anything that exceeds its authority goes to the Executive
Steering Committee
Functional Teams
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Team Objectives
 Ensure Banner is implemented effectively and efficiently into CU’s environment
 Ensure issues within their module are resolved and/or escalated, with proposed solutions,
to the Implementation Leadership Team
 Responsible for having all areas document business processes
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 Participate in all aspects of their module’s responsibility from BPA’s to conversion and
clean-up.
 Lead fit/gap analysis and identify key issues that require cross-functional participation
between work groups and technical teams
 Submit weekly status report (complicated tasks, project tasks, next steps, critical issues
where there is slippage) to the Implementation Leadership Team
 Track change management, problems, issues, baseline gaps that may require
modifications and/or enhancements
 Functional team leads meet regularly to:
o Identify Problems
o Identify Tasks for the week (completed last week, to do this week, critical
(behind)
o Assess status of tasks
o Identify resource needs and plans for use resources
o Make decisions on processes within their respective departments
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Work Groups
 Work Groups are composed of “subject matter experts” (SMEs) on University
procedures, and who will be Banner “power users.” They should be familiar with how
particular functions are performed at the University. These users are the cornerstones for
implementing Banner. Work groups meet almost continually after work begins on their
respective Banner module.
 Members of the work groups will receive formal Banner training from SGHE. Additional
“hands-on” training and assistance will be provided by the SGHE functional consultants
assigned to each particular module. Work group responsibilities include:
o Planning the seamless move to Banner;
o Fostering partnerships and collaboration;
o Reviewing current practices, processes and procedures;
o Recommending changes as needed;
o Developing, reviewing, and implementing conversion schemes;
o Assisting in the definition and design of data elements to be retained;
o Establishing long-term data retention procedures to guide the conversion;
o Executing technical and user testing, assessment and acceptance;
o Creating and validating ‘user procedures’;
o Developing contingency plans to restore existing data if necessary;
o Assisting in defining workflows, input forms, output forms, and reports;
o Providing research support for issues and problem resolutions;
o Identifying and resolving issues at the lowest level possible;
o Preparing and tracking Issues and Risk Tracking Reports;
o Preparing agendas and minutes as appropriate;
o Escalating issues to the Module Team Leader as soon as practical.
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Cameron University Project Manager (CU PM) Role-Sherry Hendrix
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PM Objectives
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 Reviewing and troubleshooting all activities of the SGHE consultants and those within
the University’s implementation teams.
 Responsible for the execution of the project schedule, the project charter, and vendors’
Statement of Work
 Ensure the project is delivered on time, within budget, and that staff and consultants
fulfill their roles and responsibilities
 Managing the project budget and works closely with the University’s Contract
Administrator to ensure that SGHE meets all of their contract obligations.
 Coordinates the following implementation activities: business process redesign (including
cross functional processes), prototyping, reporting, communications, data mapping and
conversion, data cleansing, developing data standards, testing, training, user
documentation, hardware acquisitions, risk management, and change management.
Project Administration
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Communications Management
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Training
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The primary communication tool for implementing Banner is a specific CU implementation
website. This website provides all of the information necessary to coordinate the Banner
project. The CU Project Manager will ensure easy access to information by providing a link
from CU’s main web page to the Banner project information. This link will branch into two
basic areas, public and internal. Examples of public information might include: the project
charter; implementation reports; contact information. The internal information is accessible
to project team members only. The internal website will serve as the Team’s vehicle to
store project information. Other communication tools may included Outlook and shared
network drives.
SGHE Formal Training - SGHE will provide the formal, classroom training on the usage of
Banner. This will be accomplished through a series of training sessions, by module (e.g.
Student), for the “power users” in the departments. SGHE Technical consultants will also
conduct training sessions for the IT Technical staff on usage of Banner, database
administration (DBA) and other courses. With the assistance of the CU project manager,
team leaders will coordinate training for their teams.
SGHE Informal Training – In addition to SGHE’s formal classroom training, SGHE
consultants will provide “hands-on” assistance and training to the user departments on
Banner. They will ensure that the “super users” understand how to use Banner to the best
advantage. The SGHE consultants will also assist in determining best practices for CU.
CU End User Training - CU will be utilizing a modified “train the trainer” model. In effect,
SGHE will train departmental “super users”, who will ultimately train the end users in their
respective departments. In most cases end user training will be in a hands-on environment.
A more definitive procedure will be developed as the project team becomes more familiar
with Banner.
Documentation
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Documentation for the Banner project consists of several critical pieces. There must be
agendas/minutes to document activities, decisions, and open issues. There must also be
status reports showing the progress of the project is at any given time. There must be a
mechanism for tracking issues to ensure they are being addressed in a timely manner. There
will be links from the CU Banner project web site to describe what forms will be used and
instructions how to use them.
Agendas/Minutes - The agendas/minutes of the meetings will be stored on the Banner
project website. The chair of each Implementation Team and the Functional (module) Team
Leaders are responsible for the generation of these documents. Copies should be sent to CU
Project Manager for posting to the Banner project website.
Status Reports - Status reports keep project members up to date with activities in their own
teams. Team leaders will submit a weekly status report to their Implementation Leadership
Team Chair to be summarized and posted to the web monthly. The Banner consultants will
assist the team leaders in generating reports. Once implementation has begun on that
module, status reports are due to the Implementation Leadership Team by noon each
Friday. The Implementation Leadership Team will combine and condense the various team
status reports. An executive summary will be submitted to the committees and posted to the
web monthly. This report will address project status, identify issues, and recommend
solutions.
Issues Tracking - Identifying issues early will facilitate the orderly implementation of the
project. An “issue” is defined as a concern that has been identified and needs resolution. An
issue may be identified at any level of the organization. Once identified, the issue must be
evaluated by the team leader to determine what modules are affected. If only one module is
affected, it will be assigned to that module team leader for review and resolution. If more
than one module is involved, the Implementation Leadership Team will determine which
team should lead in resolving the issue. Issues should always have proposed resolutions and
associated risks. Examples of possible issues include: cross functional needs, audit
compliance, and policy revisions. Each Functional Team will maintain an issues list of
items related to the implementation of their respective processes/functions. Once an issue
has been escalated, the Implementation Leadership Team will assume responsibility for
tracking and resolving that issue. Most issues will be resolved at the Implementation
Leadership Team level. Some policy matters may need to be resolved at the Executive
Steering Committee level.
Project Plan - The CU Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the project plan. A
synopsis of the project plan will be available for review on the project website.
Training Documentation - It is imperative that the module team leader document the
training provided. The SGHE consultants as well as the Implementation Leadership Team
will assist in determining what and how to document, but each module team must develop
their own documentation. The team’s documentation will provide the basis for future
training of the end users. Not only must formal aspects of Banner training be captured, the
documentation must record the procedural decisions made by CU and factors considered in
decision making. This will ensure consistent application of Banner rules and tables as
implemented, and provide a background to use for future decisions. It is important to note
that this documentation must be prepared as training occurs because it must be ready before
training of end users begins.
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Glossary
Auxiliary System – Computer systems not directly connected to the central administration system
(Banner). These are systems that facilitate authorized University business functions and interface
with Banner. Examples include: Bookstore, Blackboard, Library, Public Safety, Housing.
BPA – Business Process Analysis
CU PM – Cameron University Banner Project Manager
Data vs. Information – “Data” is defined as the content: facts and figures. “Information” is the
interpretation and value placed on that data.
Data Warehouse – Central repository of data extracted from various sources. The current CU DW
is a ‘read-only’ system with extracted data from SIS+, AFINS, HRS and Enrollment Management.
DBA – Database Administration
ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning
External System – Computer systems not directly connected to the central administration system
(Banner).
Integrate – Coordinate data from disparate sources. Example: Student names entered in the Banner
Student module integrate with the Human Resource/Payroll system. If a student becomes an
employee their name already exists in the system and need not be entered again.
Interface – A computer program used to transfer data between two systems.
Power User – Person who is very knowledgeable (expert) on usage of the Banner module in their
department. This person will be the “go to” person in the department to assist other department staff
on usage of Banner.
Shadow Systems – Data bases or files duplicating system information that have been developed
within departments to meet a specific need unmet by current systems.
SMEs – Subject Matter Experts
SunGard Banner ® – The technology solution chosen by CU to provide an integrated data
management system for the entire campus.
Super User – Person who is knowledgeable on the usage of Banner module in their department.
This person was involved in the Banner system set up of the tables and is the person who will be the
“Train the Trainer” in their department.
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User – A person who is a user of the Banner System.
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