STATE OF NEW YORK
SFS Mentoring for Agency Role Transition (SMART) Guide –
Training Liaisons
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this guide is to assist a newly-designated Training Liaison in understanding their
role regarding the implementation of the Statewide Financial System (SFS).
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
Table of Contents
I SFS Overview .......................................................................................................................... 4
II Roles and Responsibilities.................................................................................................... 5
III Resource Links ..................................................................................................................... 6
IV Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................... 7
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
I SFS OVERVIEW
New York State uses an integrated Statewide Financial System (SFS) to help standardize State
business processes and technology, allow for the more efficient exchange of financial
information, and permit State agencies to shift their resources from transaction processing and
reconciliation to business analysis. The SFS Program serves as the implementer for this system
Agencies will begin use of the SFS through a phased approach. Phase 1 agencies interact
directly with the SFS today for most financial management functions as well as to access
related business transaction reports. Future Phase agencies interact with the SFS using
bulkload transactions until they are technically ready to interface directly with the SFS at a future
time.
Each agency that uses the SFS is required to have dedicated staff members who have been
selected to interface directly with the SFS Program in order to transact agency business
effectively through the system. The information provided in this SFS Mentoring for Agency Role
Transition (SMART) Guide will assist agency staff in planning for and executing their interface
roles and responsibilities.
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
II ROLES / RESPONSIBILITIES
The Training Liaison is expected to perform the following functions, as applicable to their
agency’s training operations:
 Coordinate with the SFS Program Training team and agency users for scheduling staff
participation in necessary SFS training.
 Plan and reserve appropriate training facilities.
 Work in collaboration with their identified agency SFS Program Trainers to establish the
agency training plan and approach (Instructor Led Training or ILT vs. Web Based
Training or WBT) for both core and casual system users.
 Work in collaboration with agency SFS Trainers to establish a plan for training in the
agency’s geographically-dispersed work locations.
 Confirm State Learning Management System (SLMS) accounts for all agency users.
 Collaborate with the SFS Program Training Team and agency SFS Trainer(s) to plan
and execute the agency training by scheduling agency system users into the appropriate
role-based training classes using SLMS.
 Monitor and track completion of agency user training courses using SLMS.
 Manage all other logistics for the training delivery as needed at the agency level.
More information on SFS training efforts and associated materials can be found on the SFS
website at:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/training/sfsTraining.htm .
Note: the SFS Program Training Team will provide training to agencies to:
 Help acclimate new hires on SFS functionality and usage
 Educate SFS users on applicable changes to their roles in PeopleSoft.
Please contact the SFS Program Training Team at training@sfs.ny.gov to schedule these
trainings.
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
III RESOURCE LINKS
As a newly-designated Training Liaison it would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the
following core existing SFS documentation and related procedures:
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SFS Job Aids and Reference Materials
SFS Training Courses
Agency Transaction Learning Sessions (ATLS) – presentations with step-by-step
guidance regarding key business processes within the SFS.
Agency Administrator Role Workshop Materials – provides information/updates on
system roles and functionality.
Agency COA Materials – provides information on the statewide Chart of Accounts (COA)
functionality, Commitment Control (KK)/Reporting Tree definitions, and ChartField tools.
Agency Bulkload Materials – provides information for agencies involved in bulkloading
and strategies to be successful at the bulkload process.
SFS Reports Catalog – provides a listing of SFS financial and business reports,
inquiries, and queries.
OSC’s Guide to Financial Operations – acts as a reference for statewide accounting
policies, procedures and OSC-related mandates for use by state agencies.
OSC's Business Forms – provides links to all active OSC business forms for agencies to
support their business transactions.
OSC’s Agency Guidance for Vendor Communication – provides agencies with
information on how to plan an effective communication strategy with their vendors.
OSC’s ‘Vendors Doing Business with NYS’ site – information regarding vendor business
transactions with the State on New York.
The SFS website also offers many other resources and information on other pertinent activities,
including:
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SFS Recent Bulletins & E-mail Communications
SFS Frequently Asked Questions by topic
SFS User Support – provides answers to common SFS-related questions and
information to guide/reinforce the agency user support process.
SFS Security Guide – provides information on understanding/managing, security
roles, security role assignments, data and report access related to the SFS.
SFS Customer/Billing and AR/Revenue (e.g. Inter-Agency Billing Process) – provides
information on how to bill customers, collect payments and record revenue.
SFS Business Process Transformation – provides tools/supporting information to help
capture current work processes and maximize SFS usage, including SFS Business
Process Flow Diagrams which outline basic business processes.
Manager / Supervisor Toolkit – provides information on the impacts, challenges, and
benefits of the SFS, as well as, guidance for leading agencies through successful SFS
change.
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
IV FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where do inquiries concerning the SFS get submitted?
The SFS Help Desk at: helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 am to 5:00
pm, Monday through Friday. The Help Desk can be accessed via submitting an inquiry or
question through the following methods:
 Your agency’s User Support network (if you represent a Type A Agency)
 Magic Self-service (if accredited with access)
 Agency Inquiry Form (web-based form)
 E-mail (listed above)
 Telephone at: (518) 457-7737 or Toll-free at (877) 737-4185.
Who can make changes to your agency’s COA?
Reference the COA Governance Process at:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/programElements/coa_docs/COA_Handbook.pdf.
http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/guide/MyWebHelp/
Where can I find more information on completing SFS business transactions?
For more information please visit SFS job aids at:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/training/jobAidsandReferenceMaterials.htm and
SFS Quick Start Guides at: http://www.sfs.ny.gov/training/quickStartGuides.htm.
SFS Troubleshooting Guides at: http://www.sfs.ny.gov/training/trainingCourses.htm.
Where can I find more information on SFS meetings, activities and training
opportunities?
Reference the SFS Program Calendar:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/calendars/SFSProgCal_Template.htm.
Who are additional SFS representatives at my agency?
Agency Administrators: Information for Administrators is not published to the SFS website;
please contact your Agency Security Administrator for a listing of these roles for your agency.
Agency Coordinator Listing:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/stakeholders/stakeholder_workgroups/agency_coor.pdf
Agency Communication Liaison Listing:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/stakeholders/CommToolkit_workshops/SFSAITCommunicationsLiaisons.
pdf
Agency Super User Listing:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/sfsUserSupport/UserSupportContacts/UsrSup.html
Agency User Support Liaisons Listing:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/programElements/UserSupport/Agency_User_Support_Liaisons.pdf and
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/sfsUserSupport/UserSupportContacts/UsrSup.html
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SMART Guide – Training Liaisons
Who are additional SFS representatives at my agency?
Agency Bulkload Liaison Listing:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/linked_docs/programElementsDocs/agencyImplemen_docs/bulkload_liais
ons.pdf
Who are my primary contacts with the SFS Program?
SFS Training Team Point-of-Contact List:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/jobAids/jobaids/JAA-TR000-017.doc
SFS Deployment Liaisons:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/programElements/agencyImplementation/AgencyDeploymentLiaisonCont
acts.xls
SFS Help Desk:
http://www.sfs.ny.gov/overview/contactUs.htm.
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