Financials project launches first phase

Financials project launches first phaseNovember 17, 2003Jessica White

At a summer gathering to celebrate the completion of planning for the Syracuse University: Reach for Information, Strive for Excellence (SUnRISE) financial systems project, Louis Marcoccia, senior vice president for business, finance, and administrative services (BFAS); and the project’s Steering Committee approved the continuation of the project and called for University-wide implementation. SUnRISE will update and improve the University’s financial processes and systems for all users.

SUnRISE is divided into two phases, with Phase I already underway; it will provide University departments with Web-based access to financial data and reports. Select purchasing, disbursements processing, and general ledger reports will be available through a product called BrioWeb.

In addition, Phase I includes a redesign of the chart of accounts and implementation of the PeopleSoft portal, which will provide single sign on access to BrioWeb and will eventually evolve into an enterprise portal that provides a common access point to all University-wide administrative systems via the Web. Completion of Phase I is scheduled for May 2004.

Phase II will see the migration of purchasing and disbursements processing systems to the latest PeopleSoft release, and will include the replacement of the existing general ledger with the PeopleSoft Financials system using the new chart of accounts structure. The new chart of accounts will be available in March 2005 for the fiscal year 2006 budget process. The new chart of accounts will also provide flexibility for departments to meet their own reporting needs, ultimately reducing the need for a number of shadow systems across campus. Phase II will also include grants modules that will house the detailed accounting for grants from the time of the award through the completion of the final financial reporting for the grant. Additionally, online requisitioning with PeopleSoft eProcurement, will be implemented and rolled out in phases beginning July 1, 2005.

Other features that will be provided by Phase II, which is scheduled to be completed in July 2005, include advanced financial reporting via the Web; online journal entry and budget transaction capability; improved tracking and reporting of budget and expenditures on projects according to sponsor requirements; and accounting and reporting for grants by multiple college, department and investigator activities.

Ongoing campus training and communications are planned throughout the project. To date, several focus groups have been convened to collect input from the campus and this effort will be expanded as work on SUnRISE continues. Future communications will cover project updates, process and policy changes, and training. For more information visit the project home page at http://bfasweb.syr.edu/sunrise or contact Nancy Bianchine at ncbianch@syr.edu.