Rumors & Answers
8/8/06 11:00 a.m.
RUMOR: We still cannot reallocate purcard transactions using PeopleSoft. When will this be available? And in the meantime what should we be doing?
ANSWER: There are no transactions available to reallocate in PeopleSoft yet. The last transaction log expected in Procurement Services is for the period 6/16 - 6/30. Transaction reports for later periods will be generated in PeopleSoft and then routed to Procurement Services. You will continue to receive emails from Procurement Services regarding ongoing purchases on the purcard, for fraud detection purposes. Additional hands-on reallocation training will be provided when the software is ready and transactions are available. Erin Fitzgerald will post an e-mail to the Catskill listserv when the training is scheduled and transactions are available to reallocate. The Procurement Services web site is an excellent source of information on the purcard - http://www.uvm.edu/~procure/
6/19/06 6:47 p.m.
RUMOR: After setting up a new telephone long distance access code with Telecommunications I was informed that although a budget number shows up in the D-Chart it is not recognized by PeopleSoft which means that the valid budget number cannot be billed against. What is being done to correct this critical problem???
ANSWER: All valid budget numbers will be mapped to the PeopleSoft Chart of Accounts, please provide us with your budget number and we would be happy to answer your questions. If you don't mind emailing us at catalyst@uvm.edu that would be great. If you prefer to stay anonymous please reply via the rumor mill and we will post it as such.
6/5/06 1:11 p.m.
RUMOR: How long will the "history" of our paychecks be kept on line for our viewing?
ANSWER: At this time, we have not defined a set period of time.  As the history builds and the file space needed increases, there will need to be discussion of the how much space we will need.  Currently storage space is very reasonably priced.   As time goes on, the length of paycheck history will be a technical as well as employee relations discussion.
4/21/06 9:20 a.m.
RUMOR: Could you define productive, as in your answer to 4/19/06 3.07 pm "enables staff become more productive". It may be that your notion of productive is not the same as ours?
ANSWER: The way the the Project has viewed "more productive" is to free UVM employees from repetitive adminstrative tasks so that they may focus on tasks more closely aligned with the University's stretgic vision. For example, instead of spending time entering the same data into multiple systems, a staff member could have more time to provide service to our ultimate customers, the students.
If you have any further concerns about how Project CATalyst might affect staff at UVM please contact Leslie Parr at leslie.parr@uvm.edu or Caryn Gronvold at caryn.gronvold@uvm.edu.
4/19/06 3:10 p.m.
RUMOR: I don't typically have access to a computer or a printer during the work day and I don't have a computer at home. The computer I can use on campus is a shared workstation and the pritner is actually in another room. I don't feel comfortable printing my paystub under these circumstances. How can I go about receiving a paper pay stub while maintaining direct deposit?
ANSWER: There is not an option for maintaining direct deposit and receiving a paper pay stub. We would reccomend that you speak with your Human Resources Representative regarding this valid concern.
4/19/06 3:09 p.m.
RUMOR: T.H.E. Cat may come be released on DVD... anybody else heard that?
ANSWER: We are not understanding the question, please elaborate on your rumor request and we would be happy to answer it for you.
4/19/06 3:07 p.m.
RUMOR: One of the stated strategic objectives of Project CATalyst is to help UVM become more efficient in its business operations, thus, reducing overall costs to the running of the university. Does this mean that UVM will be able to reduce, or add more slowly, VP's with salaries over $150,000 per annum? Or will the lower paid have to continue to subsidize those salaries in the light of the implementation of PeopleSoft?
ANSWER: This question is beyond the scope of Project CATalyst to answer. The Project is not involved in determining the University’s specific staffing requirements; its role is to build a software platform that enables staff to become more productive.
4/17/06 11:30 a.m.
RUMOR: The employment of this software will ultimately result in many staff losing their jobs which may also result in many loyal and long serving employees of UVM being without jobs in a city where job availability continues to be eroded year after year.  Can it be true that UVM is acting without consideration for these people in an effort to increase its profitability so that its administration can continue to increase their salaries exponentially?
ANSWER: One of the stated strategic objectives of Project CATalyst right from the start has been to help UVM become more efficient in its business operations through the implementation of PeopleSoft. This gain in efficiency is intended to offset pressure to add staff due to the aggressive growth embodied in UVM’s strategic vision. The objective is not to cut staff but to be able to add staff at a slower rate than the growth in students, faculty, research projects and facilities might otherwise dictate.
4/14/06 2:04 p.m.
RUMOR: I want to print out my paycheck, but when I do so not all of the information contained on the stub is showing. Would it be possible to do something so when these are printed out, only the paycheck window is printed? That would be helpful
ANSWER: Click here for details on how to print your paycheck:  http://www.uvm.edu/catalyst/updates/Print_Your_Paycheck_4-14-06.pdf
3/28/06 8:55 a.m.
RUMOR: Are the User Productivity Packs significantly different than our customized PeopleSoft environment?
ANSWER: The UPK for Employee Self Service was done with the finished HR PeopleSoft environment, so it is not different. The Finance UPK is still the generic version, and it would be hard to list the differences. If you would like to specify functions we could do an analysis of the differences.
3/24/06 1:18 p.m.
RUMOR:  I currently have "extra" Federal and State taxes taken out of my paycheck. Will this "extra" amount be automatically be transferred with the changeover, or will I have to change this myself?
ANSWER: Your current W-4 deductions will be converted to PeopleSoft.
3/17/06 5:47 p.m.
RUMOR: People Soft will not be on line until December 2006. T/F?
ANSWER: False, PeopleSoft will be live on April 1, 2006.
3/15/06 5:04 p.m.
RUMOR: Will Catalyst be compatable with IExplore 7?
ANSWER: It supports IE 5.5 or higher
02/10/06 9:00 a.m.
RUMOR: How come the rumors just won't go away about PeopleSoft being a replacement to Banner?  In my department we love Banner and have found that the benefits far outweigh other programs used by other schools we've chatted with (in depth).  There is no other reporting tool on other SIS systems that comes even close to what Repgen gives us from Banner.  
It seems that we keep being reassured that conversion to PeopleSoft is NOT inevitable, but still those rumors persist.

Dost thou protest too much?

ANSWER: There are no plans for PeopleSoft to replace Banner
01/30/06 4:34 pm
RUMOR: When is there going to be training on reporting? Will HR toolkit still be used?
ANSWER: Reporting training will be integrated into classes (e.g. Manager Self Service), they will not be stand alone sessions.  Reporting will be done through PeopleSoft.
01/30/06 4:32 pm
RUMOR: In our departmental meeting we were told that it is better to attend one of the last sessions, since the trainers do not seem to be fully prepared to implement this system in our particular (academic employment)environment but in corporated America instead, so by the end of your training sessions you might be capable to address our specific needs...
ANSWER: What specifically do you have a question(s) about in your area?
01/23/06 3:45 pm
RUMOR: When is inquiries in D-Chart (thru the blue zone) going away?
ANSWER: July 1, 2006
01/09/06 9:51 a.m.
RUMOR: Registrars Office will be moving to peoplesoft...

 ANSWER:  Project CATalyst addresses the administrative systems of UVM, primarily HRS and FRS, Banner is the student system and is not within the Project’s scope.
12-06-05 2:50 pm

RUMOR: I have heard the Catalyst Team members jobs are not guaranteed for more than a month or two after the go live dates. Because of this job uncertainty a lot of team members are currently looking for other jobs at UVM and other places. Why are we not keeping at least some of these people for the long term?

ANSWER: Every effort is being made to keep CATalyst expertise at the University both through the end of the initial project in October, 2006 and into the future.

The primary reason that UVM chose to create a Project Team consisting of UVM employees with consultants to assist them rather than simply outsourcing the entire implementation was to build a pool of experience for the future. The need for ongoing business process review and improvement does not end with the initial implementation of PeopleSoft. In addition, the software itself will undergo constant improvement and there will be patches, updates, and new versions to deploy.

The CATalyst Team has been informed of plans to provide a smooth transition for them as each phase of the project concludes. It is expected that many team members will choose to stay at UVM to ensure that CATalyst remains a key component of realizing the University’s strategic vision.

12/5/05 3:30 p.m.

RUMOR: How are the new processes for Finance and HR being created?  How will these new processes be approved? There is a concern some solutions being designed will not work for certain user groups.

ANSWER: From the very start of Project CATalyst process design has been a joint effort between the Project Team and our campus partners, both process owners and end-users.

Redesigning any process begins with a business needs analysis, gathering information on current UVM policies and procedures. The next step is to compare these needs to PeopleSoft functionality in a process called fit-gap analysis. The Project Team, along with their campus partners, design new processes based upon the results of the business needs analysis and fit-gap analysis. Once a new process is agreed upon, the Project Team configures the PeopleSoft software to support it. The new process is then subjected to tests to make sure that it works as intended. Finally, campus representatives perform final testing before the software is ready to go live.

While many people have put in a lot of time to develop best practices that work for everyone, it is inevitable that in an organization as large and varied as UVM that any given process will not be optimal for all users. Of course, the policies and procedures that are implemented on Day 1 are not carved in stone. Project CATalyst is only the beginning of an on-going commitment to continuously review and improve the way we do business at UVM.

12/1/05 4:35 p.m.
RUMOR: How will the new 42 digit account numbers be entered in the famous system? I checked and Famous only takes 25 digits and the new chart field is 42 digits, how will this all work?
ANSWER: They are going to be modifying FAMIS to hold them
11/30/05 8:51 a.m.
RUMOR: Where is ERP-lab????, I have a training there but no idea where it is, HELP
ANSWER: The ERP Lab is located at the Project CATalyst office which is 19 Roosevelt Hwy, 3rd floor, or go to this link for driving directions:
http://www.uvm.edu/catalyst/?Page=directions.html
11/29/05 8:45 a.m.
RUMOR: In your most recent communicatiion, the question was asked if timesheet info would be carried over - answer was yes.  My question:  since not all of my staff and faculty have submitted recent time sheets, will I be asked (as the dept. administrator) to provide you with this info; and if so, approximately when might you be needing this information?

ANSWER: Leave balances, i.e., vacation, medical, personal, and cultural holiday, will be updated centrally although a timeline has not been established.  Our "go-live" date of April 1, 2006, coincides with the period end date of March 31, 2006, on the current Employee Attendance Record for staff.  Those records should be reviewed and forwarded to HR by the appropriate person in the department in timely manner.  To answer your question, it is not too early to start reviewing attendance records especially if records are not up-to-date.  As soon as a definitive timeline has been established, it will be communicated to the campus.
11/18/05 11:50 a.m.
RUMOR: How will I know when or If I need training?  For example, I use DChart, Blue Zone, HRS, Banner, FRS (and others that I may not remember now) once in a while as needed.  Will I be automatically notified that things are changing, or do I need to seek out the information (new log-on etc) myself.

ANSWER: HRS and FRS are the primary systems being replaced by PeopleSoft. Since you currently work in these systems it is likely that you will require CATalyst/PeopleSoft training. The Project Team has worked closely with business managers and the offices of deans, directors, and chairs around campus to identify individuals in their units that perform each task that PeopleSoft delivers. The Team is currently in the process of revalidating this list with the units.

Based on this list, we will be issuing invitations to budget training by November 30th. The target date for sending out invitations to HR training is the week of December 14th. Target dates for Finance, Accounts Payable/Purchase Orders, and Sponsored Projects have not been determined yet. If a target dates passes without hearing from us and you believe you need specific training in that area to do your job, contact your business manager or supervisor and have them contact us regarding your situation at catalyst@uvm.edu. 

Employee Self-service training will be delivered in open sessions held around campus, so you will not need to be “invited” to a session; we will be publishing a schedule of sessions in our December newsletter and posting it to our Web site soon. You will not need to register for these open sessions, but we are asking that you attend specific sessions based upon your geographic locations (ex: everyone in Waterman will attend certain sessions, those in Bailey-Howe, different sessions.) Employee Self-service sessions are scheduled to start at the end of January.
11/11/05 8:50 a.m.
RUMOR: I've heard that employees will be required to take a test, administered by supervisors, demonstrating their attitudes about change.  This sounds pretty sketchy.  What's the real story?

ANSWER: No one will be “required” to take a test related to their attitudes about change.

There is, however, an assessment tool which is part of our change management efforts called the ADKAR worksheet. ADKAR is a change theory based on five stages of dealing with significant change: awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. The ADKAR worksheet is a way for a supervisor, along with their employee, to determine if an employee is struggling with the change in any of the five areas. If one of the five areas of the ADKAR model pops out as a potential problem area, there are specific tools and tactics to help an employee work their way through it.

The ADKAR worksheet is only one piece of an overall coaching strategy the Project Team will be presenting to supervisors during November and December. Supervisors will not be required to use the ADKAR worksheet although we have found that is an excellent way to start and direct what can be a difficult dialog about change and how individuals feel about it. After completing the training, we believe that supervisors will be better prepared to identify and help employees with change issues.

You can find more information about the ADKAR model in the July, 2005 issue of CATalyst Chronicle. Simply go to our homepage and click on the Chronicle button at the bottom of the page.
9/2/05 9:11 a.m.
RUMOR: I understand that Banner will not be replaced. And, the same is true of Advance C/S (Development & Alumni Relations database). What's the rationale for not including Banner and Advance C/S? Just curious.

ANSWER: Project CATalyst addresses the administrative systems of UVM, primarily HRS and FRS, Banner is the student system and is not within the Project’s scope. A separate team is currently looking at the advisability of redeploying the Banner system in a way that would better meet the needs of the University. The Advance C/S system is currently meeting the needs of the Development office and PeopleSoft did not offer similar functionality.
8/11/05 5:00 p.m.
RUMOR: Will there be some type of training tool that can get us familiar with what the interface will look like, as far as looking up tables, viewing the fields on the tables??

ANSWER: Oracle/PeopleSoft offers a serveral tools used to report and extract information from the application. These tools are the PeopleSoft/Crystal Reports, PeopleSoft/nVision and  PeopleSoft Query. Information about these tools is available in "PeopleBooks" and the "User Productivity Kit", accessed via a link from the CATalyst website : http://www.uvm.edu/catalyst/. Click on the User Productivity Test Drive button and view PeopleSoft Documentation.  Training for these tools will be part of the CATalyst training program.
8/8/05 4:03 p.m
RUMOR: A colleague at another campus that installed PS last July reports: "Oracle bought PeopleSoft and will only support it for another 2 years and  then we are on our own."  I can see it being scrapped soon after that.

ANSWER: UVM's contract with PeopleSoft states PeopleSoft must make, support, and maintain PeopleSoft software for 10 years with a contractual end date of 6/29/2014.
7/13/05 8:45 a.m.
RUMOR: I've heard that once we go to PeopleSoft we will no longer use any paper. Is this the arrival of the long-promised paperless society?

ANSWER: Not quite. While there will be a reduction in paper use due to the implementation of revised business processes and PeopleSoft software, we cannot promise that you will never touch another piece of paper. For example, a paper trail may still be necessary when an actual signature is required.

Studies have shown that paper use has increased exponentially since the promise of the paperless society arrived with the desktop computer era. In contrast to this experience, Project CATalyst will reduce paper use at UVM but will not totally eliminate it.
6/15/05 4:15 p.m.
RUMOR: At many meetings about the project the "UPK" online training tool has been highly promoted. Even though other methods of training have been mentioned, like classroom sessions, will this "UPK" tool be the primary source for enduser training?

ANSWER: The UPK, or User Productivity Kit, is an important component of the Project CATalyst training plan. It is a software package that interfaces with PeopleSoft to help create training aids such as online help, quick tutorials, and job aids. While the UPK is a powerful tool it does not, nor does the Project CATalyst Team intend for it to replace face-to-face training as the primary method for end users to gain the knowledge they will need to successfully complete their work. Look for more information about the Project training plan during the month of August.
6/9/2005  4:30 p.m.
RUMOR: In a previous response you said "All Project CATalyst positions have been and will continue to be subject to the standard salary setting process managed through the Office of Classification and Compensation. A significant part of this process is to determine how the proposed salary fits within the current UVM pay structure given job duties, required experience, education level, etc............  The work done on Project CATalyst is similar is some ways to other jobs at UVM, but also has very unique components not found in traditional UVM jobs. These components include such tasks as the configuration of the new system, the analysis and design of processes and automated workflow and the communication of new concepts to the campus community."
Well, there really is nothing "unique" about this new project other than it's size.  Anyone in CIT has configured a "new system" at least once, does "analysis and design (and re-design) of processes" on a daily basis, and "communicates new concepts" to those people affected by these new processes several times in their career, that's why they're called Analysts.  ERP took several pre-existing UVM employees and for the mere incremental cost of $5-$10 thousand each, promoted them to their new positions.  Because their previous jobs remain un-filled, the University saved about $50-$60K on each of them.  What happened to the responsibilities that used to be born by those promoted?  They were absorbed by those who chose not to apply to the ERP project, or who were not selected to be on the ERP project.  One must assume the individuals who were promoted supported key systems for the University prior to being relieved of their old duties, and that these systems live on, requiring someone else to support them now.  This "someone else" had their own job prior to ERP, and now they have someone else's job as well.  Not only does this "someone else"  have to fill the void created by the promotion, they must support the ERP "professionals" with information on current processing, and assist with the analysis and design of the new system.  Shouldn't the Office of Classification and Compensation now be brought in to review these new jobs and responsibilities created in the wake of the ERP project, and forced on those who were not promoted?  Shouldn't the Re-classification of these employees result in an increase in compensation retroactive to the promotion date of those who's responsibilities they've assumed?  Many of them have had their jobs changed and their work load and responsibilities increased dramatically as a result of ERP.  This is not a rumor, it's reality.

By the way, when these are posted, the "question" and "answer" should both be time and date stamped so the readers know how old some of this stuff is.

Thank you for this forum.

ANSWER: You are more than welcome for the "forum" that the Rumor Mill provides - and I am glad you are using it, even though your thoughts are not "rumors" they certainly deserve to be discussed.  Since your comments relate to your current position within CIT, you should raise them with your supervisor.  Hope this is helpful.
RUMOR: Why was Peoplesoft chosen as the vendor?  All of the people from finance, HR, and IT who were asked to give input selected SAP or Oracle as the #1 vendor.  Everyone had Peoplesoft last on the list.  Why are we going with the 3rd choice?

ANSWER: Three software vendors participated in Vendor Demonstrations -- SAP, PeopleSoft, and Oracle.  Each of the three ERPs came in #1 in some of the categories, and a great many categories turned out to be a statistical “dead-heat.”  While all three vendors brought strong capabilities to the table UVM selected PeopleSoft because it is the best combination of function and value.  A key factor was also PeopleSoft’s overwhelming presence in the higher education market.  PeopleSoft has more than 650 Higher Education customers who have created a mutual support group called HEUG (Higher Education Users Group).  The collaborative nature of higher education is a great benefit to all of us as we share knowledge.  The knowledge PeopleSoft has developed of Higher Education’s needs and way of doing business along with the resource that HEUG provides tipped the scales.
RUMOR:  When will training start for the new system?

ANSWER: CATalyst Training Coordinator Peter Maloska will be working closely with Pat Nowlan of the UVM Training and Education office on planning in June.  They will be ready to present the plan with a reasonable level of detail in August.
While formal training is not scheduled to begin until November you can get a look at how the system will operate by clicking on “Take a Test Drive” on the home page of our Web site. While the version of PeopleSoft you will see here is not exactly the same as the final version UVM will install it will give you a feel for how the system works and what the input screens look like.
RUMOR: What kind of help will be available to users when the system goes live?

ANSWER: There will be several ways for system users to get help when PeopleSoft goes live.

The best way to ensure that you know how to use PeopleSoft to perform your job is to attend training sessions. HR and budgeting modules are scheduled to go live on January 1, 2006 and formal training for tasks will begin in early  November.  Training will continue beyond the go live date as well.  We will be releasing mored detailed information on the training plan in August.

 Once the go-live date arrives a great option for getting help is through job aids. Job aids provide step-by-step instructions to complete a task from start to finish. You will be able to see them online and can print them for easy access.   You will also be able to access extensive online assistance by clicking on the “Help” link while working within any of the PeopleSoft modules.

If you cannot find the help you need through a job aid or online help, there will be a Help Desk dedicated to Project CATalyst available to answer your questions.

 The Project Team recognizes there are times that having someone at your desk can be the quickest way to solve a problem. When this is the case, The Help Desk will call out the CATalyst Cavalry. The Calvary will be made up of “power users” dispersed throughout the Campus who will be available to charge to your aid when the call comes.

RUMOR: The connection to People Soft will be slow if my office is in a remote location (i.e. Colchester, Barre, Essex, etc)

ANSWER: PeopleSoft is a Web-based application and like any Web based application, its performance will be affected by the capabilities of the computer and Internet link you are accessing it through.

 If you are an occasional user (performing self-service on your personal information and managing your benefits) and you have access to the Internet today, you will be able to access PeopleSoft and performance should be adequate. If you currently use HRS or FRS, the two main legacy systems being replaced by PeopleSoft and you have dial-up access to the Internet, you may want to upgrade to a faster Internet connection such as cable or DSL.

Another factor that can impact system performance is the hardware the software is running on. The Project CATalyst tech team has designed a system that will allow PeopleSoft to operate at optimal levels and allow for future growth without a drop in performance.

 You will be seeing more on how to ensure that your computer is set to access PeopleSoft, including a readiness assessment, over the next month.

RUMOR: There are HUGE gaps with the software and many modification costing large $ are being made.

ANSWER: One of the key underlying principles of Project CATalyst is to implement as close to a “vanilla” version of PeopleSoft as possible. In this case, “vanilla” does not mean plain or simple. The base version of PeopleSoft is highly flexible and can be configured to meet UVM’s unique business needs without incurring the cost of additional programming.

Even with this flexibility there sometimes is a gap between UVM’s business needs and what PeopleSoft can do. The Project Team is currently (mid-May) working on resolving these gaps. The Team, working along with Campus associates, has a sequence of options to apply. The first is to see if the need can be met with another PeopleSoft feature. Next, it is determined whether a change in policy, practices, or process can eliminate the gap. Third party software options are then reviewed. Fourth, the option of retaining or creating a manual workaround is explored. The next step is to see if the business need can be eliminated. Finally, the last resort is to modify the software. 

At this point in the gap elimination process no major modifications to the software have been identified. The vast majority of gaps have been addressed within the first four options.

RUMOR: A person I work with went to a conference and met someone from Florida university (I think that was the university), who had just installed Peoplesoft.  The person from Florida has said they were having major problems with the Peoplesoft financial system reconciling with the HR Peoplesoft system and the allocations for grants were constantly wrong.  They said the original consultants from the install were still there trying to figure out how to fix everything.  How are we going to avoid this problem?

ANSWER: There is one thing that we can be sure of, the PeopleSoft implementation at UVM will not go without incident. That being said, the Project Team is doing its best to make the transition as smooth as we can.

The danger in applying experiences at other Universities or organizations to UVM’s implementation is that we do not know the details behind their issues. Their version of PeopleSoft could be significantly different than ours. They could have decided to heavily customize the software. They may not have had sufficient quality consulting support in place. They could be experiencing problems converting from entirely different legacy systems than UVM’s. When we hear that other higher education users are having problems with PeopleSoft we look into the issues to see if they apply to us and how we can learn from them.

UVM is fortunate to have a highly skilled project team and a campus community that is engaged, enthusiastic, and supportive. We are working together to make this experience as painless as possible.

RUMOR: You did not answer the salary question asked in an earlier section. Catalyst team member salaries, both external and internal, have been set at a higher level than other UVM staff. Why is that? The work they perform is not at a level much higher than current employees.  And if they came from outside of UVM, they bring no relevant experience to the position, as they have to lean how UVM does business.  It appears there has been some inequity setting the salaries at this level. Plus each team member has a Peoplesoft consultant who shows them what to do.  I’m no mechanic, but if you took a mechanic and he/she showed me how to build a car I could do it. Once the software is installed the car has rolled off the assemble line, the only maintenance which will have to be done is changing the oil or putting on some new tires.  But those skills are not worth a salary increase of $10,000 a year. How is this high compensation level justified?

ANSWER: All Project CATalyst positions have been and will continue to be subject to the standard salary setting process managed through the Office of Classification and Compensation. A significant part of this process is to determine how the proposed salary fits within the current UVM pay structure given job duties, required experience, education level, etc. More information on this process can be found at http://www.uvm.edu/~clascomp/.

The work done on Project CATalyst is similar is some ways to other jobs at UVM, but also has very unique components not found in traditional UVM jobs. These components include such tasks as the configuration of the new system, the analysis and design of processes and automated workflow and the communication of new concepts to the campus community.

 Project staff “new” to UVM have been invaluable to Project CATalyst particularly in their contribution to process redesign and in some cases because they have experience with PeopleSoft software and project work. The campus colleagues who have partnered with Project staff bring the deep knowledge of UVM to the table, and the “new” to UVM staff bring a wealth of other experience that will greatly improve our outcomes. 

 To use your analogy, when the system is “rolled off the assembly line” it will not be “done.” The “go-lives” will be set of base applications on which UVM should continue to build. If we only “maintain” what we have at “go-live” we would be short changing ourselves. Remember that the reason we are striving for a “modification free” deployment is so that we can take advantage of new functionality more easily. Many Project CATalyst staff will be involved in this continuous improvement work after the Project itself has been disbanded.

RUMOR: I heard that only people who work with FRS and HRS need to go to meetings and/or training for CATalyst. Is this true?

ANSWER: All employees will have training. FRS and HRS are the major systems being replaced at UVM within the scope of Project CATalyst. If you currently work in FRS or HRS you are likely to see the greatest change in the way you complete your tasks. However, additional systems may be replaced if PeopleSoft functionality can meet UVM’s business needs. Finally, all employees of the University will be affected by Project CATalyst to some degree. For example, PeopleSoft allows you to manage many of your benefits and edit your personal information through self-service features.

Your best bet is to stay informed as the Project moves towards its January 1, April 1, and July 1 go live dates. Be aware of what training options are available to you and work with your supervisor and unit manager to be sure you receive the training you need.
RUMOR:  Since several ERP employees were hired from within at increases in salary anywhere from 5-10 and even 20 thousand dollars, will they keep those salaries after the project is completed and they return to their old positions? If so, will the salaries of those who stayed behind to support the old system while also assuming the responsibilities of those who went to ERP be increased to match? Or, will there be a major reorganization of titles, responsibilities, etc., since we recently heard that there will be a net increase of jobs and no existing jobs would be cut.

ANSWER: Project CATalyst positions are subject to the standard salary setting process managed through the Office of Classification and Compensation. After the initial implementation of PeopleSoft is complete in July 2006 the CATalyst Team will continue to provide ongoing system support. However, the Team will be smaller than its current size. As team members filter back into the general workforce their ongoing employment and pay will be subject to the same policies as anyone else.

At this point in the Project CATalyst timeline (late April) it is too early to say exactly how the way we work may change other than that it will change. Project Staff and our partners on campus are currently designing the new work processes and flows that will drive these transformations. While we can’t predict the future with certainty we are anticipating that as the full impact of Project CATalyst works its way through the system exciting new opportunities will open for all UVM employees.
RUMOR:  I have heard that meeting deadlines is more important than installing all the modules. Is this really true?

ANSWER: Meeting deadlines is extremely important to the Project CATalyst staff. We are pleased that as of this date the project is right on track and no due dates have been missed. One of the reasons it is so important to stay on track is because there are interdependencies between the various business processes we are working on, and so each step of the implementation process needs to happen at the appropriate time.

The modules we are deploying are Human Resources, Financials and Budgeting. Each module contains a great many features and functionalities. During Fit/Gap activities CATalyst and functional units will collaborate to determine which features within the modules we need to deploy to meet our business needs. While we are still defining the features we would need to activate, it is very unlikely that any module would not be deployed.
RUMOR: I've heard that the only flavor ice cream that will be served at the Project CATalyst Open House is vanilla. Can you please explain the significance of that?

ANSWER: That is correct, we will only be serving vanilla ice cream and vanilla frozen yogurt. The significance of that, is we are implementing PeopleSoft in its "vanilla" state, meaning no customizations.
RUMOR: The multi-million dollar solutions being offered by these replaced systems would lock us into particular products and not be transferable to other solutions?  How does PeopleSoft answer these accusations?

ANSWER: No matter what software or application UVM chose for its administrative systems, there would be limits to what will be "transferable".  These limits can be particularly apparent when home grown custom applications are chosen to meet the needs of a single institution.  By choosing PeopleSoft software UVM is partnering with the majority of higher education ERP users.  The collaborative nature of higher education and the strong support that PeopleSoft has demonstrated for the higher education community were key factors in the decision to choose this software."
RUMOR: Should we know what Catalyst is?  This is the first I have heard about it and reading your email and "About Us" page hasn't helped much.  Maybe I have been under a rock...

ANSWER:  Project CATalyst is the team that will be doing the implementation of PeopleSoft at UVM.  If you go to our website www.uvm.edu/catalyst and click on FAQ most of your questions will be answered.  If you still have questions, please write the CATalyst Rumor Mill again.
RUMOR: PeopleSoft threw in the student information system for free when the other package was purchased, which means that even though SCT's Banner is working well for us, we're going to implement the PeopleSoft product within the next several years?

ANSWER: Yes we did receive the student information software from PeopleSoft. The decision on if and when we would replace Banner with PeopleSoft has not been determined and is not within the current scope of Project CATalyst.
RUMOR: I've heard that you place members of your team in farm animal costumes?  Is this true, and who are these poor souls?

ANSWER: At Project CATalyst we're focused on getting the job done, and we also know how to have fun!
RUMOR: PeopleSoft will be replacing the Banner Student Information System.  Is this true?  If so, when will this occur?

ANSWER: UVM owns the PeopleSoft Student Administration software because PeopleSoft added to our package at no cost.  We have no plans at this time to deploy it.  The deployment of PeopleSoft for Human Resources and Finance will cause a great deal of change at the University and at this time Banner is working well to meet our needs.