Enterprise Systems Committee Reports Progress on Data Initiatives

The Enterprise Systems Executive Committee has issued a progress report on three closely linked initiatives in the University’s highest priority Administrative Systems Initiatives -- Research Data Integration and Access (SNUPER), Data Warehousing, and the Financial Management Systems Replacement (Project Café).

The SNUPER system is now available for use by University researchers. SNUPER provides researchers and those they designate with a view of human resources, financial and sponsored projects data on their project grants and contracts in one location. The SNUPER project team is releasing the software via an iterative development plan which allows for constant and ongoing improvement and additional functionality. The SNUPER team will continue to add functionality with future releases, which are planned to include access to additional student data, space data, human and animal subject protocols, and effort reporting.

The Data Warehouse Initiative is working on foundational tasks that will be key to the development of a successful data warehouse solution. This work includes developing data access policies and classifying data according to its relative sensitivity, developing data definitions across systems to support data integration, identifying data access roles, and reviewing business policy and process issues that affect the quality and timeliness of data. Teams comprised of University stakeholders have been identified to work with Data Warehouse staff on completing these tasks.

The Financial Management Systems Replacement Initiative (newly named Project Café) team has completed the first phase of its work plan. More than 90 members of the University community participated in this effort. Based on their recommendations, the University has have approved the purchase of a software product called InfoEd that will work in conjunction with the University’s PeopleSoft financial solution to handle research grant pre-award activities. This software will allow principal investigators to search for funding opportunities, maintain bio-sketch and publication information, create proposals and proposal budgets, and manage and track proposals from submission through award/contract acceptance. The team is moving on to its next phase, which will include many demanding analytical tasks including the redesign of the Chart of Accounts.

The Enterprise Systems Executive Committee is composed of Mort Rahimi, vice president and chief technology officer (chair); Lawrence B. Dumas, provost;  Eugene Sunshine, senior vice president for business and finance; and C. Bradley Moore, vice president for research.

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