HCM/CS System Version 9.0 Upgrade Accomplishments

There were many accomplishments achieved during the PeopleSoft Human Capital Management/Campus Solutions v9 upgrade. The project started in the summer of 2007 and was completed in August 2008. Here is the list:

• The PeopleSoft Student Administration/Human Resource Management System v8.0 was upgraded to Human Capital Management/Campus Solutions (HCM/CS) v9.0.
• Maintenance packs and bundles were applied to the upgraded system to bring it in-line with the latest release of required software updates. The upgrade allows CUA to retain eligibility for continued vendor product support including the delivery of mandatory regulatory/legislative software updates keeping the system compliant with federal, state and local laws.
• System functional business processes were reviewed and documented to increase understanding and identify areas for improvement.
• A comparison analysis of system functionality between v8.0 and v9.0 was completed facilitating essential upgrade activities and enabling future new feature implementation.
• Many CUA system customizations were eliminated reverting back to delivered product functionality simplifying system operations, decreasing on-going maintenance and facilitating future upgrades.  Approximately 300 programming customizations were retrofitted so that the system can meet unique and specialized needs of the campus.
• Selected new HCM/CS v9.0 functionality was enabled as part of the upgraded v9.0 system.  A comprehensive list of newly desired system functionality was also developed for future implementation. This new functionality will enhance the system improving back-office operations and overall system services to the campus.
• Many data related issues were reviewed and solutions provided to improve overall integrity and usefulness of system information. This will improve reporting and statistical analysis of data.
• Thousands of public and private queries were migrated to the new v9.0 system. Hundreds of those queries were reviewed and updated. Queries are used by a large number of individuals as an important part of their daily office activities.
• System security was reviewed and restructured to ensure appropriate user access to v9.0 functions and features.
• A new product was purchased and installed to facilitate the delivery of an on-line self-paced training capability for our PeopleSoft systems. This new training system was launched with selected HCM/CS v9.0 system topics. This system is available anytime and from anywhere users can access the Internet.
• Orientation sessions were conducted for campus users to introduce them to the HCM/CS v9.0 system and the new on-line training web site.  The CPIT Information Center was educated on the new HCM/CS v9.0 so they can provide effective support for campus users.
• Both development and production hardware environments were completely replaced.  The new architecture includes the use of a Storage Area Network (SAN) for hosting system databases and Virtual Machine (VM) technology for all web/application servers. This new technology environment will improve system reliability, scalability, performance and load handling.
• Utilized the latest supported operating system and database management system versions on all servers. The system was migrated off the Sun Solaris Unix operating system.  These changes will improve system maintainability, lower operational costs, streamline system architecture, improve performance and enhance secure operations
• The PeopleSoft Enterprise Portal (Cardinal Station) was upgraded from v8.8 to v9.0 moving CUA to the latest available version. The Cardinal Station web portal was redesigned to enhance navigation and user experience with underlying systems.  Multiple disparate systems were integrated within the new Cardinal Station web portal to create seamless and secure access to functions and features.
• A PeopleSoft system project management methodology and template was established for executing future upgrades and major implementations.  The entire upgrade was documented to provide a historical account of project activities and to provide a foundation of knowledge regarding the many decisions and processes that comprise the system.
• Expanded overall system knowledge and understanding to a new generation of back-office campus users increasing ownership and stakeholder awareness of system. 
• The complex technical upgrade process was introduced to first-time technical staff to build experience, increase knowledge and expand this capability within CPIT Information Systems and Services.
• A new overall functional system testing plan was developed to improve quality assurance during the v9.0 upgrade and future software updates/upgrades.
• Technical staff attended formal training courses to refresh their skill sets and to improve their effectiveness.