Following recommendations from the 21st Century efforts, MCCCD will soon move to the next generation of Email and Calendar applications after careful consideration of all these factors. At the May 2011 Governing Board meeting, the Board approved a proposal to replace our current Email and Calendar system (MEMO/Corporate Time) and move Maricopa faculty and staff to GoogleApps for Education (Gmail and Google Calendar).  The current plan calls for a pilot to start in spring 2012.

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MCCCD Human Resources Division and DSSC ITS have been deeply involved together in the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) upgrade to Oracle (PeopleSoft) Human Capital Management (HCM) Version 9.1 for well over a year.

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The College Financial System (CFS) is in the middle of a major upgrade from Oracle eBusiness Suite version 11.5.10 to 12.1.3.  The initial planning for this project began in Spring 2009 with final board approval granted in December 2010. After Board approval, the planning transitioned to formal upgrade work beginning in April of this year.  A great deal of effort has been completed to date on the project in a partnership between ITS and Business Services.

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MCCCD’s 2nd Data Center (Airpark) continues to move forward at a steady pace to bring Internet and core system redundant services to our students, faculty and staff. 

 
DSSC ITS is happy to report that the facility is now operational!  This new facility provides protection from service outages, and also improves the speed of access the students experience when using on line resources.  Additionally, during final staging and testing to ensure power, cooling and support systems were functioning correctly, ITS hosted an educational experience for two classes and the Computer Club from PVCC in December 2010.  Students were able to tour this state of the art computing facility and had access to ITS personnel to ask questions.

 
The Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and College Financial System (CFS) backup servers have been moved from an intermediate redundant location at SMCC to Airpark.  The Student Information System (SIS) will be added during Spring Break.  Redundant networks and Internet access for the colleges have been added allowing college-based needs for business continuity.  We look forward to partnering with our colleges in this regadard in mid-March

Special thanks to Rod Marten of  DSSC ITS , for contributing this answer

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

MCCCD Human Resources Division and DSSC ITS have partnered to work on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) upgrade to Oracle (PeopleSoft) Human Capital Management (HCM) Version 9.1.  This is a normal life-cycle activity for a major enterprise application such as HRMS.  Vendor releases occur every four to five years, and once released, have a life-cycle of five years.  The current production version (8.9) ends December 2011.  MCCCD will skip Release 9.0 and go directly to 9.1, putting us back on the leading edge of the release cycle.

This project is the result of a number of years in planning.  Technical activities started in October 2009, with the first upgrade pass completed in spring 2010.  With this upgrade, and in conjunction with the 21st Century Maricopa project, it was decided to include a complete process and customization re-evaluation along with a detailed review of new features and functionality.  From spring through summer 2010, a complete RFP/RFQ selection process occurred and as a result, Peak Performance Technologies was selected as our consulting partner in this endeavor.  Governing Board approval was achieved in October 2010.

Key Goals are to:

• improve information quality;
• improve reporting capabilities;
• improve business processes;
• reduce customizations;
• continue vendor support after December 2011;
• increase standardization opportunities across all colleges;
• align with 21st Century Maricopa recommendations;
• reduce dependency on shadow systems;
• add additional self-service;
• enhance integration with external vendors and internal systems.

Process mapping for core processes was completed in October 2010, project planning has just been completed, and work teams have been established and include over 100 employees from throughout MCCCD.  The fit/gap process commenced in January 2011 and will continue through April 2011.  Upgrade environments have been established and customization removal and/or inclusion is about to begin.  Testing will occur through summer 2011 and go-live currently scheduled for October 2011.

Special thanks to Don Outland of DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

MCCCD is moving toward online, interactive performance reviews.  The system is called ePerformance and is a module within the Human Resource Management System (HRMS).

Automation of performance reviews was specifically targeted as a priority by the 2009 Consultant-based study requested by the MCCCD Governing Board.  This finding resulted in the formation of a 21st Century Maricopa team (Team F092) in early 2010 that was tasked to “mandate the regular completion of standardized employee performance management review process, utilizing tools standardized across MCCCD.”

Prior to the study, the Human Resources Functional and Technical Support teams began conversations toward online performance reviews.    The HRMS ePerformance module was purchased in late 2008, and a small pilot project was completed in 2009.  Additionally, the HR Division completed extensive discussions with the MAT Advisory Council to refine the content and format of the MAT Review.  This provided a great start for the work of the 21st Century Maricopa team.  The best and most cost effective solution was to expand the existing 2009 pilot and continue toward full implementation and roll-out across all employee groups.  In July 2010, the recommendation and plan was accepted by the 21st Century Maricopa Steering Committee.  The “new” pilot began in August 2010.

Given the scope of the project, the effect on MCCCD employees and “Maricopa culture”, and the upcoming HRMS upgrade, a decision was made to phase the roll-out over multiple years starting with a limited Early Adopter Program.  Three college sites volunteered to participate (EMCC, GCC, and PC).  Design, configuration and testing were completed by October 2010, training was developed and delivered in November and December, and the process went “live” for the three Early Adapter colleges, as planned, in January 2011 with no increase in budget.

The continued roll-out will be phased in, by Employee Group, over the next three years.  The remainder of the MAT group will be included after the completion of the HRMS 9.1 Upgrade in January 2012.  PSA Council discussions are currently underway.  It is anticipated that the group will join the fold in January 2012 followed by Crafts, M&O and Safety policy groups.

Special thanks to Don Outland of DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

In partnership with Gideon Taylor (GT) and their ePAF™electronic forms platform, MCCCD went live last spring with a powerful Job Change eForm after less than six project weeks.  This marks the fastest yet that a major GT ePAF™ based form has been brought to production.  In those six weeks the joint MCCCD-Gideon Taylor project team successfully completed Discovery, Design, Development, Unit and User Acceptance Testing, as well as significant training.

The Job Change eForm, as customized by the project team, automated all Job Data change actions (Personnel Action Requests or PARs).  Some special features include simplified earnings distributions, grant-related “special funding”, internal transfers and “renewals” - essentially the annual rehire of employees in temporary positions.

Annual renewals alone account for 1,000 transactions per year.  By replacing a previously paper-based distribution process with email notifications, the eForm will eliminate 3,000 pages annually.  Even more impressive is the time savings.  After being trained on the new Job Change eForm, one staff member said, “I can now do in 30 seconds what used to take me 40 minutes.”  Even at just this one stage in the Renewal process, 650 hours will be saved every year!  That does not yet include any time and efficiency savings realized by the staff at the college.

The rapid move to Production allowed for a huge performance boost during MCCCD’s fiscal year cut-over on July 1.  Phase I usage was limited to DSSC staff because, based on the date, paper PARs had already been generated and submitted by the Colleges.  College roll-out will continue over the next several months.

Special thanks to Don Outland of  DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

Since our last update in the February 2010 edition of ITS InTouch, DSSC ITS has been working with several internal processes to facilitate large project plan development.  These processes include initial planning, funding, a Team Charter, Human Resource and Communication Management plans, Stakeholder Register, Project Timelines and Closure documents.  Most recently our teams have discussed how we might also incorporate small project planning to better support the services we provide.  While progress has been a bit slow due to the team approaching these processes very thoughtfully, we are encouraged with cross functional team collaboration to bring projects in on time and within budget toward a successful client experience.  We look forward to using these new processes and will continue to keep you updated with our progress.

Special thanks to Keli Jones of  DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

On April 12, 2010, MCCCD began the implementation of a Grants Management module in CFS.  DSSC ITS is partnering with Business Services and CedarCrestone to integrate the module into CFS.  The Oracle Grants Management module is specifically designed to manage the complex tracking and reporting needs for grants accounting and will help MCCCD track over 160 grants totalling over $33 million in funding for projects across the colleges and the District Support Services Center (DSSC).

The initial steps for this project began in the summer of 2009 with a demonstration of Grants Accounting functionality by Oracle; the Information Technology Council (ITC) approved the project in November and the project recieved Governing Board approval at the December meeting.  The Grants Management project is scheduled to go live in August, 2010.

 Special thanks to Phil Cram of  DSSC ITS , for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

The MCCCD Student Information System (SIS) implements four to five bundle upgrades every year.  Each bundle provides new functionality, fixes for identified issues, and regulatory and technical updates.  The latest bundle was installed in late September 2010 as a cross functional effort by the DBA, Server and SIS Development and Functional teams, along with DSSC ITS Operations.

In addition to the implementation of these bundles, the vendor for our SIS application, Oracle Corporation, releases new versions of the application every two to four years.  The new versions, in this case, Version 9, deliver additional and significant changes along with areas of new or modified functionality.  The Governing Board recently approved the project to begin the Version 9 SIS upgrade.

MCCCD has several goals for the Version 9 upgrade:

• Review the new Version 9 functionality for applicability and value to MCCCD.
• Review each of the current customizations and extensions in SIS and determine whether they could either be achieved using delivered functionality or deleted.
• Review the current technical architecture and update as necessary to replace aging hardware and to accommodate anticipated user requirements.

The Version 9 upgrade will be a joint effort between DSSC ITS, the SIS Advisory Group (SAG), and will include considerable college involvement in requirements analysis, setup, testing and training.  The new version is expected to be implemented by mid-year 2012.

Special thanks to Steve Creswell of DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

So what is this “Person of Interest” thing I have been hearing about, and why does it sound like the FBI might want to talk to me?

No, this has nothing to do with the FBI, law enforcement or event Campus Safety.  A Person of Interest (or POI) is simply terminology chosen by the HR and Student System vendor (Oracle/PeopleSoft) to identify a person who has a relationship to the system that is NOT just an employee.  This would include Dual Enrollment instructors, contractors/consultants, temporary workers from agencies such as Kelly Services and PerceptIS (our Student Helpdesk).  Even Governing Board members can be classified as POI.

These individuals need resources from MCCCD in much the same way that employees do; they use email, they need access to systems such as HRMS, SIS, CFS and Blackboard.  They also need to be tracked and managed in many of the same ways that an employee does, except that they are not employed by MCCCD.

Up until July 2010, these “guests of MCCCD” were managed and tracked manually by the DSSC Directory team and processed through the college helpdesks and HR staff using administrator tools.  This was sufficient for the original requirements, but as we all know, requirements change.  Numerous challenges surfaced; What if the Dual Enrollment Instructor was a current or ex-student?  How about an ex-employee?  What if we wanted to hire them as permanent faculty?  What if a contractor left (or was removed)?  Was their access removed?  At which college was the non-employee associated?  Who was responsible for them?  What exactly was their relationship to MCCCD?  Each of these questions created special challenges that required labor intensive research or manual intervention to resolve the issues.  The solution was obvious: Use HRMS and its delivered capabilities to manage this population.

Project planning started in mid-2009 and really took off in the fall.  Integration testing (HRMS/SIS/CIMS) took place throughout spring 2010, and the final rollout occurred after the end of the spring semester.  The project team was a collaborative effort between the HRMS technical and functional areas, CIMS, SIS Duplicates and Security, DSSC Training Services and College HR.  New ITS Project Portfolio processes were used to track and manage the project.

Directory Guest to HRMS POI Conversion Efforts

An extensive effort has been underway to review each guest in the directory, confirm whether or not they are still involved in the institution and need system access, and determine what that access may be (SIS, Blackboard, HRMS self-service, email account tools such as PAT).  Research includes:

• Review both employee and student record files to ensure that data is not duplicated, missing, and/or mismatched.
• Assign an appropriate MCCCD employee sponsor who is responsible for the business relationship and who can address any issues should something be needed, especially important for dual enrollment instructors.
• New processes to deactivate or renew accounts, as appropriate, on an annual basis much like adjunct faculty and temporary worker contracts are currently handled.

1,846 directory guest accounts were identified and researched to determine applicable system access.  Thus far, the breakdown is as follows:

• 732 - Added to the new HRMS POI process.
• 416 - Removed from the directory as they are no longer applicable to the institution or business.
•  698 - Research continues.  If the individual still requires system access, they will be added as an HRMS POI; if not, they will be rmoved.  Completion is targeted for end of year 2010.

In addition, since July 2010, all new persons have been added directly by College HR and DSSC HR, for whom personnel data integrity and accuracy are paramount.  The administrator tools are no longer used.

Special thanks to Don Outland of  DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms

Major services such as CFS, HRMS and SIS, to name just a few, are an integral part of the operation of MCCCD and ensuring student success.  As the number and criticality of services has grown, DSSC ITS has become increasingly aware of our stewardship obligation for ensuring the continuation of such services.

While the risks of fire, flooding and attacks happening is small, the result would be catastrophic for the educational mission of MCCCD.  The current industry term for protecting against these events is called ‘Business Continuity’.  Best practice is to have a disaster recovery site with the ability to provide critical services and to routinely test the ability to shift services to that site.  The construction of a disaster recovery site is the beginning of MCCCD adopting this best practice.

In November 2007, MCCCD after an extensive search acquired a data center at Scottsdale Airpark.  While it did not have the power or cooling capabilities required for a modern data center, the building contained several valuable assets including a backup generator, raised floor, FM200 fire suppression and a water fire suppression system that does not load water into the pipes unless needed.  It is located at an ideal location; far enough away to prevent a disaster from affecting both buildings, uses a separate power provider from our current data center, and is located with in a corridor of calm from lightning strikes.

DSSC ITS and Facilities Planning & Development (FP&D) are now moving forward with renovations to the building to transform it from a solid older datacenter to one capable of supporting modern hot, power-hungry computers.   Network and support systems needed to manage the data center were designed through summer of 2008 in parallel with architectural design of the renovations needed for increasing the cooling and power in the building.  The design follows industry standard Tier 3 best practices and accommodates 100 watts of power per foot (which is in the middle of the 90-120 watts commonly built into modern high efficiency data centers).    While moving forward with the physical aspects of this project, DSSC ITS is discussing through individual meetings and project briefings how the facility can provide additional value to the campuses. 

The goal is to have successfully tested the most critical disaster recovery processes by the end of 2010.  This would include CIMS (affecting Blackboard), SIS, CFS, HRMS, Library and my.maricopa.  In addition, a second network will provide multiple links to the Internet and to each main campus.  The new facility will ensure the MCCCD will continue to serve our students and the community.  Finally, it will allow us to demonstrate the various organizations who have audit responsibility for use that we are committed to our responsibility for public stewardship.

 Special thanks to Rod Marten of  DSSC ITS for contributing this article

Click here to see an Index of common ITS acronyms