Tag: finance and procurement

Join our team

The job

We’re looking for a Business Process Change Manager with proven experience in Student and Curriculum management to join the Student workstream of our Transformation Programme. This is an opportunity to be part of a multinational team tasked with transforming our University through new technologies, new processes and new ways of working.

Us

The Programme is wide reaching and will have an impact across our Schools and Professional Services, covering Finance, HR and Payroll, Research, and the Student journey (note that this role is in relation to the Student workstream).

You

If you have a passion for driving change and love a challenge, we’d love to hear from you.

Interested? For further details of role, criteria and salary, please read the job description and/or contact Alison Slater btpmo@dundee.ac.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Related links:

Watch John Rowan, our VP for Research and Knowledge Exchange discuss the opportunities for the OneUniversity Research solution.

Watch our Director of Finance Carol Prokopyszn talk about OneUniversity.

Key-user and end-user training

The Business Transformation training team has been supporting the Finance and Procurement workstream to deliver key-user and end-user training. We’ve been offering hands-on workshops and drop-in sessions underpinned by a suite of online training materials.

Who are key users?

Key users are subject matter experts working on the Programme at a workstream level, or those closely involved in the shaping and delivery of the OneUniversity solution.

How do we support the workstreams?

  • Identify staff who need training
  • Develop the end-user training programme
  • Develop training manuals and videos
  • Organise end-user training

We’re all end users

All University staff and students will use OneUniversity so we’re all end users. The Change and Communications team will deliver end-user training and any other activity associated with helping to prepare our people for the transformation OneUniversity will bring.

How we’re going to manage change arising from OneUniversity

Our objectives are to equip people with the knowledge, skills and abilities to do their jobs from day one and support them as they transition to using new, shared processes and databases.

Dedicated training team

We now have a dedicated training officer, Chris Reid, and administrator, Emma McDade, who you’ll meet when you attend a session. You can contact the training team on 388081.

Fancy putting your dexterity skills to the test?

We’re looking for fast fingers to help us trial the new mobile Travel and Expenses functionality in OneUniversity.

We’re giving away a £30 Amazon voucher in our latest competition. All you have to do is test your digital dexterity skills and complete an expenses claim form on your mobile, against the clock, using the new OneUniversity Finance solution.

We’ll send you a link to a video showing how to complete the expense claim. Contact business-transformation@dundee.ac.uk to receive your video link and arrange a time to visit the BT office at Heathfield to put your skills to the test!

Terms & Conditions:
Competition open to UoD staff only.
Entries close at midnight on Monday 30 July.
No alternative prize will be offered.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 31 July.

Stuart Moorhouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuart has moved from Student Technical to manage the Finance and Procurement workstream.

What’s your role?

As senior project manager for Finance and P2P my responsibility is to take F&P live into the business. The role is operational, working directly with TechOne. We ask ‘What do we need to get in order to go live?’ We have a clear vision of what success will look like, then we manage and drive tasks forward to get there.

How did you get here?

I moved from a commercial background where we used an end-to-end production model into higher education. I’ve been learning to think about the University as a business with a complex set of institutional, as well as commercial, needs.

What’s next?

We are getting the OneUniversity Finance solution in a steady state, resolving defects before we undertake two cycles of formal testing. The testing will give us the evidence we need to show the solution is fit for purpose.

How is life in Dundee?

At work, I’ve been insistent that the solution should have a Scottish accent that’s configured to meet our specific Dundee needs – funny coming from a South African! At my local, the infamous Dundee pub Cutty Sark on the Kingsway, the strains of my own accent mean I never go unnoticed.

Change Champion Chats: Letty Gibson

Our change champions are an integral part of our change programme. In this blog we speak to Letty Gibson, Research School Services Manager, School of Life Sciences, about her role as a change champion.

Please tell us about your role.

I have been employed by the University of Dundee in Life Sciences since 1997 and my role has changed several times during this time as the School has expanded. I am now the Research Technical Lead in Life Sciences within the senior management team. I’m also a member of various management committees across the university. Part of my role includes responsibility for the delivery of the Laboratory Management Support Service which includes a team of lab managers and junior lab technicians. Our work includes dealing with procurement, budget management, health and safety and compliance with legal requirements and adherence to UoD policy in all aspects. We focus on these areas so researchers can focus on their research activities.

What made you want to be a change champion?  

It’s very important to me, in fact, I’ve been involved in initial design workshops, user acceptance testing and training since before I became a change champion.  From day one I’ve contributed to shaping and influencing the way Business Transformation will work. Procurement in Life Sciences is highly complex due to volume, range of funding bodies and types of spend. I’ve been fully involved to make sure the system can meet the procurement needs of Life Sciences regarding what we buy and where we buy it.  But I carry out this work as part of a team, with lab managers and other key Life Science staff, who join me in workshops so we can get the best of their knowledge and expertise.

From the beginning it was critical to me that our School should have a strong voice in the development stages of the Business Management System in order to influence. I’ve been involved in the introduction of new business systems in the School of Life Sciences before, namely in the development and launch of PECOS. Seeing the challenges that change brought, that’s where I learnt where potential obstacles can arise, what critical issues need to be addressed and what can be put in place to make change as seamless as possible.

The key to success is preparation, planning and strong communication. That’s my role as liaison between the BT programme team and the staff within Life Sciences who will be affected by the change.  Understanding and pre-empting what we will and won’t have is critical. I highlight our needs and identify if system solutions are in place and what will be available at go live. The smooth running of our labs during the cutover period is paramount and we do all we can not to compromise service delivery to staff.

What benefits do you see OneUniversity bringing?

I’m very excited about the undertaking to improve business management processes. Currently we spend time looking for information and aren’t always able to access the data required, often duplicating our efforts and not being 100% sure that the information we have is current and accurate. I have been at many sessions where the data provided in the new system is described as a ‘single source of truth’. I’m really looking forward to this and it’ll be fantastic when managers can go and access the data they want instantly.

I know that the grant holders are very excited when given an insight into the type of budget reporting that will be available and accessible using any device, anywhere. When the research model goes live it will have a huge impact on Life Sciences when researchers can trace a single pathway from idea to award. In HR too, to run my team of 25 people, it will be so useful to have a single source of information that’s easy, quick and efficient to access. Having simple access to complex data is going to help me do my job.

Fun fact about Letty

I love driving but have never mastered reverse parking!

Accessing catalogues in OneUniversity: what you need to know

On Tuesday 27 February at 5.00 pm the PECOS purchasing system will close down. Over the past few months we’ve been testing how we can store, access and maintain catalogues in OneUniversity and we’ve found that the best option from 5 March is the PECOS Gateway.

What is the PECOS Gateway?

The PECOS Gateway enables public bodies like us at the University of Dundee to ‘punch out’ from their Finance and Procurement system and seamlessly ‘punch in’ to the Gateway. Here we can shop from a range of available hosted catalogues and punch-out sites.

How does it work?

We are going to access our catalogues and punch-out sites on the PECOS Gateway, which is not the PECOS you know as it contains no order functionality. Instead, you’ll be pleased to know, requisitioning will all happen in our new OneUniversity system!

We select content from the PECOS Gateway and the requisition comes back to OneUniversity. Here, we add the financial coding and submit the requisition for approval. Once orders have been approved, OneUniversity transmits them directly to the supplier.

What are the benefits of using the PECOS Gateway?

  • a straightforward tool for Procurement to manage and maintain catalogues
  • reduces administrative burden of catalogue maintenance
  • best and familiar means for searching for required catalogue content
  • existing PECOS catalogues and punch-out sites available from go-live
  • national and local suppliers familiar with of PECOS catalogue formats
  • many suppliers on APUC frameworks produce catalogues in PECOS
  • access to punch-outs set up by other organisations using PECOS
  • minimises University risk as the Scottish Government hosts our catalogues

So get ready to walk through the Gateway and go live!

Key activity in Finance & Procurement

As we fast approach the go live date for Finance & Procurement, here’s an overview of some of the key activity taking place.

Training
An expanded training programme offering more sessions on more topics has been issued to School Managers and Directors who have been asked to nominate appropriate colleagues to take part. The focus for training is to make sure that those people who need to do certain activities as part of their job, can do them from day one.

This means that for some of us, training will continue to take place after go live. If you feel that you need specialist training please speak to your School Manager or Director who will contact the Programme if appropriate.

Data mapping and reconciliation
We’re working with colleagues in central Finance teams to make sure that the accounts data we migrate over is accurate.

Details about what information you can expect to see in OneUniversity – suppliers for example – will be shared soon.

Getting ready for go live
Our cutover activity is in the final stages of planning and will be communicated early February. This will include key dates such as when PECOS, CODA and Key Travel will be unavailable and, more importantly, the last day for getting your expenses in using paper!

Change Champion Chats: Stewart Kerr

 

Our change champions are an integral part of our change programme. In this blog we speak to Stewart Kerr, Category Manager for Finance, about his role as a change champion.

Please tell us about your role.

I manage the process of procuring goods and services. This means I place contracts on behalf of the University and provide support and guidance to end users when they are sourcing the items and services they need.

I help people to make purchases that are appropriate and achieve value for money. My remit is also to minimise the exposure of University procurement to fraud and collusion by ensuring we act in a legally compliant manner with fair, transparent and open competition.

What made you want to be a change champion?     

I want to stay dynamic, proactive and be a part of the exciting changes ahead. As a contributing member of the change team I have the opportunity to anticipate challenges that the programme may present to myself and my work colleagues. Through looking ahead and understanding the challenges, I can directly motivate myself to respond and help my team to do the same. It’s great to be part of the positivity and drive of this particular journey.

What benefits do you see OneUniversity bringing?

There will be great opportunities for the University to work collectively in one process. The shared undertaking will reduce risk and increase efficiency. It’s something we can all be part of.

Fun fact about Stewart:

I have been on Blue Peter and am the proud owner of a badge.

Banner selfie competition

Business Transformation team member Mike McDonald with one of the green banners.

Our Business Transformation banners are going on a seven-week tour around University buildings from Monday 15 January and they could earn you a tasty prize if you spot one.

To be in with a chance of winning one of six prizes is take a selfie with the banner and answer the following question:

During the post-implementation phase of the programme, what will we be investing in? Here’s a little clue for you … you can find the answer on the banner.

Please email your photo and answer to business-transformation@dundee.ac.uk by Thursday 1 March 2018.

The six winners will be drawn from the proverbial hat and announced after we go live on 5 March.

The prizes up for grabs are:

  1. £30 Amazon voucher
  2. One month’s free pass to Institute of Sports & Exercise (ISE)
  3. A surprise hamper of goodies.
  4. Three separate prizes of tea and sandwiches or cake in the Tower café.(Competition open to UoD staff and students only)

A word on training

Change and Communications manager Angela Hamilton hosting one of the training sessions.

Change and Communications manager Angela Hamilton explains why training is such an important feature of the Business Transformation programme …

You may not be aware of this, but training is a large part of what we do in the Change and Communications team.

An effective training programme will help us get ready for the changes to the way we work that will come as a result of OneUniversity.

One of the benefits of the revised date is that it allows us to train more people, making sure that when we do go live, University business won’t suffer and we’ll be able to get on with our jobs.

When we consider how an organisation changes its behaviours or its ways of working as a result of something as big as the Transformation Programme, we’re really looking to do this on two levels; individual and organisational.

Our approach to this involves identifying, amongst other things, the benefits of the change at an individual level; and working with Schools and Directorates to identify suitable and appropriate change, communications and training plans to help move teams through the process and out the other side as smoothly as possible.

Hands on training won’t be available to everyone so the focus at the moment is on making sure that there are a variety of training and educational tools and resources available for use before, during and after go live.

So, what about the training?

The majority of this will take place in the three weeks running up to go live, which ensures that the knowledge is fresh in people’s minds. A revised training plan has been agreed and this will be communicated to School Managers and Directors who will nominate appropriate staff to take part in the various sessions.

In addition to this, we’ll schedule a number of drop-in surgeries and demos on a variety of topics including expenses and requisitioning.

Further information on these sessions, including dates, will be published on this blog so keep checking back regularly.

Angela