Project Charter. Online Expense Claims Final Version

Transcription

1 Project Charter Online Expense Claims Final Version Connie A. van Oostveen, Ann Williams-Gorrie Last updated: November 13, 2012

2 Introduction The purpose of the online expense project is to better manage expense claims at the University of Waterloo for employees, students and other individuals. Current processes for university business-related expense claims primarily require individuals to bear a personal financial burden on behalf of the University by paying out of their pocket for an expense. Alternatively, a individual may request an advance. The expense is later claimed for reimbursement or settlement. Depending on the complexity for an out-of-pocket expense, the cycle time from submitting a paper-based claim to receiving reimbursement may take from one to several weeks. During fiscal year 2011/2012, approximately 22,600 out-of-pocket expense claims were processed. (See Table 1: Transaction Volumes, below.) Claims are typically for travel, faculty professional allowance, don s allowance, and various non-travel out-of-pocket expenses such as supplies. Table 1: Transaction Volumes (Fiscal Year 2011/2012) Claimant Type Number of Transactions Total Paid Students 6,700 $3.8 million Employees 15,900 $12.6 million Research Non-Research 6,000 9,900 $5.6 million $7.0 million Total 22,600 $16.4 Million To meet the objectives described in this project charter, the project will explore and leverage opportunities over the longer term to move from paper-based to online expense claims and move from out-of-pocket to business-to-business transactions. This document provides a project definition and implementation strategy by describing high-level objectives, scope, constraints, assumptions, risks, budget, project timeline, project strategy and approach, project roles and responsibilities and document approval. Objectives The objectives for the project are: Automate and streamline processing of claims in the areas of searching/filing, calculating, minimizing duplicate efforts, automating compliance policies (where possible), approving claims Increase business to business transactions for University business

3 Improve information about expenses for analysis, reporting and auditing Eliminate paper, where possible, reducing storage needs and the multi-part travel form Integrate with existing Accounts Payable module and processes in Oracle ebusiness Suite Financials system Provide secure, sustainable and supportable environment Scope The scope of the implementation includes: Out-of-pocket expense processes for employees, students, and others (e.g. visitors) including: o Advances for travel and non-travel expenses o Settlements and claims for travel and non-travel expenses o Faculty professional expense reimbursement Booking/scheduling travel arrangements Travel card implementation Document management for receipts Approval policy and process Support online expense claim functionality Web-enabled mobile interface Marketplace evaluation of travel and expense products The scope of the implementation excludes: Non out-of-pocket expenses (e.g. supplier invoices, payroll payments) Building an in-house solution Constraints, Assumptions, Risks Known constraints, assumptions and risks include: Success in implementing the system and affecting change is achieved by engaging the university community throughout the project. It is assumed the university community will: o Embrace the automation of expense claim processing o Have active involvement o Achieve consensus regarding a sustainable, enterprise-wide, approval hierarchy It is assumed that the necessary human and financial resources will be available when required It is assumed that the project will not result in major changes to the Oracle ebusiness Suite Financials functionality It is assumed project execution is not held up by policy review. Requirements, design and implementation are based on policies as defined. System implementation of policy changes are completed based on standard change management processes An effective communication plan will be created and executed accordingly 1 P age

4 The implementation considers the priority, timeline and resources for two other large projects on the horizon: upgrading Oracle ebusiness Suite Financials from version 11i to R12, and future reporting environment; anticipating the end of life approaching in the next two to three years for the Cognos reporting tool set and the current version of Oracle ebusiness Suite Financials Other related/connected projects' activities may affect resource availability Budget Costs will be determined during the product evaluation activity and documented in the Project Management Plan. Project Timeline The detailed timeline will be determined during planning processes described in the chart below and further documented in the Project Management Plan. Project Process Group Target Milestone Date Initiating December 2012 High Level Project Begins December 2012 Planning Detailed TBD Executing and Controlling December 2013 Project Closing January 2014 Project Strategy and Approach Project Governance Critical to the success of the expense claim system is the active participation of key stakeholders from the uwaterloo community. Participation is especially important in determining a university-wide perspective for a sustainable, electronic approval process and ensuring user-friendly processes. Finance, Information Systems and Technology, and uwaterloo community representatives are members of the Implementation Team and. The implementation team and steering committee collaborate in decision making and are an integral part of testing and implementing the system. Representatives from the uwaterloo community are instrumental in affecting the transition from a paper-based to an electronic system. To that end, the university community will be engaged in the project through participation in focus groups, presentations, surveys, faculty councils, communication planning and execution, design, testing and training. 2 P age

5 Engagement Model Decision Active Inform Awareness Online Expenses Functional/Finance Integration Team Project/Technical Team Six Faculties Research Compliance Team Financial and Administrative Support in University faculties and departments Provost IST Executives Executive Council Computing Technology and Services Committee (CTSC) Faculty Relations Committee Staff Relations Committee Project Approach To achieve the objectives and scope of the project charter, it is anticipated that rollout of online expense claims will be phased. How the phased rollout occurs requires further discussion and is an integral part of the planning project process groups. The high level and detailed project plans will be defined in the Project Management Plan. The project will employ an iterative systems development methodology for each phase of the project. (See 3 P age

6 Phase 1 Project Process Group Initiating Project Processes Involvement Milestone Date Establish Implementation Team Team Leaders Faculty Councils (i.e., Chairs, Dean, Associate Deans, Executive Officer) Initiating Approve Project Charter Team Leaders April 2012 November 2012 Initiating Document Current Processes and Gather Requirements Focus groups Team leaders November 2012 Initiating Establish and Document Communication Practices Team Leaders December 2012 High Level Project Planning Evaluate Market (i.e., Request for Information and Request for Proposal processes, Confirm/Negotiate Software Licensing and Support Costs Team Leaders Implementation Team (for market evaluation) Begins December 2012 Develop Project Management and High Level Project Plans Detailed Project Planning Detailed : Determine Project Scope, Refine Project Management Plan and Develop Detailed Project Plan Team Leaders To be determined; outcome of High Level Project Planning process group. Project Executing and Controlling Project Executing and Controlling System Installation and Configuration Fit-Gap, Solution Design (for Gaps) and Test Project/Technical Team Lead Information Systems and Technology Consultants Consultants Implementation Team IST To be determined; process group. To be determined; process group. 4 P age

7 Project Process Group Project Executing and Controlling Project Executing and Controlling Project Closing Project Processes Involvement Milestone Date Execute Production System Rollout/Go-live Training and System Support Project Review (Lessons Learned), Future Phases (resulting in new project cycles) Identification IST Finance Consultants Help Desk Support Academic and Administrative Support Staff Implementation Team Finance IST Implementation Team Financials Management Team Project Leaders December 2013; process group. To be determined; process group. January 2014; process group and other project constraints. Project Roles and Responsibilities The project organization reflects a collaborative effort amongst the university community, including technical and functional stakeholders. Specifically, key project groups include, Project Steering Committee, Functional/Finance Integration Team Lead, University Community Participants, Project/Technical Team Lead, Additional IST technical resources, as needed. The roles and responsibilities will be further defined in the Project Management Plan for the Online Expense Claims project during High Level. 5 P age

8 Approval This charter formally authorizes the Online Expense Claim project, based on the information outlined in this charter. Should any of this information change throughout the duration of the Project, it shall be discussed by the Online Expense Claims and documented under the Project s web site. Approved by: Online Expenses Approval Date: October 31, 2012 This approval was discussed by Online Expenses and documented at Project s web site. Revision History Change Record Date Author Version Change Description Distribution Dec 2011 Connie van Oostveen Ann Williams-Gorrie Project Charter Self Serve Dec 2011 Draft Document Updates October 2012 October 31, 2012 November 2012 Connie van Oostveen Ann Williams-Gorrie Connie van Oostveen Ann Williams-Gorrie Connie van Oostveen Project Charter Online Expense Claims Project Charter Online Expense Claims Final Version Project Charter Online Expense Claims Final Version Revisions based on University community consultations Approval Added David Porreca to Steering Committee Faculty Executive Officers Online Expense Steering Committee Published to uwaterloo.ca/onli ne-expense-claims 6 P age