APR Traveler Reimbursement Team Project Update for Information Technology Committee November 18, 2011

Team Members:

Problem Statement: In recent years campus was able to successfully transition from paper-based processes for travel expense reimbursement to the current e-Reimbursement system. Among other improvements, this significantly reduced the time from final expense report approval to payment. Many travelers and support staff, however, remain unhappy with the cumbersome and time-consuming nature of the system, their inability to understand terms used within the system, and the number of reports returned for changes and corrections.

Project Goals: Reducing the amount of time users spend entering information in e-Reimbursement Reducing the rework spent on submitted travel expenses (i.e., “send-backs” from Approvers & Auditors) Reducing user frustration when using e- reimbursement Reducing overall campus cost to process a travel expense related request

Baseline Data: Expense Report Send-Backs (7/1/10 – 6/30/11) 49,421 reports submitted 24,347 by Traveler (49.3%) 25,074 by Alternate (50.7%) 15,954 send-backs 12,636 reports with at least one send-back (25.6%) 5,471 send-backs 5,178 reports with at least one send-back (10.5%)

Customer Engagement: Voice of the Customer Strategy Built Comprehensive Stakeholder List Identified Specific Stakeholder Contacts Created Interview Questionnaires Conducted VOC Interviews Translated VOC to CTQs Prioritized CTQs (QFD tool) Root Cause Analysis Customer Engagement: Voice of the Customer Strategy Causes of Failures to Meet CTQs Customer Groups Represented: Frequent Travelers Infrequent Travelers Faculty Travelers Alternates Expense Report Approvers Expense Report Auditors Customer Groups Represented: Frequent Travelers Infrequent Travelers Faculty Travelers Alternates Expense Report Approvers Expense Report Auditors

Root Cause Analysis: Detail

Four Areas Targeted For Improvement: 1. Software Usability 2. Policy 3. Process Flow 4. Training and Support Root Causes of Failure to Meet Customer Needs

Refine details of solution implementation strategy Create implementation sub-teams as appropriate Refine solution requirements Update communication / change management plan Continue to engage stakeholders and customers Next Steps

Questions/Feedback Learn University of Wisconsin Knowledgebase e-Reimbursement Job Aids: