Avoiding the Pitfalls of Electronic Effort Reporting Kathy Phillips Manager, Sponsored Projects Accounting University of Colorado at Boulder

Why go Electronic?

Old Paper System Distributing approximately 3,000 PERS each semester Distributing approximately 3,000 PERS each semester Estimated 1,000 duplicates printed and r ed Estimated 1,000 duplicates printed and r ed Lost or misplaced PERS Lost or misplaced PERS Corrections/re-certifications Corrections/re-certifications Past Due notices Past Due notices Mailed to wrong HR org Mailed to wrong HR org Returned to wrong address Returned to wrong address Thrown away… Thrown away… Room full of file cabinets at ARC Room full of file cabinets at ARC 30 boxes of paper forms & 1 box of microfilm containing records from the 1980s at distribution center 30 boxes of paper forms & 1 box of microfilm containing records from the 1980s at distribution center Manually enter data into PERS subsystem Manually enter data into PERS subsystem

Y go E cont’d Health Science Center Health Science Center Higher risk Higher risk VA VA Clinics Clinics Institutional base Institutional base Salary cap Salary cap

Buy vs Build Started looking at vendors Started looking at vendors Beta versions Beta versions Didn’t handle cost-sharing Didn’t handle cost-sharing Difficult to build payroll interface Difficult to build payroll interface Complicated Complicated

Buy vs Build Paper system was cumbersome, but the basics were already in place: Paper system was cumbersome, but the basics were already in place: Data retrieval/interfaces Data retrieval/interfaces Cost-sharing database Cost-sharing database SO SIMPLE! Just take our paper system and make it electronic!

Red Flag #1 System administration office had a SIX MONTH window to complete the e- PERS project.

Red Flag #1 cont’d Everything relegated to “Phase 2” Everything relegated to “Phase 2”

Red Flag #2 “Project Creep” “Project Creep”

Red Flag #3 Put it in the Portal Put it in the Portal

In addition Many major new initiatives coming down from new president Many major new initiatives coming down from new president Gift Funds Management Gift Funds Management Interface from Foundation Interface from Foundation Certification requirements Certification requirements Expenditure control Expenditure control Reporting system Reporting system Expense system Expense system Fixed Asset system Fixed Asset system Petty Cash Policy Petty Cash Policy Personal Technology Policy Personal Technology Policy Mandatory training Mandatory training

Result

Major Pitfalls Not enough time was allowed Not enough time was allowed Sufficiently test the system Sufficiently test the system Get “buy-in” Get “buy-in” Adequately train staff Adequately train staff Rolled out for summer semester Rolled out for summer semester Support systems not in place Support systems not in place

Pitfalls cont’d Only the employee can certify Only the employee can certify (Phase 2) (Phase 2) Students Students Terminated employees Terminated employees

Pitfalls cont’d Problems with the Portal Problems with the Portal Can’t just link directly to ePer Can’t just link directly to ePer No tab No tab Non-faculty had to subscribe to the channel Non-faculty had to subscribe to the channel

Pitfalls cont’d Problems with PET’s Problems with PET’s Employees with multiple positions Employees with multiple positions ePer much more complicated ePer much more complicated Inflexible totals Inflexible totals

Pitfalls cont’d Problems with Problems with Inaccurate addresses Inaccurate addresses Many don’t use their CU Many don’t use their CU Send them to SPAM Send them to SPAM Students/retirees can keep for life Students/retirees can keep for life

Helpful Feedback No shortage of brilliant, creative, cooperative faculty members No shortage of brilliant, creative, cooperative faculty members More than willing to provide their opinions and valuable feedback... More than willing to provide their opinions and valuable feedback...

Helpful feedback cont’d “I don’t know what this means, and I don’t WANT to know what this means.” “I don’t know what this means, and I don’t WANT to know what this means.”

Helpful feedback cont’d “With all due respect, I submit that this is the very worst of the worst of bureacrat-eze and the worst of the worst of computer- eze combined into one abysmal couldn't-possibly-be-worse nightmare.” “With all due respect, I submit that this is the very worst of the worst of bureacrat-eze and the worst of the worst of computer- eze combined into one abysmal couldn't-possibly-be-worse nightmare.”

Helpful feedback, cont’d “I've done it, but I feel like a lab rat who has just been run through a maze” “I've done it, but I feel like a lab rat who has just been run through a maze”

Helpful feedback cont’d “I don't know precisely what I certified but I have certified it correctly. Is this how things started at Enron?” “I don't know precisely what I certified but I have certified it correctly. Is this how things started at Enron?”

Helpful feedback cont’d Researcher overseas after successfully certifying: Researcher overseas after successfully certifying: “So now I have either resigned myself to becoming a model prisoner at Canon City or need to call the American Embassy and check on the status of the extradition treaty between the US and Austria.” “So now I have either resigned myself to becoming a model prisoner at Canon City or need to call the American Embassy and check on the status of the extradition treaty between the US and Austria.”

Some Bright Spots Increased awareness of effort reporting/compliance issues Increased awareness of effort reporting/compliance issues Less manual entry Less manual entry Reports – data less static Reports – data less static Updates happen nightly Updates happen nightly Automatically calculates salary over cap as cost-sharing Automatically calculates salary over cap as cost-sharing Recertifications Recertifications Auto reminders Auto reminders

Bright spots, cont’d Easier for those off campus to certify Easier for those off campus to certify Wave of the future Wave of the future Eventually will work through the bugs Eventually will work through the bugs

Ready for the Demo!