1. Core-CT 1 STATE OF CONNECTICUT Core-CT Project EPM User Group Meeting March 2004

2. Core-CT Agenda Welcome Recap from Last Meeting/Status of Open Items System Enhancements/Updates Break Education/Training Session User Comments/Issues/Questions Next Meeting/Planning/Survey 5 mins 15 mins 30 mins 15 mins 40 mins 20 mins 10 mins

3. Core-CT Purpose of EPM User Group –To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information regarding ad-hoc reporting; Introduction of EPM Team 3 Jeanne Skellett Mark Malcolm EPM Customer Support Mary Yabrosky Steve Soklow Dave Lapierre FIN Query Spec. TBD EPM Technical Support Janet Knopf Frank Scalia Roger Sherman Welcome

4. Core-CT Recap/Status Recap From Last Meeting –www.core-ct.state.ct.us/epmwww.core-ct.state.ct.us/epm Query Size Limits –Scheduling EPM Queries –Nothing after 7:00pm Public Query EPM Super User CFSR Reports Refresh & Performance Issues –Performance Tuning Continues 4

5. Core-CT Recap/Status EPM Discussion Board –Via EPM Super User ListServ Extended Delivery –New Reporting Tables for HRMS – Now Available Benefits Billing, Billing Activity, Pay Check Information, YTD Pay Information, Additional Pay Information, Employee Deduction Information & Employee Tax Information –New Reporting Tables for FIN – Testing Budget Transactions, Receiver Transactions, Procurement X-ref, Item Information, Item Price Information (April or May 2004), Customer Contact (will not be populated until Phase II – January 2005). 5

6. Core-CT System Updates/Enhancements Public Query Rollout 6

7. Core-CT Public Query Rollout Task 075 – Identifying EPM Super Users Assigned to Agency Sponsors and Security Liaisons; Agencies may designate up to 3 Super Users; Access granted via Security Request Form. 7

8. Core-CT Public Query – Benefits/Risks Benefits of Public Query: Sharing of queries with other users; Learning from other public query users. Risks of Public Query: Potential for excessive numbers of queries; Accidental deletion/alteration; Inefficient queries disrupting the Core-CT application.

9. Core-CT Public Query Users Super Users should have: Strong background in advanced reporting; Advanced skills in Excel, Access and/or Crystal reports; Orientation toward the business and analytical needs of their agency; Attended Core-CT EPM training; Demonstrated that they are comfortable working in EPM and are able to produce high quality, efficient queries. 9

10. Core-CT Public Query Responsibilities EPM Super Users MUST follow specific guidelines: Adhere to naming conventions CT_[user agency acrononym]_[module]_[query name]; Write descriptions to accompany queries – include email address & what query does; Review EPM job aids; Agree to EPM protocols; 10

11. Core-CT Public Query Responsibilities Back-up your public queries by saving them as private; If you mistakenly make changes to a public query, promptly notify the query creator or the help desk; Assist the EPM team in keeping the level of public queries manageable; Act as the point person for the agency to provide assistance in query creation; Create public queries only when necessary. If it doesn’t need to be shared, keep it as your own (private). 11

12. Core-CT Public Query Monitoring The EPM Team will monitor public query capability: The first few months of public query rollout will be used as a test period to determine the frequency of public query creation, usage, and performance; New guidelines may emerge or existing ones modified as a result of this test period; Requests may be sent to agencies/users to delete, cancel or review queries; Failure of agencies/users to follow the guidelines could result in public query access, suspension, or revocation. 12

13. Core-CT System Updates/Enhancements Schedule Query Rollout 13

14. Core-CT Schedule Query Rollout Benefits of Schedule Query: Allows Queries to Run on Recurring Basis; Allows Queries with Large Result Sets to Run w/o Truncating Results; Allows Distribution of Query Results to other EPM Users. 14

15. Core-CT Schedule Query Rollout When to Schedule a Query : When a query is manually run on a recurring basis; When a query returns the error “Query Result Set Too Large (50,546)”; When query results are not needed immediately; When Private Query results are to be shared. 15

16. Core-CT System Updates/Enhancements EPM Job Aids 16

17. Core-CT EPM Reporting Job Aids Job Aids can be found on the Core-CT Home Page: http://www.core-ct.state.ct.us/epm/ Revised Job Aids HR and FIN Reporting Table Summaries New Job Aids Schedule Query Reporting Table Indexes and Join Criteria Query Do’s and Don’ts 17

18. Core-CT HR Reporting Tables Job Aid Updated with HR Extended Delivery Tables: Benefits Billing Billing Activity Pay Check Information YTD Pay Information Additional Pay Information Employee Deduction Information Employee Tax Information 18

19. Core-CT FIN Reporting Tables Job Aid Updated with FIN Extended Delivery Tables: Budget Transactions* Receiver Transactions* Procurement X-Reference* Item Information* Item Price Information* Vendor Withholding* Customer Contact (Phase II – January, 2005) * FIN Extended Delivery Tables will be released in Apr/May 2004. 19

20. Core-CT Table Indexes-Join Job Aid Benefits Helps user quickly define proper joins between reporting tables in EPM; Helps user better understand relationships between reporting tables; Improves Query Performance - Users are advised to base field selection and criteria on indexed fields. 20

21. Core-CT Example: The DISTRIB_LINE_NUM on the PO Table should be joined to the PO_DIST_LINE_NUM on the Voucher Table. 21 Table Indexes-Join Job Aid Helps identify valid join criteria between reporting tables.

22. Core-CT Improper join Uncheck to remove join or delete later from Criteria Page Helps identify improper (not valid) Auto Joins: 22 Table Indexes-Join Job Aid

23. Core-CT Table Indexes-Join Job Aid Use Indexed fields in Selection Criteria EPM Reporting Table Indexes TABLE NAMEINDEXED COLUMN NAME Financials CT_CUST_ADDR SETID EFFDT CUST_ID ADDRESS_SEQ_NUM CT_DIR_JRNL_PAY DEPOSIT_BU DEPOSIT_ID PAYMENT_SEQ_NUM DST_SEQ_NUM CT_HR_ACCTG_LN RUN_DT SEQ_NUM LINE_NBR 23

24. Core-CT System Updates/Enhancements Query Do’s and Don’ts 24

25. Core-CT Query Do’s and Don’ts Query Do’s Create Public queries only when necessary; Search for existing queries before creating new public queries; Create and test query as Private query first, then save as Public query; Select only those fields that are needed; 25

26. Core-CT Query Do’s and Don’ts Query Do’s Join tables using appropriate fields; Leverage key fields and indexes on tables (Refer to the EPM Reporting Table Index and Join Criteria job aid); Only change heading text where necessary. Consider changing others in Excel, Notepad, etc. after the results are returned; Limit the number of Sorts used in the query; 26

27. Core-CT Query Do’s and Don’ts Query Do’s Use “IN LIST” rather than “OR” where possible; Use “IN LIST” rather than “IN TREE” where possible; Use “=” rather than “LIKE” where possible; If the Query is extremely complex, consider breaking it up into simpler queries and using Excel to merge the data; Delete old/unused public queries for your agency. 27

28. Core-CT Query Do’s and Don’ts Query Don’ts Do Not create Public queries if the queries will not be shared; Do Not create “poor performance” queries; Do Not join a table to itself unless absolutely necessary; Do Not join too many tables, especially large ones; 28

29. Core-CT Query Do’s and Don’ts Query Don’ts Do Not modify or delete other users’ public queries; Do Not run queries outside of regular working hours; Do Not select from multiple tables w/o joining the tables; Do Not use too many Sort criteria; 29

30. Core-CT Break (15 minutes) Please turn in your index cards!!! 30

31. Core-CT Training/Education Public Query and Schedule Query 31

32. Core-CT Training/Education Scenario: Collect Receiving information from CT_PO_TRANS_TBL and CT_VCHR_TRANS_TBL using business unit and date range as prompts. Topics Covered: Create Private Query; Table Join using correct join criteria; Save as Public Query; Schedule Query to Run on recurring basis. 32

33. Core-CT 33

34. Core-CT Thank You for your participation today. We look forward to continuing our work together to improve and make EPM a Success! Feed Back Forms Suggestions for Training Areas Agency Presentations Look for this presentation and meeting on the Core-CT Website (http://www.core-ct.state.ct.us/epm) Next Meeting – May 2004 101 E. River Drive, Room 1002 A&B Closing Remarks