The Repaving MaineStreet initiative consists of projects to transition the MaineStreet PeopleSoft® Human Resources (HR) and Financials systems to Oracle Cloud platforms and a reimplementation of MaineStreet PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (Student Information System). The overarching goals are to provide:
- Improved MaineStreet Experience for everyone!
- Expanded Opportunities for collaboration between campuses and cross-campus access for students.
- Enhanced Consistency to support process improvements and data consistency across all platforms.
ORACLE HCM & ERP CLOUD PROJECT
The Oracle Cloud project kicked off in June 2022 and was initially split into three phases:
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- Phase One: Implement the Oracle Cloud HCM (HR) Recruiting module to replace Hiretouch, the current UMS employee applicant tracking system that was scheduled by the vendor to be sunsetted in June 2023, and components of Core HR required to support Recruiting. The go-live timeframe was originally scheduled for May 2023.
- Phase Two: Implement the Oracle Cloud HCM remaining modules, including Core HR, Payroll, Time & Labor, Benefits, Onboarding, and Performance Management. The currently scheduled go-live timeframe January 2024.
- Phase Three: Implement the Oracle Cloud ERP (Finance) modules, including Financial Planning, General Ledger, Purchasing, and Accounts Payable/Receivable. The proposed go-live timeframe is July 2024.
Immediately following the June 2022 kick-off, Interactive Requirements and Design Workshops (IRDW), that included representatives from the system and campus HR and Finance offices, were conducted. The purpose of the workshops was to inform the design of the Oracle Cloud HCM and ERP platforms and related business processes. With the initiative’s overarching goals in mind, the team focused on adopting best practices for process improvement and standardization, workflow automation, and greater data consistency.
Following the HCM IRDW sessions, Drivestream, our Oracle Cloud Implementation Partner, demonstrated Oracle Cloud Recruiting functionality in the Phase One test environment that was configured based on UMS setup decisions and populated with UMS-converted data reflective of the current operational structure of that PeopleSoft HCM environment. The project team gained access to the test environment, where they conducted initial testing of recruiting processes, configurations, and converted data. During this period, it became apparent that the intended two-phase implementation approach for the Oracle Cloud HCM suite (Phase One: Recruiting and Phase Two: Full HR) was going to present logistical challenges that would be difficult to overcome. The initial plan was to convert only a subset of active employee data for Phase One based on how employees are currently coded in PeopleSoft HCM and design Phase Two to incorporate all active employee data aligned to the preferred future state (e.g., UMM employees affiliated with UM; Law School employees affiliated with their own business unit, etc.). This approach proved to be infeasible due to limitations of the Oracle Cloud environment. The project team diligently worked with Drivestream and Oracle to find a viable path to overcome this limitation without success.
Due to the challenges and the perceived risks to the project, HR leadership re-engaged with ImageTrend, the HireTouch vendor, to ask that it reconsider its earlier decision to sunset HireTouch in June 2023 and allow the UMS to retain access to the platform through December 2023. Due to the extenuating circumstances, ImageTrend agreed to support the extension. The opportunity to extend access to Hiretouch will allow for implementing the Recruiting module on the same timeline as the other HCM modules (Core HR, Benefits, Payroll, Onboarding, etc.) by using a consistent data architecture reflecting a revised future state operating model with a go-live of January 2024.
As the project team considers opportunities for standardizing data as part of the Repaving MaineStreet initiative, particular attention is on core data elements such as Department codes and the Chart of Accounts. The focus on designing a Chart of Accounts is based on best practices for higher education where each Chartfield (segment) has a unique definition and purpose, there is no duplication of attributes across segments, and the structure supports future growth and changing needs, etc.
As of December 2022, considerations are underway to extend the ERP/EPM (Finance) timeline from January 2024 to July 2024. Along with mitigating periodic technical and functional resource limitations due to competing demands, the extension will allow for the standardization of foundational cross-module data, business process improvement, and workflow automation within and across environments.
The updated timeline for the Oracle Cloud project is as follows:
- Phase One: Implement all Oracle Cloud HCM modules including Recruiting, Onboarding, Core HR, Payroll, Time & Labor, Benefits, and Performance Management modules. Go-live January 2024.
- Phase Two: Implement the Oracle Cloud ERP/EPM modules including General Ledger, Purchasing, Accounts Payable/Receivable, and Financial Planning. Go-live July 2024.
CAMPUS SOLUTIONS REIMPLEMENTATION
This project is currently in the analysis and discovery phase which will inform the overall project approach and timeline. The project will officially kick off in late fall 2023.
A series of roughly 60 discovery sessions with approximately 200 representatives from student administrative functional areas, faculty, and students from across the system began in October 2022. The session objectives include gaining a deeper understanding of previously identified pain points, both within the product and business processes, identifying opportunities for business process realignments and use of new functionality and tools, and identifying areas where current modifications may be reduced or eliminated in the future. Following the discovery phase, the project plan will be finalized and the project will be officially kicked off.
RELATED INITIATIVES
Completed
- HighPoint implementation
- New Student Center (August 2021) – Highpoint’s Campus Experience module, known as the New Student Center, was fully launched on August 9, ahead of the Fall Semester.
- Schedule Builder (May 2022) – HighPoint’s Schedule Builder functionality became available for students and staff to begin using.
- Grading Integration (August 2021) – Course grading integration between Brightspace and MaineStreet (Peoplesoft CS) was established.
Underway
- Unified Catalog Initiative – Work to achieve policy/ practice alignment in three areas began: domestic study away form, transfer policies, residency requirements.
- Study Away Alignment – Work began to establish a single user-friendly electronic form for use by all campuses to process inter-campus transfer credit and create a clear process for quick and efficient routing.
- UMaine/UMM MaineStreet Integration – UMaine and UMaine Machias are operationalizing the regional campus concept by incorporating UMM as a regional campus of UMaine. This project will transition UMaine and UMaine Machias into a single MaineStreet institution (UMaine – UMS05) by migrating UMM (UMS04) course, program, student, employee, etc. data.
- Single OPEID – Project to integrate financial aid system processes for all UMS campuses resulting from the deployment of one OPEID (Office of Postsecondary Education Identification number).