Progress at RIAS
Purchasing process will be first to go online
Archived article from Nov 30, 2001
With Bruce Fehn, associate vice president for administration-RIAS, now leading the project full-time, the Rutgers Integrated Administrative System (RIAS) is on schedule to introduce an Internet-based procurement system July 1.
"Our goal is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our business processes," Fehn said. "To do that we need to turn to the powerful Internet-based tools available from such companies as Oracle. These software applications can help us eliminate some of the redundancy and frustrations we have all experienced when working with multipart paper forms."
RIAS will eventually provide integrated online access to a variety of financial and human resource information. However, as a result of an extensive assessment completed last summer, the project will be implemented in phases, rather than all at once, Fehn said.
"The 'procure to pay' process has been chosen as the first phase because it is an area that has long been identified as high priority for improvement and automation," said David Hamlin, executive director of university procurement."The entire university community will realize many benefits with an Internet-based process for purchasing, including more rapid posting of purchase commitments to general ledger accounts and improved vendor relations due to a more efficient and effective purchasing and accounts payable process."
The new system will replace the current nine-part, paper-based, manual requisition process, and will use the existing general ledger account codes in place at the university, Fehn pointed out.
According to Hamlin, the new system brings with it several major improvements, including: • Authorized individuals will be able to requisition goods and services directly from their desktops. • A streamlined approval process will eliminate the current requirement that purchase requisitions be reviewed by central accounting offices. • Departments will acknowledge electronically the receipt of goods and services before invoices are paid. • Requisitions will be committed against the general ledger accounts on a nightly basis and reflected in the legacy online financial information system.
During the past few months, the RIAS team has been working closely with two advisory bodies -- the Academic Advisory Committee and the Business Managers Group -- in crafting the design of the new procurement application. Based on this input and the completion of various test scenarios, Fehn said, "We are confident that the system works well and will benefit university departments by making it easier and quicker for employees to get the supplies and materials they need."
Currently, RIAS is working with representatives of each provost and vice-president to identify those employees who will be authorized to prepare and approve requisitions in the new procurement system.
"Every one of these university employees will be thoroughly trained on the new system" Fehn promised. In addition, starting in December, departments will be invited to attend live demonstrations of the proposed procurement system.
To find out more information about the project, visit the new RIAS Web site at www.rias.rutgers.edu.
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