Top of Mind with Tambellini Group
Top of Mind with Tambellini Group
Moving Finance and HR to Oracle Cloud with Sharon Blanton
Sharon Blanton, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), talks with The Tambellini Group’s Katelyn Ilkani about migrating to Oracle Cloud for finance and HCM. Describing this project as a business transformation and technology modernization initiative, Blanton explains TCNJ’s selection process, including the decision to move ERP to the cloud, evaluation of vendor solutions, and method for choosing Huron Consulting Group as an implementation partner. She describes working with Oracle and offers advice on backfill of staff and change management.
Hello and welcome to our top of mind podcast. In this program, we will sit down with the higher education technology thought leader and discuss the innovative projects they're working on now and into the future. I'm your host, Katelyn. Oh, Connie, vice president of client services and cyber security research at The Tambellini Group. Joined today by Sharon Blanton, Vice President and chief information officer at the College of New Jersey. Over the next few minutes, we are going to hear Sharon's thoughts on migrating to Oracle cloud for HCM and finance. Let's get started. Welcome to the program, Sharon.
Speaker 2:Hi Katelyn. Thanks so much. I'm really looking forward to speaking with you today, talking a little bit about our project.
Speaker 1:Thank you for being here with us. To start the conversation. I think it would be helpful to orient our listeners to how you ended up getting into an ERP replacement project in the first place. What prompted the replacement?
Speaker 2:Yeah, certainly the beginning is always a good place to start, isn't it? Um, we, we were in a situation where we had aging hardware for our finance system. Uh, we also were running a fairly old version of peoplesoft finance and we were, we were at that point where, you know, it really made sense to look around and see what else was available because moving to new hardware and um, you know, a big version upgrade on peoplesoft was really the, you know, the equivalent of a forklift change for the organization. So it made sense to us to go out and survey the field and see what other solutions were out there. We had already completed, Gosh, quite, you know, quite a few cloud projects. So we were very comfortable with the concept of moving the Erp to the cloud and that I think, you know, opened up a lot of possibilities for us.
Speaker 1:So once you decided to go about the move to cloud, how did you determine that staying with Oracle would be the best solution for your institution?
Speaker 2:Well, we, we took a look at again, yeah, we surveyed the field and for our type and size of institution, we felt that the viable solutions out there where the latest version of people soft workday and the Oracle cloud a suite and feature for feature, we really felt like the Oracle cloud product a was the best fit for our goals. Uh, we were, uh, very specifically looking to modernize and optimize our systems and really have a system that would be sustainable. So something that we thought would really take us through, you know, quite a number of years into the future and staying on the peoplesoft a stack just didn't seem to fit that mold. So, you know, so then you narrowed down to um, really workday and Oracle cloud and um, I just have to say, you know, feature for feature, again, the oracle cloud product really fit us and, and the way we work a work day is very interesting. It's a, it's a fine product and I know it's a, you know, it's a good solution for a lot of places, but we just didn't think it was right for us. So, uh, we started going through the Roi on the various systems and again, the Oracle cloud product. I'm really, it came out that, you know, the numbers came out the best and um, you know, once we made that decision to go with the finance piece through Oracle cloud, we then started looking at hr. Hr of course, is very tightly integrated into finance. So, uh, we again looked at what are the players out there and it came back to peoplesoft, workday and Oracle. Yeah. Plus some add on a third party products in some cases. And uh, ultimately again we chose to go with the oracle product and for hr we selected hcm and also Taleo for the talent management and recruitment. Then we started looking at, well, do we consider all of our goals and what are the missing pieces for us? So we rounded out the selection in the end by choosing finance, a project portfolio management planning and budgeting cloud system, hcm. And so it's ended up being quite a big project that will span about just over two years for us.
Speaker 1:So once you made that decision to go with the Oracle cloud, what did your next steps look like? Were you considering different implementation partners?
Speaker 2:Yeah, certainly. Um, we issued an RFP and we spoke with numerous candidate implementation partners and um, you know, I think, I think finding the right partner probably was, was actually more, you know, that process was more complex and perhaps more difficult than, than landing on this solution, you know, there's such a wide variety out there of implementation partners and um, we wanted, we really wanted to find one that could work with us where we are at, you know, what I mean by that is, you know, where our talent is, the skill sets that we bring to it, to the project and also the time commitment that we could make to the project. So we really wanted to find someone that could work with us at our pace. Uh, as I'm sure you know, uh, many cloud implementation partners offer these accelerated very targeted rollout. So that's one of the, one of the selling points they use, right? That you'll be able to have, um, you know, a shorter project you'll be able to get live faster and it turns out that that doesn't work for everyone. We really wanted to take her time and fully understand the process and product and we want to build in time to improve our business process. So for, you know, for us it was really crucial to find a print, a partner that would really feel like a partner, someone that could deal with the ebb and flow of work, uh, at a campus. So someone that really had experience in higher Ed and a understands when we have, you know, blackout dates, where, you know, when, you know, when we're in registration mode that it's, you know, all hands on deck for that we might not have as much time for, you know, for the project. So it took quite a while for us to really find that unique set of characteristics, uh, in a partner where they could advise and push us when we needed, but also be able to take a step back and allow our institution to complete the journey in a comfortable manner.
Speaker 1:So with those criteria in mind, which partner ended up coming out looking like the best one for you?
Speaker 2:Well, we are working with Iran and we've been working with them for about, um, I guess about eight, maybe eight months, eight or 10 months now. Uh, we started with a chart of accounts project, you know, doing a whole redesign. So that's sort of a sub project to the cloud project that we're doing. So we started off with, you're on for chart of accounts and then we just moved right into the cloud erp project.
Speaker 1:So now that you've really been working on it for some time, what has the process been like moving to the Oracle cloud solutions?
Speaker 2:Well, it's very different than the traditional erp projects that, that so many of us have participated in over the last 20 or 30 years. Um, you have to bring a very different mindset to this kind of project. Forget about customizing, you know, this is all about, I'm really changing your business process as much as it is a technical project. So it's really about business transformation. So we had to come to this project with a mindset that, that this is a business transformation and technology modernization initiative that would very, very specifically work towards improving our business processes as well as the underlying technology across all of our financial administrative and research functions at the college. So we didn't want to look at it as this is a finance project or this is an HR project. We had to understand that this is really a business transformation project that touches just about every aspect of the college.
Speaker 1:That's a great point. We, we hear that quite a bit from institutions who are going through a large transformation process like this, that it really does take a lot of stakeholders across campus thinking about really changing all of your business processes and specifically change management comes up quite a bit as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, certainly, you know, change management is tough. I mean, it's just as important as project management. Um, you know, a good, a good project manager can make or break a project. And as far as change management goes, although we're in the beginning stages still of our deployment, uh, what I do know is that communication is key. You know, it has to happen frequently and consistently, you know, there's a lot of fear around these projects. People worry about, you know, what we know, people want to know what's in it for me. And also what's my role in, you know, in this initiative. So you've got to communicate frequently and consistently. Now your technical and functional staff might not be very familiar with the kind of, you know, the iterative process that's used in the cloud projects. Again, very different from the, from the old school kinds of projects where you would do a, you know, a lot of design work, you know, in, in this, um, you know, the cloud project, it's really its configuration, right? You, you're not, you're not developing, you're not really creating. So you're examining business process and figuring out where your process fits into the existing technology and where there's a gap. Then we've got to figure out, well how do we make our, our business process fit into the technology? And that can be a, that can be a scary thing for a, for a lot of people. So, um, we've got to spend a lot of time really explaining and demonstrating the process and explaining the, uh, you know, the iterative approach. This, this to me really takes kind of a leap of faith, right? Because you'll have, one of the problems that we've had is that we'll have a, you know, a certain level of configuration completed and then we get users into the system and say, okay, try it out. Know. And the first thing they say is, oh, this is missing. That's missing. No. Right, right, right. That's coming later. Only want you to look good, you know, just validate this and just trust us that at the end of the project and all the other pieces will be there. And I think it's really hard for people.
Speaker 1:Well, now that you've gone through this and you're learning some of the challenges that are coming up, if you could start the process over, is there anything that you would do differently?
Speaker 2:Um, you know, one thing, um, is I would, let me think this through. What we would do differently, I know part of the, part of the problem you run into with this project or you know, any of these big projects is that we just don't have enough time in the day to do your regular day to day, you know, activity and dedicate a 100 percent to a project like this. So you know, if it's possible, um, and unfortunately it wasn't possible for us, but in best case scenario, I would have hired backfill staff like six months before starting this project now. So you'd have some people in there, you know, it could be temporary, but so that you could have some people in there to fill in so that you're, you're experts, you're 18, you know, could really be dedicating a lot of time to the project. And I, you know, I know this is something that we all struggle with and I think we wait too late. We get into the project and then we realize, oh man, we just, we just don't have enough time for this. And uh, you know, we need to hire some backfill. Well, by them it's a little bit, it's like too late because, you know, when you do bring in this, this backfill personnel, your, uh, your full time regular staff now has to dedicate time to bringing them on board. That's going to take further away from the project. And I think that might be why, you know, one of the reasons why these projects start off with a, you know, let's say at 12 months timeframe or whatever the timeframe is, and then, you know, you end up going beyond the expected delivery date because I think, I think we really underestimate just how much work has to go into this. And you know, these aren't typical. These aren't really it projects, you know, the. So much of the work is placed on the functional teams. And um, you know, that's, that's a, that's a, a real flip from the old school, a big Erp projects that we used to, used to do where, you know, the functional users would identify the specifications and functionality and then the it team would go off and develop, develop, develop, and then come back with a, with a product. It's very different now, so, um, yeah, if I could, if I could go back in time, you know, and have all the, all the funds that we could probably could possibly use a actually be available to us. That's one big thing that I would done.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm really glad that you brought up backfill because we get asked about backfill all the time when institutions are looking for guidance on these projects and what we've found is that different solutions actually require different levels of backfill. What was it like for your institution?
Speaker 2:Well, for us, again, we, we wanted to have the, you know, the people that are absolutely the most expert in these various functional areas. We'd like to have them as dedicated to the project as possible because we believe that's what will keep us on target and on time. So to the extent possible we've tried to, to backfill in, you know, like smaller task oriented areas. You have to provide some relief to the um, more seasoned functional teams. Uh, but, but it's tough. I mean, I, I, I really honestly can't say we've, we've really cracked this nut. It's, you know, it's something we struggle with every day.
Speaker 1:Well, now that you're in the midst of hr and finance, what are your plans for student? Are you also planning to move to the Oracle student cloud
Speaker 2:either. We're not planning to do that now. We actually just, it just so happens this weekend we're doing a major upgrade to our peoplesoft student instance and you know, we're, we're still pretty pleased with that, with that product. It's a, it's meeting our needs, especially the, uh, the upgrade that we're doing this this weekend. It's bringing us a lot of new features and functionality that we've been looking for. So we're, we're pretty confident that we'll be staying with this product for, you know, I would say at least a couple of years. You know, we've got for the next 12 months we'll be finishing up a little bit less than 12 months, I guess nine months we'll be finishing up the oracle finance cloud project. And then the following, we do the, uh, the HR piece of it. So we've got two solid years of work, uh, in front of us. Once we get that behind us, then I think it will make sense to look around and see what's happening with the student information system world. I don't think that there's really a viable, a cloud sas for Tcnj right now. So, um, I, I think we're in a good place because we're, we're able to just kind of ride along on the peoplesoft stack that we have today and uh, you know, and see how the cloud solutions develop over the next couple of years. So I feel like that's a good place to be.
Speaker 1:It sounds like it, you know, another question that we get asked a lot is about institutions experiences working with these vendors. Can you talk to what your experience with Oracle has been like through this process?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. Um, you know, I don't think it would be a surprise to anyone if I said it. Oracle can be a difficult company to navigate. Right? It's huge and it's oftentimes hard to figure out exactly who to talk to a at. Yeah. At any given point. So my recommendation is to really make good use of your sales team, even even after the sales part is over, they still can be very, very helpful in terms of helping you find the right people to talk to an oracle. Uh, once you initiate a project like this, you get assigned an implementation success manager and then after the project is over, then you get transitioned to a customer success manager that then a equity sticks with you throughout. So it's, it's really important to understand the role of each of these individuals and figure out how to make the best use of them. So it's important to stay in contact and make sure that they're getting regular updates on your projects so they know exactly where you are, include them in meetings and he really persistent and communicating your needs. So for example, we have found that the ism that, uh, I'm sorry, the, uh, implementation success manager was able to really clue us into how to, how to manage our instances well and, and understand the ebb and flow of work with Oracle. So in other words, they can, they can help us be better at working with, with Oracle and within their structure. It's been really interesting. They oftentimes can find you internal oracle resources that, that might've been completely invisible to you. So, uh, you know, my, my advice is definitely don't be afraid to ask for, for anything. It doesn't hurt to ask. Right? Absolutely. Yeah. And See, you know, see what kind of resources they can bring to the table, but they, you know, they do genuinely want us of course to succeed. But, um, you know, I think it's incumbent on us to, you know, to continue that, uh, that communication with them to help them understand exactly what your needs are. Those are really great points. Sharon,
Speaker 1:as we come to the end of our time today, do you have any other advice for other ceos considering the Oracle cloud?
Speaker 2:Well, I think whether it's oracle cloud or any ERP cloud project, um, I think it's really important to make sure your team already has a solid history of success in the cloud projects. You know, even if they aren't this big, right, you don't want to start with something this big. You want to start with smaller cloud projects so that you really understand how these kinds of projects operate. And you also want to be prepared to think about how the it roles might change as you move further into the cloud environment. You know, it's good. It's going to be a little bit different for, for each school, but I'm sure there will be changes. There may be a decreased need for developers, but on the other hand, an increased need for business analysts know, um, you know, start working with your staff to understand their comfort level with these kinds of changes and start, you know, start meeting maybe guiding people into different roles so that it won't be a big, you know, a big shock when, you know, when these new systems come online. I also would say, you know, one thing that I think really trips us up is that throughout the evaluation process, when you're looking at these, at these possible solutions, you've got to make sure you keep reinforcing the concepts of configuration versus customization. Um, I'm still seeing cases where cloud products have been purchased and then during implementation users we can, you know, become dissatisfied with the tool because they thought they could make this change or that change or maybe they misunderstood what was court to the tool set versus what was at, you know, an add on module. So you have to be really super careful during the evaluation phase of the procurement process. You know, what I think one problem that contributes to this is that vendors like oracle and others, they use a generic demonstration site, right? And you know, it's not, it's not fine tune for you, it's not, in some cases they might not even be fine tuned for higher education and it, it can be really hard as you're going through that evaluation process to determine exactly what pieces are very specifically core versus what might be an add on. So you have to be absolutely vigilant and understanding what's, you know, what, what you're, what's in the core, um, or you know, or equally, you know, what's, what's an add on. I mean, that's fine if it's an add on and you want to purchase it, that's great, but you don't want to be misled and I'm not saying they're purposely misleading you, but I just think you have to be super, super careful and making sure that you understand exactly what you're buying.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us today, Sharon. You've made some really great points and I've learned a lot from your process and your oracle cloud experience, so thank you again for your time today and for participating in our top of mind podcast.
Speaker 2:Oh, you're certainly welcome and I look forward to any followup conversation once we're a 100 percent successful with our projects.
Speaker 1:Oh, well we wish you the best of luck. Absolutely. Fingers crossed for you, Sharon. Thank you so much. Thank you. This brings us to the end of our top of mind podcast. Look for our next topic coming up next month.