Enterprise & Departmental Initiatives Completed as of
10/1/2007:
Business Intelligence – Phase 1
Business Intelligence is shorthand for a series of strategic
reporting tools that allow users to create analytical & decision support
applications using a user-friendly graphical interface. The applications are
pointed to centralized and aggregated data stored in a data mart or data
warehouse, separate from normal production data.
¤ Creating environments, designing and developing
infrastructure, establishing procedures
¤ Development and Alumni Relations Business
Intelligence Phase I – first application of new BI infrastructure and product.
Campus Emergency Phone Collection
In order to be able to respond with emergency alerts, there
needs to be a storage system and a collection process for campus emergency
phone numbers for students and others
¤ Create administrative system to collect Campus
Emergency Phone numbers including integration to Student Link and Employee Link
Emergency Alerts
Several events, among them the tragedy at Virginia Tech, have
led to a requirement for faster and more effective notifications to the
University Community when emergencies occur.
¤ Integrate and Manage Data Feed to SendWordNow -
emergency alerts via text/cell phone
Online Student Payroll - Phase 1
Online Student Payroll is a system to allow student employees
to enter their hours via the web and for supervisors to monitor and approve the
students’ entries.
¤ Create Student Time Entry (STEP) web function in the
Student Link
¤ Create Time Sheet Authorization web function in the
Business Link, Faculty Link & Faculty/Staff Link
International Programs
International Programs has a need to monitor steps in the
acceptance process and tasks that need to be handled before a student leaves
the country to start a program. This information needs to be accessible in all
of the overseas offices involved in the programs.
¤ International Programs Acceptance and Predeparture
Checklists
Current Enterprise &
Departmental Initiatives active as of October 1, 2007:
BUworks
Boston University has begun the process of replacing its
current Financial Systems and Human Resource Systems under the title of BUworks
¤ New Financial System
¤ New HR System
Student Health Services Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
Student Health Services EMR system needs to be linked to
student data on the mainframe.
¤ Integrate and Manage Data Feed to PointnClick EMR for
Student Health Services
¤ Providing integration of authentication services and
synchronization and delivery of main repository student data
Community Source initiatives
“Community Source” is a designation to describe software that is developed
by a consortium of users and maintained by a more formal support framework than
Open Source software, but is still made available for free to all interested
parties.
¤ Investigating Community Source initiatives that might
be of use at BU
Online Student Payroll - Phase 2
Online Student Payroll is a system to allow student employees
to enter their hours via the web and for supervisors to monitor and approve the
students’ entries.
¤ Enhancements to Student Time Entry (STEP) web
function in the Student Link
¤ Enhancements to Time Sheet Authorization web function
in the Business Link, Faculty Link & Faculty/Staff Link
Selectors
Selectors are web applications that allow departments to
choose selection criteria that will result in a list of ID’s or keys that can
then be used to populate any one of a number of standard reports or outputs.
¤ Admissions Selector
¤ Housing Selector
¤ Faculty Staff Selector (for HR)
Admissions Decision Support
¤ Admissions Decisions on the Web (Office Tool)
¤ Create process to collect and data feed admissions
data to Onbase Document Imaging for Office of Admissions
Electronic Document Management (Document Imaging)
Electronic Document Management is a system for the rapid
scanning, collecting and categorizing of documents associated with University
functions. The EDM package (OnBase) that is in the process of being installed
and implemented by UIS requires integration with existing applications and
procedures.
¤ Designing and creating integration methodology with
Electronic Data Management System for authentication and document access from
the UIS web offerings
Business Intelligence – Phase 2
Business Intelligence is shorthand for a series of strategic
reporting tools that allow users to create analytical & decision support
applications using a user-friendly graphical interface. The applications are
pointed to centralized and aggregated data stored in a data mart or data
warehouse, separate from normal production data.
¤ Refining and optimizing Extract, Transfer & Load
procedures for the data warehouse.
¤ Development and Alumni Relations Business
Intelligence Phase 2 – Additional reports and data to support Development and
Alumni Relations decision making.
¤ Planning for future BI implementations around the
campus.
I-9 Credentials
The Federal Government has required through the I-9 statute a
process designed to help determine the immigration status of all new hires.
¤ Electronic I-9 processing using Electronic Document
Imaging
Student Health Services Compliance
Student Health Services may require vaccinations and/or documentation from
University community members in response to health care emergencies such as the
recent outbreak of measles.
¤ Create a Student link Compliance Self-Check to allow
students to determine their status with regard to Student Health Services
requirements
¤ Create and enhance administrative support tools to
track compliance
¤ Create a HIPAA Compliance Management Tool
WBUR Development System
WBUR has purchased the Allegience software package to support their
fund-raising efforts. To optimize its value, it needs to be integrated with
existing functions and centralized data.
¤ WBUR Integration – authentication, credit card, GL,
Donor data
User Account Creation & Maintenance
New employees need timely access to the BU network and to
systems functions required by their positions. The creation of user accounts
requires streamlining.
¤ Account Tool rollout and deployment
Flexible Course Management (FCM)
Distance Learning, Certificate Programs and other new
initiatives brought with them a need to structure course sessions outside those
developed for BU’s traditional Spring, Fall, Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms.
Flexible Course Management is a series of enhancements that allow for flexible
scheduling but have implications for Financial Aid and for Student Accounts.
¤ Integrate FCM into Financial Aid applications
¤ Integrate FCM into Student Accounts applications
Online Application Processes
¤ Create and integrate the Center for English Language
and Orientation Program (CELOP) Online Application
¤ Create and integrate the Tanglewood Online
Application
¤ Support Professional school application data imports
from external sources
Alumni ID Conversion
The IDs originally assigned to Alumni (ZIDs) were not consistent
with the University ID (UID) now used to identify students and employees. As
Alumni apply to participate in selected services such as the Fitness Center (FitRec), their ID needs to be converted
¤ Running a proactive process to convert alumni ZID to
UID in advance of their needing it.
Student Link
The IDs originally assigned to Alumni (ZIDs) were not
consistent with the University ID (UID) now used to identify students and
employees. As Alumni apply to participate in selected services such as the Fitness Center (FitRec), their ID needs to be converted
¤ Create a common module to convert Alumni ZID to UID
that will be invoked by multiple functions that requiring a valid UID.
Integration with Network Information Systems (NIS) functions
¤ Data feed Course Bulletin Descriptions to NIS
User Payment Profile
The User Payment Profile will allow storage of multiple
payment sources for a user to allow for easy switching.
¤ Multiple card profiles stored for credit card use
¤ Multiple bank account profiles stored for ACH use.
Degree Audit upgrade
Degree Audit is a web function that allows students, advisors
and major departments to monitor a student’s progress toward a particular
degree. It includes a vendor package as well as UIS extensions.
¤ Upgrade to new version of DegreeWorks 7.7, the vendor
component of the Degree Audit System
Purchasing Card (P-Card) Controls
Employees who have been issued a BU P-Card must surrender the
card when they terminate employment or undergo certain status changes.
¤ Create automated notifications for Purchasing for
when Employment Status changes.
DB2 Upgrade
DB2 is a relational Database Management System offered by IBM
¤ Upgrade DB2 to new version and migrate to new
platform - test and deploy current DB2 portfolio of applications
CaterTRAX Dining System
CaterTrax is a catering administration system that is being
implemented in Dining Services.
¤ Integrate Authentication and Data Feed to CaterTrax
dining system
Med Campus Tpass for Students
¤ Extend the Tpass system to include students in
addition to employees
Parking Services/Cashier System Online Interface
¤ Galaxy-based integration with Cashier system
involving POS (Point Of Sale) distribution at the Charles River Parking
counter.
SEVIS/FSAtlas
FSAtlas is a clearinghouse that facilitates
the exchange of SEVIS (Student & Exchange Visitor Information System)
information between the University and governing agencies.
¤ Upgrade to servers is required to avoid the
termination of support services.
Current Rollouts for Product Offerings
Application services has produced several software products
(packaged solutions to common business issues) that can be distributed to new
clients around the University via standardized rollout procedures.
Degree Audit
Degree Audit is a web function that allows students, advisors
and major departments to monitor a student’s progress toward a particular
degree. It includes a vendor package as well as UIS extensions.
¤ Targeted users: CGS, GSM
Graduate Applications Online
Graduate Applications is a web function that enables potential
students to complete an application to a Graduate Program online.
¤ Targeted users: CELOP
General Applications Online
General Applications is a web function that enables potential
students to complete an application to a variety of programs online.
¤ Targeted users: Tanglewood
XML Gateway
XML Gateway is a behind-the-scenes application that allows
communication among vendor products and UIS web functions in a standardized way
using the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
¤ Targeted users: BUMC, WBUR, Dining Services, CMP
(Forms), ENG, On-Base (Document Imaging), Mugar Library, GSM, LAW
E-Sign Docs
E-Sign is an electronic signature application that can be
applied to a great variety of web based documents.
¤ Targeted users:
Credit Card 2.0
The Credit Card function enables a web function to accept
credit card transactions. With version 2.0, the credit card function was
enhanced and confirmations were made more reliable.
¤ Targeted users: Tanglewood, Student Account Inquiry,
FitRec Membership, FitRec Class Registration, CELOP, Continuing Professional
Education (CPE), Third Party Payments for Student Account, Student Share
Access, WBUR, Conference on Language Development (BUCLD), School of Medicine
(BUSM), Student Dental Plan (SDM)
ACH
ACH (Automated Clearing House – a nationwide electronic funds
transfer network) provides the capability for electronic bill payments.
¤ Targeted users: Student Account Inquiry, Student
Share Access, Third Party Payments for Student Account
