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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W
The account ChartField classifies the type of revenue
or expense, such as professional salary expense, sales of goods, or of balance sheet items,
such as assets, liabilities or equity. Intelligence exists in the first digit of the five digit
numeric code and categorizes the account value as one of five account types. The remaining four
digits are used to designate more specific account classifications within the broad groupings.
See UHS Account Codes.
Formatted output created as
needed by an end user of a system. See Query, Crystal Reports, Report, Standard Report.
Advancement
(Alumni Development)
PeopleSoft application not purchased by University of
Houston System. The BSR Advance CS product is being utilized by the
University of Houston. Application Appropriation Year
The Appropriation Year denotes an official time period for which state
cost center financial activity is managed and reported. State Appropriation Year coincides
with UH Fiscal Year.
Background programs in the client/server environment of
PeopleSoft modules. Batch processes perform operations, such as pay
confirmation, on groups of records and are usually scheduled to run on a
regular basis. These processes are run from a Process Scheduler and are
executed through process-specific programs. Best
Practice A particular way of doing business that has a positive
impact on one or more of the following: customer satisfaction, employee
satisfaction, or financial results. Best practices involve top-level
commitment, a linkage to strategic planning, process adaptations that
reinforce desirable behaviors and outcomes for the organization, and
measurements to tie the initiatives to critical business practices. Budget Period is the period of time for which expenditures
are planned and authorized. Both the Budget Period and Fiscal Year begin on September 1st
and end on August 31st. The Budget Period chartfield is a combination of the letters BP
and year (BP2003). Each of the University of Houston System components
is identified by the state as a separate agency and is an individual Business Unit in PeopleSoft.
The Business Unit is a five-digit numeric code that incorporates the state agency code.
See UHS Business Units.
Campus
Community PeopleSoft-specific term that refers to shared data and
shared data processes, as University of Houston System defines them. See Shared Data, Shared Data
Process. Change
Control Method of identifying and tracking any activity that
alters the scope, deliverables, cost or schedule of a project. Change
Management Methods and processes that assist individuals in
adjusting constructively to new systems, procedures, processes, workflow,
organizational relationships and other differences as they occur. Charter Document that outlines the principles, functions and
organization of a body, such as the ASSC, FAST, or Project Office. Chartfield Chartfields are the individual fields or components that make up your chart
of accounts in PeopleSoft. Each Chartfield contains information that defines a transaction
in terms of responsible party, fund source and function of entity. The PeopleSoft General Ledger
system uses ChartFields to identify all journal entries. See UHS Cost Center Composition. Client
Support A help desk that assists end users in solving equipment
or application-related technical and functional problems, either directly or
by referral to the appropriate function. Client/Server Computer systems in which the workload is split between
desktop personal computers (PCs) (the client) and one or more larger
computers (the server) that are connected via a network. PeopleSoft is a
client/server product. See Desktop. Constituency Group affected or served by the FAST project; for
example, students, alumni, employees, faculty and administrative staffs. Consultant Third-party provider of specific skills, information
and/or advice, such as a Communications consultant, Project Planning
consultant, or PeopleSoft consultant. The individuals who perform required tasks to accomplish
a specific work effort from beginning (planning) to end (deployment), such as
release of a PeopleSoft module; the functions (individuals) on an
Implementation Team that do not change. See Implementation Team.
Cost Centers represent classification of a financial
entity by Business Unit (campus), Fund Code (type of fund), Department ID
(the responsible department), Program Code (the function of the entity) and Project ID.
See UHS Cost Center Composition.
Cost
Savings Measurable savings resulting from cutting down the time
to perform administrative processes, for example, the paperwork saved as a
result of better process or workflow, and/or use of individuals to perform
more added-value or revenue-generating work. Third-party reporting software that works with
PeopleSoft (as well as other systems) and is used to format, group, summarize
and arrange data into the desired report format and results; used in both
standard and ad hoc reporting. See Ad Hoc Report, Standard Report.
Data
Administration Function responsible for ensuring definition, integrity,
consistency, accuracy of institutional data and identifying data maintenance
responsibility; develops and monitors rules and standards that apply to data
model; ensures data security policies and procedures. Data
Conversion Rules for mapping data from a software application for
use by another and writing programs to execute the adaptation, for example, a
program that systematically adapts data in the current HR system to populate
PeopleSoft tables. Database A set of data that is structured and organized for quick
access to specific information. The Department ID is a Chartfield in PeopleSoft that classifies
transactions in terms of the responsible party. Each Department ID value is five digits
in length with the leading character designating the campus to which the department belongs,
followed by four sequentially assigned numbers. See UHS Department ID Codes. Department
Tree In PeopleSoft, a hierarchical structure that defines an
organization and its reporting relationships; the tree has multiple levels
represented by nodes, each of which must exist in the Department table where
its attributes are defined. An individual may be assigned to a Department at
any level of the tree. Deployment Sixth step in a release life cycle in which a module is
delivered to end users for use in performing their jobs. It includes
providing connectivity and desktops, help desk support and end-user training
and documentation. Deployment tasks must start in advance of actual
production in order for the first scheduled user(s) to go live. For a release
to be completed, deployment must be completed for all scheduled user(s) so
deployment may be phased. Personal computer (PC) that sits on a user's desk. End
users' PCs must conform to a certain configuration if they are to perform
specific PeopleSoft functions, such as data entry, viewing data and
reporting. The Project Office is responsible for specifying this
configuration. Also a metaphor for the on-screen computing environment that
includes the screen background and the windows, icons, documents and tools
that appear on it. See Workstation. Development Fourth step in a release life cycle that includes
performing the steps necessary to fill the gaps identified in the fit
analysis and do additional design and programming for requirements not met by
the software. Includes process adaptation, user and client support
activities, test plan and unit testing, module modifications, interface and
conversion programs, desktop setup, etc. Document
Repository Location on a shared network drive and duplicated on an
ID/Password-accessed web site that contains documents of interest and use to
specific PeopleSoft Implementation Project team members. Drilldown Act of moving from the general to the specific; enables
the examination of the data underlying any summarized form of information in
PeopleSoft or from PeopleSoft to other systems from which information was
received, for example, nVision is a PeopleSoft [drilldown] tool used with
financial data.
Effective Dating is the method used to date information in PeopleSoft.
A key feature of the system, it maintains a complete chronological history of data that is
categorized as historical, current or future. See Effective Dating Example. End User
Individual who uses a computer
system(s) in the course of performing job duties. Executive Sponsors
Group comprised of the VC/VP for
Administration and Finance and the VC/VP for Information Technology who
function as project champions. This group provides general oversight,
guidance and direction as needed approve scope of the project and own the
overall project budget, resolve major points of dispute that cannot be
resolved at a lower level of the project organization. Financials
PeopleSoft application purchased
by University of Houston System; includes the following modules: General
Ledger, Receivables, Payables, Billing, Purchasing, Asset Management,
Inventory and Projects. Fiscal Year
The Fiscal Year denotes an official time period
for which financial activity is managed and reported. The University of Houston System
Fiscal Year begins September 1st and runs through August 31st. Second step in a release life cycle that includes
identifying how well current business processes are satisfied
("fit") by the processes delivered by PeopleSoft. Outcomes include
identification of fit and gap items, interface, reporting and conversion
requirements and open issues; also includes confirmation of the scope of the release
and the development work to be done in the next step. See Issue.
Function Area of business, such as student admissions or employee
benefits. Functional
Need Requirement of a business function that is identified
prior to software selection and further defined during the Fit Analysis. The Fund Code is a Chartfield in PeopleSoft that classifies transactions
in terms of fund type. Each Fund Code is four-digits in length with the leading character
designating the fund group to which it belongs, followed by three characters that are unique
to a specific source of funds. See
UHS Fund Codes. Future
Administrative Systems Team (FAST) Name of a University of Houston System-wide initiative
whose vision focuses on improvement of student-related functions, outstanding
customer service delivery, and effective use of modern technology. PeopleSoft
is the primary technology tool being implemented to support and enable this
vision. FAST
SubCommittee Team that meets regularly with the Project Office to
review and provide guidance and support in resolving critical and operational
project topics.
Identification of required business functions that must
be implemented, are not delivered by PeopleSoft and will require modification
to the software or other solutions. Gap identification is one of the outcomes
of a Fit Analysis. Grants
Management PeopleSoft application not purchased by University of
Houston System.
Human
Resources PeopleSoft application purchased by University of
Houston System; includes the following modules: Human Resources, Benefits
Administration, Payroll and Time and Labor. This application This application
shares the same database with the Student Administration.
Implementation Completion of a release, which means that a module is in
production and if applicable, is deployed to all end users identified for the
release. See Release.
A group of people who represent both functional and
technical expertise and who work together to release a PeopleSoft module(s).
The composition of the team may change over the release life cycle. See
Project Team, Release Life
Cycle. Infrastructure Underlying foundation of the system, including
workstations, other supporting equipment, facilities, network communications
and the help desk. Institutional
Data Data that is acquired or maintained by University of
Houston System employees in performance of official job duties. Typically
this is data that is: relevant to planning, managing, operating or auditing a
major function at the University; or referenced or required for use by more
than one functional area (Shared Data); or included in an official University
administrative report. Integrated
System System that relies on a single database to store
required data that is then accessed by various end users to meet their
functional needs. Ideally data is defined once, entered once at its source
and stored once in the database. Integration
Test Controlled evaluation performed by system developers to
ensure that a collection of programmed units work together to produce
expected results as defined in the functional requirements. Interface Electronic transfer of data, either from or to, the
PeopleSoft database. For example, an interface program will transmit
PeopleSoft human resource and pay calculation data in a form that is useable
by the current Payroll system in order to produce paychecks. Unplanned situation, action, problem or question that
arises during the performance of a project that affects the project's scope
or schedule in some way but that may not be efficiently resolved by an
individual or the implementation team.
Journal A Journal consists of multiple journal lines and one journal header,
identified by the Journal ID and Journal Date. The Journal can be entered directly
to the General Ledger or input from a feeder system such as Accounts Payable, Purchasing
and Human Resources.
Legacy System that currently supports any University of Houston
System business functions, such as admitting students, for example, the
Registration and Records, Admissions, Payroll and Alumni Records systems.
PeopleSoft modules will replace many of the legacy systems.
Modification Change or addition to a PeopleSoft module as it is
delivered; identifying the need for modifications is one of the outcomes of
Fit Analysis. See Fit
Analysis, Gap
Analysis. Module See PeopleSoft Module.
Navigator PeopleSoft functionality that enables its customers to
preprogram a business process so that a user can automatically move through
the sequential steps of the process when using PeopleSoft. See Workflow. Network A group of computers linked together to share resources.
Common types are Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN) and
intranets.
Operating
System (OS) The master software that controls a computer's
fundamental operations. The server operating system for PeopleSoft is Unix.
Panel A screen that displays related PeopleSoft information,
for example, personal data, job data, course data. Parallel
Testing Process in which both the old and new modules run at the
same time so that performance and outcomes can be compared and corrected prior
to deployment; commonly done with modules like Payroll. PeopleSoft Company that produces the administrative software
applications that University of Houston System is implementing. The software
itself is also referred to as PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft-licensed software; applications include
Student Administration, Human Resource, and Financials, applications are
comprised of specific functional modules. Computer software that supports specific business
functions and enables users to perform specific tasks. Name given to the
components of a PeopleSoft application, for example, the Student
Administration application consists of these modules: Admissions, Student
Records, Student Financials, Financial Aid and Academic Advisement. PeopleTools A tool set that enables system and functional users to
tailor (develop, deploy, maintain) PeopleSoft to meet unique business
requirements. Pilot Release strategy in which a module is put into
production in a limited and very controlled environment; usually involves
people, hardware, and software working together with the express intent of
using the pilot period to learn what works and what does not work. A pilot is
usually run for a specific period of time; the results are documented and
used as input to finalize the module before a larger deployment. Policy A plan or course of action that is intended to influence
and determine decisions, actions, and other matters. Procedure A set of established forms, methods and/or steps for
conducting a business or specific business process. Process Set of linked activities that create a result, for
example, hiring an employee or admitting a student. Process
Adaptation The activity of revising workflow, forms and other
methods of performing procedures and completing work in order to facilitate,
or make possible, the implementation of a system module. Process
Analysis First step of a release life cycle that includes
reviewing and developing baselines for the current environment and
identifying the high-level business processes and requirements to be
addressed. It also includes assessing organization and network readiness,
identifying current business processes, assessing the module as delivered by
PeopleSoft, and confirming the scope of the release. See Fit Analysis. A subset of the PeopleSoft Core Team, headed by the
Project Manager, that is responsible for scope and strategy development;
project planning, tracking and status reporting; project communications,
training and development; system-specific report development; resource
acquisition; and project budget administration. Project
Plan Integrated view of all functional and technical work
required to complete a project as defined by its scope. The plan details the
tasks, schedule, cost, resources, milestones and deliverables needed to
complete the project. Progress is tracked against the plan and measured by
work complete, by reaching milestones and completing deliverables. Reports
can be produced at different levels of detail about any component of the
plan, for any level of management use. Project
Schedule Sequence of tasks that must occur to complete a project
by a specific date; one of the components of a project plan. Group of individuals responsible for implementing
PeopleSoft functionality at University of Houston System. The Project Team
consists of the Project Office, additional Implementation Team members,
consultants and other project support personnel. See Project
Office. PeopleSoft ad hoc reporting tool that provides a method
for selecting and arranging data on multiple records; query specifications
can be saved as private queries (accessible only to the creator) or public
queries (available to all users with appropriate security access). Access is
defined by the user's security profile; query results can be viewed online,
sent to Excel, or sent to Crystal Reports. See Ad Hoc Report, Crystal Reports.
An integrated repository of data in the form of tables
that have rows and columns to show the relationship between items, and in
which information can be cross-referenced between two or more tables to
generate a third table. A set of functionality delivered to a particular
audience or audiences by a specific target date. Work that must be performed to implement a software
module; includes seven steps: 1. Process Analysis 2.Fit Analysis, 3. Design
and Set Up, 4. Development, 5. User Acceptance 6. Deployment. Some or all of
each cycle step is repeated for each module release. The presentation of a formatted collection of
information; can be presented on paper, on the web, on diskette, or online. Reporting The act of specifying and producing formatted
information; in PeopleSoft, reporting can be done with preprogrammed reports
(called Standard Reports) or done as needed by the user (called ad hoc
reporting). See Standard
Reports, Ad Hoc
Report. Resource
Plan Part of the project plan in which resources, typically
people, are identified and assigned to perform project tasks. When matched
with time estimates for completion of tasks, a Project Manager can plan and
manage resource requirements within the project budget. Risk
Management An event, factor or action that may cause harm or loss;
a hazard; a project planning step in which these possibilities are identified
and prioritized in terms of probability and impact. The risk identification
step is followed by a "what if" analysis and recommended
contingency plans. Roll-out See Release.
Satellite
System See Shadow System. Scope The amount of work to be accomplished within a given
time period and with a given set of resources. Scope, time and resources are
in constant relationship to each other. If scope expands, then either time
(schedule) must increase or additional resources must be allocated. If time
is shortened, then either scope must decrease or resources must increased. If
resources are decreased, then either time is increased or scope must be
decreased, etc. Security Definitions of system access for end users. Security can
be physical (equipment-related), module-related or data-related. A system that is not centrally administered but which
supports required business functions. There is no comprehensive list of these
systems that may include Microsoft Access databases, spreadsheets, other
third party software like Paradox, File Maker Pro, etc., and other homegrown
systems. Data that is updated by more than one functional area
and/or is critical to more than one unit's business processes; for example,
Employee ID, Department, Location and Address. See Shared Data
Process. The processing rules that ensure control and
accountability over data maintained by more than one functional area. See Shared Data. Preprogrammed specifications designed for repetitive
execution that produce a formatted output. In PeopleSoft, this output may be
automatically scheduled as a result of a batch process, or may be produced on
demand from a drop-down Reports menu available within a module. A user may
need to provide specific parameters, such as an effective or "as
of" date or a range of values. See Ad Hoc Report, Batch
Process. Step One of the six groups of tasks that make up a release
life cycle. In the project plan, a Step may be further defined as Sub-Steps,
Activity Groups, Activities, Sub-Activities, and Tasks. See Release Life
Cycle. Student
Administration PeopleSoft application purchased by University of
Houston System; includes the following modules: Admissions, Student Records,
Student Financials, Financial Aid and Academic Advisement. This application
shares a database with Human Resources application.
Collection of data in an organized structure; comprised
of columns that represent fields and rows that represent data; PeopleSoft
stores all data in various types of tables. See Relational
Database. Translate
Table Table delivered with a PeopleSoft application that
contains coded values that meet specific criteria, including values with no
additional attributes besides a code and a long and short description; there
is a limited number of each type of code; values change infrequently, etc.
Yes or No, Ethnicity codes, Regular/Temporary, and Part/Full-Time are
examples of Translate Table contents. Also called the XLAT Table. Tree Indented hierarchical structure (branches, leaves) with
multiple uses in PeopleSoft; for example, use to define an organization
structure or chart of accounts, or use to display reporting relationships or
dependencies
Unit
Test Controlled evaluation performed by a system programmer
in the Development step to ensure that a piece of program code performs as
defined in the specification. User
Acceptance Fifth step in a release life cycle in which module
functionality is tested, performs the required functions at a level
acceptable to the function owner, and goes live to become the system of
record for the function. This step and the "go live" milestone are
synonymous. User
Acceptance Test (UAT) Controlled evaluation performed by end users of a module
against specified criteria to ensure that the module meets acceptable
performance standards and produces outputs as defined by the end user's
business requirements. User
Support Activities or deliverables designed to enable end users
to learn and use new processes, procedures, systems and other tools
efficiently and effectively in the performance of their work; includes
training, documentation and communications.
Valid
Values Predefined entries stored in PeopleSoft tables that
define and present the choices of possible entries in specific PeopleSoft
fields. See Table.
Vision Imagination of what could be accomplished or is possible
at some future time.
Order in which specific work is performed; in PeopleSoft,
a background process that creates a list of administrative actions based on
the user's criteria and specifies the procedure associated with each action. Worklist In PeopleSoft, an automated "to do" list that
Workflow creates. From the Worklist a user can directly access the panels
needed to perform the next action, and then return to the Worklist for the
another item. Computer, usually a personal computer (PC), that sits on
a user's desk. End users' workstations must conform to a certain
configuration if they are to perform certain functions, such as data entry,
viewing data and reporting, with PeopleSoft. The Project Office will specify
this configuration. See Desktop. |
