UC to standardize HR and payroll processes systemwide
November 1, 2011 •
The University of California has begun work to deploy an integrated payroll and human resource system across all 10 campuses and five medical centers.
Rolling out a new system across the entire University is a daunting project, but the biggest challenge isn’t technological. It is the operational and cultural shift that is integral to the project’s success: For the first time in UC’s history, every campus and medical center will follow a single set of standardized business policies and practices for payroll, HR and academic personnel.
The Payroll Personnel System (PPS) Initiative has set an ambitious January 2013 timetable for that sweeping change, to ensure that UC has aligned its business practices when the first wave of campuses begins using the new payroll and HR platforms.
UCOP is one of the first-wave adopters of the new system, along with UCLA and its medical center, UC San Diego and the UC San Diego Health System, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz.
“Definitely, one of the biggest challenges is going to be the organizational change and systemwide standardization,” said project director Anthony Lo. “We have people from every UC location involved in redesigning our business processes to be sure that all of the University’s diverse needs are met.”
The PPS Initiative is one of the top priorities for UC’s Working Smarter Initiative because it has significant opportunities for improving operational services while reducing costs.
There are 11 different versions of the current Payroll Personnel System running across UC, Lo said. All of them have been in use for nearly 30 years, and lack the basic functionality of modern payroll and HR systems.
The new tools will allow HR staff to switch from cumbersome, paper-based processes to electronic ones that can easily track performance management, compliance with regulatory requirements, and employee leaves.
UC administrators first began laying the groundwork for the new platform in 2009, after a university-wide assessment found that PPS badly needed replacing.
See Carolyn McMillan’s complete report on the UC Newsroom website.
