Project Description:
The Forms Tracking Utility (FTU) is a tool enabling “paperlessness” and the reengineering of university administrative processes toward goals of greater efficiency and effectiveness. The FTU consists of an internally developed set of software and interfaces which link electronic forms approvals from multiple, otherwise independent forms processing systems into a unified presentation for action by authorized approvers. The FTU also provides the repository for encoded approval routing rules and maintains a record of approval and disapproval actions. Project Status:
As of mid-April, the FTU entered a period of limited or “pilot” production use. While in the pilot production stage, the FTU is being used in conjunction with the new Journal Voucher Entry (JVE) application. As such, JVE’s approved using the FTU are flowing into the ledger system without additional re-keying. Work currently active includes: (1) Developing the components needed to support “single sign-on” – meaning the ability for a user to go seamlessly from one web application (such as the FTU’s “dashboard”) into a secured web forms application without requiring the user to separately log in a second time; (2) Finalizing technical documentation in support of role definition activities. (3) Finalizing the approval route structures to be used with the JVE. The Controller’s Office systems staff and the Accounting division developed the JVE application. A concept of JVE system flow (screen prints) including FTU Dashboard application “look and feel” can be found at FTU Concepts. A phased implementation of the JVE is expected. Initial piloting is taking place within the CO. The pilot will then be expanded to include central routing offices such as Planning and Budgets and Contracts and Grants. The last step in the pilot will be to extend the use of FTU and the JVE to one or two selected major administrative units. This will be followed by the general roll-out to the campus. General roll-out of the JVE/FTU is expected to occur during the second half of 2004. Other applications under development that will use the FTU include the Student Activity Request form, and the Payroll Time Worked Form. |