Frequently Asked Questions
Core Information System Replacement
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the CISR Core Information System Replacement project at Southern Oregon University.
What is the CISR Project?
The acronym CISR stands for Core Information System Replacement. This project will focus on a university-wide technological transformation allowing SOU to modernize the way we do business and support students for many years to come. Specifically, we will focus on building, testing, and deploying the Workday information system.
Why are we embarking on the CISR Project now?
An opportunity arose for us to look at SOU’s current Banner platform and all of the associated systems used to augment it. After a lengthy, two-year process, SOU determined that the University would be considerably better served by implementing a 21st century system to replace the Banner ecosystem.
The Workday platform will save SOU roughly $800,000 per year after implementation when compared to the current Banner ecosystem. Workday also offers transformational potential through its more modern and relevant business processes. SOU is looking to implement the new Workday system to leverage these next-generation processes in ways that will make us significantly more efficient, allowing us to serve our students more effectively.
What is Workday?
Workday is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) for Human Resources, Finance, Planning, and Student Services. ERP refers to business process management software (in our current case, the example is Banner).
Workday will be the new tool the SOU uses to store and organize information and data to conduct business. The initial phase of Workday implementation includes everything from paying bills, to tracking time, leave, and reporting. Workday Student covers an even broader spectrum of University processes, including curricular management of the course catalog and class schedules and everything student related from admission to commencement. Workday is a much more modern and integrated system than we currently have. It will help us do our work more quickly and efficiently.
What are the benefits of Workday?
Workday will offer many benefits to SOU including:
- Simplifying complex, paper-based procedures into one system.
- Improving data visibility, reliability, and usefulness.
- Providing easy-to-use modern technology.
- Streamlining many time-consuming inefficient and manual processes to create a better user experience for staff, faculty, and students.
How will Workday be built?
Alchemy, our implementation partner company, will work with SOU to help us design, build, test, and deploy Workday. The CISR Project Team is actively working to design and configure Workday to fit SOU’s needs. Our administrators and staff are participating in weekly meetings to understand and shape Workday practices.
What is a Change Agent Network?
A Change Agent Network is a group of individuals that shares information about the CISR Project and Workday with their colleagues while also bringing forward the needs and concerns of their work areas and groups. Representatives across the university are invited to participate in monthly meetings to learn about upcoming changes relevant to employees and students. Members will also provide feedback on how to best support and communicate with colleagues about the CISR Project and Workday.
We recommend reaching out to your Change Agent Representative directly if you have questions about Workday. They will be prepared to share information and connect you to relevant resources regarding the project.
What should I know about training?
Training provides real-user experience instruction in effectively using Workday. Training materials include in-person and virtual workshops, recorded training sessions, quick tip videos, and step-by-step reference guides.
What will we be able to do in Workday?
One of the main benefits of Workday is that information is more secure and easier to access and some processes, like reimbursements, will move more quickly. Depending on your position, you may interact with the system differently than your colleagues. Here are some of the actions employees are able to perform in Workday:
- View and update personal employee data including compensation and benefits packages
- Update banking information and view pay stub
- Manage time off work (e.g., vacation, sabbatical, FMLA)
- Submit time in/time out for daily work
- Submit and approve expense reports
- Manage procurement and supplier requests
- Manage new hire process from recruiting to onboarding
- Document and manage goal setting, mid-term reviews, and performance reviews
- Use a mobile app (offered but not required) to quickly manage processes (e.g., create expense reports, submit time off, and update personal information)
SOU Information Technology
Southern Oregon University IT Department
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541.552.6971
Email: cisr@sou.edu
