That’s an attractive shrub if we’ve ever seen one!
-HRx Team
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A Tree Gets Glam in Chapel Hill
If you’ve been by the Hedrick Building lately, you might have realized that it is easier to see a lot more of the building than you previously were able to, mainly due to the fact that one of the greeter shrubs in front of the building seems to have gotten a severe “haircut”. We've all made mistakes but there's no reason to remain depressed about it, so our CIBER friends, who are not just friends' of man but all of nature, decided to “spruce” the shrub up. Below is the picture of a once bare and gloomy shrub, now markedly more festive.
That’s an attractive shrub if we’ve ever seen one!
-HRx Team
That’s an attractive shrub if we’ve ever seen one!
-HRx Team
November's The HRx Pad Has Arrived!
You knew you were missing something, but you just couldn't put your finger on what exactly it was. Fear not, we know just what you've been craving- the latest issue of The HRx Pad! So much has happened since October and so the November issue is full of interesting news including:
- A Message from Norm Klase
- A Q&A with Gary Johnson about the To-Be Sessions, and
- Zulma Vilas talks bout how HRx will impact Employee Records
-HRx Team
Friday, November 12, 2010
Getting To Know: Jack Crowley
Do you know Jack? Jack Crowley is one of our friends who has been helping coordinate the HRx Project. He is a Project Manager from CIBER and he’s been keeping the Core Team on track through his excellent organizational skills and his wicked sense of humor. We love him and we thought you’d love to get to know him also, so we asked him some questions and here’s what he divulged.
Where are you from?
My Mother & Father. Born in Plainfield, NJ and lived in “The Garden State” until the end of 2001. Now about 30 minutes south-west of Richmond, VA in the grand metropolis of Moseley, VA.
How long have you been a Project Manager?
Since I was a Boy Scout. I’ve always loved projects. I received my Project Manager Professional (PMP) Certification in 1996 from the Project Management Institute (PMI). I’ve also been involved in developing Project, Program and Portfolio Management standards for PMI. I’ve been doing system implementations since the late 80’s (1980s)
When you work on a project, what are your responsibilities?
Beat the team until the morale improves! Analogy #1: Play the parent to ensure all the parties play nicely together in the sandbox to build the solution. Analogy #2: Conductor of the orchestra. And for the tougher clients (definitely not UNC), analogy #3: Cat herder.
Project management is more of an art and relationship role than a technical one. I’ve been very blessed to have some great team members that do all the real work- and that goes for this team! I do a lot of listening to understand what the client wants and then coordinate the work with all the players to get it done. Ultimately, we get the project done in scope, on time, in budget that meets the clients needs.
What is your favorite thing about working at CIBER?
Team work and a consistent method that is well thought out. I spent a lot of time in the project management and software engineering world as it relates to application development and international implementation process standards. CIBER has one of the best I have seen and even more importantly, they follow it. It makes things so much easier for the client and us.
What are your top 3 favorite things about Chapel Hill/Raleigh/Durham?
• Environment (a blend of Charlottesville and Blacksburg, VA).
• The people, very friendly and easy to find running and biking partners
• The food – Franklin Street and other local spots!
You participate in physically taxing sporting events, most recently the ½ Iron Man in Williamsburg, VA- When did you become interested in these competitions? How many have you completed? Is there a specific competition that you would love to complete? When you finish what is your favorite thing to do, for example do you like to- go out and celebrate like it’s New Years, pass out in a tub of ice with a Gatorade drip, or eat a banana and run home?
I did my first triathlon, sprint distance (750 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) in 2005 and got bit by the bug. There are three other distances: Olympic (0.9 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), Half-Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run)
Since I began, I’ve done about 20+ triathlons, including the Ironman in Louisville, KY in 2007 and the National Duathlon Championship (6.2 mile run, 25 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) this year.
I would love to qualify for the World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. Maybe if I outlive my competition.
To steal the most common phrase from the HRx Project – It Depends! Sprint & Olympic distance races: Recovery Drink, Stretch, Beer, Socialize, Beer, Stretch, Beer and Dee, my wife (not the Dee you know from the project) drives home. For Half-Ironman: Rest and recover, eat, beer, socialize, beer….repeat. For the Ironman: Two IV bottles of fluids, rest, recover, sleep – no beer!
Aside from participating in intense endurance competitions what other things do you like to do?
There are other things besides endurance competition? I do spend most of my free time with my wife and two boys. Albeit, they are both in College, but as much time as I can, I spend with them. I am the president of the Richmond Triathlon Club and on the board of Richmond Multisports, a triathlon race event producer. Those two keep me busy. In the winter, skiing! I was on the National Ski Patrol for 15 years before moving to Richmond.
What are your favorite foods and where in the world do you think the best version of it is?
• Flaming Cherries Jubilee, The Manor in West Orange, NJ.
• Homemade Tiramisu
• Kriek Lambic Beer, Pajottenland region of Belgium (Ben Franklin said beer was food, that is good enough for me)
Below find pictures of Jack as a Project Manager and as an Iron Man (finishing with his son by his side).
- HRx Team
Where are you from?
My Mother & Father. Born in Plainfield, NJ and lived in “The Garden State” until the end of 2001. Now about 30 minutes south-west of Richmond, VA in the grand metropolis of Moseley, VA.
How long have you been a Project Manager?
Since I was a Boy Scout. I’ve always loved projects. I received my Project Manager Professional (PMP) Certification in 1996 from the Project Management Institute (PMI). I’ve also been involved in developing Project, Program and Portfolio Management standards for PMI. I’ve been doing system implementations since the late 80’s (1980s)
When you work on a project, what are your responsibilities?
Beat the team until the morale improves! Analogy #1: Play the parent to ensure all the parties play nicely together in the sandbox to build the solution. Analogy #2: Conductor of the orchestra. And for the tougher clients (definitely not UNC), analogy #3: Cat herder.
Project management is more of an art and relationship role than a technical one. I’ve been very blessed to have some great team members that do all the real work- and that goes for this team! I do a lot of listening to understand what the client wants and then coordinate the work with all the players to get it done. Ultimately, we get the project done in scope, on time, in budget that meets the clients needs.
What is your favorite thing about working at CIBER?
Team work and a consistent method that is well thought out. I spent a lot of time in the project management and software engineering world as it relates to application development and international implementation process standards. CIBER has one of the best I have seen and even more importantly, they follow it. It makes things so much easier for the client and us.
What are your top 3 favorite things about Chapel Hill/Raleigh/Durham?
• Environment (a blend of Charlottesville and Blacksburg, VA).
• The people, very friendly and easy to find running and biking partners
• The food – Franklin Street and other local spots!
You participate in physically taxing sporting events, most recently the ½ Iron Man in Williamsburg, VA- When did you become interested in these competitions? How many have you completed? Is there a specific competition that you would love to complete? When you finish what is your favorite thing to do, for example do you like to- go out and celebrate like it’s New Years, pass out in a tub of ice with a Gatorade drip, or eat a banana and run home?
I did my first triathlon, sprint distance (750 meter swim, 12 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) in 2005 and got bit by the bug. There are three other distances: Olympic (0.9 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run), Half-Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) and Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run)
Since I began, I’ve done about 20+ triathlons, including the Ironman in Louisville, KY in 2007 and the National Duathlon Championship (6.2 mile run, 25 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) this year.
I would love to qualify for the World Championship Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. Maybe if I outlive my competition.
To steal the most common phrase from the HRx Project – It Depends! Sprint & Olympic distance races: Recovery Drink, Stretch, Beer, Socialize, Beer, Stretch, Beer and Dee, my wife (not the Dee you know from the project) drives home. For Half-Ironman: Rest and recover, eat, beer, socialize, beer….repeat. For the Ironman: Two IV bottles of fluids, rest, recover, sleep – no beer!
Aside from participating in intense endurance competitions what other things do you like to do?
There are other things besides endurance competition? I do spend most of my free time with my wife and two boys. Albeit, they are both in College, but as much time as I can, I spend with them. I am the president of the Richmond Triathlon Club and on the board of Richmond Multisports, a triathlon race event producer. Those two keep me busy. In the winter, skiing! I was on the National Ski Patrol for 15 years before moving to Richmond.
What are your favorite foods and where in the world do you think the best version of it is?
• Flaming Cherries Jubilee, The Manor in West Orange, NJ.
• Homemade Tiramisu
• Kriek Lambic Beer, Pajottenland region of Belgium (Ben Franklin said beer was food, that is good enough for me)
Below find pictures of Jack as a Project Manager and as an Iron Man (finishing with his son by his side).
Bill Rotella Gets Students Excited About HR!
Did you know that prior to his very successful career in Human Resources, UNC HC’s Vice President of Human Resources, Bill Rotella, spent 11 years teaching youth in the Pennsylvania Public School System? On Thursday November 11th, he took a little trip down memory lane when he spoke to the 2nd year Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) candidates at the UNC School of Public Health.
Bill discussed his unique career path that included working education, sales and HR within a diversity of health systems. He also provided an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the various departments under UNC HC’s Human Resources and also some of the major projects that the group is undertaking, like HRx! The students were obviously very interested in learning more about HR in healthcare organizations, as evidenced by the onslaught of questions covering everything from the Joint Commission and the HR relationship with School of Medicine to EOS and nursing retention.
Below is a picture of Bill inspiring tomorrow’s Healthcare Administrators!
- HRx Team
Bill discussed his unique career path that included working education, sales and HR within a diversity of health systems. He also provided an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the various departments under UNC HC’s Human Resources and also some of the major projects that the group is undertaking, like HRx! The students were obviously very interested in learning more about HR in healthcare organizations, as evidenced by the onslaught of questions covering everything from the Joint Commission and the HR relationship with School of Medicine to EOS and nursing retention.
Below is a picture of Bill inspiring tomorrow’s Healthcare Administrators!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Sherretta Carter Talks Benefits Training
As you know, the Core Team has been spending the past few weeks in Lawson Training sessions. Recently there was a week solely devoted to Benefits and all of the ways that Lawson will make our work in HR more effective. Sherretta Carter, the HR Benefits Manager, attended all of the sessions and so we asked her the following questions to see what she thought of the training sessions.
As Benefits Manager, what are the top two issues you have with the current GEAC System?
GEAC has a number of limitations. The main one is that it is not user friendly. There are no dropdown menus in order to help us understand exactly what information is in the system. The next issue is that it is very unpredictable. While we can enter data, we are not certain if that information gets appropriately transferred and reflected in the paycheck. The system that we are using was designed by people who are no longer with us, and we are always having to contact Andy Capps over at ISD to help us troubleshoot. This is time consuming for us and him.
Now that you have gone through the Benefits training, what are you overall thoughts about it?
The new Lawson system will give us a lot more capabilities to do the types of transactions that we need to do, so we can do more for our employees. I didn’t expect, however, for our role to change so significantly. We are going to have to do some programming whenever changes need to be made which we previously gave to ISD to do. For example, if there are any changes that need to be made to health insurance, then we in benefits will have to insert the necessary tables versus giving it to ISD to do. But, this is the direction that technology is going in- forcing us to be responsible for our own content, which will be a good thing in the end.
I am excited to see what the actual UNC HC module will look like, which will be available in November. Currently we have been training on a generic Lawson module, but the new one will be tailored for UNC HC’s needs.
What do you see is the most important way that the new HRx system will make Benefits Administration easier?
I think the new system is more user friendly not just for us but also for the employee and manager as well. The self service capabilities will allow employees and managers to easily make necessary changes, which will allow us to focus more on educating employees about benefits. Right now we are spending far too much time changing or correcting easy things like a change of address, but with the new system, the employee can quickly and easily do it themselves. It empowers the employee and lets us spend more time educating people about their benefits.
How have you liked the HRx implementation process thus far?
It has been a wonderful experience! I have a greater appreciation of how every level of Human Resources impacts my work, as well as how my work affects others. It has been quite an eye-opener. Seeing Lawson’s impact not just on our department but the entire institution will be exciting as well, especially considering all of the hard work we have been putting into it. The result will be a product we can all be proud of.
As Benefits Manager, what are the top two issues you have with the current GEAC System?
GEAC has a number of limitations. The main one is that it is not user friendly. There are no dropdown menus in order to help us understand exactly what information is in the system. The next issue is that it is very unpredictable. While we can enter data, we are not certain if that information gets appropriately transferred and reflected in the paycheck. The system that we are using was designed by people who are no longer with us, and we are always having to contact Andy Capps over at ISD to help us troubleshoot. This is time consuming for us and him.
Now that you have gone through the Benefits training, what are you overall thoughts about it?
The new Lawson system will give us a lot more capabilities to do the types of transactions that we need to do, so we can do more for our employees. I didn’t expect, however, for our role to change so significantly. We are going to have to do some programming whenever changes need to be made which we previously gave to ISD to do. For example, if there are any changes that need to be made to health insurance, then we in benefits will have to insert the necessary tables versus giving it to ISD to do. But, this is the direction that technology is going in- forcing us to be responsible for our own content, which will be a good thing in the end.
I am excited to see what the actual UNC HC module will look like, which will be available in November. Currently we have been training on a generic Lawson module, but the new one will be tailored for UNC HC’s needs.
What do you see is the most important way that the new HRx system will make Benefits Administration easier?
I think the new system is more user friendly not just for us but also for the employee and manager as well. The self service capabilities will allow employees and managers to easily make necessary changes, which will allow us to focus more on educating employees about benefits. Right now we are spending far too much time changing or correcting easy things like a change of address, but with the new system, the employee can quickly and easily do it themselves. It empowers the employee and lets us spend more time educating people about their benefits.
How have you liked the HRx implementation process thus far?
It has been a wonderful experience! I have a greater appreciation of how every level of Human Resources impacts my work, as well as how my work affects others. It has been quite an eye-opener. Seeing Lawson’s impact not just on our department but the entire institution will be exciting as well, especially considering all of the hard work we have been putting into it. The result will be a product we can all be proud of.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Getting to Know- Anna Story, Dropping From a Sky Near You!
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Anna Story, the HRx Project Manager dropping from the sky!
Last weekend, after a lifetime of looking up at the sky, Anna Story decided that she wanted to get a different perspective on the world, so our project manager decided to jump out of a plane, and here’s what she saw:
Now, we know that after watching that video you would want to know more about the woman who is keeping HRx going, so we asked her some questions to help you (and us) get to know her better.
Where are you originally from? Where all have you lived?
I was born in Bamberg Germany. My father was an American Soldier in the WW 2 Occupation forces and my Mom was a German woman who worked for the Americans as a translator. I lived in Germany until I was 13 then we moved to New Jersey where I finished high school and college and taught in Rahway High School. I moved to Vermont when I was 26 and lived there until 2003. I moved to NYC for a few years for work and then came here to UNC.
What does being HRx Project Manager entail? What do you do?
Project Management is all about planning and juggling! I juggle schedules, processes and manage the budget and milestone timelines. I keep a close eye on the resource allocation and use and support the Ciber consultants so they can get their work done.
Aside from being the HRx Girl, you’re also the LMS Girl how has it been managing both?
LOL! What a challenging trip this has been! I could not do it without the support of my favorite teammates. Tim Boyd is the LMS database guru and has been watching my back since I started managing HRx. In order to keep the same quality and quantity of elearning projects going, I have taught Karyn Richardson and Mary Roach in LOD how to use Captivate and work with the clinical subject Matter Experts. I initiated them to this about 12 months ago so I wouldn’t be the one armed paper hanger and it has worked out great. They are doing a tremendous job and I only have to check on their work before it gets published to LMS and of course I continue to do other LMS work in the evenings from home and a few hours here and there during the day. Additionally, Donna Kaye the LOD Director has been most supportive. It is a challenge but I enjoy challenges and I believe UNCH will benefit from the work I am doing in both arenas.
What is your favorite way to relax?
I dance TANGO! I love TANGO! I belong to the Triangle TANGO community and dance on weekends and attend Argentine TANGO workshops. Tango is the dance of the heart….one heart and 4 legs! The music, the soul and sensations of dancing Tango relax me thoroughly though they play havoc with my feet! Nothing like dancing backwards in 3 ½ inch heels!!! But they are lovely shoes from Buenos Aires. I also relax at my beach house in Nags Head,OBX. I rent it out on occasion and it is named “TangOBX!” I also love to ocean kayak, swim, bicycle, and rollerblade.
You have three sons, what are they like?
I do have 3 sons. Paul is 31 and a fire fighter in Salt Lake City, Utah. He went to the University of Utah and graduated with an English and Photography degree. When he isn’t fighting fires, wildfire and structure, he is whitewater kayaking, telemark skiing or mountain climbing and rescue. He has taken professional photos of the forest fires out west and writes poetry. He is a bit of a renaissance man.
Sean is 28 and continues to live in Stowe, Vermont where he was born and raised. He owns his own subcontracting company for building and plays guitar in a band. He writes his own music and songs and hopes to become the next Vermont big band. You can find him playing at local establishments on weekends. He is an avid snowboarder and loves to visit his brothers in Utah annually to go to Snowbird Resort for a week of fun on the slopes.
Jeff is 24 and also lives in Salt Lake City Utah. He followed big brother out there to attend college and enjoy the outdoors that Utah provides. He is also an excellent telemark skier and has spent summers fighting forest fires as well. He is in his last year at U of Utah and is majoring in French and International Relations. He was a competitive figure skater in high school and now teaches figure skating to little kids at the arena in Salt Lake City.
Last weekend, after a lifetime of looking up at the sky, Anna Story decided that she wanted to get a different perspective on the world, so our project manager decided to jump out of a plane, and here’s what she saw:
Now, we know that after watching that video you would want to know more about the woman who is keeping HRx going, so we asked her some questions to help you (and us) get to know her better.
Where are you originally from? Where all have you lived?
I was born in Bamberg Germany. My father was an American Soldier in the WW 2 Occupation forces and my Mom was a German woman who worked for the Americans as a translator. I lived in Germany until I was 13 then we moved to New Jersey where I finished high school and college and taught in Rahway High School. I moved to Vermont when I was 26 and lived there until 2003. I moved to NYC for a few years for work and then came here to UNC.
What does being HRx Project Manager entail? What do you do?
Project Management is all about planning and juggling! I juggle schedules, processes and manage the budget and milestone timelines. I keep a close eye on the resource allocation and use and support the Ciber consultants so they can get their work done.
Aside from being the HRx Girl, you’re also the LMS Girl how has it been managing both?
LOL! What a challenging trip this has been! I could not do it without the support of my favorite teammates. Tim Boyd is the LMS database guru and has been watching my back since I started managing HRx. In order to keep the same quality and quantity of elearning projects going, I have taught Karyn Richardson and Mary Roach in LOD how to use Captivate and work with the clinical subject Matter Experts. I initiated them to this about 12 months ago so I wouldn’t be the one armed paper hanger and it has worked out great. They are doing a tremendous job and I only have to check on their work before it gets published to LMS and of course I continue to do other LMS work in the evenings from home and a few hours here and there during the day. Additionally, Donna Kaye the LOD Director has been most supportive. It is a challenge but I enjoy challenges and I believe UNCH will benefit from the work I am doing in both arenas.
What is your favorite way to relax?
I dance TANGO! I love TANGO! I belong to the Triangle TANGO community and dance on weekends and attend Argentine TANGO workshops. Tango is the dance of the heart….one heart and 4 legs! The music, the soul and sensations of dancing Tango relax me thoroughly though they play havoc with my feet! Nothing like dancing backwards in 3 ½ inch heels!!! But they are lovely shoes from Buenos Aires. I also relax at my beach house in Nags Head,OBX. I rent it out on occasion and it is named “TangOBX!” I also love to ocean kayak, swim, bicycle, and rollerblade.
You have three sons, what are they like?
I do have 3 sons. Paul is 31 and a fire fighter in Salt Lake City, Utah. He went to the University of Utah and graduated with an English and Photography degree. When he isn’t fighting fires, wildfire and structure, he is whitewater kayaking, telemark skiing or mountain climbing and rescue. He has taken professional photos of the forest fires out west and writes poetry. He is a bit of a renaissance man.
Sean is 28 and continues to live in Stowe, Vermont where he was born and raised. He owns his own subcontracting company for building and plays guitar in a band. He writes his own music and songs and hopes to become the next Vermont big band. You can find him playing at local establishments on weekends. He is an avid snowboarder and loves to visit his brothers in Utah annually to go to Snowbird Resort for a week of fun on the slopes.
Jeff is 24 and also lives in Salt Lake City Utah. He followed big brother out there to attend college and enjoy the outdoors that Utah provides. He is also an excellent telemark skier and has spent summers fighting forest fires as well. He is in his last year at U of Utah and is majoring in French and International Relations. He was a competitive figure skater in high school and now teaches figure skating to little kids at the arena in Salt Lake City.
Lawson on Our Brain
Lately we noticed that it is becoming increasingly difficult to forget about the new LAWSON implementation project, even after we leave work. Due to its complexity, the process has been quite intense and very time consuming when we are at work, but we can’t seem to stop thinking about it when we are trying to enjoy the wonderfully cool and sunny Fall weather with our friends and family.
We could not quite put our fingers on why it was so ever-present in our minds, till we were leaving last week’s To-Be sessions at Aloft Hotel to go home and we saw this:
Turns out, Lawson is running for Congress!
We’ve been so involved with the LAWSON software, that we forget that it is also a last name. We got curious to see what other Lawson’s are doing and this is who we found:
- HRx Team
We could not quite put our fingers on why it was so ever-present in our minds, till we were leaving last week’s To-Be sessions at Aloft Hotel to go home and we saw this:
We’ve been so involved with the LAWSON software, that we forget that it is also a last name. We got curious to see what other Lawson’s are doing and this is who we found:
- Nigella Lawson: Famous British food writer, journalist and broadcaster who hosts the delicious cooking show, “Nigella Bites” on the Cooking channel.
- Henry Lawson: Often cited as Australia’s greatest writer, Henry Lawson was known for both his poetry and prose. His most famous works are “While the Billy Boils" and "Over the Sliprails.”
- Lawson Little: American professional golfer who won the 1940 US Open. He also had an amazing amateur career in which he won both the US Amateur and British Amateur in 1934 and in 1935.
- Cardinal Rex Lawson: Was a famous singer, trumpeter and bandleader from Kalabari, Nigeria.
- Alfred W. Lawson: A professional baseball player, manager and league promoter from 1887 through 1916, who also went on to play a pioneering role in the U.S. aircraft industry, publishing two early aviation trade journals.
- HRx Team
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
HR Structure and Personnel Trainings w/ Cynthia Ferguson
“Beneficial. Useful. Enlightening” those were the words that Cynthia Ferguson, the HR Research & Analysis Manger, used to describe the two Lawson training sessions on HR Structure and Personnel. These two sessions are a part of fivve total sessions that will help UNC HC staff gain the necessary knowledge and skills to not only be able to use the new system, but also help give them a more concrete idea of how it works so that they can mold it to better serve our needs. The sessions are broken down to allow for 12 active participants and 6-8 additional non-active observers. They will be attended by various members of the HRx Core Team, as well as some representatives from our sister organization, Chatham Hospital, who is also transitioning to the new Lawson Human Capital Management System.
We sat down with Cynthia and asked her some questions about the trainings and this is what she said:
What was the focus of the HR Structure portion of the training session?
It was an overview of different aspects of the system which showed us how everything is inter-connected. They showed us the system from a global perspective and then showed how it worked on the much smaller, departmental, level. We learned about the system’s different process levels and business rules. Pretty much it was an overview of the system, a very detailed overview.
What about the Personnel portion of the trainings?
In these sessions we learned about how the system can help us more easily manage our personnel. For example, we can create employee groups by clustering employees by various criteria, and then when we want to apply “rules” to them, the system will apply them to all people within that group.
What is one of your favorite things about the new system versus the current GEAC system?
I love the concept of Drill Around where you can see different aspects of the employee and even how they relate to others in your department. For example, say you were interested in looking at overtime for a specific employee and then you wanted to see how they compare to overtime for the entire department, you can and easily. The current GEAC system is a flat file system which has a non-relational database, so this type of analysis is very difficult to do without using outside means.
Do you see any areas where the new system might be more difficult than the current system?
The main issue is that HRx is more structured and for people that have been working with the GEAC system, this new way may be a bit challenging. Until now, they have been able to make their own rules to accommodate the shortcomings in the system, but with the new one, they won’t be able to, since there is no need to.
We sat down with Cynthia and asked her some questions about the trainings and this is what she said:
What was the focus of the HR Structure portion of the training session?
It was an overview of different aspects of the system which showed us how everything is inter-connected. They showed us the system from a global perspective and then showed how it worked on the much smaller, departmental, level. We learned about the system’s different process levels and business rules. Pretty much it was an overview of the system, a very detailed overview.
What about the Personnel portion of the trainings?
In these sessions we learned about how the system can help us more easily manage our personnel. For example, we can create employee groups by clustering employees by various criteria, and then when we want to apply “rules” to them, the system will apply them to all people within that group.
What is one of your favorite things about the new system versus the current GEAC system?
I love the concept of Drill Around where you can see different aspects of the employee and even how they relate to others in your department. For example, say you were interested in looking at overtime for a specific employee and then you wanted to see how they compare to overtime for the entire department, you can and easily. The current GEAC system is a flat file system which has a non-relational database, so this type of analysis is very difficult to do without using outside means.
Do you see any areas where the new system might be more difficult than the current system?
The main issue is that HRx is more structured and for people that have been working with the GEAC system, this new way may be a bit challenging. Until now, they have been able to make their own rules to accommodate the shortcomings in the system, but with the new one, they won’t be able to, since there is no need to.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Getting To Know- Noah Leyva
There are so many people that are involved in the planning and implementation process for HRx and to help you get to know the people behind the project, we are introducing a new segment to the blog called "Getting to know". This segment will help showcase each person's role in the project, and more importantly, let us get all sorts of juicy details about what makes them tick.
Today we wanted to introduce you to Noah Leyva who is the Sr. Business Consultant with Lawson. Noah has been facilitating the Lawson Core Training sessions for the UNC HC staff. He was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri, is an avid Cardinal's fan and has been with Lawson for 9 years. Here are some questions we asked Noah:
What did you do prior to Lawson?
Prior to joining Lawson, I worked for Ceridian as an HR/PR Implementation Consultant. I was there for 4 years.
What do you do as a Lawson Sr. Business Consultant?
I'm not actually an official trainer. I do trainings occasionally when I am transitioning between projects once they get completed. The majority of the time I am staffed at a client's location conducting their HR/PR implementation through a successful go-live.
What is the coolest feature of the new Lawson System?
You gotta love the "drill around" functionality. You basically have anything and everything you need to know about the employee in one spot. Also, Lawson MS Add-ins is a must have- I don't know how we ever lived without it! Also your employees will love the employee self service once it's rolled out!
What are your top 3 favorite non-Lawson things to do?
First and foremost, I love spending time with my 5 year old son, Carter! I just started taking him fishing and he absolutely loves it. He also loves to play baseball so we play as much as we can- he's a future St. Louis Cardinal in the making!
Being from St. Louis, you have to love sports. It is such a great sports town, especially for baseball so I try and catch as many games as I possibly can.
Last but not least, I love firing up the grill outside and cooking up steaks, chicken, BBQ pork steaks, brats, burgers...you name it! If I could, I would do that daily. There is something that is just relaxing about it to me, don't ask me why.
What is your favorite food and where in the world do you think is the best version of it?
That's a tough one! Probably steak and seafood are my favorite. I was at a client in San Francisco for about a year and a half and ate at some amazing seafood restaurants out there! For steaks, it's hard to beat the Midwest for a good one. Ther is a place called Annie Gunn's in St. Louis and their filet is to die for. Amazing!
Tarheel or Blue Devil?
Definitely Tarheels!!
As the answer to the last question shows- Noah's one smart guy! We are very excited he's with us, especially since he's been making week-long trainings fun. Here is a picture of Noah in action, and now that you know him a little better, stop and say hi to him!
-HRx Team
Today we wanted to introduce you to Noah Leyva who is the Sr. Business Consultant with Lawson. Noah has been facilitating the Lawson Core Training sessions for the UNC HC staff. He was born and raised in St. Louis Missouri, is an avid Cardinal's fan and has been with Lawson for 9 years. Here are some questions we asked Noah:
What did you do prior to Lawson?
Prior to joining Lawson, I worked for Ceridian as an HR/PR Implementation Consultant. I was there for 4 years.
What do you do as a Lawson Sr. Business Consultant?
I'm not actually an official trainer. I do trainings occasionally when I am transitioning between projects once they get completed. The majority of the time I am staffed at a client's location conducting their HR/PR implementation through a successful go-live.
What is the coolest feature of the new Lawson System?
You gotta love the "drill around" functionality. You basically have anything and everything you need to know about the employee in one spot. Also, Lawson MS Add-ins is a must have- I don't know how we ever lived without it! Also your employees will love the employee self service once it's rolled out!
What are your top 3 favorite non-Lawson things to do?
First and foremost, I love spending time with my 5 year old son, Carter! I just started taking him fishing and he absolutely loves it. He also loves to play baseball so we play as much as we can- he's a future St. Louis Cardinal in the making!
Being from St. Louis, you have to love sports. It is such a great sports town, especially for baseball so I try and catch as many games as I possibly can.
Last but not least, I love firing up the grill outside and cooking up steaks, chicken, BBQ pork steaks, brats, burgers...you name it! If I could, I would do that daily. There is something that is just relaxing about it to me, don't ask me why.
What is your favorite food and where in the world do you think is the best version of it?
That's a tough one! Probably steak and seafood are my favorite. I was at a client in San Francisco for about a year and a half and ate at some amazing seafood restaurants out there! For steaks, it's hard to beat the Midwest for a good one. Ther is a place called Annie Gunn's in St. Louis and their filet is to die for. Amazing!
Tarheel or Blue Devil?
Definitely Tarheels!!
As the answer to the last question shows- Noah's one smart guy! We are very excited he's with us, especially since he's been making week-long trainings fun. Here is a picture of Noah in action, and now that you know him a little better, stop and say hi to him!
-HRx Team
Thursday, September 23, 2010
To Be or Not To Be...We Want To Be!!
It’s been three weeks since the Brown Paper Processes (BPP) were completed, so what have our CIBER Friends been doing since then? One of them, Jack Crowley, successfully completed his 3rd ½ Iron Man Competition in Wilmington, NC (this was after he spent all Friday finishing HRx-related work!), Michelle Tharp, has been overseeing Dee Gibson-Smith and Patrick O’Keefe as they have been taking the results from the BPPs and preparing them for the To-Be Process Workshops that will be held in October and November.
The To-Be Process Workshops will focus on how UNC Health Care wants to tailor Lawson services so that they meet our needs and utilize the healthcare industry’s best practices. Dee and Patrick have been taking the BPP processes and using their Lawson expertise to make suggestions for process improvement. After this has been completed they move onto the process documentation and make notes to help document any development that might be related to their proposed processes. This end result is then reviewed/double checked by CIBER tech’s to help them get an idea of how much work is required and whether the proposed improvements make sense.
But, of course Pat and Dee couldn’t get all of this done without the hard work and assistance of UNC HC’s Payroll and Human Resources Departments. Our HR peers are working extra hours in order to provide the reports and documentation that are necessary for the To Be Process to be effective.
In October and November during the To-Be Process Workshops, Dee and Patrick will present the To-Be processes that they envision for UNC Health Care. These sessions are going to be exciting, there will be- a lot of discussion, a lot of coffee, and maybe even a song (or two) as the Core Team makes further modifications to the proposed processes.
-HRx Team
The To-Be Process Workshops will focus on how UNC Health Care wants to tailor Lawson services so that they meet our needs and utilize the healthcare industry’s best practices. Dee and Patrick have been taking the BPP processes and using their Lawson expertise to make suggestions for process improvement. After this has been completed they move onto the process documentation and make notes to help document any development that might be related to their proposed processes. This end result is then reviewed/double checked by CIBER tech’s to help them get an idea of how much work is required and whether the proposed improvements make sense.
But, of course Pat and Dee couldn’t get all of this done without the hard work and assistance of UNC HC’s Payroll and Human Resources Departments. Our HR peers are working extra hours in order to provide the reports and documentation that are necessary for the To Be Process to be effective.
In October and November during the To-Be Process Workshops, Dee and Patrick will present the To-Be processes that they envision for UNC Health Care. These sessions are going to be exciting, there will be- a lot of discussion, a lot of coffee, and maybe even a song (or two) as the Core Team makes further modifications to the proposed processes.
-HRx Team
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Just how big is HRx?
The intensity and scope of a project can best be understood by looking at the manuals that are created to help guide your understanding and give you comfort when you inevitably have to troubleshoot. Here are some examples of important manuals:
The answer is 1,975 pages! This project is BIG!
-HRx Team
- The Navy’s manual for fighter jet pilots, Navy F/A-18 FIGHTER JET Pilot's Manual Airplane BOOK, has 809 pages,
- The cook’s manual, also known as The Joy of Cooking, has 1,152 pages, and
- The original physician’s manual for navigating the human body, Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body, has 1,675 pages.
The answer is 1,975 pages! This project is BIG!
-HRx Team
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The HRx Pad- Issue 1 Is Here!
Who doesn't love a good newsletter? The HRx team certainly does! Here is the first issue of the monthly newsletter, The HRx Pad, which will highlight the progress of the HRx implementation project. It will not only be available via UNC Health Care's News for Managers but also available here on the project's blog.
Click on this link to access and download the HRx Pad
To view The HRx Pad, just click on this picture below!
- HRx Team
Click on this link to access and download the HRx Pad
To view The HRx Pad, just click on this picture below!
- HRx Team
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Brown Paper Process
Have you been wondering what HRx team has been doing since the launch of Project HRx on August 20th? The answer is- a lot! Every morning for the past two weeks, the HRx Team andand our Ciber Friends have been starting the day with 4 hour long sessions called the Brown Paper Process (BPP). The purpose of BPP is to identify and track every task/activity that must or may occur before a specific objective is achieved. The method for doing a BPP is to roll out a giant (and we mean giant!) sheet of paper and in a thorough and systematic way insert all of the tasks and documents that need to be completed before a business objective is met.
Here is an example of one of the shorter BPP processes that was completed that shows the current steps needed to get Employee Academic Assistance at UNC Health Care-
Over the past two weeks, the HRx Team and Ciber Friends completed BPP's for 36 different processes that included simpiler ones like Academic Assistance and Entering Life Event Changes to much more complex ones like Hiring a New Employee and Filing a Grievance. The BPP for each process required information on the following:
• Detailed description of every task/activity including the When, Who, Why, Where and How information for each task, and
• Detailed description of the When, Who, Why, Where and How of information that is reported from each task/activity identified.
The entire BPP process was long, but a necessary step. It helped us break down every task that UNC Health Care does to help manage our most valuable asset, our employees, so that our new HRx system will make everything easier not just from the HR perspective, but also from the employee's perspective as well!
-Team HRx
Here is an example of one of the shorter BPP processes that was completed that shows the current steps needed to get Employee Academic Assistance at UNC Health Care-
Over the past two weeks, the HRx Team and Ciber Friends completed BPP's for 36 different processes that included simpiler ones like Academic Assistance and Entering Life Event Changes to much more complex ones like Hiring a New Employee and Filing a Grievance. The BPP for each process required information on the following:
• Detailed description of every task/activity including the When, Who, Why, Where and How information for each task, and
• Detailed description of the When, Who, Why, Where and How of information that is reported from each task/activity identified.
The entire BPP process was long, but a necessary step. It helped us break down every task that UNC Health Care does to help manage our most valuable asset, our employees, so that our new HRx system will make everything easier not just from the HR perspective, but also from the employee's perspective as well!
-Team HRx
HRx's Implementation Plan
So, we've been told that implementing the new Lawson Human Capital Management software suite is an intensive 18 month project. Since HRx impacts every aspect of Human Resources and beyond, it can be safe to assume that the project is not as simple as installing a new software like Adobe Photoshop or even a new operating system like Windows 7, but what exactly does implementing HRx really entail?
For those of us who want to be "in the know," our consulting friends at Ciber Inc, have provided us with a detailed road map to help guide us through the current HRx journey we have undertaken. The map, which looks like this-
may at first glance resemble a fun board game, but upon closer inspection you will see that it is so much more. This road map is actually an interactive tool which provides detailed information on each of the major steps that needs to be completed in order for us to maximize the benefits of the new HRx system. Playing around with the map you will quickly see just how much work lies ahead of us. You will also see how important it is for us to successfully complete each step because everything, no matter how small, impacts the project's future successes and failures.
If you are interested in viewing the actual model, please contact Smitha Katragadda, the HRx Communications Coordinator at skatraga@unch.unc.edu and after verification of your connection to UNC Health Care, you will be provided with a username and password that gives you access to the complete model, as well as some guidance on how to use it.
In 6 short weeks, you can see we've come quite a long way and are currently at step 1.14- Develop Documentation Plan. We've got quite a lot more to do, but as you can see we have a plan and are on task and before we know it we will be launching HRx!
-HRx Team
For those of us who want to be "in the know," our consulting friends at Ciber Inc, have provided us with a detailed road map to help guide us through the current HRx journey we have undertaken. The map, which looks like this-
If you are interested in viewing the actual model, please contact Smitha Katragadda, the HRx Communications Coordinator at skatraga@unch.unc.edu and after verification of your connection to UNC Health Care, you will be provided with a username and password that gives you access to the complete model, as well as some guidance on how to use it.
In 6 short weeks, you can see we've come quite a long way and are currently at step 1.14- Develop Documentation Plan. We've got quite a lot more to do, but as you can see we have a plan and are on task and before we know it we will be launching HRx!
-HRx Team
Friday, August 27, 2010
HRx Kick-Off Luncheon
With its Friday, August 20th Kick-Off Luncheon, Project HRx has officially started! The luncheon was attended by the HRx Project Team and 100 UNC Health Care managers and department heads who will be most impacted by the transition from our old GEAC system to the new more efficient and more effective Lawson 9.0.1 Human Resources system.
The Kick-Off began with an introduction from the HRx Project Manager, Anna Story, who introduced Project HRx’s UNC executive sponsors- Chris Ellington, UNC Health Care’s CFO, and Bill Rotella, VP of Human Resources. Mr. Ellington stressed that this project will position UNC Health Care to better accommodate its plans for the future. He also stressed that while this project will create a more efficient Human Capital Management System for us, it will not result in any job losses in the HR areas. He believes that as the work changes, resulting from our new HRx system, new opportunities will open for those impacted by these exciting changes.Mr. Rotella discussed how HRx will bring us simplification, ease and self-service- could we ask for anything more?
Norm Klase, the Director of HR Services, gave an overview of our Critical Success Factors which included
Following Mr. Klase was an introduction of our implementation partner from the CIBER Executive Sponsors, Jim Sagel and Paul Robson. They are just as excited about working with us as we are to work with them! Michelle Tharp, the CIBER Project Director went into greater detail about what the Implementation Process entails. The main thing is that we have completed the Project Plan and are currently underway with the Design phase!
The kick-off wrapped with a Q&A session and then to provide sustenance and energy to continue with our journey we enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup, salad, fruit and some very tasty cookies!
Below are pictures from the events. Enjoy!
- HRx Team
The Kick-Off began with an introduction from the HRx Project Manager, Anna Story, who introduced Project HRx’s UNC executive sponsors- Chris Ellington, UNC Health Care’s CFO, and Bill Rotella, VP of Human Resources. Mr. Ellington stressed that this project will position UNC Health Care to better accommodate its plans for the future. He also stressed that while this project will create a more efficient Human Capital Management System for us, it will not result in any job losses in the HR areas. He believes that as the work changes, resulting from our new HRx system, new opportunities will open for those impacted by these exciting changes.Mr. Rotella discussed how HRx will bring us simplification, ease and self-service- could we ask for anything more?
Norm Klase, the Director of HR Services, gave an overview of our Critical Success Factors which included
- Streamlining processes,
- Creating a more intuitive and easy to learn/use system,
- Lowering costs,
- Making mass edits/corrections easier,
- Permitting real-time records updates,
- Increasing manager and employee accountability and empowerment, and
- Increasing employee satisfaction (most important!)
Following Mr. Klase was an introduction of our implementation partner from the CIBER Executive Sponsors, Jim Sagel and Paul Robson. They are just as excited about working with us as we are to work with them! Michelle Tharp, the CIBER Project Director went into greater detail about what the Implementation Process entails. The main thing is that we have completed the Project Plan and are currently underway with the Design phase!
The kick-off wrapped with a Q&A session and then to provide sustenance and energy to continue with our journey we enjoyed a delicious lunch of soup, salad, fruit and some very tasty cookies!
Below are pictures from the events. Enjoy!
- HRx Team
Welcome To HRx!!
In July 2010, UNC Health Care began an 18-month implementation project for its new Lawson Human Capital Management System. Since it is our prescription for the future it has been named HRx and we will be using this blog as a vehicle for sharing our journey with you.
The reason that UNC Health Care is undertaking this project is to help us move from the current legacy system (GEAC) that was designed primarily for governmental organizations and not for the healthcare organization that we are. Over the years to address the shortcomings, we have created numerous work-arounds to make the system meet our unique healthcare needs. We have also had to follow overly complex processes to accomplish relatively simple tasks such as hiring a new employee or changing a name! In order to address and resolve these and numerous other issues and position UNC Health Care so that it can easily accommodate it future expansion plan, we have undertake the HRx project.
To help us with the massive implementation process, UNC Health Care has hired consultants from CIBER Inc. to help us. CIBER is a leading global information technology consulting, services and outsourcing company that has been helping governmental, commercial and nonprofit organizations maximize their technological potentials for over 35 years. The consultants will be here for the 18 months of the project and combined they have over 35 years of experience in implementing Lawson HR Management software.
CIBER will be working with us in all stages of implementing Lawson’s 9.0.1 Human Resources Suite of products that will address- Human Resources, Personnel, Payroll, Benefits, Absence Management and Employee/Manager Self Service across UNC Health Care’s system. HRx will impact all of UNC Health Care including UNC Hospital, Physicians & Associates, Chatham Hospital, Triangle Physician Network, Home Health and our future entities like the proposed Hillsborough Hospital.
We are very much excited about HRx and hope that you will visit this blog weekly to find out what we are doing. HRx will be impacting all of UNC Health Care and we want to make sure you join us on this journey!
- HRx Team
The reason that UNC Health Care is undertaking this project is to help us move from the current legacy system (GEAC) that was designed primarily for governmental organizations and not for the healthcare organization that we are. Over the years to address the shortcomings, we have created numerous work-arounds to make the system meet our unique healthcare needs. We have also had to follow overly complex processes to accomplish relatively simple tasks such as hiring a new employee or changing a name! In order to address and resolve these and numerous other issues and position UNC Health Care so that it can easily accommodate it future expansion plan, we have undertake the HRx project.
To help us with the massive implementation process, UNC Health Care has hired consultants from CIBER Inc. to help us. CIBER is a leading global information technology consulting, services and outsourcing company that has been helping governmental, commercial and nonprofit organizations maximize their technological potentials for over 35 years. The consultants will be here for the 18 months of the project and combined they have over 35 years of experience in implementing Lawson HR Management software.
CIBER will be working with us in all stages of implementing Lawson’s 9.0.1 Human Resources Suite of products that will address- Human Resources, Personnel, Payroll, Benefits, Absence Management and Employee/Manager Self Service across UNC Health Care’s system. HRx will impact all of UNC Health Care including UNC Hospital, Physicians & Associates, Chatham Hospital, Triangle Physician Network, Home Health and our future entities like the proposed Hillsborough Hospital.
We are very much excited about HRx and hope that you will visit this blog weekly to find out what we are doing. HRx will be impacting all of UNC Health Care and we want to make sure you join us on this journey!
- HRx Team
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