Oracle E-Business Suite Outage May 26: Impacts to
The Oracle financial applications will be unavailable on Saturday May 26, 2012, from 5 a.m. through 5 p.m. for server maintenance activities. Please note this outage affects not only the regular use of the system, but also impacts those who feed invoice, customer and General Ledger data into the Oracle applications.
Impact to those who feed invoice, customer and General Ledger data into the Oracle applications
For those Departments that send Files to Oracle Financials for processing:
- Accounts Payable Invoice Feeds
- Accounts Receivable Invoice Feeds
- Accounts Receivable Customer Feeds
- General Ledger Journal Feeds
Please be aware that you will be unable to transmit any of your feed files to our FINTEST or FINPROD servers during the following time frame: Saturday, May 26 5am-5pm.
During this timeframe, you will also be unable to retrieve any of the common files we generate and store under your /public folder on the FINPROD server, which include:
huarcust.txt
huarcust.lis
huapempxd.txt
huapempxf.txt
huapvendxd.txt
huapvendxf.txt
tub.<date>.txt
org.<date>.txt
object.<date>.txt
fund.<date>.txt
activity.<date>.txt
sub.<date>.txt
root.<date>.txt
Server maintenance activities are being performed during this window on this day. The actual downtime may be shorter than what we are predicting, but to be safe you should plan NOT to transmit any files to our servers during this outage window.
For All Users of the Oracle E-Business Suite
Please note that the actual downtime may be shorter than this estimate, but to be safe users should plan NOT to use any of the applications during this outage window.
The Oracle Financial Applications are:
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the HUIT Support Center at 496-2001 or via email.
HUBS Release 2.1 Now Available
HUBS release 2.1 is now available. This release brings some exciting news for HUBS users by addressing two, long standing pain points that are described below. More enhancements can be found in the May Release Notes on the HUBS iSite.
Budget Amount Added to the Failed CCID Validation Listing
Often chart combinations that fail CCID validations have only a zero budget amount. These failures do not need to be fixed in order for forecasts and budgets to be pushed to Oracle and Harvard's Data Warehouse (HDW). Users have to run reports or query in webforms to see if a failed combination is for a real budget amount, a.k.a., a non-zero budget amount. This enhancement adds the budget dollars to the CCID Validation listing generated from HUBS and users can now quickly identify failures that need to be fixed. To fix failed combinations users must move the budget amount to another chart combination or have the chart value(s) re-enabled. Finally, users should note that it is a best practice to make zero budget amounts null (blank) but it is not required for the push to Oracle/HDW and this is helpful to know during the busy budget submission times. Zero budget amounts, however, will continue to appear in reports and webforms in HUBS while null budget amounts will not.
Dimension Member Purge Process Enhanced
The monthly dimension purge process has been enhanced to remove more unused members. Enabled chart values and employee dimensions are now considered for purging. Chart of Account values and employee dimension members that meet the following criteria will be purged each month:
- The member has no data in all scenarios and versions.
- Employees and positions that were uploaded into HUBS three years ago or earlier.
- Enabled chart values that were created or last modified in CSMA three years ago or earlier.
- Disabled chart values with no budget data will continue to be purged each month as before.
By removing more unused members each month users will experience the following benefits:
- There will be fewer items to look through when selecting values in the user point of view (POV) in webforms and reports.
- Performance will be improved for activities such as loading webforms and running some reports and business rules.
- SmartView users will experience fewer instances of reaching row limits when drilling-down into data.
As always, please contact hubs@harvard.edu with any questions or concerns.
Human Resources Reporting News - CREW: Please help us improve the system performance!
Please help us improve the system performance by cleaning up scheduled requests
Context: During calendar year 2011, there were over 4,000 report requests scheduled in CREW. Of the 24,514 requests submitted, only 16,191 were actually opened in CREW.
Resolution: We are asking that users take a moment to remove unnecessary scheduled reports to improve the system performance, especially during peak periods such as fiscal year-end. This will also help reduce the backlog in the report queue and return your reports.
To cancel scheduled reports:
- Click the box to the far right of the scheduled request or group
- Click "Delete Selected" at the bottom of the page OR
- Click the clock to edit the schedule and choose Schedule Later to put the request 'on hold' until needed
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the HUIT Support Center at 496-2001 or dls@harvard.edu.
Thank you,
Human Resources Analytics and Reporting
CREW Report Spotlight - HRJOBDP007 - Departmental-Job Profile
Effective 5/19/2012, a modified HRJOBDP007 - Departmental-Job Profile report is now available.
This report now contains supervisor id, supervisor name and supervisor email address.
In order to access this report, you must have the following roles:
HDW^PUB^TUB^Reports User
HDW^HR^TUB^Reports User
HDW^HRUNV^TUB^Job No Comp
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the HUIT Support Center at 496-2001 or dls@harvard.edu.
Thank you,
Human Resources Analytics and Reporting
Announcing the HCOM Summer Series Webinars!
Now that HCOM has been deployed to the entire University, University Financial Services, Finanical Systems Solutions and the Center for Workplace Development will be hosting a Summer Series of Webinars. These sessions are designed to give the user community a more scenario-focused training. The series will kick-off May with a review of reporting and in June provide you with some best practices for fiscal year-end preparation.
HCOM Reporting, Wednesday, May 30th 12:00 pm-1:30 pm
In this webinar, the various HCOM reports available to all users and the CREW committed funds report will be highlighted. At the end of the session, users will be able to answer the following questions:
- How can I get a print-out of my transaction details that includes coding, distributions by percentage and dollar amount, invoices applied against PO and payment status?
- How can I get a print-out of my transaction details that includes coding, distributions by percentage and dollar amount, invoices applied against PO and payment status?
- How can I get a listing of purchases that have no invoices applied against them?
- How do I interpret the columns on the Committed Funds Report?
- How can I see all purchase orders applied against a specific fund (or org, activity etc….) or created by a specific user?
- How can I see what has been received or returned on an order?
This session will also review the HCOM Audit Reports. These are used by departmental managers and access is limited to those users with the HCOM^Audit Reports responsibility. At the end of our session users will be able to answer the following questions:
- How can I see what orders are on hold for my department?
- How can I see what approvers have delegated their authority to someone else?
There will be time after both sections for questions and answers.
Fiscal Year-End Best Practices and FY13 Preparation: Tuesday, June 5th, 12:00-1:30
In the first half of this webinar, an overview of some tips/tricks for year-end preparation will be provided. The following questions will be addressed:
- What dates do I need to keep in mind for year-end processing?
- What is the business process if I need an invoice applied to FY12? What if I want it applied to FY13?
- Where are my year-end stickers?
- How do I make sure vendors have invoiced me for everything I want applied to FY12?
- What process should I follow if I have a standing order I no longer need?
The second half of the webinar will focus on FY13 preparation. This section will include a review of creating standing orders for services that span FY13 (rentals, leases, utilities, contractors etc…). A review on how to create favorite 33-digit chart strings so you don’t have to rekey the same number for every order will also be included. For those users with the HCOM^Charge Account Maintenance responsibility, an overview of tips/tricks for distributing charge accounts to all users or specific users in your department will be presented.
There will be time after both sections for questions and answers.
the HCOM Summer Series will continue on July 24th with a webinar on available Eureka resources (online simulations and job aids) and how to look up payment status and requisition inquiry. The series will wrap on August 29th with a webinar devoted to the HCOM MarketPlace. This session will provide tip/tricks for making the most of your Marketplace experience (understanding icons, advanced searches, different types of punchouts).
Registration Information
You will soon be able to register for any of the HCOM Webinars via PeopleSoft Self Service. If you are interested in receiving an email informing you when registration is ready, please contact the e-News mailbox. You will be contacted as soon as registration opens.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about HCOM!
Now Available: New HCOM Job Aids and Online Simulations!
New and modified job aids are now available for users of the Harvard Crimson Online Marketplace (HCOM) application. The Center for Workplace Development (CWD), University Financial Services (UFS) and Financial Systems Soutions (FSS) have produced a number of 1-6 page "quick reference" job aids to assist users with the most frequently used functions in the system. All of the materials can be found on Eureka, CWD's learning management system.
The following Quick References are available:
| Quick Reference Title |
New or Modified |
Description |
HCOM Job Aids Folder Location |
| Procedure to Request PO Close/Cancel |
Modified |
Updated to reflect change request mechanism for Non-Catalog and Payment Requests |
Main HCOM Folder; can also be found in Approver, Punchout, Catalog, Non-Catalog, Requisition Processing and Payment Request Folders |
| Creating a Standing Order in HCOM |
Modified |
Updated to reflect change request mechanism for Non-Catalog and Payment Requests |
Non-Catalog Folder |
| Payment Status Quick Reference |
New |
Job Aid that explains all payment statuses found in HCOM |
HCOM Main Folder, can also be found in Requisitions Processing Folder |
| Processing Nonstandard and Exceptions in HCOM |
Updated |
Information on how to process Payment Requests for Nonstandard and Exceptions such as Bank and Wire drafts, setting up and replenishing petty cash, and processing honoria requests |
Payment Request Folder |
| Using the CREW Committed Funds Report |
New |
Job Aid that explains how to interpret the Committed Funds Report |
HCOM Reports Folder |
| Using Internet Explorer 8 and Windows 7 with Administrative Applications |
Updated |
Reference that explains all needed Windows and Internet Explorer Settings needed to work successfully with Oracle applications; includes specific settings required for HCOM |
HCOM Main Folder |
To access the Quick References, follow these instructions:
- Open a web browser and navigate to Eureka (http://eureka.harvard.edu)
- The PIN page will open. Enter your HUID and PIN and click Login.
- After logging in, you will land on the PeopleSoft page.
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to PeopleSoft 8.9 and change the view to Financials:
- From the Job Aids tab, click on the HCOM folder
Tip: If you work primarily with financial applications, you can change the opening page in Eureka to open up to Financials instead of PeopleSoft. To change your preferences, click on the My Profile link at the top of the Eureka homepage. Under Default Applications, select Financials from the drop-down list, and then click Save Profile. The opening page will change to Financials the next time you log into Eureka.
New Online Simulations
Several new online simulations have also been published on Eureka. Each simulation will take no more than 15 minutes to view, and will provide you with an overview of essential HCOM business processes and step-by-step instructions on navigating successfully in the HCOM application. Join Steve Shopper and friends as they learn about HCOM and making the most of the system!
| Online Simulation Title |
Description |
| Placing a Marketplace Catalog Order |
This simulation demonstrates how to shop in the Marketplace using the Catalog, checkout the shopping cart, and receive goods in HCOM |
| Placing a Marketplace Punchout Order |
This simulation demonstrates how to shop in the Marketplace using a Punchout vendor, checkout the shopping cart, and receive goods in HCOM. |
| Placing a Marketplace Order: Approver as Shopper, Under $2,500.00 |
This simulation describes how an Approver can shop in HCOM, checkout the shopping cart, and receive goods in HCOM. |
| Placing a Marketplace Order: Approver as Shopper, over $2,500.00 |
This simulation demonstrates the steps that an Approver who shops should take if the order is more than $2,499.99. |
| Placing a Non-Catalog Order for Goods |
This simulations demonstrates the how to place a goods order with a vendor who is not part of the HCOM Marketplace, using a Non-Catalog Request, checkout the shopping cart, locate and send the purchase order, and receive goods in HCOM. |
| Placing a Non-Catalog Order Services (Standing Order) |
This simulation demonstrates how to set up a local bill-to address, place a Standing Order in HCOM, checkout the shopping cart, locate and send the purchase order, receive against an invoice in HCOM, and send the invoice to University Financial Services. |
| Creating a Payment Request |
This simulation demonstrates how to set up a payment request, documentation requirements, checkout the shopping cart, obtain the PR number and sending the invoice to Unversity Fiancial Services. |
| Approving a Requisition under the Approver's Threshold |
This simulation demonstrates how to Approve a requisiton within your dollar amount threshold. Includes information on how to properly review a requisition request. |
| Approving a Requisition over the Approver's Threshold |
This simulation demonstrates Requisiton approval when more than one Approver is required, based on dollar amount threshold. |
More Quick References, online simulations and additional materials will be added to Eureka on a regular basis, so users should be sure to check Eureka often for new offerings. Questions concerning the HCOM training program should be directed to Patricia Hatch.
Research Administration Systems Updates
Grants Management Application Suite (GMAS) Updates:
The next GMAS release is scheduled for July 2012. The final list of enhancements and bug fixes will be made available soon. The majority of the release is dedicated to enhancing GMAS to aid in the compliance with University-wide and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) new policies regarding researchers and financial conflicts of interest (COI). For full details on the DHHS policy, check out the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coi/.
As always, please contact contactgmas@harvard.edu with any questions or concerns.
Harvard Institutional Review Board Electronic Reporting Tool (HIRBERT):
In February 2012, standard operating system patching was completed. Later this year, HIRBERT will be replaced with a new IRB system. As a result, there are no enhancements or bug fixes currently planned for HIRBERT.
Upcoming Releases
FINDINI Release Schedule
A software release to the Oracle Financial Applications, known as a "FINDINI release", is done every two to four months. Each upgrade introduces needed bug fixes, enhancements, and technical upgrades into Harvard's financial systems. Generally, releases are performed on weekends to assure maximum availability during the business week. Most outages occur from 6 pm Friday evening-6 am Monday morning.
The next FINDINI release, 3.2.18, is scheduled for June, 2012. Details will be available in an upcoming e-News.
The Oracle Financial Applications are:
CREW FIN Releases
The Common Reporting Environment for the Warehouse (CREW) is a reporting system that draws data from a variety of sources which are updated on a nightly basis. Users can submit report requests for immediate processing or schedule reports to automatically run on a recurring basis. Types of CREW reports include financial, budget, receivables, HR management, benefits, costing, payroll, pension, security, grants management, and sponsored reports.
The next CREW FIN release, 3.2.18, is scheduled for June, 2012. Details will be available in an upcoming e-News.
HR (PeopleSoft)
PeopleSoft Version 9.1 was implemented on April 23, 2012.
HDW HR Release 33
The HDW HR 33.0 Release is tentatively scheduled for September 2012. Details will be available in an upcoming issue of e-News.
CREW Reports
In addition to the CREW Financial and CREW HR releases which correspond with the FINDINI and HR releases listed above, changes and enhancements to new and existing CREW reports are also released the 3rd weekend of each month.
| Release Number |
Dates |
Notes |
| 8.5 |
5/18/2012 |
|
Sponsored Systems Releases
- The next GMAS release will be in July 2012. Please see article 8 for more information.
- A HIRBERT release was deployed in Feburary 2012. Please see the April 2012 e-News for more information.
HUBS Releases
The Harvard University Budgeting Sytems (HUBS) is a set of web-based Oracle Hyperion Planning applications used for budget data entry, estimates, annotations, reporting, and submission associated with the annual budget and planning cycles.
HUBS 2.1 was released May 18-20, 2012. Please see article 3 for more information.
About the e-News
The Center for Workplace Development publishes this electronic newsletter for users of Harvard University's financial, HR, and reporting systems, policies, and procedures. The e-News is generally published on or around the 15th of each month.
It contains:
- updates on projects underway to build or improve University administrative systems;
- information about new University policies, procedures, and forms;
- reminders about upcoming deadlines and cut-over dates;
- tips and tricks for working more easily or productively.
We welcome questions and suggestions for improvement from readers. If your questions are of general interest, we will answer them in future issues.
Please send comments, questions, or suggestions for improvement by email to us at: admin_systems_enews@harvard.edu.
For information about subscribing or unsubscribing to the eNews notifications, visit our who gets the eNews page.
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