Enterprise Systems

Completion of the Systems Renewal Project

The implementation of the Systems Renewal Project has been underway since mid-2008 and comprised the phased replacement of a number of UP’s Legacy IT administrative systems (Student, Human Resource, Financial and Customer management, etc.), the modernisation of the underlying IT integration and security technologies and its related IT infrastructure, and the deployment of a host of additional IT systems and capabilities. 

This large project has been completed and that it is now transitioning to a mode primarily focused on operational support and continuous enhancement of the deployed technologies. Consequently, the previous implementation-focused Systems Renewal Executive Steering Committee and Systems Renewal project-based structures were recently dissolved. 

Given that this portfolio of systems and technology must be maintained into the future, that certain remaining functionality that was acquired must still be released, and that the software vendors will continue to release new functionality and technology upgrades, the dissolved Systems Renewal structures have been replaced by new organisational structures and committees.

A new structure - in the form of the Enterprise Systems division – was recently created within UP’s Information Technology Services (ITS) Department – but with strong links to the various system owners.  This new division already functions in conjunction with various new committees, viz. the Enterprise Systems PeopleSoft Senior Management Steering Committee, the Enterprise Systems Operational Governance Committee, and other IT and product related committee structures, which committees in turn work closely with functional and academic stakeholders. It is the responsibility of these new structures and committees to manage, extend, enrich and continuously upgrade the above-described portfolio of systems and technologies as necessary. 

The significant scale and complexity of the phased implementation of this project’s portfolio of technologies has impacted to varying degrees on both staff and students.  

The completion of this Systems Renewal implementation phase has successfully laid a strategic IT foundation that has not only already realised benefits in many business processes, but is one that will be increasingly harnessed in future years in support of UP’s broader vision, mission and operational efficiency.