Web Services:Connecting Activity Insight and PeopleSoft

Agenda

Background

Process overview

Challenges

OutcomesWorks, The University of Minnesota 2

Background• Single campus instrument, primary

college configuration• Research university (4,000 faculty, 5

campuses, large medical school)• University of Minnesota has been using

Oracle PeopleSoft (ERP) since 1999Works, The University of Minnesota 3

Background• Implementation of Works (Activity Insight)

coordinated through central Provost Office– Promotion and tenure, merit reviews, faculty

governance, access to faculty CVs• Office of Information Technology; business

analyst, developer, and leadership support for resources

Works, The University of Minnesota 4

Web services

Oracle PeopleSoft

(Data Table)

Activity Insight,

aka Works

5Works, The University of Minnesota

Web Services

Strategic priorities

Academically driven process

Extend investment in legacy system

Automation

Standardization

Data integration

Works, The University of Minnesota 6

Process

Works, The University of Minnesota 7

Analyze• Analyze data in PeopleSoft

Decide• Decide what we wanted in Works

Map• Create fields and map data

Challenges

Works, The University of Minnesota 8

Data in legacy system not

intended for this purpose

Non-standard data (across

disciplines), as well as non-

standardizable data

Implemented during a time when all OIT

resources tied up

Goal of completing merit review cycle in

spring 2014

Overcoming Challenges

Works, The University of Minnesota 9

• Added fields for manual entry; place an override in report logic– Full name vs. preferred name– Grant sponsoring organization

• Use tables– Store a table in PeopleSoft or data warehouse to map

PeopleSoft values to printable values• Ex: Department names

Works, The University of Minnesota 10

Works, The University of Minnesota 11

Types of data

Grants

Advising

Scheduled Teaching

Account creation/Yearly Data

Works, The University of Minnesota 12

Timeline

Works, The University of Minnesota 13

Started designing web services

November 2013

Web services in production February

2014

Troubleshooting, revising, and adding

new (ex: directed student learning)

Current stage of implementation

Twin Cities campus, 21%

CEHD CSOMCLA,

Psychology dept

Duluth campus, 99%*

All 5 collegesConsidering

research institute

*by March 2016

Works, The University of Minnesota 14

Conclusion

Works, The University of Minnesota 15

Standardization

Automation

Strategy

4 months setup

Continuous minor improvements

Time Data• Standardize• Mapping from

PeopleSoft

Resources

ChallengesSuccessful automatic and frequent interfaces

User accounts, courses, advising, grants

Outcome

©2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Questions