The shoe will be on the other foot for many McMaster staff members this October as they find themselves in the role of student, learning how to use McMaster’s new finance and research finance system.

“We want every user to receive the training they need to perform their job effectively in the new system,” said Deidre (Dee) Henne, McMaster’s AVP (Administration) and CFO.

“I’m excited that we can offer end-users the opportunity to learn and enhance their skills on a state-of-the-art system,” said Barb McKenna, McMaster’s director of Research Finance.

Training will begin in mid-October and continue past the launch date through December. (Online training will be available indefinitely.) A detailed schedule will be released at the end of September. The amount of training needed will vary from user to user. Some people may only need two or three courses. In contrast, users who do a wide variety of financial tasks, such as financial managers, will likely require approximately ten courses between October and December. A typical course will take one or two hours to complete, while complex topics could be longer.

Types of Training

Training will be provided in several different ways to accommodate differing learning styles and preferences and many courses will be available in more than one format.

• Online, computer-based learning
• Classroom training with an instructor
• Written documentation and job aids
• Small and large group seminars

Users will have unlimited access to the online training. Classroom training spots are finite and people who need a particular course to perform their current job will be given priority.

“We respect that people want to take the initiative to cross-train and expand their skill set, but our first priority is to ensure folks can do their current job in the new system on launch day,” said Henne.

The project’s online training system has interactive options that significantly exceed the traditional online video. The new-to-McMaster training system offers multiple options, including a Try It option which allows users to practice completing the transaction with step-by-step instructions in a simulated PeopleSoft system.

The continuation of training past the launch date will give users further opportunities if they want to refine their skills or add an additional course. Indeed, infrequent users are encouraged to train close to the time when they will first use the new system, even if that is after the launch date. The expanded training window will also provide additional training opportunities for users who are away on vacation or due to illness.

About Mosaic

Mosaic is McMaster’s project to modernize its business and administrative processes and replace its current business systems with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Mosaic will replace the current systems used for student administration, finance, research administration, human resources, and business intelligence. Replacing all of these systems in one multi-year project provides a rare opportunity to modernize the University’s business processes. The new system will be launched in stages over the next two years.

For additional information about the project refer to the Mosaic website: www.mcmaster.ca/mosaic