Oracle

March 14, 2025 marks a pivotal moment in our transformation as we prepare to go live with the Oracle Time and Labor web clock for hourly employees. This new system becomes available starting at 6 a.m. on Friday, March 14.

Hourly employees can access the Oracle Time and Labor web clock to clock in and out for their shifts and meal breaks (if applicable to their position). Hourly employees are encouraged to be familiar with the new system by visiting the Training & Resources page to review the self-paced learnings and lunch-and-learn sessions for Time and Labor.

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to learn the various ways to log in. The link required to log in to the app will be added to the FAQ page: Accessing Oracle HR on March 14 section after 5 a.m. on Friday, March 14. The link will be shared at this time to prevent early clock-ins and errors before the web clock opens.

If hourly employees require assistance on Friday, March 14, they can submit an HR Help Desk ticket for support. The HR Help Center can be accessed via MyUSF within Quick Links. The HR Help Desk team will be standing by to provide prompt responses and solutions.

I’m a non-hourly employee. What happens if I use the link to log in?

Anyone who is not an hourly employee who attempts to log in to Oracle HR or uses the link can only access ADP (W2, paychecks) within Employee Self-Service. Limited access is available for specific users. However, most functionality will not be available for all of USF until Monday, March 24. For additional details on what functionality opens on Monday, March 24, please visit the Cutover page or refer to the recent Accelerate email updates.

The project team has officially kicked off User Acceptance Testing (UAT)! This testing series is conducted by USF employees, who will validate everyday business processes within the latest prototype of what will soon become Oracle HR—ensuring the system works as intended. USF will execute all testing while Oracle provides testing support and defect resolution as needed.

The team also began Payroll Parallel Testing sessions to validate that payroll is accurately calculated by the new Oracle Payroll system before Go-Live. During Payroll Parallel testing, the current payroll system at USF is run and then the new Cloud Payroll system is run for the same periods—with both runs using the same inputs. Oracle Payroll calculation results are then compared to the current USF system's results to verify accuracy and check for errors.

The project team has also published Training & Resources and Cutover Information. The Training & Resources page now offers Lunch and Learn sessions that are facilitator-led and self-paced learning. The Cutover Information summarizes dates that certain functions in the old system (GEMS) will be unavailable as they are migrated to the new system (Oracle HR).  

The project team continues to prepare for User Acceptance Testing (UAT), ensuring that tester selection and readiness, test security and test scripts are all fully in place and aligned on or before testing begins in January 2025.

Along with UAT preparations, the team is conducting sessions to verify that all integrations, especially outbound integrations with vendors, are functioning as designed. Refinements to Parallel Payroll processes continue in parallel with UAT preparations.

The USF team's work in creating the process flow for the new Oracle Cloud system has been remarkable. Their efforts in clearly mapping out new processes will help ease the transition between systems and ways of working while deepening understanding of the new Oracle Cloud system and the benefits it will provide to USF leadership and employees. 

We remain steadfast in our commitment to a successful launch!

Everyone has felt the impact of two hurricanes in close succession. Significant damage to power, telecommunications and transportation infrastructure, coupled with necessary university closures, disrupted the Project Drive timeline. Though we prepare for unexpected delays when planning projects such as this one, the storms created a unique situation that caused us to redirect resources to focus on hurricane recovery and the immediate needs of the university. Though we prepare for unexpected delays when planning projects such as this one, the storms created an insurmountable situation, calling for a restructured timeline to include a new Oracle HR launch date. While we had hoped to launch Oracle HR in January. 2025, our commitment to a smooth and successful launch is paramount. For this reason, we will launch Oracle HR in March 2025.

The new launch schedule aligns with internal payroll processes. The complexity of this work serving more than 16,000 employees calls for the utmost attention to detail, resulting in a launch that aligns with the quarterly cadence of payroll processes. There are additional advantages associated with a March launch, such as:

• All systems and resources will launch simultaneously instead of in waves.
• Additional internal testing will be conducted, further strengthening and stabilizing the new system.
• More training sessions can be conducted over an extended period. This offers additional convenience to team members, especially those working in areas with additional workloads resulting from the storms’ impact.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to a successful launch and look forward to sharing more as the new launch plan takes shape.

What has happened? The Project Drive team is currently preparing for User Acceptance Testing (UAT), a series of tests completed by end users of the new system to ensure that it works as designed and validates their day-to-day business activities. This round of testing will also guide the project team in addressing any system defects. The Project Drive team and selected participants will conduct UAT in October, as Familiarization Sessions—which
introduce the new technology and processes—are well underway.

End user enablement is a critical factor in our employees' ability to thrive in our new cloud environment. Along with Familiarization Sessions, Train the Trainer Sessions will also be available soon to ensure trainers and ambassadors have a deep understanding of the topics they will be teaching.

In addition, project teammates are also conducting Parallel Payroll Testing within the
new system and in unison with our legacy system to identify any defects and resolve
them before going live. The objective of these tests is to achieve identical employee pay
calculations between the legacy and new Oracle system.

This month's key accomplishments: 

• Validating all the necessary data in preparation for UAT
• Built the Parallel Payroll 1 Test Environment

What’s next? Our project team is prioritizing training to enhance End-User Enablement and preparing UAT testers with essential learning. We’re also initiating discussions to support our Cutover Plan Checklist. A cutover plan aims to outline the steps to transition from an old system to a new one, detailing tasks, timelines, resources, and risk management. 

What has happened?  The Project Drive team took the lead role in testing whether business processes were functioning as designed across Oracle modules. The team executed test scripts of evreyday transactions across several modules and captured defects in Jira (project management tool used on Project Drive) to be reviewed, confirmed, prioritied, and resolved. This progress has enabled the team to work on building an enviornment that is ready for User Acceptance Testing (UAT), a series of testing sessions from the end-user perspective to ensure the system works as expected.

This month's key accomplishments: 

• Completed the End-to-End (E2E) Testing project phase
• Completed 95% of total data conversion within prototype
• Showcased the Oracle modules completed during E2E: Recruiting, Goal Management, Onboarding, Performance Management, and Learning

What’s next? The project team is finalizing change impacts which contributes to our End-User Enablement while also preparing for UAT. Once the End-User Enablement plan is approved by leadership, we'll begin prioritizing training needs. UAT allows for verification of the cloud application working as intended for the system end users with a projected 100% data integration. 

What has happened?  The Project Drive team has recently kicked off End-to-End (E2E) testing! This series of tests determines whether business processes are functioning as designed, from the start of a transaction to its completion, across system modules. E2E Testing takes the initial step of empowering USF employees by first preparing and equipping the USF project teams to take the primary role during testing, with Oracle's support. 

Look out for a standalone E2E testing announcement with full need-to-know details and next steps! 

This month's key accomplishments: 

• Built out cloud solution prototype for E2E testing
• Built out prototype (at the end of Process Playback 2) to show the Key Data Structure redesign to USF leadershipCompleted 75% of total data conversion within this prototype
• Completed configuration of E2E test scripts 

What’s next? The project team is finalizing change impacts which contributes to our End-User Enablement and continuing E2E testing, which is scheduled to run through August. After this testing is completed, we'll begin preparing for User Acceptance Testing (UAT). UAT allows for verification of the cloud application working as intended for the system end users with a projected 100% data integration. 

What has happened? The Project Drive team is currently wrapping final preparations for End-to-End (E2E) testing, which kicks off in July. These preparations involve building out Prototype 3 (P3) and its configurations, data conversions, integrations and reports. A friendly reminder: E2E testing covers business processes from start to finish within our recently completed P2, across different Oracle Cloud HCM system modules (e.g., Recruiting, Compensation etc.) as we would complete them in our day-to-day work. 

This month's key accomplishments: 

• Completed and gained Executive Leadership Team (ELT) approval of all Process Playback 2 (PP2) activities
• Prepared for End-to-End (E2E) testing by starting the build of our third prototype (P3) of the new system
• Expanded amount of data conversions to provide USF with 25 years of former employee history
• Added Recruiting Booster module to our Oracle Cloud HCM solution to help USF accelerate hiring and build better relationships with candidates
• Finalized Wave 1 Go-Live Date to January 2025, with payroll system capabilities going live December 20, 2024 (e.g., ready and able to clock time and absence information to calculate payroll)

What’s next? The project team is finalizing change impacts and preparing to start End-to-End (E2E) testing, which is scheduled to begin in late June and run through early August.

What has happened? The Project Drive team has successfully reviewed and approved 616 Key Design Decisions (KDD), marking a significant achievement in the development of USF's new Oracle Cloud system. With these decisions finalized, the project team held the Employee Lifecycle demo. Over four days, team members demonstrated the Oracle Cloud HCM system across the entire life cycle, from hire to retire. The USF projec team, HR leaders, and stakeholders witness up close how the design makes HR processe at USF more efficient and drives increased productivity. 

This month's key accomplishments: 

• 100% approval of 616 Key Design Decisions (KDD) across a vast number of modules and requirements
• 75% of the configurations of the second prototype (P2) are complete, enabling the team to show Key Data Structure (KDS) changes
• Refinement of the Microsoft Management Plan (MPP)
• Developing and distributing Monthly Talking Points for various audiences at USF
• Developing and distributing MOMENTUM, the USF HR Practitioner Newsletter
• Developing and distributing VOYAGER, the USF Leadership Newsletter
• Delivered updates to governance groups
• Delivered the May Change Ambassador Network meeting
• Continuing to capture and validate change impacts as needed

What’s next? The project team is also preparing for End-to-End (E2E) testing, which is scheduled to begin in late June and run through early August. E2E testing will cover all business processes from start to finish within Prototype 2, across different Oracle Cloud HCM system modules (e.g., Benefits, Payroll, etc.) as they would transact in our day-to-day work. This testing cycle ensures the new business processes are functioning as designed and that data integrity is preserved between modules. Look out for a standalone E2E testing announcement with more details as we near the start date.

What has happened? The Project Drive team is assessing Key Design Decisions (KDD) and Configuration Workbooks (CWB) at a steady pace, as almost 600 KDD have been accepted by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). That's another 400 KDD from where we stood last month! Remember, the completed KDD and CWB will inform us of the design of our new system and how processes will take place within that system.

Since March, 'tiger teams' made up of USF and Oracle Consulting Services (OCS) project
sponsors, solution architects, functional workstream leads, and the technical team have been meeting frequently to assess gaps between the future state design and the current documented design. This cross-functional meeting approach helps remove silos and ensures all participants align on KDD. Embracing the tough conversations, course correcting, and removing obstacles is more than a guiding principle of Project Drive—it is how we are moving efficiently as one united team to complete Prototype 2 (P2) of our Oracle Cloud HCM system!

This month's key accomplishments:

• Determined targeted Go Live date of January 2025!
• Confirmed nearly 600 Key Design Decisions (KDD)
• Approved nearly 90% KDD for the next prototype build
• Started the build of DEV2 (prototype 2) environment for Employee Lifecycle Demo
• Developed Monthly Talking Points for various audiences at USF
• Developed MOMENTUM, the USF HR Practitioner Newsletter
• Hosted the April Change Ambassador Network meeting on April 24

What’s next? While the Project Drive team focuses on completing KDD and CWB review sessions for USF executive leadership team (ELT) approval, we are focused on: 

• Continuing to participate in KDD sessions across modules
• Continuing to capture and validate change impacts as needed

What has happened? The Project Drive team continues to review the Key Design Decisions (KDD) and Configuration Workbooks (CWB) that inform the design of the Oracle Cloud HCM system and how processes will transact within the system across modules.

We are making steady progress, as 327 KDD across all modules have been approved by the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). By keeping lines of communication open and setting clear expectations among stakeholders during these review sessions, the team is building a culture of transparency —a key culture trait essential to cloud success.

This month's key accomplishments:

• Collaborated on test script development with USF Process Owners and Test Lead
• Started on the PeopleSoft General Ledger (GL) to Cloud Payroll integration
• Decided on foundational components on positions, PeopleGroup, and data conversions
• Updated KDD and CWB
• Formed teams of Oracle and USF cross-functional experts to approve KDD and CWB
• Developed a list of Prototype 2 (P2) exit criteria for USF sign-off
• Hosted the Change Ambassador Network meeting on March 27, 2024

What’s next? While the Project Drive team focuses on completing KDD and CWB review sessions for USF executive leadership team (ELT) approval, we are focused on: 

• Crafting and distributing communications (VOYAGER Newsletter, MOMENTUM Newsletter, Monthly Talking Points, Executive Communication)
• Participating in KDD sessions across modules
• Continuing to capture and validate change impacts as needed
• Continuing to prepare the Change Readiness Survey and End-User Enablement plan
• Preparing for the March Change Ambassador Network meeting on April 24

What has happened? The full project team just completed a productive, week-long series of focus group discussions to resolve outstanding design decisions for specific modules. In addition, Project Drive members are currently exploring and completing virtual learning opportunities from Oracle University to fortify their knowledge of Oracle Cloud HCM and baseline functionality—all in service of driving key decisions and meaningful contributions across this project. 

The team has also accomplished the following in recent weeks:

• Conducted deep dive sessions into the design to ensure it aligns with Oracle's best practices
• Continued preparations for End-to-End (E2E) Testing, which tests all business processes from start to finish and between system modules as they would transact in our day-to-day work
• Completed restaffing of the project (with new Oracle and USF teammates) and fully onboarded new personnel
• Created a new master calendar that provides one holistic view of all meeting schedules
• Established a new scheduling agenda and process for capturing meeting minutes

Upcoming activities include:

The Oracle Change Management team is currently developing the Project Drive Enablement Plan, a comprehensive document that will provide system end users with the tools and resources they need to succeed in the cloud and to understand the new technology and ways of working. This is your preview of all the training resources that end users can leverage to thrive in their new environment and further our mission of making USF a great place to work! We will offer the following options based on stakeholder group, impact level, and overall training needs:

• Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT), where end users can watch the trainer complete various transactions
• Instructor Led Training (ILT), where end users can run through step-by-step instructions on their own, with in-person trainer assistance as needed
• Job Aids: Documents that help end users complete transactions without live assistance
• Self-Paced Online Training: Creation of a course or video to be completed
  Oracle Guided Learning: In-application guidance to help accelerate adoption
  Conceptual Training

What has happened? To ensure our HR transformation is fully aligned with USF's HR strategic vision, an essential step in our process involves the Project Drive team conducting a Preliminary Design Review. 

This critical assessment, designed to refine our strategy and ensure alignment, requires approval from the executive leadership team (ELT). With their green light, we will be poised to complete Phase Process Playback 2 (PP2) of the system development and transition smoothly into the End-to-End (E2E) Testing phase. This intentional review phase allows us to adjust and move forward with greater precision and alignment.

What is E2E? E2E Testing covers all business processes from start to finish within Prototype 2 as they would transact in our day-to-day work—ensuring they are functioning as designed and that data integrity is preserved between system modules. This activity was formerly known as System Integration Testing (SIT) but going forward we are referring to it as E2E Testing, since we are determining how business processes within modules affect other modules, rather than testing the integration builds themselves.

What’s next? As the project team prepares for the Preliminary Design Review, they are also conducting the activities below as we near the end of Process Playback 2 (PP2):

• Discussing final PP2 functional data validation review and approval
• Holding sessions to cover E2E test script creation
• Beginning the initial technica lreview of Oracle Guided Learning (OGL) guides
• Holding discussions to further understand payroll processes

What has happened? The project team’s progress continues through Process Playback 2 (PP2) activities, specifically on integrations, reporting, and workflow builds. Oracle and USF teammates are holding joint sessions to make final design decisions and address any pending risks across Wave 1 modules.  

What is PP2? PP2 provides an expanded look at the system design in Oracle Cloud HCM and serves as an important progress check before going live by allowing the team to see the feedback from earlier Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities integrated into our solution.

What’s next? Once PP2 concludes, we will move into System Integration Testing (SIT). SIT is the phase of our cloud journey where the project team will verify that all modules within the prototype system design of our Oracle Cloud HCM solution are truly integrated and function properly with systems at USF. Before we move into SIT, we must complete ongoing integration and workflow builds.

The Change Management Team is planning to release a new edition of MOMENTUM (for HR practitioners), schedule continued stakeholder analysis interviews through January 2024 with university leaders, validate change impacts, and prepare change readiness survey questions. 

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is continuing through the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Method (TCM)+ implementation methodology. The project team continues to hold Process Playback 2 (PP2) sessions; PP2 is an important progress check along our journey to go-live in that it allows the team to see system design feedback from earlier Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities integrated into our solution. The team is currently validating configurations made within the Oracle HCM Cloud system and testing business processes with an expanded set of data converted from our current system, PeopleSoft. 

The Change Management team will release a new edition of the MOMENTUM (resource for HR practitioners). The Change Management team is using our team stakeholder conversations to shape content for our Change Ambassador Network to help support enablement and adoption within their areas.

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is continuing through the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Method (TCM)+ implementation methodology. By providing a second look at the system design in Oracle HCM Cloud, PP2 is an important progress check before go-live and allows the team to see the feedback from earlier Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities integrated into our solution.

During PP2 sessions, the project team will validate key solutions, build integrations and reporting, and move closer to completing configurations in order to build the second prototype (P2) of our system design. Being able to demo USF HR business processes in Oracle HCM Cloud is an exciting development for the end users at USF.

The Change Management team will release the new editions of the MOMENTUM (resource for HR practitioners) and VOYAGER (leadership newsletter) . The Change Management team is analyzing our team stakeholder conversations and continuing to engage with our Change Ambassador Network to help support enablement and adoption within their areas.

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is continuing through the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Method (TCM)+ implementation methodology. Having concluded Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities, which gave us the first preview of the system design in Oracle HCM Cloud, the project team is now making preparations for Process Playback 2 (PP2).

Across multiple PP2 sessions, the Project Drive team will create the second prototype (P2) of our system design by conducting virtual walkthroughs of business processes, holding discussions of cross-functional touchpoints and developed integrations, and demonstrating these processes in Oracle Cloud HCM. Overall, PP2 will provide USF with an important progress check and allow us to see the feedback provided throughout PP1 sessions integrated into our solution. 

The Change Management team will release the third edition of the MOMENTUM resource for HR practitioners - featuring project updates, training resources, team profiles, and operational updates. The Change Management team is continuing Stakeholder Conversations with a wider audience of leadership and their respective teams to better understand unique communication channels in their units, hear about barriers to adoption, and build a roster of Change Ambassadors to help support enablement and adoption within their areas.

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is only a couple of months away from completing the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Method (TCM)+ implementation methodology, with the Oracle team having recently concluded Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities. PP1 gave us our first glimpse of the system design in Oracle HCM Cloud, which helped the team confirm initial requirements, validate key design decisions, and refine the solution towards its next iteration.

Across multiple PP2 sessions, the Project Drive team will create the second prototype (P2) of our system design through conducting virtual walkthroughs of business processes, holding discussions of cross-functional touchpoints and developed integrations, and demonstrating these processes in Oracle Cloud HCM.

The Change Management team will release the second edition of the MOMENTUM resource for HR practitioners and VOYAGER newsletter for University Leadership - featuring project updates, training resources, team profiles, and operational updates. The Change Management team is continuing Stakeholder Conversations with a wider audience of leadership and their respective teams to better understand unique communication channels in their units, hear about barriers to adoption, and solicit a roster of Change Ambassadors to help support enablement and adoption within their areas.

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, continues to journey through the Design phase of Oracle's True Cloud Methodology (TCM)+. The Project Drive team is currently at the halfway mark of Process Playback 1 (PP1) activities, to be completed by the end of June.

PP1 provides us the first glimpse of our system design in Oracle HCM Cloud so we can confirm initial requirements while continuing to refine the solution and take it to its next iteration, which will get us closer to the final Oracle Cloud HCM system we will be using at USF at go-live and beyond. Across several PP1 sessions, teams will continue to validate future business processes, determine impacts to end-users, and begin crafting conceptual end user training.

The Change Management team released the first edition of the MOMENTUM resource for HR practitioners, featuring project updates, training resources, team profiles, and operational updates. The Change Management team is also beginning Stakeholder Conversations with a wider audience of leadership and their respective teams to better understand unique communication channels in their units, hear about barriers to adoption, and solicit a roster of Change Ambassadors to help support enablement and adoption. 

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is cruising along the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Methodology (TCM)+. Currently, the Oracle functional team is executing on the design decisions made across familiarization sessions — having connected current USF business process to Oracle cloud best practices — to build the first prototype system for Process Playback 1 (PP1).

Kicking off in May and running through June, PP1 previews the first prototype of our system design in Oracle HCM so we can confirm initial requirements while continuing to refine the solution and take it to the next level. Across several PP1 sessions, teams will continue to validate future business processes, determine impacts to end-users, and begin crafting conceptual end user training.

The Change Management team released the second edition of the VOYAGER newsletter featuring project KPIs and highlights for USF leadership. The Change Management team is also capturing change impacts throughout the PPI previews for organizational alignment. The team has began the Enablement Planning process, which ensures business readiness across all user types.

Project Drive, the Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation at USF, is traveling through the Design phase of Oracle’s True Cloud Methodology (TCM)+. In this phase, The Project Drive team continues to align upon key design decisions to create a deeper understanding of Oracle HCM’s out-of-the-box functionality and how the team can connect current processes at USF to cloud best practices.

Recently, we have completed familiarization sessions in Design for Wave 1 and are now rolling into Wave 2/3 familiarization sessions throughout April. The Oracle functional team is taking the design decisions and are building the first prototype system in preparation for Process Playback 1 (PP1) aimed for the beginning of May. PP1 provides us the first glimpse of our system design in Oracle HCM so we can confirm initial requirements while continuing to refine the solution and take it to the next level.

The Change Management team completed their Project Drive Discovery Sessions for Leaders, where Project Drive was introduced to Deans, Vice Presidents and other senior-level leadership. The team continues to meet with a number of executive leaders and HR partners to talk about the unique needs and expectations from their respective areas; these convesations are to ensure that networks of audiences across USF are engaged with the right information at the right time. The team is also working with workstream leads to complete user enablement planning around key training decisions and training timelines.

The Oracle Cloud HCM Implementation officially kicked off in mid-January 2023. The project team is in the Design Phase of the Oracle True Cloud Methodology (TCM)+. During the Design Phase, the Project Team engages in sessions to deeply understand all of Oracle HCM’s out of box functionality and connect current processes to modern Cloud best practices. Oracle's cloud implementation methodology guides the project team to develop and view the solution as they work iteratively. A key part of this implementation is bringing the “fastest rising University” feel to all aspects of the employee experience through the modernization of HR practices and processes.

We are also in the Awareness Phase of our Change Management Strategy. During this phase we are focused on introducing the project to multiple layers of USF stakeholders  through various communications and Change Management activities.

This stage includes the following activities:

• Conducting listening lounges
• Assembling the USF project team
• Reviewing job architecture
• Identifying data clean-up needs
• Pre-project training
• Identifying highly complex foundational elements

During the next steps, the USF team will define the project parameters (Project Plan, Charter, Governance, etc.), continue to socialize and initiate the above activities and onboard the Oracle team. Oracle will establish a consulting team and the kick-off date will be finalized.