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The UNT System Human Resources Office sent this email on Dec. 23, 2015:
December 23, 2016 Best Wishes for the Holidays and New Year. Before our offices close for the break, I want to be sure you are aware of and begin to plan for an unusual event occurring next year on March 1. All of our universities and System offices are changing to a new accounting system that will require the suspension of most financial transactions during part of February. This "blackout period" is unusual and potentially disruptive unless you plan for it now and in January. In 2014 we discovered serious deficiencies in the way our accounting and computer records had been set up and operated for many years. Instead of just patching over these flaws, we committed to a total makeover – implementing a much more modern system of financial records and budgets that will take full advantage of available technologies. On March 1, 2016, we will implement three major elements of our new financial environment:
I’m confident you are going to have better, more timely and more useful information quickly in 2016 from these new systems, but it’s a real challenge to implement a change of our basic accounting codes and software while we’re operating a $1 billion organization – like changing the engine on an airplane while it’s flying! So we need a period of time when no new transactions are entered and all the prior transactions are recorded in the old system before the new records start. In order to provide the appropriate amount of time to seamlessly and effectively accomplish the processing of all transactions in the existing system before launching the new system, we must establish some blackout periods. During these blackout periods, you will not be able to process certain transactions. Following are the blackout periods for the impacted modules/functions:
PURCHASING BLACKOUT PERIOD: February 12-March 1. The deadline for submitting new requisitions is Thursday, February 12 and no further requisitions will be accepted until March 1. 2. ePAR (electronic Payroll Action Request):used by departments to submit and approve payroll/HR transactions such as hires, terminations and employee changes. PAYROLL BLACKOUT PERIOD: February 1-March 1. The deadline for submitting new employee hires and employee payroll changes other than termination is Monday, February 1. During February, the only payroll related actions accepted in the system will be to approve the pending ePARs by February 15 and submitting certain employee terminations by February 25. All other new payroll actions will resume on March 1. 3. Other Financial Transactions (e.g. Account Budget Authorizations, journal worksheets, Interdepartmental Orders/Transfers, deposits, etc.): used to record financial adjustments to both budget and/or actuals. BUDGET ADJUSTMENT BLACKOUT PERIOD: February 22-March 1. For these 10 days, no further budget adjustments or recording of actual account transactions will be possible and the transactions will be recorded starting on March 1 in the new budget accounts. I encourage you to:
All of our finance and information technology staff members have worked hard to make sure we have a successful implementation of improved processes and now it’s going to require everyone’s cooperation to make these changes integrate smoothly. I appreciate your assistance and understanding and I commit to you that, with your help, we are going to operate in a much more professional environment that you can be proud of. We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us to put in place much more effective tools and systems to help us achieve our goals. We will provide more information and training in January, but for additional information regarding the blackout periods, please visit the FIT website at http://fit.untsystem.edu/. If you have any questions, please email FIT@untsystem.edu. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season and best wishes for the New Year, Lee F. Jackson |
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