FinMIS hailed by some, but crashes, complexity leave others with questions Despite the long-term benefits administrators see in the University's new accounting system, known as FinMIS, its first weeks of operation have been marred by technical difficulties. In use since July, the Financial Management Information System, an on-line computing system that aims to facilitate purchase orders and general ledger accounting, crashed the morning of August 9 and was not fixed until noon on August 14. Financial staffers had to use a combination of paperwork, faxes, e-mail and phone calls to fill urgent purchase orders. But Administrative and Financial Services Executive Director Saul Katzman said the shutdown had little effect on general University operation. FinMIS operators also shut down the system for an hour twice last week to work out software problems, according to Associate Vice President of Information and Computing Robin Beck. Katzman said any system as complex and intricate as FinMIS will always suffer some problems. The problems, he said, are an integral part of the learning curve that will hopefully end within the next 12 to 14 months. Some users also criticized the system for its apparent complexity. Employees have to input their orders into a computer using a 26-digit code. The old system required users to enter less data. Scott Savitz, a third-year Chemical Engineering graduate student, said that rather than simplifying matters, FinMIS has made ordering harder. "All of a sudden, procedure for ordering has become complicated," said Savitz, who has worked with the program in his own department. "From my perspective, it takes more time to deal with the complexities of the system." But FinMIS is not without its supporters, despite the shutdowns and complaints. Associate Director of Student Life Activities and Facilities Thomas Hauber lauded the new system. "We have to work together. We can't blame the computer for all of the problems," he said. "The ultimate benefits will enable the system to serve its customers more efficiently than ever before." The University began training almost 200 employees to use FinMIS in May. The system was adopted only after a two-year study of its capabilities, which ended in July. Because FinMIS could not operate within the framework of the old accounting system, the University stopped using the old system the day before implementation of the new one, Beck said. When FinMIS was finally implemented, officials hailed it as a necessary organizational tool for the University's financial affairs. "The University needed a new financial system to provide better information and utilize new technology which would ensure benefits, efficiency and productivity," Katzman said. Katzman noted that the University's old accounting system, implemented nearly 22 years ago, was not as effective or responsive to the growing needs of the University. FinMIS, he said, can adapt to changing conditions with more flexibility.
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