The Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS), a statewide enterprise resource planning application, will
introduce its financials (FIN) functionality on July 2, 2007, the first day of the new State Fiscal Year. This implementation, known as FIN Release 3, will be the
third and largest of all OAKS releases. The previous two releases, successfully deployed in December 2006 and March 2007, dealt with a complex assortment of human
resources, payroll and benefits business functions, impacting 9 core business processes. FIN Release 3, by comparison, will affect approximately 44 core business functions.
FIN Release 3 will include five areas of financial business functions -- Purchasing, General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Enterprise Performance Management
(EPM). This release will replace dozens of fragmented databases used by State agencies, as well as the long-running Central Accounting System (CAS) which links all
106 State agencies with the Ohio Office of Budget and Management. One highlight of the OAKS FIN modules is a streamlined, paperless Accounts Payable process that enables
faster payment to the more than 133,000 vendors that do business with the State. Another feature is the Data Warehouse which allows end users to create
custom reports. Some State agencies have decided to maintain portions of their current financials processing systems, forgoing full OAKS implementation at this time. The
system flexibility will accommodate these agencies and allow them to link to OAKS by way of inbound and outbound technical interfaces.
State FIN Team Lead Kevin Milstead, when asked to describe practical benefits of the system, says, “OAKS will be a tremendous asset to all of State accounting. It
is completely internet-based so users won’t require any special software to be loaded onto their computers. It uses the PeopleSoft platform so it’s user
friendly. And with the improved efficiency OAKS use brings, the State of Ohio will be in a better position to leverage its purchasing power to qualify for vendor discounts
and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.”
To prepare FIN Release 3’s 12,000 plus end users, travelers and requisition approvers the OAKS program management office (PMO) designed a comprehensive training approach
that includes two web-based prerequisite courses, as well as 23 skills-based courses in the areas of Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger and Purchasing. The
instructor-led courses included in the FIN-3 curriculum will be facilitated at various locations throughout the state by State employees who have received intensive subject-matter
and presentation-skills instruction from the OAKS Training team.
Another OAKS FIN release, which covers billing functions, is slated for implementation by December 2007. That will be followed closely by an HCM release in January 2008. The
OAKS implementation schedule will conclude in July 2008 with the final installment of FIN modules -- Grants Management, Asset Management, Budgets and second financial EPM
series.
The OAKS system is an online enterprise resource planning application similar to many used by large private sector companies, to consolidate their business operations
for efficiency and cost-savings. For the State of Ohio, the OAKS system will replace numerous outdated and fragile computer systems which have been in use for
30 years or more.
For more information about OAKS contact: OAKS.Communications@oaks.state.oh.us
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