Implementing PeopleSoft Financials

Early Stephens

1997 | 220 pages
ISBN: 138411808
 

RESOURCES

DESCRIPTION

The PeopleSoft promise is enticing: Here's a way for your company to implement a complete and flexible financial infrastructure in a client/server environment without the burdens of low-level programming. But, implementation remains complex and requires reengineering of the business processes and cultures of the using organizations. The author, an experienced implementor of PeopleSoft systems, discusses the issues that arise and the pitfalls to avoid. Every member of the implementation team--from entry-level accounting clerk through MIS staff to executive sponsors--will benefit from reading this book. The views it contains, coming from an independent authority, will also prove useful to those who are considering adopting PeopleSoft for their companies.

What's inside:

Translation rights for Implementing PeopleSoft Financials have been granted for Japan. If you are interested in learning where to buy this book in a language other than English, please inquire at your local bookseller.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK...

"...this is a wonderful book. All new PeopleSoft customers should read it as early as possible... people from all levels of the company will benefit from it."
--Doug Rodgers, PeopleSoft Co-project leader, The John Nuveen Company

"I am helping my client evaluate PeopleSoft Financials-- and already, this book has helped in some critical areas we had not considered."
--Jim Marshall, EDS/TU Services

ABOUT THE AUTHOR...

Early Stephens has had ten years' experience implementing corporate computer systems. He has worked with PeopleSoft financials since its initial release and was previously a technical resource for PeopleSoft HRMS.

Sample Chapters

One sample chapter is available for download.

Chapter 1

Introduction

My first exposure to that exciting, new technology known as PeopleSoft was preceded by a flurry of emotions. I was excited by the opportunity to work with client/server technology. I was also very much aware of just how little I knew about it. Here was a new software suite, which brought with it such promise. We finally had the chance to make some real improvements for our end users and, at the same time, make enormous gains in the types of technologies and services we in the central information systems department could provide. It was one of those rare turning points in a career where, whether for better or for worse, I would never again be the same ``professional.'' If things went right, this would change me, my department, and our end users for the better. If not, it carried the potential to ruin our careers and permanently affect our lives.

The software was, at that time, in its infancy. As such, precious little implementation help was even available. During the implementation of the first module, General Ledger, we learned many lessons. In fact, many decisions made in the interest of time and without all the requisite understanding were, in retrospect, incorrect. Some had to be ``undone'' over time, while others will remain intact because of the implications a change carries with it. Had the experience and understanding of a PeopleSoft Financials implementation been available when we needed it, our implementation would have been much smoother and our end users would have seen even more improvements. That brings me to this book. It is my sincere hope that by reading this book you can avoid some of the pitfalls facing you and your implementation team. I also hope to sow the seeds of a new way of thinking: starting a transformation from a traditional organization into one based on leadership and knowledgeable workers--a transformation that understands the magnitude and role of information in today's competitive industries.

Objective     The objective of this book is to help guide the reader to a successful PeopleSoft Financials implementation. It will draw upon the experiences and insights of others who have successfully implemented PeopleSoft Financials. It will present a finite list of issues to address, pitfalls to avoid, and opportunities to seize. It will school the unfamiliar in the technology that is PeopleSoft. It will endeavor to coax readers to formalize their approach so as to reach a timely, successful, and expected project end. Given the nature of client/server and software in general, it is impossible to present specifics for everyone to follow; however, the book will bring to light issues critical for a successful PeopleSoft Financials implementation. By drawing from this experience and insight, the reader will be armed and ready for success.

Intended audience     This book is targeted to everyone involved in a PS/Financials implementation. From the programmer trainee and the entry-level accounting clerk, through the senior implementation staff and management team, to the executive sponsors of the project: All will need to be informed and together have common expectations for a PeopleSoft Financials project to be successful. To that end, anyone involved in the implementation, after reading this book, will have a firm grasp on the issues at hand. Then, team dynamics will be free to succeed or fail on a level playing field.

How to read this book     You can read this book chapter by chapter, sequentially. This is the typical strategy. However, it is organized in such a way that chapters totally irrelevant to an individual may be skipped entirely--for example, the executive sponsor will likely not want to read the detailed workings of PeopleTools. He or she would probably skim that chapter to get flavor. A database administrator might want to pick and choose topics such as PeopleTools and Security in Chapter 2, which are relevant to his or her area of responsibility, and skim or skip the remainder of the book. The reader may also reread individual chapters to gain a better understanding of a specific topic.