We can all look forward to improved HR, Finance and Procurement services being rolled out across the university in early 2024, as part of the Digital Core project.

Subject matter experts from HR, Finance, Procurement and Digital and Technology Services have played a key role in reviewing new best-practice processes that will support their teams in delivering improved services.

Since June 2022, 160 university subject matter experts have taken part in 193 workshops. Mastek is the university’s partner that is helping to put in place the new processes and new Oracle IT system. The subject matter experts first received a generic ‘out-of-the box’ demonstration of the processes.

The second phase of demonstrations were refined to include university data and configurations needed to ensure processes are fit for purpose, allowing the experts to visualise how the new processes would work in practice.

“We are not designing new processes,” indicates Debbie Bonnar, Finance Subject Matter Expert. “We will simply use the best-practice processes that are being used at many other organisations and universities. By not customising the new system, we can ensure it will automatically receive updates, upgrades and accessibility enhancements. This is similar to how we receive regular updates to our Microsoft 365 applications today.”

The subject matter experts are currently receiving formal training from Mastek to improve their understanding about how the system works. Online resources and training for all staff are expected to be rolled out later this year, to prepare us all as we move to using the new processes and system.

Comprehensive testing will be taking place over the next few months to ensure the university can verify that the new system performs as it should, including making sure that other IT systems can continue to integrate with it.

The project team will be approaching university Operations teams to ask them for support with testing the system. If you would like to get involved in testing, please email the Digital Core team.

The university recently led and hosted the first Oracle Cloud Higher Education User Group Conference where Digital Core was showcased as a key project that will improve the HR, Finance and Procurement services that we all work with.

86 delegates from 16 other UK universities took part in this event to share their experiences of using Oracle, highlight good practice and gain early insight of new product evolutions. The event gave the Digital Core project team a greater understanding of the future roadmap for the new system, and the ability to work more closely with other universities to learn about how they are using it.

Mark Barber, Project Director, highlights: “Our work with Oracle as part of the Digital Core project is a fantastic opportunity for the university to lead the way in the sector and be part of a great community within Higher Education moving forward.”

So that we can give you more information about the Digital Core project and introduce you to the university’s new HR, Finance and Procurement system, please join a Digital Core virtual drop-in session. Select one of the dates given below – you will receive a calendar invite after you register using the relevant link:

• Friday 16 June, 2pm to 3pm
• Tuesday 20 June, 2pm to 3pm

For further information, please visit the Digital Core SharePoint site or email digitalcore@nottingham.ac.uk.