Campus Financial Systems for the Future

Establishing a functional users group

As mentioned above, the in-house or partner-developed system will almost never go into production, completely finished, without need for enhancements or addition of other modules. The danger here is that every user feels that his or her enhancement request is the most important one and expectations will quickly get out of control. The developers will not be able to effect all such changes immediately. A functional users group can be of great assistance as the body to prioritize these activities.

The group should be led by a user from outside the finance organization. However, the latter needs to ensure that the group stays on course and has a purpose at each stage of the implementation, setting the agenda and the pace and ensuring that all potential opponents of the system are part of the users group. It is better to try to deal with users in the open forum of such a group than to have them taking potshots from the sidelines.

One common suggestion is to make the most vocal critic the chair of such a group. Judgment will dictate the right course in this case, since the effect of such an appointment could be either positive or negative, depending on the personalities involved.

If the users group does not have a focus, it can be a very negative force in the implementation process, by serving as the lightning rod for discontent. Concentrating on "bug" or functional problem resolution and prioritization of enhancements is a proven way to maintain this focus.

Remember, the implementation stage of the project is much more stressful on users than on technical staff. Users must deal with changed inputs, processes, and outputs, and many more people having access than in the past.

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