Strathmore University KFS Implementation

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Strathmore University KFS Implementation

• Martin Wanjohi, Strathmore University
• Vincent Ndoloka, Strathmore University
• Keiko Takahashi, The rSmart Group
• Kuali Days, Tempe, Arizona, USA
• 14th November 2007

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Agenda

• Strathmore University
• Background to Kuali acquisition
• Here comes KFS
• KFS Project
• Improvements with KFS
• Issues
• Critical success factors
• KFS SU next steps

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Africa And Kenya
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• KENYA
• Independence 1963
• 42 tribes
• Population 33m
• GDP growth 6
• Official languages English, Swahili
• Currency Ksh

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Home of the Big Five
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Some more images Mt Kenya
Masai Moran
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A glimpse of Nairobi City
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Strathmore University
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Strathmore University Background

• Started in 1961 as a college offering advanced
  level certificate of education
• 1966 first college to offer accountancy courses
  (ACCA)
• 1991 Professional IT courses are introduced
• 2002 begins to operate as a University offering
  business and IT programs

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Strathmore University

• A private University
• 5000 students
• 300 faculty and administrative staff
• 300 part time faculty
• 7 faculties, institutes and schools
• (Kenya has 7 public and over 10 private
  universities)

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Background to Kuali acquisition

• Since the 90s
• Pastel Accounting System
• In-house developed
• Fox pro system for academic records
• Library software
• Human resources and payroll systems
• Office automation, email, internet
• Every member of staff has access to a computer
• 8 computer labs for students

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Background to Kuali acquisition

• After 2002 ICT systems became in-adequate to
  support University expansion
• New ICT Strategy and requirements for an
  integrated system to include
• Enhanced ICT infrastructure
• Academic Management System
• Financial Management System
• Library Management System
• E-learning application
• HRM/Payroll
• etc

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Background to Kuali acquisition

• Dissatisfied with Pastel because
• Chart of accounts inadequate
• A lot of manual intervention
• Reporting very poor
• Controls poor
• Integration/interfacing problems
• No workflow
• Not paperless, etc
• Number of systems evaluated based on new
  requirements

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Background to Kuali acquisition..

• Problems with available systems
• The very expensive ones came close, but
• Initial investment including implementation
• Licensing and maintenance support
• Heavy customization still required
• Very much geared to for-profit organizations
• The cheaper ones inadequate

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Here comes KFS

• Idea introduced as a possible candidate
• Stakeholders very skeptical
• The very idea of open source
• Will it meet requirements?
• What about implementation?
• Who will maintain it?
• Who owns it anyway?
• Cheap is never cheap

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Here comes KFS

• What turned us around
• Visited IU and rSmart
• Came face to face with Kuali user management,
  technical people
• Kuali being based on a system in use in IU
• SU management readiness to take the risk
• rSmart involvement provided assurance
• Kuali Project and the team
• A basement cellar

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The KFS Project

• 5-6 months
• rSmart leadership and support
• Technical training in Phoenix, AZ
• Functional training in Nairobi
• A lot of Skype meetings weekly
• Tight project management, coordination, guidance
  and direction
• Key user involvement, ownership and focus
• Functional and technical capacity
• Key strategy minimize customization
• A beer or two

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Kuali Training
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Management involvement and support
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A bit of fun at the Carnivore
Pet without getting killed
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Skype meetings
Keiko and action items
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The Kuali Strathmore Team..
Robert
Wanjohi
Vincent
Kevin
Bradley
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KFS implementation

• 20 users
• GL, Chart of Accounts, Budget
• eDocs
• Advance Deposit (AD)
• Auxiliary Voucher (AV)
• Cash Receipt (CR)
• Credit Card Receipt (CCR)
• Cash Management Document (CMD)
• Disbursement Voucher (DV)
• Journal Voucher (JV)
• Budget Adjustment (BA)

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KFS interfaces

• Academic Management System (AMS)
• Payroll System
• POS
• Stocks
• Paynet banking system - EFT

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KFS SU Environment

• Server HP Proliant 380 G5
• 2 CPU Duo Core 1.7GHz
• 4GB RAM
• 300GB Hard disk
• Platform Debian Linux
• CAS authentication integrated (SU contribution)

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Improvements with KFS

• Efficiency
• Delays in paying suppliers reduced from an
  average of 10 days to less than 2 days (target
  all payments on time)
• Faster preparation of accounts (months to weeks)
• Reports target use of report writer to make
  them instantaneous
• Process improvement
• Paperless the problem of moving paper from one
  desk to the next eliminated
• Business rules implementing policy within the
  process e.g. categorization, restriction and
  accountability in the use of funds.
• Improved Controls
• Segregation of duties embedded into KFS,
  workgroups
• Audit trail (eDocs attachments notes)
• Clear accountability
• Faster execution of responsibility

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Improvements with KFS

• Data timeliness and accuracy
• Up to date balances as work proceeds
• Number of JVs significantly reduced
• Improved cash management
• Up to date cash balances (daily. Used to be
  weekly, even monthly and not assured of accuracy)
• Improved cash flow management
• Work distribution - shift from
• Thick front end, thick back end to
• streamlined front end, thin back end
• Concentrate on improving data, processes
• Possible re-assignments

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Issues

• Technical problems/issues
• AV did not work initially - resolved later
• AMS batch feed did not work resolved later
• Sometimes very slow (problem of garbage
  collection)
• Functional
• of accounting lines (limited)
• Lack of required modules
• Stocks
• POS
• Etc
• Delay in availability of critical modules AR,
  AP, CAMS
• Users, management getting used
• Auditors

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Critical Success Factors

• Management support
• User and user management involvement
• Strong functional and technical teams (rSmart,
  SU)
• Project management and coordination
• Training functional, technical (rSmart)
• A strong project team (rSmart, SU)
• PM, Functional, Technical
• Communication
• Technical assistance (rSmart)

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KFS Strathmore next steps

• Implement new modules as they become available
• Immediate to go live in March 2008
• Purchases
• Accounts payable
• Contracts and grants
• Later KFS Release 3
• Capital Asset Management System
• Accounts Receivable
• Also
• Extend use of KEW beyond financials to make
  Strathmore University paperless
• Other universities already interested in KFS
• Open source concept gaining popularity

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Case Study
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Remote Implementation

• Tight project management
• Reliance on written communication
• Minutes, process documents, migration documents,
  etc.
• Puts everyone on the same page
• Use of document repository (Sakai)
• Trust
• Patience

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Nitti-Gritties

• Functional
• Chart of Accounts analysis
• Integration analysis
• Process maps and workflow analysis
• Workflow setup
• Data conversion
• Migration planning
• Training
• Post implementation support (RSN)

• Technical
• Training
• Interfaces
• Beginning balance load
• Report conversion
• Server setup
• Post implementation support (RSN)

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Lessons Learned

• Executive sponsorship
• Functional leadership
• Right mix of skill sets
• Team commitment
• Belief in software
• Positive attitude - Hakuna matata (No Problem!)
• Post implementation support

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KFS From Evaluation to Implementation 1030
1145 am
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Questions?