Electronic Workflow Systems: Our Experiences in Installing a Travel System

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……

• Implementation teams– Reminder about the provider’s team

• You are working with a new IT team • Who use different acronyms and terminology• Who work for someone else• Who have pre-prescribed implementation and training plans• Who may or may not be able to accommodate your business rules• Who may or may not be seasoned in implementing their software• There may be IT teams from two service providers • Be prepared to ask questions, stand your ground, compromise and change• Be prepared to never meet the provider’s team in person

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Implementation teams (continued)

– Your team members• AP manager and personnel with strong travel processing experience because they

know where all the skeletons are!• If multi-location, business office leadership • IT personnel for file exchange protocols and building bridge programs to integrate with

your ERP AP and ledger modules • A strong project leader – Thank you to Maria Garza, Dallas Auxiliary Purchasing

Services• Business personnel with policy decision making authority and strength

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Business rules

– Other entities have influenced the software services you are purchasing– Ask questions when your traditional travel practices don’t fit the travel

software– Be prepared to inform the software provider of what will not work for your

district

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Business rules (continued)

– Be prepared to ask yourself if your practices are the best they could be

– Be prepared to change …….on some things……– Don’t let past practices out-weigh the many benefits the new system offers

• Lower transaction costs• Expanded services• Audit trails showing where the report is and has been• Accountability that cannot be matched by paper processes

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Business rules (continued)

– Keep in mind the many benefits the new system offers and why it was purchased

• Employee purchase limits– Transportation travel class– Purchase price – Dallas within $250 of lowest price that day

• You still select your travel service provider -- Dallas selected Corporate Travel Planners

• Audit trails that show detailed dates/times of • The request• The expense report• Submission, approval and viewing the request/report• Communications between the traveler, supervisor and final approver

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Staffing decisions – do you need to add staff?

– Who will be final approval for travel requests and expense reports?– Who will process advances if multi-location?– Who will reconcile the travel system to the AP module to the credit card?– Who will maintain the travel system processing base for

• General ledger accounts?• New and terminated personnel?• Approver flows?• Access and security administrator?

– Who will train personnel for travel, approval, payments and administration?

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……• Other Considerations

– How do you convince district personnel that this is a good idea?– How do you want to brand the travel system to your employees?– Who do you convince first that this is a good idea?– How do you transition employees from the old way of doing things?– What considerations should be given to grant funded travel?– Who will attend the software mega conferences?– Who will attend regularly scheduled after implementation conference call

meetings?

So You Want to Install a Travel System ……

What does Dallas tell its college executive teams when introducing the new travel system?

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Concur Travel and Expense

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Agenda• Concur Travel and Expense is…• Benefits• Features• Quick Demo• Status of Implementation• Next Steps• Travel Policy • Additional Information• Questions?

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What Is Concur Travel and Expense?• Concur is a cloud-based software as a service

that updates and upgrades automatically.

• Software is accessible from your PC, a smartphone or on a tablet.

• Concur Travel and Expense integrates pre-trip requests, travel/cash advances, travel reservations/bookings and expense reporting data in one application.

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What Are the Benefits?• Replaces manual, paper-based processes (PLT forms and in-area

mileage forms) with automated system.

• Reduces reimbursement time for travel expenses.

• Ability to access the system from mobile devices.

• Sends email notifications regarding the status of approvals and payments.

• Supervisors can approve travel and expenses on-the-go.

• Access to SW flights.

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What Are the Features?• “One stop shop” for pre-trip requests, travel/cash advance, booking, and

expense reimbursement.

• Users can not book air/car/hotel using Concur until request is approved. Conference hotels can be booked directly with hotel.

• Smartphone apps to attach receipts, submit requests, reimbursements, and/or approve request and expense from anywhere, anytime.

• Eliminates the need for paper receipts. Save electronic receipts and upload or import into Concur.

• Google maps feature for personal car mileage reimbursements.

• **Not integrated with travel budgets

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QUICK DEMO

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Status of Implementation• LeCroy, DO and DSC currently using Concur.

• The plan is to implement one college at a time. The colleges will be supported by the Travel Team.

• EFC is the first college to go live. Training started last week and will continue through March.

• NLC will be the next college.

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Next Steps• We recommend to begin prepping college by sending a few emails (template to be

provided) and start putting together some quick travel do’s/don’ts to.

• Business office should be main college contacts.

• Loading Users:– Travel team will provide a list of NLC employees (based on Colleague) with employee ids, 3x4 network logins, gls,

supervisors. NLC to review and make changes to employee file. User list will be imported to Concur by travel team.

• Training: – Business office will be first to be trained– Maximum class size is 15-18– Begin identifying a training room/lab with pc for hands-on training– LeCroy trainers lead the sessions– To receive Professional Development credit, participants must pass an end of class quiz with 90% or better– We recommend prioritizing training to “frequent travelers”, administrative assistants and supervisors/budge manager

(approvers) then open to others– Specialized training will be held for grant travelers and approvers– Training divided in 3 parts for now:

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– Part 1• Updating your travel profile, obtaining estimates, submitting pre-trip requests and cash advances.

– Part 2• Booking travel arrangements and submitting travel expense reports after the travel takes place.

– Part 3• Approving employee travel requests and expense reports and how to set up your delegate and delegate

permissions. This is targeting supervisors and administrative assistants.

– Additional classes will be added to train on Concur app, e-receipts, integration with other travel apps like “Trip It” and other great features. We want users to get the basics first.

– Online training will be provided.

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Travel Policy• At this time, the District Travel Policy, as stated in the Business Office

Procedures Manual (BPM), section 9, is still valid.

• However, with this software implementation, the approval of estimated expenses prior to the trip will shift from the Business Office to the supervisor. The Business Office will only review and approve expenses at the conclusion of the trip.

• College can implement more stringent requirements – optional

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Additional Info• Registration payments will be submitted to the Business Office on check requests / NPO forms.• Student travel along with sponsor’s travel will be processed on the paper forms until

further notice. Reservations, airfare, etc. will continue to be booked through the current travel agency, NTS.

• Trips started while using a paper PLT will be completed using the paper PLT.• In-area travel reimbursements will be processed through the Concur software.• Corporate Travel Planners (CTP) handles all travel arrangements booked through Concur.

• Supervisors will approve travel using the Concur software.• Grants:

– 2 levels of approval for pre-trip requests: supervisor college grant manager– 4 levels of approval for expense reports: supervisor college grant manager DSC grant

manager college business office• Major difference between current paper process and Concur is the pre-trip workflow and

that users will not be able to book air/car/hotel through Concur until the pre-trip request is approved.

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Questions?

Patricia Disbrow, CPADistrict Director of Financial Services/Comptrollerpdisbrow@dcccd.edu