UWFT Monthly Program News Update
This message was sent to UW leadership, administrators and finance role-holders. Others who received this email are those whose work will be impacted by UWFT, or who have expressed an interest in staying aware of program news. This message may be shared broadly.
CURRENT PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
We continue to follow the timeline for the “Readiness Phase” – a period of time that relies on broad stakeholder input to inform and define the larger scope, schedule, budget and funding plan for this transformation. Check out the UWFT website for more on Readiness and a closer look at the current timeline.
Foundation Data Model workshops
Over the next few months, UWFT and a targeted group of stakeholders will delve into how best to architect key financial data elements across the Workday platform, known as the Foundation Data Model (FDM). The initial kick-off session included about 125 participants, and subsequent deep-dive FDM Discovery Workshops are comprised of 10-20 subject matter experts from targeted stakeholder groups across the institution.
Momentum for IT Working Groups
UWFT is launching IT subject matter working groups to regularly provide input into the strategic direction for UWFT. Their insights will inform critical decisions in a timely and effective way for the program’s IT strategy. The oversight for these groups, comprised of a diverse membership team, provides management, coordination, and alignment.
We want to hear from you!
In January, the UWFT team met with administrators in the School of Public Health and the College of Arts & Sciences. The program team shared an overview and the units were able to ask questions and share valuable insights and considerations. If you’re on the organizing committee of a group that would like to hear from the program, please reach out to UWFTAsk@uw.edu.
Are FIT and UWFT the same thing?
No. UW Medicine is undergoing several simultaneous, large-scale transformational efforts under the umbrella of the Financial Improvement & Transformation or FIT program. FIT initiatives overlap with UWFT in some places, but serve different purposes.
FIT is a multi-year, system-wide strategy to protect the UW Medicine’s mission and significantly improve the organization’s financial health. The program includes a combination of initiatives designed to generate revenue, control costs and invest in foundational systems. Each initiative must meet specific financial targets by June 2020. Learn a little bit about some of the key programs within FIT, including the Ambulatory Access Improvement Initiative, the Clinical Products & Smart Innovation process, the Northwest Hospital Integration effort, and Destination: One (D:1) – previously known as "Clinical Transformation."
UWFT'S MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Q: What specific systems will be replaced as part of UWFT?
A: Answering that question is one of many important decisions the program must make during the Readiness Phase. With over 800 side systems currently in use, the UWFT team is working to identify which systems can be fully replaced, which require partial replacement and which require some other form of remediation.
All FAQs
New members of the UWFT team!
Welcoming our new AVP and other key staff
As previously announced, we are thrilled to have hired our new assistant vice president who is charged with leading the UWFT program team through this multi-year effort. Since taking the job in November, Ed Loftus has been meeting weekly with Brian McCartan (VP, UW Finance), Ann Anderson (AVP, Finance Enterprise Services) and various members of UWFT leadership to expedite the onboarding process. Ed joined the team in person earlier this month, and has been participating in governance team and unit engagement meetings.
In addition to welcoming Ed, the team is also excited that Scott Coil has joined as a business analyst supporting the design team and will be leveraging his five years of UW finance and administration experience (thanks, Meany Hall team!). Additionally, Juan Mascarello has joined the PMO team as a project manager and brings with him an important familiarity with both the UW in general and Workday at UW in particular (thanks, UW-IT and ISC!). Last but not least, Erick Winger has joined the team as a functional lead supporting the design team where he'll tap into his nearly 17 years of experience at the UW in finance, including co-leading the finance pod during the HRPM program (thanks, UW Financial Accounting!).
Interested in joining UWFT?
There are a few open positions currently posted, but don't be discouraged if you don't see something that fits your skills and experience. This program team is expected to grow from its current size of a couple of dozen to many times that by the time we go live, so check back frequently to see our other open positions.
UWFT Newsletter Distribution List
This message is being sent to UW leadership, administrators and finance role-holders. You may also be receiving this email because your work will be impacted by UWFT or you’ve expressed an interest in staying aware of program news. You’re welcome to forward this message broadly, and please email us at uwftask@uw.edu if you’d like to be added to our distribution list.