Welcome to SkyVU in Review – features, announcements, tips & tricks and other updates for Vanderbilt’s Oracle Cloud system and related processes.

Oracle Cloud Updates

Update 21C Completed

Vanderbilt’s Oracle Cloud environment was updated to Release 21C during the weekend of Aug 20-21.  Our next update 21D will occur the weekend of Nov 19-20.

Recent Updates & Reminders

Known Issues List

The Oracle Cloud Known Issues List is available in My Knowledge.  You can also access the list directly via the Oracle Help Center.

Purchasing Policy and Forms

The Procurement and Payment Services team recently updated the following items that are available in My Knowledge:

• The Purchasing Policy has been updated to reflect changes to Uniform Guidance and more accurately define required requisition and purchase order approvals
• The following procurement forms have been updated to use a new guided questionnaire format:
  • The Supplier Selection Justification form has been updated to reflect changes to Uniform Guidance and built into a guided questionnaire.  Upon completion, the questionnaire generate a completed SSJ for download that users will attach to their requisition. The current/legacy form will continue to be accepted through December 2021.
  • The IRS 20-point Test has also been updated into guided questionnaire.  Upon completion, when the outcome of the 20-point test is that the user is an employee or that more information is needed to determine employment status, it will automatically create a service request for HR Consulting.

We will include these topics in the next Finance & Core HR and Procurement continuing education meetings, and the related training materials will also be updated in the coming weeks.

If you have questions on any of these items, please contact the Purchasing Services team at purchasingservices@vanderbilt.edu.

Coming Soon: Oracle Release 21D

Prepare for replacement of Person Management

As noted during the August Finance and Core HR user group session, beginning with Release 21D in November 2021, the Person Management module will no longer be available in our environment, and users will now be required to use the updated mobile-responsive pages and quick actions.

The HR and OCI teams are in the process of planning additional training to prepare HCM Specialists and other users for the mandatory transition, and this training will be available toward the end of October.

Additional details will be shared in the coming weeks.

In Focus: Pending worker conversion and access

We have observed an increasing number of newly-hired users reaching out to the Oracle Help Desk for assistance with their accounts.  On further investigation, we are noting many of these users have claimed their VUnetID, but they are still in Pending Worker status in Oracle.

Remember that a user must have an active employee assignment in order to enter emergency contacts, direct deposit info, tax documentation and other similar activities in Oracle Cloud.

To avoid delays and confusion for your new team members, please:

• Convert pending workers in Oracle prior to their start date – this will ensure that the new hire can access employment activities as soon as possible on or after their first day; and
• Review any departmental onboarding instructions and update as needed to clarify that users should only expect to be able to complete these activities in the system on or after their start date.

Continuing Education

Cybersecurity Training and Resources

The Foundational Cybersecurity Training for Vanderbilt Employees course is available in Oracle Learning.  Most Vanderbilt staff are required to take this training this fall and can access the course within Oracle Cloud > Current Learning.

New hires will also be assigned this training automatically as they are onboarded and should complete the course within the first two weeks of their employment.

Additional information is available via the VUIT Cybersecurity Training webpage.

Financial Unit Managers, HCM Specialists and BU/E Approvers

FUMs, HCM Specialists, Approvers and other enrollees should access the Oracle Cloud Continuing Education: Financials and Core HR User Group 2021 series in Oracle Learning.

• Sessions 21A, 21B and 21C are now available.  If you were unable to attend one or more of the sessions, please be sure that you watch the meeting recording and review the presentation materials within the course.
• All enrollees can view and download calendar invitations for future sessions within the Oracle Learning course.

Procurement Users

Quarterly Continuing Education Series

Procurement Requesters and other users should access the Oracle Cloud Continuing Education: Procurement User Group series to view Sessions 21A and 21B if they have not already done so.  (Note: Given the recertification training during July-Sept 2021, there were no additional updates, and thus, there will not be a session 21C.)

In addition:

• If you have a question regarding a specific purchasing transaction, please contact the Purchasing and Payment Services team using the contact information provided on the Get Help page; or
• If you would like to suggest a topic for a future quarterly update or topic-based user session, please click here to submit your idea.