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  5. State Agencies Bulletin No. 190

State Agencies Bulletin No. 190

Subject
Software Upgrade for the Payroll Services PaySR Application
Date Issued
October 2, 2000

Purpose

To provide information about the technical upgrade for the PaySR application from version 6.01 to version 7.02

To provide information about new menu items and new features which will be available for PaySR users

To provide procedure for reporting any issues which may be related to the upgrade

Affected Employees

All PaySR users who submit payroll transactions, look up payroll information, or produce spreadsheets and reports from PaySR applications

Effective Dates

Columbus Day Weekend, beginning at noon on Friday, October 6, 2000, and continuing through 6:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2000

Schedule Changes

During the Columbus Day weekend, OSC will upgrade the PaySR application and the PS Query database. This is considered to be a "technical" upgrade, and the impact for users will be minimal.

There will be no change in agency processing deadlines.

The PaySR system and PS Query will not be available for users from Friday noon, October 6, 2000 until Tuesday morning, October 10, 2000.

Some agencies receive a daily processed transaction file (NHRP520). The files for Friday, 10/06/00, will not be available until the upgrade is complete.

Background

The PaySR application is currently on version 6.01 of the PeopleSoft application. Maintenance and support for this version expired in September, 1999. The "technical" upgrade of PaySR to version 7.02 of the PeopleSoft application will ensure that OSC remains on a supported version of the software in order to obtain ongoing maintenance and support of the application from the vendor.

Testing has been successfully completed for all aspects of the PaySR system, including panel processing, payroll processes, the weekly production cycle, Reveal reports, PS Query, and the inbound and outbound files and interfaces. In addition, the new menu items and new features in version 7.02, which are explained below, have been successfully tested.

  • Customizations which were applied to the 6.01 version of PaySR will be available in the 7.02 version of PaySR.
  • The PaySR panels used for inquiries and transactions will remain the same.
  • The security classes assigned for PaySR users will be the same.

New Menu Items and New Features

  • New application logon screen. An application logon screen for PeopleTools 7 will be visible when users first sign on.
  • The "Start" menu option replaced by a "Go" menu option. This change has been made by the vendor to eliminate confusion and potential errors by users who may inadvertently select the Start button at the bottom of the desktop screen, instead of the Start menu item within the application.
  • "Favorites" added to Menu Bar. Users will be able to "bookmark" frequently used panels to reduce the number of steps required to access a panel. To add "favorite" panels, go to the panel. Then click on the "Favorites" Menu item and click on "Add to Favorites" on the drop down menu.
  • "Last panel(s) accessed" on the drop down menus. Users will be able to return to several previously accessed panels. This is similar to a feature which is currently available on Windows-based applications.
  • Pop-up calendar - When the user double-clicks an Effective Date field, a pop-up calendar will be displayed. The single arrows change the month forward or backward, one month at a time. The double arrows change the year forward or backward, one year at a time.

New PS Query Application

The PS Query application is substantially changed and improved in the 7.02 version. The new application is much more "user friendly" and easier to learn than PS Query in version 6.01. The new application has folders and a hierarchical tree structure which is similar to "Windows Explorer".

Minor changes have been made to some of the tables in the PS Query database. There should be no impact for saved private and public queries.

PS Query Training Guide

A new PS Query Training Guide has been developed. A copy of the Training Guide will be sent to agency Payroll Officers during the week of October 2, 2000.

PS Query User Support and Workshops

Assistance and user support for the new PS Query application will be available during regular working hours. Workshops for PS Query users will be offered in late October and in November. A training schedule of workshops and classes for PS Query users will be distributed to Payroll Officers.

PS Query users should review the PS Query Training Manual before registering for a workshop. The manual covers the essential differences between the old and new versions. It is expected that most users will have a smooth transition to the new version of PS Query, and additional training may not be needed.

A separate Payroll Bulletin will be issued to provide instructions for users who have "Run Only" access to PS Query.

Online Help

All Online Help procedures have been revised. These changes include:

  • "Start" changed to "Go" in all proceduresmodifications and improvements received from agency users
  • panel changes which have occurred since the implementation of PaySR in 1998.

A Document Reference number has been added to each section of Online Help. This number can be used as a "version control number" for the users who print sections of Online Help for reference or training materials.

The software used for Online Help has been upgraded and will facilitate the transition to future, web-based applications.

What to Expect

On Tuesday, 10/10/00, PaySR users will be able to:

  • Log on through Citrix
  • Access the 7.02 version of PaySR and perform all normal business processes
  • Access the 7.02 version of PS Query, print from list boxes, and export spreadsheets
  • Access Reveal reports and print out reports

Contingency Plan for Upgrade

Contingency plans have been developed to address unforseen and unanticipated circumstances that might prevent the upgrade from taking place. If the upgrade cannot be accomplished within the scheduled time frame, OSC will restore the PaySR production and PS Query databases from the full back-up made prior to the upgrade and continue to use version 6.01 until further notice.

Reporting Problems

In an upgrade of this magnitude, some issues may occur. OSC will monitor and track all issues related to the upgrade. It is anticipated that any upgrade issues which are reported to the OSC Help Desk will be resolved promptly.

Users who experience problems or unexpected panel changes in the PaySR applications should first report the problem to their agency Payroll Officer. The Payroll Officer should discuss the issue with the user and review the Online Help procedures, if applicable. Upgrade-related problems should be promptly reported to the OSC Help Desk.

Questions

Contact the OSC Help Desk at (518) 486-6745 to report any unexpected changes to panels and any other upgrade-related problems for:

  • PaySR panel differences
  • Security classes and access to panels
  • PS Query
  • Reveal
  • Online Help

Contact Query Help mailbox regarding the following:

  • User support and assistance with PS Query
  • Additional copies of the PS Query Training Guide
  • PS Query workshop schedule and enrollment