An occasional report on what's new in cyberspace
Campus units doing business with the Operation and Maintenance Division
now have access to more detailed information about their O&M accounts.
Last summer, O&M switched to a new information-management system called
CHAMPS (a proprietary name that stands for Computerized, History and Maintenance
Planning System). Since the "PJ Vouchers" produced by CHAMPS are
posted on the World Wide Web, departmental business managers can view account
information from their desktop computers, using a Web browser. ("PJ
Vouchers" are the documents sent out explaining charges for O&M
work that departments charge against their own budgets. The name PJ came
about as a slang term for "Plant Jobs," referring to a time when
O&M was commonly known as the Physical Plant.)
According to Carl Wegel, manager of O&M's work-control center, the new
system makes it easier for O&M and its customers to track costs. It
also enhances O&M's capabilities for managing inventory and purchasing
operations.
But, Wegel said, the biggest advantage of the new system is improved customer
service. For example, "The former job-cost accounting system referred
to material purchases by a reference number," which, he said, was meaningless
to customers. "In CHAMPS, they're English-language descriptions."
The new system also provides categorical cost breakdowns, under headings
such as labor, stock and non-stock material. And, users have access to monthly
summaries and reports, with charges broken down in terms of labor and material.
Still another benefit, Wegel said, is that customers now have the ability
"to download a CSV file, representing their PJ Vouchers, directly to
their computers to be used in Excel or Lotus. They can then manipulate the
files and use them in their own systems," he said.
To gain access to account information, users must have a valid user name
and password. To request such authorization, Wegel said business managers
need to contact the O&M help desk, 244-6350, or complete and mail a
form that is available on the division's home page: http://www.oandm.uiuc.edu.
In an effort to make the Code on Campus Affairs and the Handbook of Policies
and Regulations Applying to All Students more accessible and user-friendly,
the information now appears on the UI's World Wide Web site.
Although the Code and the Handbook have been merged into a unified document
titled Code of Policies and Regulations Applying to All Students, Carl J.
Jones, chair of the Conference on Conduct Governance, stressed that "no
changes in the substance of the rules or the way that rules are made or
changed has occurred as a result of the move to electronic accessibility."
Some formatting changes were necessary, however, he said, "to make
searches and hot links user-friendly." And some renumbering of existing
rules was required as a result of merging the two documents.
Hard copies of the code are still available as well, but, Jones said, "it
is anticipated that hard copy runs of the code will be decreased over time."
Even so, reference copies will remain available in college and departmental
offices, as well as at the Student Services Building, the Office for Student
Conflict Resolution and other sites campuswide. The code can be accessed
on the Web at http://www.uiuc.edu/admin_manual/code/.
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