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Cornell University: Putting a New Face on a Familiar System
2/27/2003
The approver needs only to click on the link embedded in the e-mail for direct access to the Web page that lists all of the requisitions in their queue. A simple click on any of the requisition items pulls up the associated Requisition WebForm. The individual can accept, reject, or modify the requisition directly on the WebForm—and with just a simple mouse click, can even refer to the vendor catalog for more information. At this point, the request is not yet a requisition and has not been entered into the APPS system. It may even go through additional approvers (who are not recognized in APPS) before it gets to an APPS authorized department "editor" or "approver."When finalized and approved by an APPS recognized approver, the data from the requisition moves into the APPS system, populating the appropriate fields in APPS with the data that was collected and processed through the new Web-based user interface. At this stage of the cycle, the system generates an e-mail to the department administrator approver for final requisition approval.
For example, if a graduate student working in the lab late at night discovers the supply of beakers is low, they can go online, bring up a vendor catalog, choose the beakers, and initiate the purchase process with a requisition. The next morning their faculty supervisor receives an e-mail to review the request. Once approved, an e-mail regarding the request will be sent to the department administrator. Upon approval of this authorized APPS user, the request becomes a requisition and information will be populated into the APPS system immediately and automatically. The remainder of the purchasing process takes place within the APPS system just as it always has; with final approval the requisition becomes a purchase order that the purchasing department sends out to the vendor.
"It just streamlines the process for the user," explains Patriarco. "Everything they need is there at their fingertips, in one browser window." Aside from the increased accuracy and the pure customer convenience factor of having the catalogs a click away, the university is looking forward to cost containment and contract utilization benefits that will come from increased usage of these preferred suppliers.
The second piece of the new interface is the "WebReq": A streamlined, simplified Web-based window into the APPS system. Over half of the APPS authorized users access the system a dozen or fewer times a year and the new Web interface makes it easy and intuitive, walking them through the process, guiding them every step of the way.
The newly designed APPS system user interface completely changes the way the system is used by matching the way people work—eliminating system redundancies and removing cumbersome legacy navigation that would lead to errors along the way. "This new system, with its drop-down menus, descriptive comments, and pop-up help windows, is considerably easier to use," says Patriarco. "We've eliminated codes, function keys, and levels within the system."
Making the Grade
Development was complete in just under six months, a major portion of the time
was spent in the focus group user-interface design process to optimize the performance
of the system and streamline user interaction.
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