UQ buys new human resource and payroll package

The University of Queensland has become the first Australian university to purchase the Aurion integrated human resource and payroll package for client/server environments.

The University exchanged contracts valued at just under $900,000 for the Aurion human resource and payroll system with Compuware Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd at the end of August.

The new system replaces the University's in-house staff and payroll system used for the past eight years to meet the needs of 5500 academic and general staff, plus casuals.

The University has a complex personnel system with staff on a variety of awards and work arrangements. Last year the University paid 6200 permanent and temporary staff on the fortnightly payroll, processed 30,000 casual salary claims and issued 14,000 group certificates.

The Aurion product was selected this year after a call for tenders in 1997.

An Aurion project team led by project director Marcus Parsons and project manager Jennie Webb, both of Personnel Services, includes staff from the University's Personnel Services and Business Services sections, and the vendor.

University Secretary and Registrar Douglas Porter said the new system would meet the needs for Year 2000-compliance, provide increased flexibility and allow for commercial product maintenance.

He said the sophisticated system was the first in a series of core administrative systems to be replaced by commercial products over the next few years.

Aurion would be implemented in three stages - Core (replacement of current human resources, leave and payroll functionality); Dialogue (workflows, electronic routing) and HR (training and human resource development, occupational health and safety).

Stage one of the system - core human resources, leave and payroll functionality - will be launched for the pay of July 2, 1999, the first pay in the 1998/1999 financial year.

The second stage - Dialogue - will allow staff to use a Web site to update their personal details such as addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. Staff will also be able to enter their own leave applications for electronic routing to their supervisors for approval.

Heads of departments and managers will have more up-to-date information on staff matters available through a "manager's desktop" facility.

Mr Porter said University faculties, departments and staff would be kept informed on how the system would affect them from new-look reports to streamlined administrative processes, and even to how their new payslips would look.

Aurion was designed by Brisbane-based firm HR Software and is used by a number of federal and state government departments and agencies.

Media: For further information contact Mr Porter, telephone 07 3365 1310.