University faculty came together Thursday to host an open forum about updates to PeopleSoft software used by the University.

PeopleSoft is a management software that is used by the University for services such as MyBGSU.

The open forum took place in Hayes Hall 111 and discussed the PeopleSoft Application Roadmap (CHESS), which lays out how the University will update current PeopleSoft software.

Updates for PeopleSoft software will go live July 19.

The goal is for software to be easier to use, said Margo Kammeyer, special project manager for ITS.

“[We want to] automate, improve [and] make more efficient,” she said.

The forum began with the Campus Solutions Systems (CSS)/Human Capital Management (HCM) split on PeopleSoft softwares, discussed by Sheri Kellogg, CHESS program manager and director of applications for ITS.

CSS deals with software used by students such as MyBGSU and HCM deals with faculty, such as payroll and benefits, Kellogg said.

The two systems are currently under one application, and the University wants to put them into separate ones, she said.

While the CHESS committee has been successful in its work, Kellogg said they need to work quickly to meet their deadline.

“We’ve had a year and a half of successful activities,” she said.

Rich Kasch, ITS systems analyst, agreed, explaining the history of the project.

“This project has been kicked around in various forms … but we’re going to get it done this time,” Kasch said.

Kellogg also discussed improvement to the system, including better self-service functionality.

One of these improvements would be better notification systems for employees and streamlining the hiring processes at the University.

Another topic touched on was the “continental divide.” Kellogg explained this with a graph that measured the level of effort to change software against the benefits.

Kellogg said things that took less effort but provided large benefits were being looked at, while things on the other end of the spectrum were being considered less.

Kellogg then discussed guest access, which allows parents to log into a CSS software and look at their students’ activities at the University.

Kammeyer then discussed changes to the software that would improve things such as self-service pages for people to declare disabilities.

Phyllis Short, ITS Apple support team manager, talked about streamlining the hiring process for students, making it simpler and faster.

She also talked about “on-boarding” and “off-boarding,” which deals with employees coming and leaving the University. Currently, she said, new employees have to go to many different buildings to begin working.

The new updates will make this process easier, she said.

Kellogg closed the forum by asking for questions and talking about the forums as a whole, saying the University is trying to be transparent by hosting them.

The next forum will take place on June 11.