December 5, 2007

A periodic informational email from the Fulton County Schools SAP Management Team

This e-newsletter is sent each week during SAP implementation to keep SAP users aware of special dates, trainings and other important need-to-know news. Consider this your “One Stop Shop” for SAP news!

Access to SAP is limited to those who are trained, pass tests

The SAP management team has made every attempt to provide the training necessary to use SAP. In order to access and use SAP, individuals must complete the proper training classes and pass an assessment. Some employees have found a way to circumvent that process; therefore, as it has been clearly communicated, those individuals’ access will be removed until they can complete the training.

Why is this so important? SAP is now our primary system for business information management and what a user does in SAP has consequences throughout the entire school system. Training provide the following benefits:

· Prevents unauthorized creation/changing or deletion of data

· Maintains system integrity

· Limits display and access to sensitive data

· Legally confirms business transactions

· Ensures that errors or irregularities are prevented or detected on a timely basis by employees in the normal course of business

· Separates duties so that no single individual has control over two or more phases of a transaction or operation

These benefits are put at risk whenever an employee gains access to any part of SAP for which they are not authorized.

New process established for converting/creating staff positions

Staffing within Fulton County Schools is based on the question: “How will this help us meet the achievement needs of our students?”

For this reason, every staffing request must meet this criterion and be within established guidelines. With the implementation of SAP, we have the opportunity to better manage how positions are staffed. However, this also requires that everyone takes the time to understand how this process works and what your role is.

Below you will find a set of documents to help you effectively manage the assignment of staff in your school or department. They include:

· Form for requesting a new school-based position

· Form for requesting a new non-school-based position

· Form for requesting conversion of a non-school-based position

· Guidelines for position conversion within schools

· Flow chart of how the new process will work

Similar information on this new process was emailed to principals this week.

Quick Tip for the Week

The best way to get your SAP questions answered is to contact the SAP Help Desk at SAPhelpdesk@fultonschools.org or at 404-669-4956.

Sure, you could ask your colleague for a helpful hint, but by contacting the SAP Help Desk directly we can document the specific questions and concerns that are occurring throughout the system. This allows the SAP Project Team to see if there are trends among questions, which will help identify any training weaknesses or program areas that need to be addressed.

For more information about SAP

Support questions:   SAPhelpdesk@fultonschools.org or FCS Help Desk at 404-669-4956

General questions:   SAPinfo@fultonschools.org

        SAP web site:   www.fultonschools.org/fcssap