CVM fully converted to BANNER; two more units go online in November

The College of Veterinary Medicine—the first campus unit to fully activate the pre-programmed software package—now enters and transmits requisitions electronically via the new system to the Office of Procurement and Contracts.

Approval cues, based on object code numbers, eliminate the need for signatures on requisition forms, said Debbie Joiner, CVM purchasing supervisor.

Joiner said the college has been using BANNER since July 1 for production, and began using the system exclusively in early September.

"Our accounting is done on BANNER," Joiner said. "In fact, we do everything on the system. As far as our purchasing here at the vet school, it's totally BANNER—all inquiries and updating.

"When we enter a transaction and it's approved, the transaction is automatically posted in accounting. By the time Procurement is ready to print it out, all the posting has taken place. It saves a lot of time."

The college initiates approximately 30-50 transactions per day, Joiner said, and BANNER has saved tremendous amounts of time and paper.

CVM administrative officer Barbara Rhoades echoed Joiner's enthusiasm. "We've been very impressed," she said.

A major advantage of the system is that it will allow departments to discontinue much of the paper processing now being done. Also, account statuses will be updated immediately upon entry by a department, eliminating the long delays that sometimes occur with a paper processing system.

The next campus units scheduled to go on line are Physical Plant and the Printing Department, according to Procurement and Contracts purchasing agent Milo Crabtree.

"We're in the process of 'training the trainers,'" Crabtree said. "Laura Merritt and Lisa James are the two trainers who will go out and work with all the departments.

"The Physical Plant and the Printing Department should be on line by Thanksgiving and we will soon begin working with some academic departments. It all depends on who's ready with equipment and software, as determined by the Computing Center.

"We're very positive about where we're headed. As far as we're concerned in Procurement and Contracts, we're ready to go. Everything that we're doing now will make the whole purchasing process better.

"It may not seem that way at first, because it's new and different. Testing the system in the College of Veterinary Medicine taught us a lot. They were great. They were super to work with, and that's the key. If all our departments are that receptive, it will move very smoothly."