Implementation Tasks

This topic discusses:

  • Preliminary tasks.

  • Implementation team.

  • Gap/fit analysis.

Implementing a payroll interface requires a thorough understanding of PeopleSoft HCM and the requirements of the third-party payroll system. To ensure a smooth implementation, you should:

  • Secure full executive sponsorship.

    You need cooperation from multiple departments, such as payroll, human resources, finance, and information services.

  • Set aside sufficient time and resources.

    Implementing a payroll interface requires design, planning, development, implementation, and testing. While strong project management is especially critical for global implementations with multiple companies, all implementations require a firm hand with scheduling and details.

  • Attend Payroll Interface training.

    Implementing a payroll interface requires both functional and technical expertise. Practice first by using the delivered sample data to understand how Payroll Interface works. Then, create your own definitions and output file using the delivered demo data as the model. Finally, copy a "live" database—don't use the actual live database—from your organization. Configure it and test run the Payroll Interface Calculate Deductions and Confirmation processes and the Export and Import processes using your organization's actual data.

  • Apply any software updates or fixes.

    Contact My Oracle Support for any applicable patches that have been posted since the general release.

  • Obtain the vendor documentation.

    Obtain a complete set of documentation from the third-party payroll vendor. The payroll interface that you set up is based on the data, formatting, and processing requirements of the third-party payroll system.

Recommended team members for a payroll interface implementation include:

  • Payroll interface lead.

    The lead is responsible for the payroll interface setup and configuration, and for the initial export/import of data. The lead must understand Payroll Interface as well as the third-party payroll system. Keep the backup lead informed during the entire implementation process.

  • Payroll functional lead.

    The lead is the recipient of the exported payroll data file. The lead should know about payroll codes, employee payroll data, and the steps involved in processing payroll. The lead needs to understand the third-party payroll system capabilities, if not its technical details.

  • Database administrator (DBA) technical lead.

    The lead manages PeopleSoft table maintenance, technical configurations, SQL, PeopleTools, the Application Engine, COBOL, and PeopleCode.

  • HCM functional lead.

    The lead must understand PeopleSoft HCM data and the transactions and business processes involving a payroll interface, including benefits and deduction calculations.

  • HCM project lead.

    The lead manages a payroll interface implementation and ongoing maintenance. Sometimes another team member takes on these duties.

The gap/fit analysis is the most important step in the implementation process. This is where you identify exactly what needs to be set up in the export interface definition (and to a lesser extent, the import interface definition).

Conduct a Functional Analysis

Analyze your functional requirements:

  • Establish data ownership.

    Establish who owns the data, typically either the human resources or the payroll department.

  • Identify business processes, transactions, and data flow.

    Create a flow chart that shows data movement in different situations, such as for new hires, transfers, and pay rate changes.

  • Determine common data elements.

    Determine common elements and relationships between the existing employee data and the requirements of the third-party application. Identify field mapping and translation requirements.

Conduct a Technical Analysis

Analyze your technical requirements:

  • Identify the PeopleSoft tables and fields.

    Identify the tables and fields containing employee-level payroll-related data to be exported. Depending on the data requirements of the third-party payroll system, you may need to create additional views.

  • Identify the third-party payroll system fields.

    Identify the third-party payroll system fields that will receive the data that is exported from PeopleSoft HCM. Understand the third-party payroll system import specifications. Refer to the vendor documentation or use the third-party payroll system's technical support for assistance.

  • Identify data gaps.

    Identify and isolate any gaps between PeopleSoft HCM and the third-party payroll system. Isolate requirements as early as possible. Any gaps will have to be bridged using special processes, routines, calculations, or conditional logic.

Obtain the Vendor Documentation

It is critical that you obtain the vendor documentation for the third-party payroll system. The vendor documentation contains the requirements for the third-party payroll system and will guide you in setting up the export or import interface definition.

Work with the third-party vendor to answer the following types of questions:

  • What file format is required for import (for example, comma-delimited or a physical sequence)? Is there a choice on the type of fields exported? Which type of file is recommended for personal data?

  • What's the required file layout? For example, should there be a header record using field names or field name codes followed by the value? Also, should there be a trailer record?

  • Can you accept a flat file of employee data each pay period? (That is, a full export instead of just changes.)

  • What are file naming conventions? Where should export files be placed?

  • Do earnings and personal data need to be in separate files?

  • Are any fields effective-dated?

  • What is the unique key field or combination of fields that identifies an employee? For example, payroll ID or national ID (SSN).

  • What fields are mandatory? Are fields different for new hires or changes to existing data? Do any fields need to be paired or grouped together?

  • What is the maximum number of fields per output record?

  • Can new hires and changes be in the same file?

  • Are there user-defined lists, such as cost center lists, that have to be pre-loaded with PeopleSoft HCM values? (For each user-defined list, you need the third-party payroll provider's values to set up correct data mappings.)

  • Are there reports that validate the payroll interface export file, for example, a report that identifies changes to the system?

  • Who prepares the export file from the third-party payroll system?

  • How do you set up a test database with the third-party payroll software? (You should run test imports into the third-party system, but you do not want to touch the production database.)

Perform the Data Mapping

Data mapping between PeopleSoft HCM and the third-party payroll system is a vital implementation step. Base your data mapping on the information gathered during the functional and technical analyses. Data mapping requires two considerations:

  • PeopleSoft field locations must match up with third-party payroll system field locations.

    For example, if your third-party payroll system receives data for hire status in the 30th position of a physical export file, then you must configure Payroll Interface to place this data in the 30th position of your export file.

  • Data values must be translated accurately.

    For example, the hire-status value for active employees is maintained in PeopleSoft HCM as Active. In the third-party payroll system, the same data might be maintained using the value A. To map the PeopleSoft data to the third-party payroll system, you would need to construct your file export process to write a value of A to the export file every time it sees a value of Active in the PeopleSoft data (because the value of Active means nothing to the third-party payroll system).

To map values between PeopleSoft HCM and the third-party payroll system, use translate values.

See Setting Up the Field Definition Table.

Note: (USF) Every effort is made to ensue that the National Finance Center (NFC) sample data that is delivered with Payroll Interface conforms to NFC requirements. However, you should always check the data mapping in the delivered export configuration for accuracy.

This graphic shows a spreadsheet you can use as a starting point to facilitate data mapping:

Image: Spreadsheet to facilitate data mapping

This graphic shows a spreadsheet you can use as a starting point to facilitate data mapping.

Spreadsheet to facilitate data mapping

Note: Use the Payroll Interface field name to set up the interface file definition when you define the export/import file layouts.

Assess Employee Actions

Payroll Interface uses the PeopleSoft employee ID (EmplID) to track and export changes that occur to employee payroll-related data. The PeopleSoft employee ID must be mapped to the third-party payroll system employee ID. Analyze your human resources, benefits, and payroll transactions; make sure you understand the relationships between these transactions and the requirements of the third-party payroll system.

This table lists the types of questions to ask during the analysis:

Action

Questions

Hires

  • What ID do you use for payroll?

  • How do you assign employee IDs?

  • How does the payroll system identify new hires?

  • Are there special requirements for a new-hire transaction?

  • What are the minimum required data fields?

Rehires

  • How are rehires processed?

  • Is the same payroll ID used over and over again?

  • How does the payroll system set up a rehire? Are preexisting or new IDs used?

  • What impact might existing rehire procedures have on Payroll Interface?

Terminations

  • How does the payroll system handle terminations?

  • Do you need to send over a special code?

  • Do you need to zero out compensation values?

  • Do you need to zero out date fields? Do you need to send any stop transactions?

Employee ID Changes

Do you need a procedure to translate the third-party payroll system employee ID to the PeopleSoft EmplID?