UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The SIMBA project is moving towards its July 1 launch date. SIMBA, Penn State's new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for Integrated Management, Budgeting and Accounting is replacing older financial systems such as IBIS with the latest ERP technology, SAP S/4 HANA.
With testing of SIMBA nearing completion, training more than 5,000 employees is the project’s next major milestone. Training curriculums and plans began more than a year ago and training formally kicked off on May 26.
“In order for SIMBA to be a success, users must be effective in using it; this is where training and support come in. Training provides users the knowledge and skills to operate SIMBA confidently and productively,” said David Gray, senior vice president for Finance and Business/treasurer, in a video message to the SIMBA community.
In April, the training team altered its training plan to reflect social distancing and eliminated its face-to-face training, moving towards virtual instructor-led and/or web-based training. Although the move removes participants from a physical classroom, learning and support mechanisms ensure users will be comfortable using SIMBA. Training for core end-users is mandatory and must be successfully completed before access to SIMBA is granted.
“We fully believe that the training provided to our stakeholders will be robust, efficient, and effective,” said Mike Andre, SIMBA Program Manager. “The OCM group is poised to respond to the training participants’ needs.”
While SIMBA officially launches on July 1, employees across the University will begin using SIMBA on July 6. This will ensure a smooth transition from both the system and employees’ perspectives.
More information about SIMBA and its training program can be found at simba.psu.edu.