Solution

University Adam Mickiewicz decided to implement an integrated system supporting the management of the university for many important reasons. Previously used software did not meet the growing needs of university management, as well as did not cover all areas of its activity. Therefore, a decision was made to replace the software for a dedicated, modern and fully integrated system supporting university management, in line with the capabilities of today’s advanced information technologies – Microsoft Dynamics® AX ALMA.

Benefits

One of the basic features of the integrated ERP class system is its flexibility and ability to adapt to the specifics of each industry. Higher education is also such an industry.

Each university is a kind of “enterprise” that provides educational services, conducts research projects, completes orders, supports students’ academic aspirations, conducts HR and payroll issues of employees, etc.

In order to accomplish the above tasks, the university collects appropriate resources. These funds may come from various sources, both from subsidies and from own revenues. Due to the diversity of origin, the university must control their budgets and report their use in detail. Each department conducts educational, research and statutory activities. All of these activities must be planned and accounted for within the faculty. Universities are also subject to the provisions related to the Public Procurement Act. Due to the different ways of calculating wages, many pay components, the ability to work in different places or in many positions, running HR and payroll issues is also an important challenge.

All such problems and challenges can be solved thanks to the use of an integrated system. Microsoft Dynamics® AX ALMA is a system that has been adapted to the requirements of the university. It has found application in many areas – starting from billing, accounting and costs department, through the public procurement department and the property registration department, to the HR and payroll department.

Implemented at the University of Adam Mickiewicz’s Microsoft Dynamics® AX ALMA system covered its functionality: the Department of Property Recordings, Finance Department, Accounting and Cost Department, Bursary, Procurement Department, Human Resources and Organization Department, Wages and Scholarships Department, Social Department, Scientific Publishing House and Graphic Works.

In particular, the system covered the following areas:

Department of Property Record

Creating a fixed asset purchase record using the multi-copy function
Support for census fields
Support for inventory of fixed assets
Handling fixed assets accepted as part of research activities (settled through deferred income)
Characteristic calculation of depreciation for funds from EU subsidies
Automation of depreciation calculations

Finance Department

Functionalities related to the VAT-specific service for the University
Posting VAT tax according to the sales structure
Handling of unqualified VAT
Functionalities related to the interface with the University Student Service System (USOS)
Functionalities related to the connection of the System with the banking systems functioning at the University

Accounting and Cost Department

Functionalities related to the operation and control of Grants, Orders, Tasks, Projects

automatic calculation of overheads
setting budgets
control of budget implementation
alerts when crossing budgets
transferring unused amounts between years of the duration of the grant, tasks, orders
automatic overhead accounting for departmental and general university costs when the invoice is booked
the ability to exclude certain costs from billing

Functionalities related to supporting paid Studies and Conferences

the ability to track the revenues and costs associated with a given conference
automatic accounting for overheads for departmental and general university costs at the time of booking the costs associated with the conference
automatic posting at the moment of posting income from paid studies

Functionalities related to budgeting and control of scientific circles

creating budgets for a given scientific circle
budget implementation control
alerts when crossing budgets

Functionalities related to the settlement of the costs of university facilities

settings for sharing the costs of the object to the use units
posting costs to relevant departmental and university-wide cost accounts for a given unit

Bursary

– Functionalities related to billing and automated booking of overheads for general university and departments costs
– Functionalities related to the settlement of general university and faculty costs
– Support for financing sources