University of Nebraska campuses will begin transitioning to Concur, a new software system to streamline travel expense reporting on July 1st.
Concur will “go live” at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and University of Nebraska at Omaha on July 1. The campuses of the Nebraska State College System, which is partnering with the university to implement Concur, will also make the switch on July 1. The University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Central Administration will follow on Sept. 10. Full phase-in and training will be ongoing through the fall, in accordance with an implementation timeline developed by a university-wide travel advisory group representing NU faculty and staff.
Concur was approved for purchase by the Board of Regents last August. The new system – an upgrade from the university’s existing SAP platform – is expected to reduce paperwork and labor by creating a standard digital process for requesting travel and submitting travel expense requests. It’s aimed at making the process more convenient for travelers and travel approvers alike.
Particularly during the transition period, the university will work with all employees to ensure they are appropriately reimbursed for travel-related expenses. Following are common questions and answers related to the transition, including resources if faculty and staff have additional questions.
I just booked a trip using the current system. Do I need to do anything?
If the last day of your travel is on or before Oct. 15, 2018, you don’t need to do anything.
If the last day of your travel is after Oct. 15, you will have to cancel your trip request and re-submit it once Concur “goes live” on your campus.
I need to book a work trip now. What should I do?
If you expect the last day of your travel to be on or before Oct. 15, 2018, you may continue to request any university business travel through the current ESS Travel or SAP TRIP applications until your campus’ “go-live” date for Concur. After that date (July 1 for UNK and UNO, and Sept. 10 for UNMC, UNL and Central Administration), the old applications will not be available for requesting travel.
If the last day of your travel will be after Oct. 15, it’s best to wait until after Concur is live on your campus to avoid having to submit and then cancel a travel request.
What if my travel will take place before Concur is implemented on my campus, but I don’t submit expense reimbursements until after the implementation date?
Per state law, employees have 60 days after their travel to submit expense reimbursements. To make for a smoother transition, the reimbursement options in the current ESS Travel and SAP TRIP applications will not be fully phased out for several months, allowing employees to submit their reimbursements in the same system in which they requested their travel.
How was this implementation timeline developed? Why aren’t all campuses making the switch at the same time?
Rather than transitioning all campuses at once, the university-wide travel group recommended a phased approach so that questions, concerns and any “bugs” can be worked out in a more effective and timely manner.
I’ll need help figuring out Concur. Who is going to help me?
Campus leads across the university are being trained now and will be prepared to help faculty and staff transition to the new system. Additional in-person training sessions for faculty and staff will be held on each campus this fall so that no faculty or staff member who is away for the summer misses a training opportunity.
In addition, information and a video tutorial are available at the university’s Concur “help website,” which is coming soon.
I still have questions about my travel plans or expense reporting. Who can I call?
First, be assured that the university will work with faculty and staff members to ensure their travel is booked correctly and they are reimbursed for their expenses. Questions about individual travel may be directed to the following:
•Melody Stark, University of Nebraska travel manager – melody.stark@nebraska.edu
•Teresa Carlson, UNO accounts payable manager – tcarlson@unomaha.edu or (402) 554-4937
•Carrie Stithem, UNK accounts payable manager – stithemcl@unk.edu or (308) 865-8865
Individual contacts at UNMC and UNL will be shared once their campus leads have been fully trained on the new system. Until then, faculty and staff on those campuses should contact University of Nebraska travel manager Melody Stark at the email address or phone number above.
What is the status of the draft university-wide travel policy that was issued in January?
A university-wide team has spent considerable time revising the travel policy following feedback sessions on the campuses earlier this year. Input and guidance from the travel advisory group, which includes faculty from all four campuses, has been particularly instructive in adjusting the policy to better serve the needs of university travelers.
The final draft policy is currently under review by the university’s senior leadership. Once finalized, the updated document will be shared broadly with the university community.