Ascend 2.0 Program Update
Effective August 2, 2024, the Ascend 2.0 Program will be paused as the University conducts a comprehensive current state assessment of all finance and procurement processes and technology. This will allow the University to determine the best path forward for the Ascend 2.0 Program. To learn more about the program pause, review the BruinPost that was sent to campus on June 26th and our frequently asked questions.
Overview
The Ascend 2.0 Program, previously known as Ascend, is an ambitious, multi-year initiative to re-imagine the landscape of UCLA’s financial systems. The new name was chosen to reflect the broad reach of this program, encompassing multiple technology solutions to meet the complex needs of the University in support of the mission.
Financial Systems Transformation
UCLA has experienced remarkable growth since the development of the current financial systems four decades ago. Adopting modern, scalable, cloud-based systems will empower UCLA’s continued growth and the financial operations needed to support it. This initiative will allow staff to focus on the core mission, empowered by up-to-the-minute data and robust reporting capabilities.
Ascend 2.0 Workstreams
The Finance and Technical Teams support the implementation of the new Bruin Finance system, powered by Oracle Financial Cloud, and will streamline financial management across the university. The Technical Team's work is centered around six work pillars: Integrations, Data Conversions, Reporting, Retrofit, Applications Development, and Security.
Learn more about some of the changes coming to the research community and what you can do to prepare by reviewing the Research webpages!
The Procurement Team supports the implementation of the new BruinBuy Plus system, powered by JAGGAER, that will ensure efficient processing, automated workflow approvals, and full transparency of each procurement from beginning to end.