What's New July 2023

As the initial launch of BruinBuy Plus is this fall, the Ascend 2.0 focus has been on ensuring campus has the tools it needs to prepare for this change. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) has been completed with a select group of campus users who experienced, tested, and provided feedback on the system functionality. In addition, new videos were shared to preview key procurement steps within BruinBuy Plus, and the Ascend Program team partnered with the Concur Expansion team to communicate broadly to campus the functions that will be moving from BruinBuy to Concur this summer.  

Message from O.T. Wells II: User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Update  

I want to extend a special thank you to the UCLA members who participated in BruinBuy Plus’ User Acceptance Testing (UAT). These individuals graciously agreed to support this critical activity during one of the campus’ busiest times of the year, helping us get one step closer to the next milestone in BruinBuy Plus’ implementation: training! The hard work and dedication of these experts is paving the way for upcoming communications and learning opportunities. 

New BruinBuy Plus Demonstration Videos  

Want to learn more about how key procurement functionalities will be met in BruinBuy Plus? Watch several new short demonstration videos: Shopping Cart Demo, Purchase Request Form, and Purchase Order (PO) and Invoice Status Lookup. This is one more step you can take to prepare your department for the initial launch of BruinBuy Plus later this year.  

Learn More About the Concur Expansion  

As the University prepares for the launch of BruinBuy Plus, UCLA is also expanding the functionality of the current Concur system. The first three expansion packs move the following BruinBuy functions into Concur:

• Monthly PCard Statement Reconciliation (launched June 16)
• Non-Travel & Non-Entertainment (Non-T&E) Business Expense Reimbursements (launched July 10)
• Cash Advances* (launched July 10)

Reminder: Cash Advances are only allowed in very limited circumstances.

Access the Concur Expansion website to learn more information or email the Concur Expansion team.  

The Campus Reporting Committee and Research Reporting Subcommittee were established this spring to define the reports to be prioritized with the launch of Bruin Finance. Members of these groups were nominated by Finance and Research leaders and represent a variety of campus organizations. They successfully identified approximately 40 critical reports which will be necessary to support the majority of campus reporting needs once Bruin Finance launches.   

While these identified reports will handle most campus reporting needs, there will also be a self-service option available for departments that may require additional specialized reports.  

With this initial milestone of identifying the list of critical reports complete, the next step is to define the requirements and to design these reports. Over the next several months, the Campus Reporting Committee and Research Reporting Subcommittee members will provide input to support this process. More information will be shared on the newly developed reports across the Bruin community later this fall.  

Standardization and Optimization

Progress continues as we move from the current state (Full Accounting Unit – FAU) to future state (Chart of Account – CoA). This progress is supported by the strong collaboration between Mapping Experts, Organization Financial Leaders and the Ascend 2.0 team. This CoA partnership is vital to the successful launch of Bruin Finance.   

 The next phase, Standardization and Optimization, involves the Ascend 2.0 team working with campus partners to review values mapped by Mapping Experts to find opportunities to improve the CoA. Standardization and Optimization activities will take place through October 2023.

Monthly Outreach Sessions 

Monthly Outreach Sessions have been initiated to ensure continued alignment and progress. The inaugural session included an overview of the Account, Fund, and Transaction Class segments. The focus was on providing definitions and uses of these segments and how these segments may influence future CoA Standardization and Optimization.   

In late July, campus members are invited to receive a first look into the new system through an Oracle Chart of Accounts demonstration. Outreach Sessions will continue to take place monthly through this fall where new system updates, functionality, and benefits will be shared.