ERP Modernization

The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Modernization project is a five-year initiative that will renew the University of Alberta’s core administrative systems — currently implemented via PeopleSoft and associated integrations — which support finance, HR, student information and other key institutional functions.

This modernization will upgrade aging platforms and reduce reliance on extensive customizations, improving system integration, data quality and user experience. These improvements will strengthen the university’s ability to deliver efficient, scalable and sustainable administrative and academic services.

Why This Work Matters

 ERP systems form a software backbone of most organizations — supporting finance, human resources and other core operations. The university’s ERP, PeopleSoft, was implemented in 1998 and has been extensively customized over nearly 30 years.

The U of A’s ERP system is no longer enabling the institution — it is constraining it, limiting its ability to grow and scale sustainably.

The current ERP system has undergone more than two decades of heavy customization to address changing processes and gaps in the default system. This has resulted in a software environment that is difficult to maintain and scale to meet the current and forecasted needs of the university.

Benefits to the University Community

ERP Modernization will benefit the student, staff and research experience by improving core organizational functions.

Benefits of this renewal include:

  • Enabling a more seamless and connected student and staff experience
  • Enabling modern data and AI-enabled capabilities
  • Supporting research collaboration and impact at scale
  • Benefiting research by enabling simpler administrative processes
  • Enabling a more seamless experience across ERP-integrated platforms (ex: ARISE, U of A Directory, Alfresco, etc.)

Workstream Overview

The university’s ERP system integrates with many systems and teams. To help organize the renewal work and ensure close coordination with units and teams working in relevant portfolios, ERP Modernization will be divided into four workstreams.

Finance & Research Administration

Purpose: To transform the university’s financial ecosystem by enforcing standardized best practices, eliminating decades of technical debt and providing a unified foundation for institutional financial planning, grant administration and procurement.

Sponsors: Darrell Dancause & Ria Ames

Human Resources

Purpose: To modernize the end-to-end employee lifecycle for a complex workforce of faculty, staff, researchers and student workers, establishing a single source of truth that fosters a connected, inclusive and digitally empowered university community.

Sponsors: Marcie Chisholm & Ria Ames

Student Information System

Purpose: To deliver a seamless, personalized and digitally mature educational journey from prospect to alumni, replacing siloed legacy processes with an agile, student-centric platform designed to support modern academic delivery and student success.

Sponsor: Adam Robertson

Data

Purpose: To improve functionality of the ERP and associated systems with data, resolving current challenges with root data issues, open fields and a lack of consistent data to pull from.

Reports into Steering Committee

Program Scope and Timeline

To begin the ERP Modernization process, the university will first undertake a 24-month foundational phase focused on process simplification and data quality. This will support a thorough understanding of current state and necessary requirements before going to market to secure a new ERP solution.

Modernization of the university’s ERP system is anticipated to take five years, and has an associated budget of $100 - 150M over this period.

Community Consultation and Engagement

Modernization of the current ERP system is a large-scale operational initiative, with complex integrations with applications across many university functions.

 PeopleSoft-integrated applications are used by many U of A teams, and feedback on the current state of these systems is critical to understanding what will be affected and what can be improved through this modernization.

Consultation will be informed by:

  • Project advisory committees featuring a cross-section of leaders from different roles across the university
  • Engagement with subject matter experts (process owners, staff present during PeopleSoft implementation, etc.)
  • Ongoing consultation and workshops with impacted members of the university community

Contact Us

Questions about the Enterprise Resource Planning Modernization program?

Email: erpm@ualberta.ca