Client Success: First-class solution for the University of Cape Town

My name is Siobhan Evans. I'm the HR Systems Manager. So I'm responsible for all systems that HR needs in order to do end-to-end business processing. When the pandemic started, it was with two, three days notice, we had to all start working from home. Our biggest challenge at UCT was the fact that we were heavily paper-based. So now we're trying to get all our HR forms, which were new engagements, changes to appointments, all of that paperwork that was being delivered to one place on the university campus had to be delivered to twenty people's different homes. So we very quickly realised that wasn't gonna work. We had to start looking for other solutions. When I was going through the webinars on the EPI-USE Labs Client Central website, I came across what the Document Builder could do. I spent an enormous amount of time over the years running my own ad-hoc queries, wage-type reports, downloading both into Excel, using v-lookups to get everything into one report. With the Query Manager, I've got that control. I'm able to build a report that reads the payroll results. I can add in any master data from any info type want, I can add in formulas, totals, and calculations, just like I would in Excel to get the desired result that I'm looking for. Once we started with the Query Manager to the line managers, we were amazed by the response we got from them. Some of them came back and said, Well

University challenge: Finding better ways to communicate with staff

Due to the nature of its business and external funding, the university has many types of short-term employment contracts. To assist with this issue, UCT started looking for a product that would solve the problem of the large numbers of letters required to communicate with staff.

The university also faced other challenges, including the audit reporting of what information goes to who, and why. When they discovered Query Manager with Document Builder, they realised that EPI-USE Labs could solve not just one problem, but many more.

Training and support throughout COVID-19 pandemic

With Query Manager installed, UCT now has a long list of queries and documents that it is building and disseminating. The client can now build a query, test it immediately and then fix it straight away. This responsiveness is extremely valuable. It means the business units receive reports much more quickly than if an ABAP programme were to be created, transported, tested, fixed, transported and tested repeatedly to achieve the desired result.

Getting Query Manager up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic was quick and easy for the university. It had the added benefit of having access to the EPI-USE Labs’ Client Central portal, with pre-configured reports to download and knowledge-base articles.

Because of COVID-19, EPI-USE Labs provided all training remotely. The university had eight participants on the two-week course. They found the online training course comprehensive and clear, allowing them to start using the product without on-site support. The training provided insight into the product, allowing participants to initiate and specify business requirements, while simplifying their day-to-day repetitive tasks.

It gave the trainees time to address their own specific business needs in the scenarios presented. Three of these users have access to build queries, emails and documents on the live instance.

UCT has been very positive about EPI-USE Labs’ immediate and responsive support during the training period and post go-live.

Examples of how UCT is using Query Manager

Monthly emails with Excel spreadsheets to line managers, detailing staff who report to them, their cost of employment and payroll expenses
Emails to foreign staff reminding them about passports and work visas due to expire
Emails to staff advising them of AA88 deductions from their pay and the steps to follow for SARS assistance
CATS database query detailing outstanding hours sent to Time Administrators every morning and to line managers weekly, saving the costs of developing an ABAP report

UCT benefits: Bulk automated emails, consistent messaging, effortless changes

UCT has reaped many benefits by using Query Manager:

The tool allows the university to produce bulk automated emails without having to pay for an ABAP consultant.
When changes – big or small – are needed, these can be done quickly and effortlessly.
It can be used to solve all reporting needs and is not limited to a specific module.
During COVID-19 with HR staff working from home, the tool gave a consistent message to managers.
The audit log is an asset when help calls are logged, providing evidence that reports have been emailed.
Password protection on Excel spreadsheets with personal information is an essential feature.
It provides templates and audit logs to a professional standard, direct from SAP.