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NEWS FROM DAS View as webpage December 2022
Director's Message
Berri Leslie
Interim DAS Director and State Chief Operating Officer
I started in my official role as DAS’ Interim Director and State Chief Operating Officer on October 1, when long-time Director Katy Coba announced her retirement, and I’m delighted to be serving Oregon in this capacity.
DAS not only leads state government by setting the standards and expectations for best practices in state government — DAS also plays a critical role in ensuring that agencies across state government can serve our most important customers, Oregonians, quickly and effectively.
As Oregonians, businesses and government move ahead after nearly two years of non-stop emergencies, DAS is doing so with a sense of purpose, refocusing on customer service, setting a high standard and discipline around operational performance and reigniting our passion around innovation — finding ways to perform better, faster and more efficiently for Oregon taxpayers.
For our customers, that will look like faster response times, more efficient transaction processing and more transparency in how we deliver our work. You will also see DAS stepping forward to lead enterprise-wide initiatives that will help state government perform better for Oregon families.
I hope you won’t hesitate to reach out and let me know how we can serve you better. Feedback is the foundation for improvement and excellence, and we want to make sure you feel like an important customer with each and every interaction. Feel free to drop me a note at berri.l.leslie@das.oregon.gov.
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Leveraging the State’s ‘Workday’ Investment
DAS is proud to announce that state government’s investment in Workday, the human resource information system (HRIS) that was launched in 2019, recently yielded even more benefits. A project to add a new module has successfully launched and “Workday Payroll and Time Tracking” is now live and in operation for state employees and managers.
In addition to becoming the state’s HR information system at its 2019 launch, Workday replaced the state’s recruiting tool, and all applicants began using Workday to apply for careers in state government. Then in mid-2021, the state retired its learning management system in favor of the Workday module, “Workday Learning.” Now, as of this month, payroll, leave accrual, time off requests and other time-tracking functions are managed using Workday Payroll and Time Tracking.
The decision to invest in a new HRIS was the beginning of herculean efforts by all participating agencies. Information technology staff, human resources staff, recruiters, trainers and most recently, payroll staff, have participated in launching and onboarding state employees into a modern, efficient system for all aspects of human resources, including management tools and reporting capabilities not previously available.
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“I cannot say ‘thank you’ strongly enough to everyone who participated in these projects – dating back six or more years,” said Madilyn Zike, state Chief Human Resources Officer. “It was collaboration at its finest, the laying down of individual agency preferences to gain greater efficiencies, and proof positive of public service at its best.”
Appreciation also goes to the staff who maintained earlier systems and kept them well functioning for years. The most recent achievement, moving payroll and time tracking into Workday, could not have occurred without the expertise and dedication of the state’s financial business systems staff. “We could never name all who have been involved in these successful projects,” acknowledged Madilyn, “but this ‘well done’ is for all of them!”
Photos: (top) Twyla Lawson, Manager of HR Information Management, speaks at an early Workday communications forum in 2017; (bottom) State recruiters listen to a Workday presentation in 2018
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EV Charging & Parking Improvement Project
DAS recently awarded a contract for the large task of installing electric vehicle charging stations in multiple state parking facilities as well as completing deferred maintenance and improvements to several locations.
Completion of this large improvement effort will cause varying levels of disruption, temporary closures and movement of assigned parking in affected facilities.
Installing the 208 Volt, Level 2 EV charging stations will be a first phase in building the infrastructure needed for supporting state-owned Zero Emission Vehicles and providing employee-only access charging along with limited public access. This project, and others like it across state government, are part of the long-range efforts needed to meet statewide transportation electrification goals set out in Executive Orders 17-21, 20-04, and the accompanying legislation in ORS 283.337.
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Shortages of New Vehicles Projected to Continue into 2024
The worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips and other commodities has led to extreme supply chain issues in many industries and has especially impacted vehicle manufacturing. DAS and other agencies with fleets have experienced ordering windows closing within minutes of opening, delivery delays and cancellation of orders after the fact due to inability of manufacturers to fulfill production expectations. Plus, purchase prices have increased significantly.
Until vehicle availability improves, the state is faced with the necessity of managing state business travel with existing resources. To help weather the shortages until prospects improve, customers should expect higher repair costs to keep older vehicles working, using vehicles past planned replacement (age or miles), changing business workflows to fit available resources, and using remote meeting tech where feasible.
Questions? Reach out to Fleet & Parking Services Manager Brian King.
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 Now through Dec. 17, state employees are demonstrating their inner elf by participating in the Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive.
Toy purchases are all online this year using the Toys for Tots Virtual Toy Box or Walmart wish list sites. (There is no state drop-off site for toys this year.)
The online donations are distributed throughout Oregon. The Marine Corps depends heavily on this drive to provide a large portion of the toys distributed to children in need during the holiday season.
Questions? Please contact Stormy Boyles.
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