đź“° Welcome back to The Monthly Momentum!
The Monthly Momentum is your monthly update on the FMMI Intelligent Enterprise Transformation (FIET) Project progress. In this edition, we’ll discuss FIET training, the Stakeholder Survey, a testing update, and more!
FIET Training
Scheduled to kick off in November, FIET training is right around the corner! Training will be available to all USDA employees, and we highly encourage all FMMI users to attend. Here’s what you need to know about training:
✏️ Users should first complete “Fiori Log-In & Navigation,” a self-paced eLearning course that will be available before training sessions begin
🗓️Each training session will be offered multiple times
đź’»Training is free to attend and will be conducted virtually
đź‘ĄTrainers will be selected from FMMI experts experienced in the new environment
Since the FMMI upgrade will have minimal impact on existing processes, training will be laser-focused on the areas where you will see changes. Please note that FIET training is not intended to be end-to-end role-based training. For more detailed role-based training, refer to the “FMMI Resources” section below.
Stay tuned for additional details! Announcements with training session dates and times will be sent out in the coming weeks.
Stakeholder Survey
Take the FIET Stakeholder Survey, available now! This survey may look familiar, as we sent out the first iteration back in April. Designed as a longitudinal study, we are now offering the survey for the second time to understand how your familiarity and comfort level with the FMMI upgrade shifts as go-live approaches. Your feedback is essential in helping us understand your needs as we navigate this system upgrade. But don't delay the survey closes on October 14th at midnight.🌙
Tackling Testing
The upgraded FMMI system is undergoing rigorous testing to ensure it fits the needs of business users. The FMS Quality Assurance (QA) team is currently leading System Integration Testing (SIT), which will ensure the FMMI upgrade functions as planned.
The next phase of testing, Production Readiness Testing (PRT), will begin in November. PRT consists of end-to-end validation testing conducted by agency users to ensure the FMMI upgrade works as designed. A small group of end users within each agency, identified by our Super Users, will support PRT by:
- Displaying and reviewing Fiori apps and reports
- Entering and testing transactions for each end-to-end business process
- Performing functional historical migrated data validations
- Testing agency-specific interfaces
- Reporting issues to the FMS QA team
THE FUTURE OF FIET: Roadmap & Vision Updates
As we navigate the dynamic landscape of the FIET Project, this monthly roadmap is designed to provide you with a clear view of our current focus, and where we plan to go in the coming weeks and months.
đź“Ť Transparency and Collaboration: We encourage each team member to review the roadmap and ask questions to help ensure we are sharing the right level of detail for our FIET stakeholders.
Follow our progress with the FIET Project Roadmap:
 Key upcoming dates and milestones to pay special attention to include:
-
October 2024 – Take the second FIET Stakeholder Survey, available now!
-
November 2024 – FIET training begins
-
November 2024 – Production Readiness Testing (PRT) begins
-
February 2025 – FMMI upgrade go-live!
FMMI Resources
Check out these existing resources for everything from introductory FMMI material to role-based training!
-
FMMI Online Help – Covers everything from FMMI basics to role-based training
- Job Aids – quick reference guides, lists, and templates related to FMMI processing
- Online Help Procedures – transaction-specific instructions for FMMI processing
- Knowledge Articles – common processing questions and information designed to help FMMI users avoid or correct common mistakes
- Training Materials – basic FMMI instruction designed for new users
-
FMMI Reference Material – An array of FMMI resources including a glossary, BI report descriptions, agency identifiers and codes, USDA Budget Distribution Guide, and more
-
FIET Financial Training Forum Sessions – Presentation materials and recordings of FMMI upgrade sessions from the 2024 Financial Training Forum (FTF)
FACES OF FIET: Key Player Spotlight
Each month, get to know the devoted minds driving FIET's success. Each edition will spotlight one of the individuals who make our team extraordinary. Learn about their roles, experiences, and what fuels their excitement for FIET.Â
Meet FIET Project key player, Ron Gros!
How long have you been with USDA/FMS? I've been with USDA for over 33 years.
What is your role in FMS? I'm the Quality and Production Management Division director responsible for QA testing, production management and configuration management.Â
What is your role on the FIET project? I don't have a well-defined role on the project. My experience with FMMI and its predecessor financial system afforded me the opportunity to use my accounting background and grow my technical skills. For the project, I'm involved with functional, technical, some data, and testing.Â
What are you most excited about regarding FIET/S4HANA? I'm truly excited about the new look and feel of the system. To me, Fiori is a game changer and in stark contrast from the FMMI portal. It allows the flexibility to construct your own home page with your favorite tiles.Â
|
What's the most adventurous thing you've done? I'm not much of a thrill seeker but I would have to say the day I proposed to my wife on the gondola at the 1984 World's Fair. We were crossing the Mississippi River, suspended in the air. I was so nervous that I thought I may drop the ring through the floor grate and it would plummet to the river below. |
|
 |
 |
|
Do you follow any sports teams? I'm an avid supporter of the New Orleans Saints. I've been a season ticket holder for over 40 years. I even converted my garage into a Saints-themed man cave/bar.
What does your ideal weekend look like? Since I love football, it would be an LSU game on Saturday and a Saints game on Sunday (provided they both won). Outside of that, it's spending time with my family and grandchildren.
|
|
