Update: 2020 YSS Retirement – Data Entry “Bridge” Services End August 1, 2021

As announced on August 7 and August 12, 2020, the Yale Shared Services (YSS) organization was retired in August 2020. As part of that retirement, the Financial Management team (which supported selected departments via email address jsald@yale.edu) was disbanded. Since then, a smaller team within General Accounting has been maintaining this email inbox while we dedicated time to the analysis of work and business processes. The goal of this work has been to maximize efficiency and minimize handoff, focusing on the identification of best practices and process improvements. The Controller’s Office has partnered during this analysis with business operations leadership, distributed business offices, and other central departments.

In January 2021, we shared with Business Operations and highly-impacted business office leaders (1) the plan forward for the activities historically performed by this former YSS team, and (2) the roadmap and timeline for transitions. As detailed below, some work will continue to be staffed by General Accounting. Since there is no longer a shared services model and recognizing the risk and rework when data entry is separated from the original transaction and business, selected work (standard business office activities) will move back to departments. These actions will result in standard business office duties across the university now being staffed consistently. These transitions have been happening gradually since February 2021, with the final phase of the transition completing after the FY21 unit close.

As of the mutually agreed-upon date of August 1, 2021, the Controller’s Office will no longer be providing these “bridge” transaction data entry services for distributed departments:

• Accounting Adjustments and PAAs 
• Cash Sales for deposits
• Credit card reconciliations
• Journal Entries
• Payroll data entry for casual employees – no longer applicable – now part of Workday Time and Absence
• Report scheduling

Please consult the grid below for resources and roles associated with these activities.

The former YSS Financial Management team email (jsald@yale.edu) will remain active for the time being and will continue to be supported by the General Accounting team in the Controller’s Office. This email address will support the following transactions only:

• Journal entry template (excel) uploads for units that do not have sufficient volume to warrant their own load folder and journal source
• Journal entries for Procurement and Budget Office
• Cash sales for Procurement (supplier returns)

All questions regarding this transition should be channeled through your Business Office, with Lead Administrators and/or Operations Managers continuing as the primary contacts with the Controller’s Office. Lead Administrators and Operations Managers – please continue to work directly with Liz Bilodeau (Assistant Controller) and Donna Ambrogio (General Accounting Manager).

Additional Resources: