OT: Rutgers, UMDNJ merger delays payments to vendors

[RU31trap]

Hundreds of Vendors weren't paid on time after a "serious glitch" in a new payment system at Rutgers University.

1. A total of 12,650 invoices not paid
2. Payroll Taxes to the Federal Government not paid
3. Contributions to State Pension not paid
4. Utilities and phone bills not paid
5. 78.8 million owed to IRS not paid

The cost of the merger is 75 million but actual estimates may reach 100 million.

Nice spin by Rutgers PR department with the title. The truth is that the brain trust at Rutgers University decided to purchase a new paperless software system called "Cornerstone". The problem with "Cornerstone" is that it's brand new and unproven. Many RU employees specifically those in the trenches had reservations about the new software due to a very high failure rate during the testing phase and warned management that additional testing and trouble shooting was necessary before going live. There concerns fell on deaf ears as evidenced by the list above. Our tax dollars hard at work.

 

[RAA-1]

yawn

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

welcome to last fall

 

[RU31trap]

welcome to last fall

And winter and most likely spring. Major major issues. Heads will roll. Take this to the bank like an FDIC insured CD heads will roll.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

ok

 

[AreYouNUTS]

* yawn *

 

[RUsojo]

What competing billing software company do you work for?

 

[nukem]

Why is the Penn State guy always pointing out the bad things?

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Did Rutgers ever receive the 600 MILLION DOLLARS from Trenton for taking on the UMDNJ debt and merger costs ?

 

[Virginiarufan]

This is all on Flood.

 

[PaKnight]

This is all on Flood.

and Julie

 

[MADHAT1]

Is that from personal knowledge or from something you read.
If from an article, why didn't you post a link to it so everyone could see the whole story?
here's something I found and not afraid to show the whole story:
( article from Jan. 5, 2017)
>more than 12,000 invoices were “in limbo” due to a combination of “human, software and machine” problems. He said such glitches were not unusual given the magnitude of merging two complex financial systems. Not all of the invoices on the list were unpaid, he said, and now all but 2,000 have been paid.<
http://www.northjersey.com/story/ne...mdnj-merger-delays-payments-vendors/96208694/

 

[RUMBA-JK]

Gosh - reading your posts it sounds like you are hinting at some deep dark insolvency - yet, all of the articles present it as a system problem that is being resolved


http://www.northjersey.com/story/ne...mdnj-merger-delays-payments-vendors/96208694/

The IRS was owed more than $78.8 million. However, the invoices have now been processed and no penalties were assessed to Rutgers, said Peter McDonough, senior vice president for external affairs at the university.

...more than 12,000 invoices were “in limbo” due to a combination of “human, software and machine” problems. He said such glitches were not unusual given the magnitude of merging two complex financial systems. Not all of the invoices on the list were unpaid, he said, and now all but 2,000 have been paid.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n...ches__delay_payments_to_Rutgers__vendors.html

Rutgers employees, including faculty, have had no problems being paid. But beginning in October, reports began popping up of severe problems with the switchover for third-party procurement services: restaurants not paid for catering, guest speakers not being reimbursed, even utilities disconnected after bills went unpaid.

McDonough said the problems with the Cornerstone switch had been largely resolved and the work remaining is to clear out the backlog of invoices built up over several months.

 

[redking]

RU31trap isn't a Rutgers fan. That's why he started this thread with a click bait title and cherry picked information from an article.

 

[MADHAT1]

RU31trap isn't a Rutgers fan. That's why he started this thread with a click bait title and cherry picked information from an article.

Trap didn't even have the consideration to let us to know if what he posted was just his spin on the issue , from an article he seen or a combination of both.
More than likely copied and pasted parts that fit his agenda and posted his spin .
Making sure no one sees the parts of article that didn't fit the agenda Trap is pushing in this thread .
Leaving article link out, even thought doing that is against board rules and can have Scarlet Nation in violation of copyright laws , made it easier for him/her to bash RU .

 

[JerseyShoreKnight]

Hey trap, delete your account.

 

[MADHAT1]

And winter and most likely spring. Major major issues. Heads will roll. Take this to the bank like an FDIC insured CD heads will roll.

only head that will role should be yours for not posting all the information and a link to it.
Copying and pasting just the parts you want known and nothing else ( including link to article where you found your information) is just petty and also proves an anti-RU agenda

 

[RU31trap]

only head that will role should be yours for not posting all the information and a link to it.
Copying and pasting just the parts you want known and nothing else ( including link to article where you found your information) is just petty and also proves an anti-RU agenda

I tried to post a link but it would not open. Did you want me to type up the entire article for your benefit?

Is it a current article?
Are the figures correct?

I know more about the situation than anyone on the site. So take the following to the bank, this was a major league blunder and someone needs to provide some answers for the financial hardship this caused vendors throughout this state. When you have an armed guard in front of your Accounts Payable department you have a serous problem.

 

[DJ Spanky]

 

[RU31trap]

Spanky either the people standing next to that guy are dwarfs or he's 8 feet tall

 

[koleszar]

RU31trap isn't a Rutgers fan. That's why he started this thread with a click bait title and cherry picked information from an article.

True, but it goes beyond that. He's been harping on this merger success as being a facade for a few months now. He keeps saying that the truth will come out and heads will roll. He almost sounds like a disgruntled former employee. I mean the press has been all over this thing, if any shenanigans have occurred they would have found them by now. I guess RU31trap thinks he's the new deep throat.

 

[Upstream]

True, but it goes beyond that. He's been harping on this merger success as being a facade for a few months now. He keeps saying that the truth will come out and heads will roll. He almost sounds like a disgruntled former employee. I mean the press has been all over this thing, if any shenanigans have occurred they would have found them by now. I guess RU31trap thinks he's the new deep throat.

He's been complaining about the merger since it was first announced. I think he has some sort of interest in UMDNJ that was impacted by the merger.

 

[RU31trap]

He's been complaining about the merger since it was first announced. I think he has some sort of interest in UMDNJ that was impacted by the merger.

This afternoon there was very high-level meeting. It included some politicians, hospital administrators and Departmental Dean's. The subject was How much will it cost to run a medical school once Donald Trump dissolves the Affordable Care Act. The discussions were serious and at times heated.

 

[PaKnight]

This afternoon there was very high-level meeting. It included some politicians, hospital administrators and Departmental Dean's. The subject was How much will it cost to run a medical school once Donald Trump dissolves the Affordable Care Act. The discussions were serious and at times heated.

What does this have to do with your original post?

 

[RU31trap]

True, but it goes beyond that. He's been harping on this merger success as being a facade for a few months now. He keeps saying that the truth will come out and heads will roll. He almost sounds like a disgruntled former employee. I mean the press has been all over this thing, if any shenanigans have occurred they would have found them by now. I guess RU31trap thinks he's the new deep throat.

Shenanigans? The brain trust at Rutgers purchases a software system that's conceptually new and unproven? Why take the risk with such a large institution? Not saying this happened but is it possible that someone palm got greased or was a pure stupidity?

 

[RU31trap]

What does this have to do with your original post?

If you anticipate the cost to run a medical school to go through the roof, estimates bringing as high as 50 million per year why would you embark on such an expense software package (that failed). Make sense or not?

 

[MADHAT1]

I tried to post a link but it would not open. Did you want me to type up the entire article for your benefit?

Is it a current article?
Are the figures correct?

I know more about the situation than anyone on the site. So take the following to the bank, this was a major league blunder and someone needs to provide some answers for the financial hardship this caused vendors throughout this state. When you have an armed guard in front of your Accounts Payable department you have a serous problem.

For my benefit ?: why not to make it convenient for all to see and not just rely on your spin.
Just post article subject line, what media site it can be found of name of person who wrote it and someone will post link.
You should have mentioned your source, unless there were things in article that you rather not mention

You can claim to know more than anyone, but seem to only sharing information that makes Rutgers look bad and holding out the parts that say it's being taken care of properly.
Stop whining and playing the victim when you get caught withholding information that hurts your agenda.

 

[PaKnight]

If you anticipate the cost to run a medical school to go through the roof estimates bring as high as 50 million per year why would you embark on such an expense software package (that failed). Make sense or not?

Not. So they were supposed expect the repeal of the Affordable Care Act when picking their accounts payable software.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

for those who cannot claim our poster's level of knowledge supremacy, here's a little bit to get started

".... Cornerstone is the University’s strategic approach to unify, upgrade, and streamline its administrative information systems for finance, human resources and payroll, procurement, and expense management. It lays the groundwork to build outstanding administrative systems and processes for the University."
http://cornerstone.rutgers.edu/transforming-way-we-work-rutgers

"Cornerstone" is the Rutgers name for the "multi-year strategic project to transform the administrative information systems and processes for Rutgers University. It lays the groundwork to modernize, unify, and simplify our finance, human resources and payroll, procurement, and expense management systems and processes."

http://cornerstone.rutgers.edu/about

so "Cornerstone" is a mega implementation - many, many moving parts - multiple outside software system vendors (like Oracle's Hyperion and SiQuest and many others), innumerable crosswalks to be built, legacy systems to be addressed (replaced/ upgraded / or simply accommodated) and so on - and on and on ....


Now, the OP who claims " I know more about the situation than anyone on the site. " also posted :
The truth is that the brain trust at Rutgers University decided to purchase a new paperless software system called "Cornerstone" an Oracle Cloud based software. The problem with "Cornerstone" is that it's brand new and unproven.
------ ????
(1.) the "Cornertone" in the Rutgers context is a Rutgers name of the whole giant implementation program - not the new procurement software
(2.) "Cornerstone" isn't an Oracle product - there is a company called Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD) - which does compete with Oracle - but is not what is being discussed here
(3.) the in-house name of the sub-system in question is RU Marketplace - which "redesigns how we purchase goods and services, and how we pay vendors in order to process transactions more effectively, reduce risks, and better manage spending. We consolidated our processes and are leveraging a single platform to improve service delivery across the University."

1. Log in to myRutgers portal (my.rutgers.edu), using your NetID and password.
2. Click the Cornerstone tab.
3. Open the RU Marketplace (SciQuest) app....
   http://cornerstone.rutgers.edu/procurement-and-expenses-management

... SciQuest ? (gee ... looks like RUMarketplace is crafted from a SciQuest application) SciQuest a company that is a provider of spend management solutions & is a provider to Case Western Reserve, University of California, University of New Mexico, Drexel University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Montana https://www.sciquest.com/case-studies



the OP may continue to claim
" I know more about the situation than anyone on the site. "
and who knows - that may be true .....
however it seems that all that is "known" may not be entirely factually accurate.

 

[Zak57]

No Barchi jokes? Shocked.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

I think everyone by now see through the Penn State Troll's act at this point.

Too funny.

 

[RU31trap]

I think the moral to this thread is if something is too good to be true it probably is. If an unproven software package promises you the world, turn around and walk away.

 

[Caliknight]

I wish I got paid on time by all of our clients.

This is a non story.

 

[PhilaPhans]

I don't know whether to delete the thread and give the OP a break or let this thread continue to and let him get knocked down. No idea how business works. Consistent pain in the butt.

 

[czxqa]

I think the moral to this thread is if something is too good to be true it probably is. If an unproven software package promises you the world, turn around and walk away.

I think the moral of this thread is to double and triple check your claims before you make them. This way you don't post them on the internet and end up like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

 

[Hamilton's Cannon]

Because Barchi is a terrible President. Brought in to do one thing and can't do that well. Sucks administratively, sucks with PR, sucks with sports. Sucks.

 

[SkilletHead2]

This is an inrage.

 

[rutgersdave]

If you anticipate the cost to run a medical school to go through the roof, estimates bringing as high as 50 million per year why would you embark on such an expense software package (that failed). Make sense or not?

Let get rid of all medical schools because there too many doctors.

The little issue about bills not being paid happened at my old company, in the Top 5 in NJ, even the electric was threatened to be turned off, but in six months, no problems.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Not. So they were supposed expect the repeal of the Affordable Care Act when picking their accounts payable software.

Also, the two medical schools do not see patients. In addition, all Rutgers faculty/staff have the same state heath care as anyone other state employee in the state and they never used "Obama Care".

I just wanted to point that out to hammer home the point that this Penn State troll is just doing what he always does comes here with a fake Rutgers handle and spreads lies to make Rutgers look bad.

But, at least most people on this site now clearly see through his BS. He is not fooling anyone anymore.

 

[RU31trap]

Also, the two medical schools do not see patients. In addition, all Rutgers faculty/staff have the same state heath care as anyone other state employee in the state and they never used "Obama Care".

I just wanted to point that out to hammer home the point that this Penn State troll is just doing what he always does comes here with a fake Rutgers handle and spreads lies to make Rutgers look bad.

But, at least most people on this site now clearly see through his BS. He is not fooling anyone anymore.

The two medical schools? Do not see patients? Last time I looked there was only one medical school in NJ and training doctors do indeed see patients. You are really ill informed regarding this subject. Allow me to educate. All medical schools are very much concerned over the repeal of the ACA not just Rutgers. The ACA gave teaching hospitals a lifeline on a multitude of levels because teaching hospitals were able to recoup a highee percentage of ill advised or wasteful testing from a doctor with limited experience. Private Insurance companies on the other hand would scrub an invoice to see what which procedures were necessary and which were not usually leaving most hospitals with 10's Millions with procedural denials. With the looming threat of a repeal becoming a reality increased charity care will fill in the gaps, this means a state mandated revision to reimbursement percentages regarding private health insurance and the potential of of a more stringent cost sharing agreement between school and hospital which would be anything short of devastating for Rutgers when you consider 37 to 50 million (annually) in anticipated increase in cost. Rutgers wisely divested itself from the medical school in 1971. The University of Oregon acknowledged that medical schools if not properly managed with a heavy hand a medical school can and will become a financial drain which is why they too divested themselves from their medical school in 1974.