February 11, 2004

By Mike Emery
Staff writer

From left, Sandra Medellin, Emily Messa & Amelia Villalon, staff of new Finance/Payroll Customer Service Center.

Answers to all University of Houston finance, human resources (HR) and payroll questions are now just a phone call away. Thanks to the new Finance/Payroll/HR Customer Service Center, a helpful staff of specialists offers prompt replies to all customer inquiries. According to Emily Messa, manager of business services, the center simplifies the process of providing information to those with questions and concerns. Instead of being redirected from one office to another, a caller can simply contact the center to receive information in a timely, organized manner. “We are the bridge between the business units in the colleges and divisions and the operating units within the Division of Administration and Finance,” she said. “If someone doesn’t know whom to turn to for a particular issue or policy, then we’re the

The center addresses an assortment of concerns and questions relating to policies, taxes, W-2 reprints and changes to direct deposit forms or W-4 forms. This center also will be the key data entry point for W-4 forms and direct deposit forms. Previously, these documents had to be shipped to a separate site, the University Business Park, for data entry. Having the key data-entry function for these payroll documents on campus in proximity to HR will expedite the entry of these and reduce the opportunity for communication or transmittal problems with these documents.

Messa added that this semester, the center would roll out a human resources component. Four human resource customer service specialists will be added to the center’s staff to effectively address customer service concerns reported by a panel of staff charged with reviewing HR by John Rudley, vice president for administration and finance.

Presently, the Customer Service Center is balancing incoming calls with scheduling training for the business management software, PeopleSoft Finance 8. This individualized training for college and division administrators began Feb. 16. Messa hopes to meet with each college and division prior to March 22, when the software upgrade is implemented.

In addition to taking calls and scheduling the upcoming PeopleSoft training, the center will serve as a vehicle to discuss improving existing business processes. Messa said that in April, the center would consult with a subgroup of business administrators from colleges and divisions and receive feedback on how to boost the efficiency of any practices or policies.

Another major task the center is undertaking is redesigning the finance Web site to make its navigation more user-friendly and allow easy access to downloadable forms.

According to Rudley, the Finance/Payroll/HR Customer Service Center will greatly enhance the university on an operational level.

“By creating a sole channel for vital information and a unit devoted to working with business administrators, the center is a major step toward improvement of the university’s operating departments,” Rudley said.