AIMS pause
Message sent on behalf of Andrew Will, Saskatchewan Health Authority, CEO
Throughout this week, CEOs from our partner agencies, the Deputy Minister of Health as well as myself and other key health system leaders have been meeting regularly to assess the status of implementation of the new Administrative Information Management System (AIMS). Together, we have made the difficult decision to pause this process and revert back to legacy systems until improvements have been made and we have confidence we can resolve the issues our teams are experiencing.
We did not take this decision lightly. Relying on our legacy systems presents growing risks to business continuity and significantly inhibits our ability to advance health system transformation. The more immediate risks to scheduling and payroll of continuing with AIMS in the short term required us to implement our contingency plan to allow time to address the issues you are experiencing with your teams.
The goal of AIMS will continue to be to replace the 80-plus systems used in former health regions and by other health system partners, including staff scheduling, payroll, procurement, financial services and human resources. A change of this magnitude is a once-in-a-generation shift for our administrative management systems. We expected that with the implementation of a system of this scale and ambition that there would be challenges. While we regret having to pause the project, having the option to do so was always part of our contingency plan.
Building anything from the ground up will never be perfect. Given the age of our old systems, some 50 years old, it is critical to work through this pause so that we have a modernized administrative management system that enables us to capitalize on opportunities for transformation. These opportunities are only available to us if our information systems are aligned provincially and brought into the 21st century.
I want to thank everyone for their patience as we navigate our way through these changes. In particular, I want to thank the AIMS team as well as the managers, supervisors and staff that have been working so hard on this project. While there needs to be a pause to work out the technical information management and technology requirements to make this system work seamlessly, it is critical to note that your work has not been in vain. Not only will learnings be built into a future phase when this is re-initiated, new business processes and improvements created during the lead up to implementation will help us be ready and support long term transformation of health care in Saskatchewan.
We know the temporary transition back to legacy systems will create a burden on certain staff. As we move forward, it will be critical to support our AIMS team and treat them with kindness and compassion as they work through the implications of this pause and the steps needed to re-initiate implementation. As we look at how we resume implementation, our primary focus will be on robust re-testing to ensure all potential risks to patient care and continuity of our critical business systems are mitigated.
Thank you for all your work on behalf of the people of Saskatchewan. Team members across the system have gone above and beyond to support the changes required. We appreciate this work and know it will still ultimately help us build and implement a system that will position us to improve care for all those we serve.
Scheduling, timekeeping and payroll
As you know, in order to ensure that scheduling and payroll continues to occur without disruption, a decision was made to pause the rollout of the scheduling, payroll, and HR aspects of the AIMS system. Effective this morning, we have been using systems and processes that were in place prior to October 23, including payroll, scheduling and time entry (e.g. WRAs, time card app).
With this, eHealth Saskatchewan is aware there have been intermittent issues with the timecard application, including reports of “500: internal server errors.” They have added more server resources to address the increase in demand and are investigating the situation.
SHA leaders received detailed information this morning on next steps required for scheduling, timekeeping and payroll. Please speak with your manager or supervisor if you have any questions.
The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is cancelling cascading huddles on Monday and Wednesday next week to help create capacity to ensure important tasks related to scheduling, payroll and HR can be completed during work hours. ELT is asking all leaders to clear schedules for staff on these days as much as possible or as is reasonable, to create the time needed for each person to complete their needed scheduling, payroll and HR tasks.
We will continue to provide updates on AIMS implementation and more information becomes available.
Employee questions and answers
Q: How do I submit my time?
A: Effective November 4, we have reverted to scheduling systems and processes that will in place prior to October 23. This includes ESP, VIP and AndGo (staffscheduling.ca). Please use your previous process/system for entering your time. If unsure, please connect with your Manager or the individual responsible for timekeeping in your unit/department.
Q: When do I have to submit my time?
A: Submit any changes to your schedule between October 23 to November 5 to your HR Staff Scheduling office or Unit Scheduler or Payroll office, via existing pre-AIMS system and processes (WRA, flowsheet, VIP or Timecard).
Deadlines to submit time for October 30 to November 5 is November 7, 2022 at the following times:
- Saskatoon ESP users: 1400 hrs (2 p.m.)
- Rural ESP users: 1200 hrs (noon)
- Regina (VIP) users: 1500 hrs (3 p.m.)
- All Work Record A (WRA) users: 1600 hrs (4 p.m.)
- Timecard App users: 1000 hrs (10 a.m.)
Corrections to time for October 23 to 29 are due on:
- Saskatoon: November 8, 0800 hrs (8 a.m)
- Rural ESP: November 7, 1500 hrs (3 p.m.)
- Regina (VIP): November 7, 1500 hrs (3 p.m.)
- All Work Record A (WRA) users: 1600 hrs (4 p.m.)
- Timecard App users: November 7, 1000 hrs (10 a.m)
Please connect with your manager if you have any additional questions.
Q: I used to use timecard to submit my time, what do I do now?
A: Employees using Timecard app (timecard.saskhealthauthority.ca) must submit their timecards for the last two weeks (October 23 to 29, October 30 to November 5) before Monday, November 7 at 10:00 a.m. The Timecard app is available now.
Q: Where will I find my pay slip for the next pay period?
A: Pay slips will be available on Gateway Online on Wednesday, Nov 9 after 5:00 p.m.
Q: How can I confirm my banking information?
A: If you have changed your bank account since October 18, go to Gateway Online and verify your bank account. Deadline to update / make changes to your banking information is Monday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m.
Q: What if I updated my personal information?
A: If you have changed your personal information (Address/Phone numbers) since October 18, 2022, please log into Gateway online and update their information.
Q: What happens if I submitted leave requests in MyScheduling?
A: Any leaves of absence, trades, named replacements, etc. that were submitted on or after November 4, will need to be resubmitted or entered into the system following your legacy system/processes.
Q: How do I submit Finance expenses?
A: Please hold off on submitting expenses. The team is working to finalize this process.
Q: How do I submit my Mileage claim?
A: Use the SHA Payroll Inquiry Tile to submit mileage using the SHA Employee Expense Claim Form found in the SHA Intranet – Expense Claim Policy and Procedures.
Q: Where can I ask Payroll related questions?
A: Submit a payroll inquiry via MyConnection.