Virginia Tech transitioning to new travel and expense management system
Virginia Tech will transition to a new travel and expense management system that will enhance users’ experience, accelerate approval processes and enable real-time, fully integrated reporting and analytics.
The Controller’s Office has partnered with the vendor Chrome River to develop this system, which will begin rollout this summer.
The transition to Chrome River will offer a consistent user experience across all devices – including smartphones, laptops, tablets and desktops – and enables mobile access and approvals.
The Controller’s Office will introduce the new system to a pilot group in July, which will be followed by a multi-phased deployment. There will be several training opportunities through various platforms prior to each transition phase.
“We are thrilled with the opportunities Chrome River offers for improving our travel and expense management processes,” said Ken Miller, assistant vice president for finance and university controller. “As Virginia Tech’s footprint continues to expand, it’s important that we look proactively at how we operate and make the changes that allow us to better serve the university and its people. Making this transition to Chrome River will help us do just that.”
Chrome River also allows for the automation of purchasing card (P-Card) approval and reconciliation processes. Last fiscal year, the Controller’s Office manually allocated approximately 62,000 transactions. Currently, the acquisition of goods or services, departmental review and approval, and allocation by the Controller’s Office takes approximately eight weeks. Transitioning to an automated process should significantly accelerate this timeline.
"Automating our P-Card approval and reconciliation processes will enhance our efficiency and service across the university," said Miller. "We'll be able to eliminate duplicate data entry and the paper-based reconciliation process, provide online imaging and post transactions more timely into Banner Finance."
More information is available on the Chrome River project website, which will be updated throughout the deployment phases. The Controller's Office will share updates with the campus community periodically and will reach out to users about training opportunities closer to key deployment dates.
