1) Queensland University of Technology implemented the Hyperion budget tool in July 2011 to replace its previous budgeting system. 2) Hyperion is an Oracle-based product that provides a web-based and Excel planning, budgeting, and forecasting solution to support QUT's decentralized budgeting process and standardize budgeting practices. 3) Hyperion interfaces with QUT's HR and financial systems and provides approved budgets and rolling budgets to the university's finance portal for reporting.

1. Queensland University of Technology
CRICOS No. 00213J
Patricia Alner, Director Planning & Budget
Dean Gordon, Management Accountant
QUT Finance & Resource Planning
5 March 2013
HES Finance Systems Network
Case Studies in University Finance
Hyperion Budget Tool - QUT

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Hyperion Overview
• Hyperion is QUT’s budget tool, implemented in
July 2011 (replacing OFA - Oracle Financial
Analyser).
• Hyperion is an Oracle based product (using
Hyperion Planning and Essbase) to deliver a
“Web-based and Excel planning, budgeting and
forecasting solution”.

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Main Benefits of Hyperion
• Supports QUT’s decentralised budgeting
process
• Standardises and streamlines budgeting
practices across QUT
• Allows for faster budget entry and consolidation
• Governance bodies have greater confidence in
budget submissions, particularly with improved
accuracy in employee budgets (uses a detailed bottom-
up approach)

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Hyperion Interfaces
• Interfaces with other QUT Systems:
• from both Alesco (Talent2) for
employee/payroll details and Oracle
Financials for all actual G/L transactions
• to Finance Portal (web based reporting tool)
for all approved budgets and the current
Rolling/Working budget
• Uploads (via ODI) occur on a nightly basis

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Hyperion Modules and Interaction
• There are 2 main modules used for budgeting in
Hyperion:
• 1) Employee Module
• Down to individual position/employee budget per costcode
• 2) P&L Module
• Down to individual G/L budget per costcode
• The budgets entered by users in the Employee
Module links directly to the P&L Module (mapped to
the employee expense G/Ls)
• Note: there is also a Balance Sheet (and Cash Flow) module, used
by FRP for Committee reporting purposes

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Hyperion interfaces and interaction
Alesco (HR)
Position/Employee
appointment details
and payroll
Oracle Financials
Current Year Actual G/L
transactions (non payroll)
Workforce Module
P&L Module
Capital purchases
Balance Sheet Module
(and Cash Flow)
Hyperion
1
2
3
4
5
6
Financial Portal
Budget/Final and Rolling/Working

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Rolling
(starting point Mid-Year Ref & any amendments)
2013 Budgeting Scenarios/Versions
Reforecast/Budget Scenario
Budget (Consolidated)
Rolling
(starting point previous Budget/Final)
Working
Mid-Year (Reforecast) Working
Working
Final
FinalMid-Year (Reforecast)
Working
Budget (Consolidated)
2013 Mid-Year
Reforecast
(May-Jun)
2014-2016
Consolidated/
Triennial Budget
(Sep/Oct)
Version

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Tools for entering budget data/reporting
• Users have two options, depending on their
preference:
1) Web front end
• Set of budget entry forms (screenshots over)
• Set of standardised reports (HR and P&L)
2) SmartView (Excel based add-in)
• Same set of forms and standardised reports
used in Web front end; and
• create/save adhoc reports for analysis/
reporting (screenshots following)

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Employee Module
Global Values are used for all salary rates (ongoing and
casual) and oncosts, including provision for EBAs.

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Employee Module
Budget Entry Form (Position Detail and Positions Budget)
Each budgeted
employee has a
classification and a
FTE (per month)

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Employee Module
Ability to easily review budgeted employee costs
(for any scenario/version for any costcode)

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Employee Module  P&L Module
Employee Module feeds into P&L Module (mapped to G/L)

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P&L Module
P&L Budget Entry Form (for revenue, non-
employee module expenses and capital
purchases)

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Standard Reports
Set of HR Reports are available to all users

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Standard Reports
Set of P&L Reports are available to all users

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SmartView Overview
• SmartView (Essbase) is a multi-dimensional
relational database, in which users specify
dimension values to return a desired query result.
• Users can query either the Employee or P&L
module. Essbase
Entity
Period
Cost Code
Account
Scenario
Version
View
Year
Job
(Activity)
Type

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SmartView Adhoc Reporting
Employee query – allows for comparison of actuals to
budgets (can drill down to lowest level of each dimension)
Each module has a
number of
dimensions to query

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SmartView Adhoc Reporting
P&L query – allows for comparison of actuals to budgets
(can drill down to lowest level of each dimension)
Each module has a
number of
dimensions to query

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Assessment to Date / Short Term
Initiatives
• Positive feedback across all levels:
• Budget and Finance Officers (ease of use);
• Faculty/divisional managers (allows for more accurate budgeting
and deeper analysis);
• Central Finance (faster reconciliation; focus has changed to
analysing outputs, rather than the process of data collection); and
• Governance Committees (greater confidence; better reporting
informs strategic decision making).
• Deploying Rolling Forecasts
• Combined Data Reporting using Essbase,
encompassing student load, financials and FTE

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