What are shadow systems and why do we want to hear about them as we prepare for the FIN Upgrade?

Shadow System is a term used in information services for any application relied upon for business processes that is not under the jurisdiction of a centralized information systems department.

Shadow systems are often unique to specific departments and, because they are not formally documented at a University-wide level, are likely to fail after changes (like upgrades!) occur in central systems. They are typically created using tools such as Microsoft Access, MySql, Brio Queries, jQuery, and so on.

Your department may be using a shadow system to collect, analyze, or create data. If your system is drawing on financial information from PeopleSoft Finance and/or the CIW (Central Information Warehouse), it will likely not work correctly after we turn on FIN 9.2 in November 2015 due to the table changes that will occur.

So now is the time to talk to us about it! You can describe your system – and attach sample reports or other materials – using our convenient online feedback form.

We look forward to hearing from you.