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Orders paper stock for AIS computers and keeps inventory of all paper and forms.

Computer application systems are utilized to support and augment the strengths of individual administrative staff members, groups of administrative staff members, individual departments, groups of departments, and USC as a whole. In short, computer application systems at USC are administrative tools.

AIS has developed more than 70 computer application systems. These computer application systems were designed by the specific USC department that uses them and by AIS. Overall computer application system design leadership is provided by the office of University Comptroller and the office of Business Affairs. The computer application systems were originally developed on PRIME computers. Beginning in late 1992, AIS began porting the computer application systems to new computer hardware platforms, including: SUN, IBM RS/6000, and Data General. Today, all computer application systems run on the aforementioned computer platforms. As a result, these computer application systems are computer platform vendor independent (commonly referred to as 'Open Systems'). All computer application systems support the latest versions of the UNIX operating system, including SOLARIS 2.8 and AIX 4.3. In addition, all computer application systems are Year 2000 compliant.

All computer application systems at USC are continuously enhanced to facilitate and coordinate ever-changing environmental conditions and new USC methods of work. Computer application system support, maintenance, and enhancements are provided by AIS. Ever changing environmental conditions and specific University departments who constantly seek administrative work improvements are the main agents that prompt computer application system enhancements. As a result of these agents, computer application systems at USC are always in a state of flux, changing and growing as USC changes and grows.

    Production Services

    The User Support, Production Control, Central Services, Electronic Publishing, Couriers and User Support Group departments (collectively known as Production Services) have a wide range of functions, all dealing with the support of AIS computer application systems users. Production Services is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    User Support assists users who telephone with questions pertaining to both the hardware and computer application systems maintained by AIS. Many times User Support is able to assist the user. Service requests for the end user are issued by User Support in the event that additional services are required. They are then forwarded to the appropriate support group: programmer, technical support or computer operator.

    User Support:

    1. Maintains all service requests in a computer file
    2. Assists Production Control with keying Accounts Payable invoices for the USC Library and USC Commons
    3. Runs month-end General Ledger processing jobs and tapes
    4. Runs daily operator usage reports and purging them after examination
    5. Uploads and downloads files onto/from AIS production computers for users on a daily schedule
    6. Runs week-ending reports of all General Ledger operator usage for review and subsequent purge
    7. Performs daily upload of Accounts Payable check information to Bank of America

    Production Control runs production jobs and tapes on the IBM and Data General Systems.

    Production Control:

    1. Processes Accounts Payable Check Voids
    2. Bursts, trims and decollates checks
    3. Checks and logs the processing of standard and ad hoc reports
    4. Performs nightly processing on the following systems:
    • Bookstore System
    • Locator System
    • Accounts Payable System
    • Student Tuition System
    • Facilities Time and Management System
    • Payroll System (process edits, pay runs, and weekly, monthly and quarterly jobs)
    • Budget Development system
    • University Relations System
    • Master Calendar System
    • General Ledger System
    • Admissions System
    • Academic Progress and Advisement System
    • Collections and Consolidated Receivables System
    • Financial Aid System
    • Registration & Records & Transcript System
    • Data Warehouse

    Central Services has varied duties and all are user-support related.

    Central Services:

    1. Scans Accounts Payable checks and source documentation, Sponsored Projects Accounting Source documents, and RFA Source documents daily
    2. Scans hand-typed checks once a year (January-December)
    3. Microfilms Settlement of Accounts once a year from A-Z.
    4. Develops and verifies microfilm
    5. Distributes copies of microfilmed items to user support upon request
    6. Sorts and distributes Accounting Status Reports and Telephone Bills to all University departments including Health Sciences Campus and Information Sciences Institute
    7. Runs Accounting Status Reports for users upon request, and disburses all financial and payroll forms for the University Park and Health Sciences Campuses
    8. Orders all payroll and financial forms for both campuses
    9. Facilitates the signing of all payroll checks for the payroll department
    10. Orders Payroll, Accounts Payable, Bookstore and Student checks
    11. Orders paper stock for AIS computers and keeps inventory of all paper and forms.
    12. Maintains information on bins and delivery locations for reports and forms
    13. Assists Production Control by running tapes and production jobs during daytime business hours (General Ledger Journal Voucher)

    Electronic Publishing has numerous duties and all are upon the users request.

    Electronic Publishing:

    1. Creates, edits and modifies documents, including departmental forms, memo pads, flyers, booklets, certificates, etc. using various graphics software applications
    2. Prints, scans and makes copies of documents requested by a specific department
    3. Performs graphic design functions, including creating, scanning, cleaning, sizing and modifying logos with sophisticated software
    4. Performs mail-merges for various departments
    5. Creates and manages all production forms and images
    6. Operates high capacity state of the art Xerox DocuTech and DocuPrint machines
    7. Maintains billing and invoicing of requested jobs

    Managing the Output of the Production:

    1. Performs conversion and installation of postscript images and forms to all AIS systems
    2. Administrates DJDE forms through Misprint controller

    Couriers make continuous deliveries across the University Park Campus.

    Couriers:

    1. Deliver reports and forms, making up to 1700 stops per month
    2. Collect storage boxes containing records and transport them to the warehouse upon request
    3. Retrieve recorded boxes from storage and deliver them to the requesting department, later refilling those boxes
    4. Perform inventory of warehouse forms and paper and deliver them to the AIS Computer Room upon request
    5. Maintain an inventory of user-purchased forms, so the users are informed as to when it is time to reorder

    FBIS Support Group assists Financial and Business Services users with a wide variety of hardware and software issues.

    1. Hardware issues:
      • Check hardware settings that allow network access
      • Install network cards (ethernet)
      • Running cables for connection to network
      • Examine buildings for cables
      • Upgrade and troubleshoot hardware
      • Recommend new hardware
      • Installation and support of Windows 2000 servers and workstations
    2. Software issues:
      • Set up USC approved software packages to give users access to Internet resources
      • Set up new PC's with Windows 2000
      • Evaluate software capabilities and settings
    3. Troubleshoot various printer and network problems
    4. Printing issues:
      • Examine and diagnose network and system issues
      • Assist in the addition of printers to workstations across campus
    5. Network issues:
      • Troubleshoot various network problems
      • Examine/evaluate network connections and capabilities of workstations
      • Offer "over the phone" support and advice to various departments across campus

    Computer Room Services

    The Hardware, Facilities, Network Maintenance and Systems Administration and Operations departments (collectively known as AIS Operations) have a wide range of functions, all dealing with the support of computer related equipment used to house computer application systems written and maintained by AIS. AIS Operations is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    Hardware, Facilities, Network Maintenance and Systems Administration provides and coordinates first level, in-house support as well as corrective and preventive maintenance of equipment located within the AIS Computer Room. This equipment includes:

    1. Computers (Application and disk servers)
    2. Peripheral computer equipment:
      • Printers
      • Data tape drivers
      • Data disk drivers
      • Cabling
      • System controller boards
    3. Network equipment located within the computer room:
      • Routers, bridges, and hubs
      • Terminal servers
      • Cabling
      • Setup and control
      • Monitoring
    4. Computer Room Facilities:
      • Auxiliary power system (UPS)
      • Air conditioning system
      • Fire prevention, detection and control system
      • Water prevention and detection systems
      • Communication and power wiring infrastructure
      • Maintain inventory lists

    Furthermore, Hardware, Facilities, Network Maintenance, and System Administration provides and coordinates the administration of computer systems which houses applications and data associated with computer application systems written and maintained by AIS. Their duties include:

    1. Coordinated development and maintenance of computer system configurations with application project leaders
    2. The setup, configuration, testing and software maintenance of:
      • Available tape drives
      • Available printers
      • Available disk partitions
    3. The installation and maintenance of UNIX operating systems
    4. The installation and maintenance of auxiliary operating system applications:
      • Print Spoolers
      • Batch queues
      • Communication systems
      • Electronic main systems
    5. The installation and maintenance of data base management system:
      • Universe
    6. Addition and deletion of users
    7. Provision of reports of users, devices, network connections and disk usage
    8. Provision of special system programming and support

    Operations provides and coordinates the operation of computer equipment, which houses applications and data associated with computer application systems written and maintained by AIS. Their duties include:

    1. Monitoring and supporting the functions of computers
    2. Monitoring and supporting the functions of peripheral equipment
    3. Operating centrally located printers:
      • Cleaning
      • Loading paper and ribbons
      • Pulling reports
      • Passing reports to Production Control for distribution
    4. Performing data backup and storage
    5. Assisting application staff in performing data recovery when needed
    6. Providing physical security for all computer and peripheral equipment
    7. Monitoring the operating system and its components
      • Print Spoolers
      • Batch job system
    8. Performing general computer system cleanups:
      • Garbage collects
      • Rebooting
      • Fixing disks
    9. Monitoring for system failures and reporting such failures to appropriate personnel