At the beginning of the 1995-96 fiscal year, ODP's Administration Department switched accounting systems from IMS, used since the beginning of the program, to FAMIS (Financial Accounting Management Information System), a software program comprised of several independent modules. The final move to FAMIS, which was instigated over three years ago, was made in conjunction with similar changes at the main branch of the Texas A&M Research Foundation.
At the present time, the Administration Department is using the Payroll, Financial Reference System, Accounts Payable, and Purchasing modules. The FAMIS system is designed to link all financial accounting transactions, from budget implementation to procurement to payment of final invoices. By using these links, ODP personnel will gain easier, more comprehensive access to historical data for budget preparation and general information purposes.
To enhance information retrieval beyond current on-line capabilities or from standardized reports, the Administration Department is in the process of developing databases that will receive downloads of all FAMIS transactions. Currently, all branches within the Administration Department are also developing inter- and intradepartmental policies and procedures for the new system.