We would like to thank everyone who participated in the GMAS 2.0 Survey and for providing feedback on the December release – more than 60 respondents!
The survey allowed us to prepare for future releases by understanding the best ways to communicate with users and the perception of the navigational changes. As a result of the survey, the project team has identified system improvements some of which will be implemented as early as the April release.
The survey focused on the biggest and most obvious change to GMAS, the newly designed Segment Home page. These are some of the survey results:
- 89% felt informed about the changes to the GMAS Segment Homepage.
- 80% felt confident using the new GMAS Segment Homepage.
- 70% felt it’s easy to find the information needed on the new Segment Homepage.
- The changes user found most helpful on the Segment Homepage (multiple answers were allowed):
- Dates and Dollars 42%
- Key Information 42%
- More Details 31%
- Navigation Bar 34%
- Work in Process 25%
- Other 14%
- The following forms of communication were identified as most beneficial in learning about GMAS Segment Homepage changes (multiple answers were allowed):
- Email Distribution Lists (FAS, RAS) 44%
- Blogs (GMAS, OSP) 42%
- GMAS system homepage 32%
- eNews 27%
- Department/tub contacts 20%
- Other 20% (FSS Road Show, Open Forums, etc.)
- GMAS website 17%
Below are some of the key themes that we gathered from the survey as well as plans for how to move forward to better meet the needs of the GMAS user community.
| What we heard | ....What we're doing about It |
|
I wish the “more details” toggle could always be turned on for people in Central who need to see the additional details. I wish the tub/org/prime PI/admin team were accessible from the segment home page instead of having to click “more details”. |
We’re targeting some improvements for displaying additional data on the Segment Homepage for the GMAS July ’16 release. |
| Approval and confirmation of research team is difficult to find from the Segment Homepage. | An indication of the research team confirmation status has been added to the research team page. To confirm the research team, use the blue Actions button the homepage. |
| It would be great if you could see the total authorized amount (obligated plus carryforward) instead of just the obligated amount, without having to go to in to the Dates and Dollars detail. | For the April release … the Segment homepage will display the Authorized amount instead of the Obligated amount. |
| It would be great if it showed pennies and not rolled up to the dollar level. | We will work with the GMAS 2.0 Business Steering Committee to see how/if to prioritize this request. |
| There was feedback on streamlining Documents & Budgets. | Improving the how users interact with the GMAS document repositories is a top priority. Some improvements will be included in the July ’16 release. Watch this blog for more information on upcoming releases! |
| Users would like more in-person training for GMAS basics and beyond. | The GMAS Training and Communications team is reviewing the feedback from this survey and will be getting feedback at sponsored community meetings over the next few weeks. The team is collaborating with the University Research Administration Training Team (URATT) to offer in-person training, along with other training options. Stay tuned! |
Feedback from the survey, the help desk, and other forums helps us plan for future releases, so thank you for taking the time to provide input!