If you attended Benefits U, then you received a sneak peek of Phoenix! Phoenix is the new pension administration system, which you will be using to interact with MOSERS starting in the next 12 to 18 months. Those who were able to join us at Benefits U saw how efficient and automated Phoenix will be as it interacts behind the scenes with SAM II and non-SAM II payroll files. This level of automation will improve the accuracy of our member data which ultimately increases customer service. Although there was a lot to take in with all the Phoenix demos, those that attended noticed the ease of use and how intuitive it is. There are errors and warnings built in to call your attention to invalid pieces of data that do not pass the controls programmed into the system. Phoenix will give you direction on what needs to be addressed and how. Think of it as having a personal assistant coaching you through the process.

If those of you who attended were overwhelmed with all the information, don’t worry! Within the next few weeks, we will upload the recorded video session demonstrations to the Benefits U page. Keep in mind that this was only a sneak peek. Thorough training and ongoing support are in the future and will be provided closer to our go-live date. We cannot do what we do without YOU! Thank you for all of the work you put in to help serve our members.

If you were unable to attend BU this year, stay tuned because we will be posting the recorded sessions in the coming weeks. Check the BU page for updates!

We extended an invitation to attendees of Benefits U to ask for what they would like to see in Phoenix. Carson Lepper, Phoenix Project Manager, asked payroll reps to email PMO@mosers.org with their requests using the following format “As a_______________I want________________so that _______________. To give you an idea of what a completed statement like this might look like here are some examples.

As a payrep/human resource manager

I want to access any member's service history

so that if an employee has breaks in service, I can accurately calculate their Leave Progression Date for SAMII purposes.

As a personnel officer at DPS

I want the Eligible to Retire Report to allow me to select multiple organizations in one run

so that I can run the organizations I am responsible for and see them all at one time.

As a payrep/human resource manager

I want a report of changes made to the submitted payroll file

So that I can accurately request 1DEDs/NDED in SAMII.

As a payrep/human resource manager

I want the Phoenix/PMO support staff to be easily accessible during implementation, either via phone, virtual meeting, or email

so that if I have difficulty uploading payroll, I have the extra support to walk me through the screens.

If you submit an idea to PMO@mosers.org we will reach out to you so we can fully understand your request. Providing your idea in the given format, allows us to begin thinking about the scope, complexity, and value of your idea. We look forward to hearing from you!