The Pennsylvania State University - Administrative Information Services, a unit of Information Technology Services

Business Services

Administrative Information Services (AIS) provides the services needed to conduct business at Penn State, from operating Penn State’s eCommerce engine to keeping units functioning during unplanned outages. AIS also assists with the management and distribution of documents, provides a Web-based system to complete and submit administrative forms, and provides staff with a single launch point for administrative functions and applications.

Services

Business Continuity

Business Continuity is the ability to maintain critical University services and functions during or after an event that causes an unplanned outage or disruption—an event that is beyond the ability of an organization’s staff and management to control. It is a process used to restore operations, including information systems, networks, hardware, software and people—not just data.

Administrative Information Services (AIS) can help you create an individualized Business Continuity Plan to keep your organization operational. This plan will provide guidance during both natural and man-made disasters, allowing unit functions to be restored quickly and with minimal impact.  For further details, please view the brochure below.

Central ID Repository (CIDR)

CIDR provides information on various ID functions throughout Penn State, including password and Social Security Number (SSN) changes. CIDR contains biographical information used by various systems across the University, including the University’s PSU ID and SSNs, Digital IDs (Access or Friends of Penn State (FPS) accounts), addresses, and dates of birth that can be used for matching records.

If you have already obtained access, you may login to the CIDR Applications.

Document Imaging

Document Imaging (Image Hosting Service) is the AIS Centralized Image Hosting Service, which allows departments to manage documents through the use of the University’s site license of the software suite provided by Optical Image Technology, Inc. Departments can take advantage of free software licenses, improve customer service, reduce paper storage space requirements, decrease expenses, have secure Web browser access for retrieval, and eliminate document loss.

If you already have an existing account on the Centralized Image Hosting Production service, you may login to Document Imaging.

eCommerce

AIS, through eCommerce Services, has centralized the payment processing technology necessary for a secure, stable eCommerce environment at Penn State. These services, which include ePay, ePay Credit Card Swipe, eCommerce API, and eStore Hosting, provide a fast, cost-effective approach for departments adding eCommerce capabilities to their Web applications and business processes.

With more than 100 locations—at University Park and Commonwealth campus locations—using the service, Penn State’s eCommerce securely processes thousands of transactions daily.

If you have already obtained access, you may login to the eCommerce Control Center.

Emergency Contact Information System (ECIS)

The ECIS provides emergency contact information collected from Penn State students and employees for notification purposes about an emergency situation that may affect health or safety. This information may not be used for any other purpose. Authorized University personnel include on-call Student Affairs staff, designated police and security officers, Human Resource Representatives, and other on-call staff at each campus as designated by the campus Director of Student Affairs.

If you have already obtained access, you may login to ECIS.

Integrated Business Information System (IBIS)

IBIS is the electronic business system used at Penn State, composed of a variety of business applications and systems to provide financial and human resource information. The goal of IBIS is to provide users with the data and tools needed to make complex business decisions.

By allowing financial and human resource information to be shared in a secured manner, IBIS saves time and resources within the work unit. Client server tools are available so that data can be retrieved, analyzed, and formatted to meet specific reporting needs.  

IBIS data and reports are accessible through the Data Warehouse, AIMS (Account Management Information System), the mainframe (CCOM), and eDDS (Electronic Document Distrubution System), which may require individual access accounts and procedures.

Penn State Administrative Web Suite (PAWS)

Administrative users should know PAWS as the place to go on the Web to get work done. PAWS serves as a single launch point for a diverse collection of administrative functions and applications. Eventually, the majority of Penn State's administrative functions will reside inside of PAWS, including submitting a travel reimbursement, updating attendance records, and submitting an electronic form to Workflow.

If you have a Penn State Access Account, you may login to PAWS. In order to connect to PAWS from a non-Penn State network, it will be necessary to use the PSU VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Penn State Information Systems Directory

Content from the Penn State Information Systems Directory has been moved into PAWS (Penn State Administrative Web Suite), which can be found at paws.psu.edu.

More information about PAWS, including help and user guides, can be found on the PAWS page of the AIS Web site.

Workflow

Workflow is Penn State's Web-based hosting system for University academic, administrative, and financial management processes, especially those involving review approval needs. Additionally, Workflow enables the University to implement features not currently available in the existing EASY (Electronic Approval System) system, including role-based authorizations, an easier–to-use interface, and standard central workflow approval policies.

Usage of the Penn State Workflow system is restricted to faculty and staff and is accessible through PAWS. If you have obtained access, you may login to Workflow.

Content Questions: AIS Webmaster