Unlike most mid-project changes in technological service providers, the change to Peoplesoft will not prolong the completion of the HR Project. On the contrary, while the original end date for the project was well into 2003, project leaders now say the project should be ready by April 2002.

HR project leaders point out that the combination of a financial system run on Oracle software and an HR system powered by PeopleSoft has proven quite successful at other universities, such as Stanford and Columbia.

However, PeopleSoft’s HR software has faced resistance in other uses. The software powers the HR systems of all Boston public schools, and has its share of dectractors.

“[The system] has got problems,” said Ethan Mutschler, the Boston public schools representative to the Administrative Guild of Boston. “Clearly whoever the vendor is is doing a good selling job.”

Emily DiCesare, a secretary for Boston Latin High School, said the new system’s complexity makes it difficult to use. “It’s a lot more steps than the system I was previously using,” she said.

Complicated data entry processes have been a major source of complaints levied against the financial systems established during Project ADAPT’s first phase, with many administrators saying they are unhappy with the change.

—Staff writer Kate L. Rakoczy can be reached at rakoczy@fas.harvard.edu.