UCSB unveils new tools and reporting platform, transforming financial management

UC Santa Barbara has reached a pivotal milestone in its effort to modernize campus financial and accounting processes with the recent launch of several key tools and the debut of a sophisticated new financial reporting platform. These additions mark a major step forward in the multi-year Financial Management Modernization(FMM) project, bringing greater clarity, efficiency and data-driven insights to faculty and staff across the campus.

This progress aligns UCSB with other UC campuses that have already made this transition, allowing the campus to leverage best practices and lessons learned, which has led to a smoother deployment than originally anticipated.

"Our project team has accomplished so much," said Kerry Bierman, Interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer for UCSB. "We successfully rolled out four new systems, including the new FinHub reporting portal, which now houses 59 new reports and 10 dashboards, giving us unprecedented access to campuswide fiscal data. FMM also required us to overhaul and integrate 46 legacy systems - a massive technical undertaking."

Perhaps the most anticipated feature now available is the financial reporting platform. This state-of-the-art tool replaces older, disparate reporting methods and provides faculty and staff with access to comprehensive, real-time financial data. For faculty leaders, principal investigators and departmental administrators, this platform is a game-changer.

"The new dashboard is a powerful tool that enables me, as a principal investigator and a faculty member, to keep track of funds housed in different units across campus," said David Valentine, distinguished professor in UCSB's Department of Earth Science. "This saves me time and effort, as everything I need is all there in one location."

Ultimately, the new financial management environment is designed to deliver greater consistency and compliance across the entire UC system, while empowering UCSB users with modern, flexible tools. It's a major leap forward for UCSB's financial infrastructure.

"FMM is fundamentally important because of the way in which it will transform the campus' financial management capabilities. It brings a common set of views and shared understanding to critical financial data that impacts campus operations at every level," said Josh Bright, Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. "It represents a technological leap forward, allowing us to work with data in new and more effective ways, and to establish a standardized platform for reporting and analytics. It will also allow us to retire a number of antiquated and insecure systems that represent significant risk for the campus."

And there's more to come as the system continues to stabilize. "As we enter a new calendar year, the work continues," said Bierman. "We are committed to refining and improving our systems based on your feedback, and we will be rolling out new campus budgeting processes and related training. Our commitment to listening and collaboration will only deepen as we move into 2026."

By embracing modern capabilities, the campus is better positioned to achieve its goals, foster world-class research, and ensure transparent, effective stewardship of its resources.

"When I look back at how far we have come, I am so proud of how much we have accomplished together, spending countless hours navigating thousands of tasks, and working through many complex issues to reach thoughtful solutions," said Bierman. "We didn't just implement a new Common Chart of Accounts and Oracle Financials Cloud; we built a foundational infrastructure for the future of financial management at UCSB."

For questions about the new system or to get help with any of the features, visit the FMM website.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.