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IRIS Data Warehouse Now Easier to Use — Learn All About It on March 7

The IRIS Data Warehouse, the Lab's centralized source of up-to-date information on finances, purchasing, etc. via the web, is getting a new user interface to make the system easier to use. The Lab's Information Systems and Services Department (ISS) is sponsoring a brown-bag seminar on IRIS version 2 starting at noon Tuesday, March 7, in the Bldg. 50 auditorium. All interested employees are invited.

IRIS allows users to check on the financial status of projects and procurements, obtaining information such as how much has been spent, who is charging a project number, purchase order status, etc. Information about training and property records can also be accessed via IRIS. Users can either get a quick status snapshot, or request a more formal report.

The new IRIS interface is not only easier to use than the previous version, but is more flexible and makes a wider range of information available. Additionally, employees won't need a separate account to access the data. The new version will provide authentication and access using the same underlying employee database as the Lab's IMAP4 email and electronic calendaring systems. Employees who already have IMAP4 passwords can use them for IRIS, while those who don't have passwords can call the computer support Help Desk at X4357 to obtain a password.

IRIS was created several years ago as an electronic alternative to the Lab's central, paper-based reporting system, which churned out stacks of paper reports. With the adoption of PeopleSoft applications for general ledger and human resources data, the Lab also modernized its data reporting system. The result was known as the Integrated Reporting and Information System, or IRIS.