In 1972, there were over 150,000 individuals being paid by the State Controller's Office, including some 30,000 in the CSU. In addition, there were a large number of retirees receiving monthly annuity checks. The task of maintaining adequate records to ensure that all these individuals were paid correctly, that their rights to benefits were protected, and that their status was reported accurately had been shared by the administrative divisions of the four major control agencies in the State of California - Public Employees' Retirement System, State Personnel Board, State Controller's Office and the Trustees of The California State University. In the case of CSU, this often meant that the responsibility was divided between the campuses and the Chancellor's Office.
No standard personnel/payroll reporting system existed. There were limited types of employee data available and no automated method for obtaining management information from any single source. The State's payroll was processed on antiquated computer equipment. Paychecks were often late, inaccurate, or nonexistent. A direct negative effect on employees, their pay and benefits, caused numerous complaints. Various State entities, including the Legislature and Department of Finance complained of the inability to obtain from any central source the most basic kinds of management information about the work force.
In recognition of the problems developing in the State of California, the State Legislature authorized funding for the establishment of the PIMS Project. The purpose of the project was to design and implement a centralized automated personnel/payroll reporting system that would be responsive to the needs of the control agencies in the State of California. Each of the control agencies assigned their own 'experts' to PIMS Teams, which made up the PIMS Project.
Commencing in July 1973, and for the next eighteen months, the first of several custom-designed personnel/payroll IBM systems was developed, tested and implemented. New personnel/payroll reporting documents were designed; procedures manuals written. By the spring of 1975, the first phase of the new PIMS system was operational. Because of its proximity to the State Controller's Office, Sacramento State opted to serve as the pilot for the CSU. That fall, the pilot was extended to include the Chancellor's Office, Bakersfield, and Sonoma. In December 1975, the four pilots were officially ' converted' to PIMS.
The remaining campuses were converted to PIMS during 1976; 44,000 employee records had been converted by the end of the year. (Refer to the Glossary,
Conversion Date, for the schedule of campus conversion dates.)
During 1979-81, the first phase of an 'off-site' (decentralized) network throughout the State was developed, security requirements were designed and approved, and post-audit requirements developed. Commencing in 1981, a pilot project was implemented at Sacramento State and the campus assumed responsibility for key entering its own Personnel/Payroll transactions and Employee Action Request transactions directly into the PIMS database. In 1982-83, the pilot was extended to include three other campuses and the Chancellor's Office. By the end of 1983, all campuses and several civil service agencies were brought in to the 'off-site' process. During 1982-84, the second phase of the 'off-site' was designed and implemented. This capability allowed on-line entry of various attendance and positive payrolls.