Projects

What we did: We’ve launched Workday Expenses – a tool that dramatically simplifies travel management and other business expenses at McGill.

Why it matters: For many years, McGill’s travel and expense reimbursement process was complex, inefficient and time-consuming for everyone involved. It’s now far easier to capture receipts, submit expense reports and spend authorizations, and track them through the approval and reimbursement process – all in one place. The new solution will save time – and frustration – all across McGill.

Timeline:

• Project began: February 2025
• Launched: February 2026

Learn more: Visit the Workday Expenses page on the Financial Services website.

What we’re doing: Developing a pilot project whereby highly qualified prospective students who are not admitted to their programs of choice are invited to apply to similar undersubscribed programs. Should the pilot prove successful, it may be expanded to include additional programs.

Why it matters: Due to limited capacity and high demand, extremely qualified applicants may be turned away from some of McGill’s most competitive academic programs. However, these applicants may be unaware of similar McGill programs with the capacity to accommodate them, which they might find equally appealing. Inviting them to apply may help them explore complementary pathways that match both their aspirations and program availability, while also encouraging the efficient use of teaching and space capacity and generating additional grant and tuition revenues to help offset operating expenses.

Timeline:

• Project began: November 2025
• Target pilot launch: April 2026

What we’re doing: Adopting DocuSign e-signatures to streamline and accelerate procurement contract approvals.

Why it matters: Contract signatures will be instant, from any device – accelerating approvals and saving time and frustration. As well, unlike the commonly used PDF “fill and sign” solution, DocuSign is integrated with the McGill Marketplace and provides a centralized, end-to-end workflow with built-in authentication, audit trails, and encryption that meets McGill’s security and compliance standards.

Timeline:

• Project began: January 2026
• Target launch: March 2026

Learn more: McGill Reporter

What we’re doing: Exploring ways to leverage unused Endowed Chair funds to support academic salaries and operating expenses.

Why it matters: McGill holds endowment funds intended to fund the salaries and activities of specific Endowed Chairs. However, for various reasons (e.g. the absence of suitable candidates), these endowments are often underutilized. Over the past four fiscal years, these Endowed Chair funds have generated an average of $4M in unused annual income, which was recapitalized into McGill’s endowment.

Timeline:

• Project began: December 2025
• Target completion: May 2026

What we’re doing: Examining the generation of reports across McGill to streamline, consolidate, and (where appropriate) eliminate them.

Why it matters: McGill’s vast reporting ecosystem delivers a huge array of (sometimes overlapping) information to various governance, government, and other bodies. This is a significant undertaking and often results in duplicated efforts, whereas some reports may provide only minimal utility.

Timeline:

• Project began: January 2026

Learn more: McGill Reporter

What we’re doing: Procurement Services has partnered with IT Services to launch an AI chatbot pilot project, designed to deliver instant answers to common questions about policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.

Why it matters: The chatbot should decrease delays by quickly and accurately helping faculty and staff find the information they need. It will also generate insights that inform the ongoing design of McGill’s enterprise chatbot ecosystem, providing further benefits for McGillians in the future.

Timeline:

• Project began: December 2025
• Target pilot launch: May 2026

Learn more: McGill Reporter

What we did: Automated the intake process for procurement contracts.

Why it matters: Procurement Services helps Faculties and Units negotiate contracts with suppliers, assess legal implications, manage risks and more. But until recently, it could take three days to assign contract requests to the right professional within procurement services. Now, thanks to new system automation launched in December 2025, intake forms are instantly assigned to the buyer responsible. With some 400 contracts processed per year, this initiative will generate significant time savings.

Timeline:

• Project began: November 2025
• Launched: December 2025

Learn more: McGill Reporter

What we’re doing: Building a self-registration portal for McGill’s suppliers.

Why it matters: Staff and faculty who work with the McGill Marketplace have long struggled to add suppliers to the system. The current process takes some 30 days, requires staff to collect suppliers’ sensitive banking information, and frequently involves prolonged back-and-forth with vendors before purchases are finalized. When the portal launches, suppliers will simply register themselves – dramatically reducing processing time while improving the accuracy of supplier information.

Timeline:

• Project began: Winter 2026
• Target completion: December 2026

Learn more: McGill Reporter

What we’re doing: Building a database of U.S. high schools, to simplify the review of applications from students who opted not to submit test scores. This should accelerate admission offers.

Why it matters: Currently, manual review is required for applications from prospective students at U.S. high schools who choose not to provide SAT/ACT test scores. This review requires a significant labour commitment and slows admission offers. A reliable database should greatly reduce the amount of research required to evaluate each application, resulting in faster offers – which in turn will likely increase acceptance rates and make life simpler for prospective students.

Timeline:

• Project began: September 2025
• Target completion: July 2026