As 2025 comes to a close, The PeopleSoft Connection looks back on a year defined by practical learning and strong community momentum. The podcast evolved into a forum where customers, product experts, and peers could share how they are using PeopleSoft functionality to solve real business problems.

Join Co-Hosts, Brooke Repine of Samaritan’s Purse and Stephen Valentine of Milton Hershey School, as they recap the first season that explored how organizations are modernizing their PeopleSoft environments—without over-customizing or over-complicating.

Beyond the technology itself, the conversations emphasized something equally important: community. Listeners heard how starting small can lead to meaningful wins, how peer-led SIGs and working sessions helped us move our projects along, and how channels like Idea Space and focus groups give customers a real voice in the product’s future.

In this year-end reflection episode, Stephen and Brooke revisit key moments from the season, share what they learned along the way, and look ahead to 2026—highlighting upcoming enhancements, Blueprint 4D, and the continued evolution of PeopleSoft.

Fluid WorkCenters & User Experience (1:23)

Key takeaways from the Fluid WorkCenters discussion, adoption lessons, and what’s next with the Work Management Framework.

PeopleSoft Insights: From Data to Decisions (2:15)

Why starting small matters, Workforce Insights as an entry point, and how teams shifted from reporting to analytics.

PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF) (3:51)

What’s changed since early PTF days, why automation is more achievable now, and the value of community-led working sessions.

Configuration over Customization (5:10)

Page and Field Configurator, change tracking, notifications, and why small configuration changes can drive outsized value.

Mobile Asset Inventory & Idea Space (5:36)

Real-world use of mobile asset scanning and how customers can influence the PeopleSoft roadmap through Idea Space and focus groups.

Blueprint 4D, Innovator Awards & 2026 Outlook (7:10)

Community challenges, upcoming enhancements, and a call to stay engaged in the year ahead.

This episode brings together the voices of organizations serving communities around the world and the PeopleSoft tools that help them operate with purpose and precision. Stephen Valentine (Milton Hershey School) and Brooke Repine (Samaritan’s Purse) sit down with Tina Thames, Director of PeopleSoft Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) Product Strategy, to explore one of the most anticipated enhancements of the year: QR-code-based mobile asset tracking and physical inventory.

Opening: Gratitude Month and Mission Work

Stephen and Brooke open with a reflection on gratitude—highlighting the mission-driven work of their organizations, the operational backbone PeopleSoft provides, and the dedicated people behind the scenes who make it all work.

Tina’s PeopleSoft Journey (2:22)

QR Codes & Mobile Inventory: A Game-Changer (3:29)

Decentralizing Asset Ownership (6:12)

Implementation Guidance (10:39)

Idea Space and Customer-Driven Innovation (14:37)

SIG Groups & Focus Groups (18:07)

Looking Ahead: QR Codes Beyond ALM (25:43)

Closing Thoughts (28:00)

In this episode of the PeopleSoft Connection, co-hosts Stephen Valentine and Brooke Repine are joined by Joe Williver, Oracle PeopleSoft Product Manager, for an in-depth discussion on the Page and Field Configurator (PFC) functionality. Joe shares the origins and evolution of PFC, designed to help customers eliminate customizations and streamline business processes by allowing business analysts to easily make display and field requirement changes without heavy IT involvement. The episode explores impactful use cases, including change tracking and notification features, as well as best practices for collaboration between functional and technical teams. Listeners gain practical advice on getting started with PFC, guidance on common pitfalls, and insights into available resources and future enhancements.

00:00 Oracle PeopleSoft Product Manager Journey

04:32 "Component-Based Configuration Explained"

06:55 "Targeted Change Tracking Tools"

10:58 Notification Composer Overview

14:36 Change Tracking and Insights Dashboard

20:04 "Streamlining Configuration with Advanced Options"

22:28 "Change Tracking Tutorial Guide"

24:31 "Sequence Configuration Best Practices"

29:07 "PeopleSoft's Impact and Community Appreciation"

In this episode of the PeopleSoft Connection podcast, co-hosts Brooke and Stephen sit down with Jessica Maistrovich from Hennepin County and Jennifer Gilbert from King County—two passionate experts of the PeopleTools Test Framework (PTF). They share their personal journeys improving PTF in their organizations and discuss the supportive, collaborative community that’s been created around using this tool. Listeners will hear tips for getting started, advice on standardization, recent enhancements, and learn about the valuable resources of weekly working sessions and the Special Interest Group (SIG) through Quest. Whether you’re new to PTF or looking to optimize your automated testing, this episode is full of practical insights and encouragement to modernize your PeopleSoft testing strategy.

01:22 PTF is already included with your PeopleSoft investment

04:58 Learning to trust the testing process

11:14 Which script should I create first?

12:52 Weekly working group available

15:16 Monthly Special Interest Group (SIG) available

20:24 Recommendations for standardization

23:10 Noteworthy PTF updates

25:35 Utilize this tool for functionality that is tested repeatedly

27:20 The understated benefits of PTF

In this episode of the PeopleSoft Connection podcast, co-hosts Brooke Repine and Stephen Valentine are joined by Arul TT and Devin McCall from North Dakota University System. The conversation covers PeopleSoft Insights and the benefits of this embedded analytics tool. Having deployed Insights without consultant help, the guests highlight how to get started with Insights and lessons learned -- making it a valuable listen for those interested in launching PeopleSoft Insights.

01:18 What are PeopleSoft Insights?

08:40 Start with Workforce Insights

09:41 Oracle transition from Kibana to Insights

11:15 OpenSearch Server and Dashboard Server needed

13:11 Real-time Indexing

14:02 Resources to Get Started with Insights

17:35 Data Literacy

18:44 Lessons Learned

20:54 No Impact to Database performance

23:33 Key Takeaways

In this episode of the PeopleSoft Connection podcast, co-hosts Brooke Repine and Stephen Valentine chat with Valencia Borders from ManTech International to learn how her team drives innovation within their PeopleSoft environment. Valencia shares insights into ManTech’s strategic approach to staying current with PeopleSoft functionality, leveraging Fluid WorkCenters, and embracing new Oracle-delivered features to streamline processes and enhance user experience. The conversation covers practical strategies for managing change, empowering business analysts, and making the most of user communities like Quest to stay informed about the latest PeopleSoft advancements. Listeners will be inspired to foster a culture of continuous improvement within their own organization.

01:12 Valencia Borders and her PeopleSoft Journey

03:03 About ManTech International

04:59 Strategic Decision to be No More than 3 Releases Behind

06:10 Turning on New Functionality Delivered with PUMs

09:56 Embracing Continuous Learning Culture

12:44 Leveraging Fluid WorkCenters to Streamline Processes

14:07 Integrated Fluid Approvals

15:40 Managing Change from Classic to Fluid WorkCenter

17:39 Related Content in Fluid WorkCenter

21:06 Business Analysts configure Fluid WorkCenters

26:11 Stepping through the Enterprise Components Menu

27:26 Alerts & Notifications in Fluid WorkCenter

30:50 Embracing Delivered Technology

In this episode, co-hosts Brooke Repine and Stephen Valentine discuss the upcoming BLUEPRINT 4D 2025 conference, happening June 9–13 in Las Vegas, Nevada with a spotlight on the new PeopleSoft Modernization track.

Whether you're a first-time attendee or a seasoned conference-goer, this episode will help you build your BLUEPRINT game plan. They share planning tips and throw out a challenge: Make meaningful connections and bring innovation back to your organization.

01:22 Meet us at BP4D

02:12 What is BP4D and Why should I go?

04:37 The New PeopleSoft Modernization Learning Path

07:47 Opening Keynotes + Conference Layout

15:02 Highlighting Sessions

19:59 Prep Before You Go

22:33 Closing Challenge

Resources:

New PeopleSoft Modernization Learning Path: https://questoraclecommunity.org/events/conferences/peoplesoft-reconnect/learning-path/

2025 Blueprint 4D Session Listing: https://questoraclecommunity.org/sessionlisting?event=a1mUT000003CCdB

In this debut episode of the PeopleSoft Connection podcast, co-hosts Stephen Valentine, Senior Director of Quality Assurance at Milton Hershey School, and Brooke Repine, Business Systems Analyst at Samaritan’s Purse, introduce themselves and share their PeopleSoft journeys. They discuss how their organizations are leveraging PeopleSoft’s HCM and FSCM modules to streamline operations and support their respective missions. The hosts highlight the value of engaging with the Quest PeopleSoft Community, outline their goals for the upcoming podcast series, and preview topics such as modernization, expert interviews, and networking opportunities at the Blueprint 4D conference. This episode sets the stage for future deep dives into PeopleSoft innovation, best practices, and community connections.

00:00 PeopleSoft Connection Podcast Launch

03:40 Stephen’s PeopleSoft Journey

5:05 Brooke’s PeopleSoft Journey

5:45 Milton Hershey School & Samaritan’s Purse using PeopleSoft to transform lives

11:47 What to expect for this Podcast series

15:40 Value of Quest Community

16:07 Blueprint 4D 2024 Dallas

17:19 Blueprint 4D 2025 Las Vegas

Resources:

Blueprint 4D https://questoraclecommunity.org/events/conferences/blueprint4d/

2025 Blueprint 4D Session Listing: https://questoraclecommunity.org/sessionlisting?event=a1mUT000003CCdB

Quest Oracle Community https://questoraclecommunity.org/