Financial Management Services (FMS) is a part of the Stanford University Business Affairs organization, whose vision is “to work together to make administration seamless and efficient to enable and support teaching, learning and research.” To learn more about the units that comprise Business Affairs and its strategic goals, please visit the Business Affairs website.
Mission
To provide a business ecosystem that cultivates a simplified financial landscape to address the evolving needs of the community while safeguarding the university.
Vision
To inspire and enable excellence in financial stewardship.
Guiding Themes
The following FMS Guiding Themes serve as guideposts for how FMS strives toward its vision and mission:
- Community-Centered Collaboration is active engagement to solve challenges and leverage opportunities. This collaboration is essential to balance the central and distributed needs of the university along with risk management and client support.
- Thoughtfully Designed Administration is innovation within the Stanford ecosystem, building and enhancing foundational policies, procedures and tools.
- Talent Investment is a commitment to provide the “Four Es” to staff: Education, Exposure, Experience and Environment, while ensuring FMS is hiring, developing and supporting the right people in the right roles at the right time.
FMS consists of seven primary departments that oversee the core functions of the organization. In addition to these, FMS is responsible for financial policy oversight, quality assurance and serving as a liaison to the hospitals and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). View the Financial Management Services Organization Chart for a high-level view of the primary departments and a list of their functions.
Departments
- Business Strategy and Services leads and manages strategic initiatives, innovation, and improvements that increase client enablement through effective business relationships, outreach, customer support, and training.
- The Controller's Office leads and manages the accounting activities of the university; provides expertise in fund, investment and capital accounting, facilitates the transfer of gifts of securities and provides analysis and reporting of financial information.
- Global Business Services partners with the Stanford community to deliver business solutions that safeguard, enable and accelerate international programs, projects and initiatives.
- Financial Compliance and Operations leads and manages innovative and sound financial management, policies, processes and practices that balance compliance and service for the university.
- Financial Systems and Reporting leads and manages the design, delivery, and support of system and reporting solutions to enable excellence in financial management at the university.
- The Office of the Treasurer leads and manages the institutional treasury functions; providing cash, liquidity, and bank relationship management; debt strategy and administration; and credit card merchant services.
- Organizational Effectiveness leads and manages the alignment of people, processes, and systems with business strategy through analysis, design, and transformation to improve operational efficiency and innovation.
- Procurement Services leads and manages the policies, processes, and systems associated with buying and paying activities at the university.
