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 eight 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 drives strategic initiatives, innovation and continuous improvements that increase client enablement through effective business relationships, outreach, customer support and training.
- The Controller's Office leads and manages the accounting activities for 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.
- Financial Compliance and Operations promotes innovative and sound financial management, policies and practices that balance compliance and service for the university.
- Financial Systems and Reporting is responsible for the design, delivery and support of system and reporting solutions to enable excellence in financial management at the university.
- Global Business Services partners with the Stanford community to deliver business solutions that safeguard, enable and accelerate international programs, projects and initiatives.
- The Office of the Treasurer is responsible for institutional treasury functions, providing cash, liquidity and bank relationship management, debt strategy and administration and credit card merchant services.
- Organizational Effectiveness supports the alignment of people, processes and systems with business strategy through analysis, design and transformation that improve operational efficiency and innovation.
- Procurement Services oversees the policies, processes and systems associated with buying and paying activities at the university.
