Pension Solution project hits UAT milestones; payroll run succeeded, go-live still targeted for fall 2025

CalSTRS project leaders updated trustees Nov. 7 on the Pension Solution program, the multi-year replacement of the benefits administration system. Anthony Sweeney, project director, said the project moved fully into user-acceptance testing: over 300 of roughly 440 UAT scenarios have been drafted and the team has executed more than 3,000 system-integration test scripts, closing most previously identified gaps.

Sweeney said defects exposed in system integration testing remain under active resolution; most types of defects have been identified as SIT execution has approached completion and the critical/high defect count has decreased. He asked the board to note that some UAT failures reflect tester training, data or technical-configuration issues and that nearly one-third of reported UAT issues are not true functionality defects.

A major milestone: the team executed a first monthly payroll run in the test environment that included 415,000 benefit recipients and approximately $1.5 billion in payments; the run completed smoothly and will serve as the basis for many downstream tests. Staff outlined a soft-launch window and pre-cutover/cutover/post-cutover schedule toward a fall 2025 go-live, and noted $129 million of remaining go-live budget with an additional $104 million approved for post-implementation stabilization and operations.

Independent oversight and the vendor Sagitec were described as working closely with CalSTRS teams; the oversight consultant reported cautious optimism but said the team must keep focus on defects, triage and schedule management to maintain the fall 2025 target.