A new automated data scrubbing process was implemented in late November to improve data integrity within the HCM system by identifying and removing special characters that can negatively affect downstream processes.

These issues most commonly impact payroll, benefits and recruitment processes, where clean and consistent data is critical to ensuring accurate and timely processing.

The issue with special characters

Special characters include punctuation marks, symbols and operators that may have specific functions depending on the system or context in which they’re used. When these characters are saved in HCM fields where they are not supported, they can trigger errors, disrupt workflows or delay regularly scheduled jobs.

To prevent these issues, the new data scrubbing process will run daily and systematically review key data fields, including:

• Personal information: Primary first, middle, last, and preferred first names
• Address information: home and mailing addresses
• Organizational data: description fields within the Department and Position tables

What you can do

HCM users entering data, particularly when copying and pasting from external sources, should review the content for special characters and remove them before saving. Doing so will help prevent downstream processing issues.

If an employee notices that a special character has been removed from their name or address, they should not attempt to re-enter it through Employee Self-service. The data scrubbing process will detect the character again and remove it during the next cycle.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to maintain consistent, clean data across systems and minimize disruptions to business operations.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please reach out to Employee Services at employeservices@cu.edu.