In The Age of AI, Is A New ERP/SIS Really Transformational?

Contrasting The Status-Quo Way With The Beyond Way In The Cloud SIS Race

If you choose path 1, you should go in eyes-wide-open to the reality that a majority of schools who choose this path face setbacks along the way – often because mission-critical pre-work is not done prior to vendor selection. Skipping our recommended pre-work is ok, as long as you go into your journey without rose colored glasses handed to you by vendors and their SI’s. 

Click here to read Our 2023 Study on ERP/SIS Debacles And Their Root Causes

If you choose path 2, here’s what you can expect:

1. We’ll engage the institution using our ThinkSpace process to ensure every voice is heard, and there is institution-wide alignment to a shared vision for change – with technology just being a small part of the effort. A change manifesto will clearly define why the institution is pursuing transformation, what the guiding principles of the transformation will be, and how we will measure success.
2. That will be followed by a deep study of the student, staff and faculty journey to identify the friction points in the current experience. Our staff will then engineer the future-ready version of policies, procedures, systems, and structures that stand in the way of the outcomes you want. You’ll weigh in and influence the final outputs, but we’ll do the heavy lifting.
3. We’ll launch a customized change management and culture shifting process across the institution so that people embrace the new policies, procedures and technology – and connect it to the shared vision they signed on to. We’ll host virtual and in-person events, produce podcasts, and even create ongoing video messages from senior leadership to keep the message of change consistent over time.
4. Our team of technology brains then architect a future-state “system of systems” map of your technology. This means thinking through how AI, blockchain and other exponential technologies fit into the classroom, office environment, and overall student experience. We also take a look at software that can, and should be sunset as the exponential technologies do their work – just better. (NOTE: finding an ERP/SIS vendor before all this work is utterly backward and wasteful, since this mission-critical step unlocks the answer to what requirements you need for the new ERP/SIS). Much of what you think an ERP/SIS should do, is done much better outside the SIS.
5. We’ll guide and coach you through the RFP and vendor selection process, closely matching you to the vendor that meets your unique requirements. Once the vendor and system integrator are selected, we’ll onboard them, and teach them what they need to know about your institution. They’ll get access to outputs from our earlier work, and go eyes-wide-open into their design process. You won’t need to waste energy completing their surveys and requirements documents. We’ll provide them what they need to do their job.
6. During the implementation process, we’ll quarterback all the additional work streams of change going on across the institution, while holding the vendor and SI accountable for what they said they were going to do. We call BS on their games and last minute change orders, and ensure they do exactly what is expected of them. Meanwhile we’ll be coaching your implementation team as they prepare for meetings and design sessions with the vendors, and always make sure they are 2-3 steps ahead of the game based on the roadmap. Our team wraps around your executive sponsor and project director to be their eyes, ears, and hands – doing everything from fire-fighting for your PMO, to writing coms that go out to the institution.
7. After go-live, there will be 100s of to-do’s that still need to be accomplished long after the vendor is gone. We stay on to get those things done, and make sure the overall outcomes of the project are achieved. This often means bringing in complementary technologies to fill gaps the ERP/SIS has, and help optimize outputs of the ERP/SIS such as customized reporting and advanced functionality. 

There is much more to be said about what we do to take you through the ERP/SIS replacement journey safely. That story is best shared by looking through past statements of work we have done, or even visiting with any of our past clients.

Following our methodology and doing our recommended prep work before vendor selection will save a minimum of 30% on your overall implementation budget.

Make Sure to ask us how..

If we have you intrigued enough to warrant a conversation, we invite you to contact us for a friendly chat. You’ll be glad you did.