Pennsylvania BANNER Users Group

2007

Successfully Implementing a Decentralized Admissions Solution

General Announcements:

Please turn off all cell phones/pagers If you must leave the session early, please

do so as discreetly as possible Please avoid side conversations during the

session Questions will be answered at the end of

the session

Thank you for your cooperation

Introductions

Celeste Corsi, Director of Enrollment Research & Systems– Duquesne University – 9 years– 13 years of experience in Higher Education

Institutional Research Undergraduate Admissions – Enrollment Research Banner Implementation

– Core Process Team Leader for Data Standards (~ 1 year)– Core Process Team Leader for Admissions & Recruiting (~ 1.5 years)

Ezequiel Terrazas, Manager– SMART Business Advisory and Consulting– 13 years of experience in Higher Education which include 7 years with system

implementations Recruiting & Admissions Records & Registration Accounts Receivable Collections

Duquesne University

Founded by the Spiritan Congregation in 1878

Private Catholic University Nearly 50 acres overlooking downtown

Pittsburgh, PA Enroll undergraduate and graduate

students Ten graduate schools

SMART Business Advisory and Consulting

Headquartered in Devon, PA Professional services firm with

international offices and over 600 consultants

The SMART Advantage– Depth of Higher Education experience– Proven methodologies with a history of success– Experienced functional, technical and project

management resources

Objectives

Provide a positive and realistic overview of a decentralized admissions implementation project at a medium-sized, private university.

Discuss the primary challenges encountered during the implementation of an ERP system and the corresponding solutions.

Identify issues that institutions should address in the early phases of an ERP implementation.

Issues Encountered

Communication & Common Vocabulary Skill level variations Different processes for each area Varying application requirements Identify shadow databases used to support offices Security Negotiate conflicting views/interests Identify an implementation partner Identify and engage appropriate institutional

personnel to be involved in the implementation

Solutions to Issues Encountered

Schedule weekly meetings with end-users and provide documentation

Provide training and develop training manuals that cross various skill levels

Analyze and identify non-standard processes Analyze and identify varying application requirements for each area

and accommodate differences by building the appropriate checklist items

Identify Banner modules/forms that can replace shadow databases Develop security roles and classes based on user requirements Actively listen and negotiate conflicting views/interests – facilitate

collaboration among team members and external groups Identify an implementation partner Identify and engage appropriate institutional personnel to be involved

in the implementation

Initial Decisions – Prior to Design

Data standards Define curriculum Identify modules to be implemented Identify all players involved in the

implementation and decision making process

Identify 3rd party solutions that may be considered to support the system

Design Process

Define “As-Is” process design– Process Narratives– Process Diagrams

Define “To-Be” process design– Process Narratives– Process Diagrams

Standardize validation tables Identify security roles and needs

Design Process (cont…)

Resolve non-standard practices Clearly define staff implementation roles in

each area Identify testing requirements and develop

scripts Develop training plans Identify reporting needs

Implementation Process

Dependencies– Student– Financial Aid– Accounts Receivable etc..

Identify and manage database instances Do not assume that everyone is aware what

instance should be used for each task Manage the conversion of legacy data Normalize the population of validation tables within

different database instances

Implementation Process (cont..)

Execute test plan in the appropriate configured database instance(s)

Edit and update design as appropriate without reengineering it entirely

Document issues encountered and communicate the resolution/decision for each issue

Provide training, re-training and more training - ongoing

“Go-Live” plan

Fully define “Go-Live” plan– Tasks– Responsibilities– Dates– Dependencies etc.

Communicate dates associated with “Go-Live” to all affected

Fully define an ongoing system support plan– Security– Navigation– Roles– Rules

“Go-Live” plan (cont…)

Issues resolution and sharing results should be an ongoing process

Training must be an ongoing process Dependencies on other Banner modules

and 3rd Party solutions

Conclusions

Discipline Communication Functional and technical leader Manage and support the talent involved Realistic expectations Iterative process – all will not be perfect ERP is an institutional asset and must be

managed as such

Questions???

Questions Comments

Ezequiel Terrazas, Manager

Phone: 312.636.3220

eterrazas@smartgrp.com

Celeste Corsi, Director

Office: 412.396.1627

corsi@duq.edu

www.smartgrp.com