Changing or upgrading a student information system (SIS) is a major undertaking, and planning for it can pose some unexpected issues.
Susan VanVoorhis (University of Minnesota), Mark McConahay (Indiana University - Bloomington),
and Shelby Stanfield (University of Texas at Austin) have experience dealing with all aspects of SIS adoption--including conception, RFP development, implementation, modification and implementation of major re-releases of installed software. And they’re excited to share some of their lessons learned with AACRAO Annual Meeting Attendees in April, during a half-day preconference workshop. Below are some of their insights.
Prepare, prepare, prepare
“Over the years we’ve had many of these kinds of projects. Some go well, some do not,” said Stanfield. In one case, when things were not going well, the project lead blamed it on “bad advice.”
“To me, that was a big indicator that the institution and team were not ready to organize themselves around a clear understanding of their current state and their desired future state,” Stanfield said. “They were not given ‘bad advice;’ they were given advice and they didn’t know if it was good or bad.”
It’s important to be well-versed enough in the particulars of the project and clear on desired outcomes in order to know whether to take a consultant’s advice and know when to switch players if necessary.
“Spend a lot of time in the preparation stage before implementation,” said VanVoorhis. “It’s the greatest area to invest in because it will streamline implementation. You’ll still have problems, but you’ll be better able to handle them. If you underprepare, you end up spending a lot more money and have a bigger chance of not succeeding.”
Start with a project management template
According VanVoorhis, the implementation should start from a project management template strategy. This includes identifying the project character, doing a stakeholder analysis, developing a communications strategy and creating a risk log.
“Anyone in our field should have some understanding of what those terms mean,” VanVoorhis said. “We send all our new staff through project management training because at some point, you’ll be pulled into a meeting. Even if you’re not leading the project, at least when someone starts talking about ‘stakeholder analysis,’ you’ll understand and can contribute.”
If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you get there?
Considerations when choosing a SIS are broad and deep. In addition to the above, other factors to consider include:
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Technology, including platform operability, customization and modification, features/function versus interoperability and capability, and degree of centralization or decentralization.
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Integrating varied educational models, including competency-based education and cocurricular learning, microcredentials, prior learning and consortium agreements.
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Institutional social and cultural considerations.
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Human Resources, including the makeup of the implementation team, staffing strategy to support implementation.
To develop a better understanding of how to plan for a new student information system, join the presenters for a half-day, in-depth workshop, Sunday, April 2, ahead of the AACRAO Annual Meeting, April 2-5, in Minneapolis Minnesota. Cost of the session is just $150. Learn more and register here.