ERP Evaluation and Selection

Learn more about the Serensoft "ERP Selection Process"

When Serensoft helps you assess potential ERP systems, you get five distinct advantages over doing your own assessment:

1. We gain a thorough understanding of the current environment at your institution — including office workflows, and the aptitudes and skill-sets of the people, from a third-person perspective; we'll see the forest and the trees.
2. Our approach develops a detailed understanding of the institutional objectives and the specific priorities of the individual offices; we make none of the assumptions that are easy to make when you're too close to the situation.
3. Serensoft ensures a level playing field for all vendors, avoiding the pitfalls of favoritism or emotional attachment.
4. We consistently galvanize buy-in and broad involvement from all departments.
5. Your staff can focus on the tasks most important to your institution while we act as your buffer, keeping "their" sales dogs from distracting you.

This initial 'Assessment' is critical as we begin the process of selection. And it doesn't end here.

Our approach involves tight project management that facilitates decision-making all along the way and keeps the process moving forward.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ERP selection. Every institution is different, with not only different administrative computing priorities, but also a unique decision-making processes. Regardless of the institutional objectives and differences, there are elements or themes common to any institution going through the ERP selection process. We do not call them phases, because the process is non-linear. There is an interdependent nature to the discrete elements of the process. Those elements are:

ERP Selection Components

Assessment

The Assessment is like finding your location on a map — it is understanding where you are now. If the Assessment is not done completely and thoroughly, how will you know which direction to head, to get where you want to be? You need to know where you are starting from.

Serensoft will drive this process of discovery. It is critical that it be documented and communicated prior to looking at solutions.

Serensoft:

• Drive the Assessment Process
• Document and communicate the results of the Assessment including departmental priorities — an SIS "Spec Sheet"
• Communicate regularly with institutional constituents on the currency of the Assessment throughout the process — document as necessary

Education

The ERP selection process will be an enormous learning experience for all involved. We will learn about Vendors & their offerings, technology platforms, best practices of other institutions and much more.

Part of the education process will come out of the Assessment — the institution will learn about itself and have a clearer vision for where it wants to be as it knows itself (issues and priorities) more completely.

Vendor Management

As the process moves forward, the vendors will demand more and more time and energy. In responding to an RFI or RFP or giving an on-site demonstration, they are making large investments in trying to win the business of an institution. As such, they are in what feels like constant contact demanding more information that will tip the scales in their favor and trying to influence the outcome.

What Serensoft does is establish ourselves as the primary contact from the beginning, so that every communication flows through us. This frees up Institution staff to conduct their business — even during the most intense periods of the process.

This also helps to ensure a level playing field. We, as your representative, are impartially focused on the needs of our client, and given our experience in higher education technology, will be completely objective with the vendors. After all, as a potential client, you don't want to be "sold", you simply want to see the truth — Serensoft will help be your filter.

Evaluation / Fit-Gap

The process begins with many potential vendors. All along the way, vendors will be "weeded out". The evaluation begins early and doesn't end until a vendor is chosen. As fewer vendors are left, the stakes get higher and process intensifies.

Conducting references with other institutions using the various platforms is also a part of the Evaluation element. If references are done carefully with the right questions and 'active listening', you can learn a tremendous amount about a vendor and the product. Serensoft leads this process and encourages participation from the institution.

Advice & Advocacy

Throughout the involved and complex process, Serensoft will not only be there for you if you have questions, but we will actively be pointing out things to watch out for during the different stages of the project.

Vendors will usually try to frame your issues in terms of their particular product — as a way of giving themselves an advantage. By tightly managing the project to the original assessment and specifications — to the requirements of your institution — Serensoft is ensuring that the entire process is framed around your institutional objectives.

We've been there and are looking out for you.