Selecting the right higher education enrollment software is a critical component of successful admissions management for colleges and universities. What are the considerations that schools should expect from their software provider before, during, and after the deployment of the solution?
Before
Too many higher education enrollment software projects have failed because of poorly scoped projects that resulted in unanticipated cost overruns and unplanned expenses. Therefore, it is imperative that any software project include a clear and detailed scope of work for implementation.
Colleges and universities need to ask themselves, “Can we afford any unknowns in the project? Is the scope of work clear? Is there any vagueness in the deliverables?” If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right. In the case of higher education enrollment software, experienced vendors should be able to provide highly detailed project information, including timeline and labor estimates to complete the implementation.
During
During the higher education enrollment software deployment project, the lead implementation personnel should be highly engaged with the project managers from both the operation and technical departments. In addition to any workbooks and discovery templates that should be completed, the deployment should also be tracked through collaborative project management tools so as to properly assign and complete tasks and milestones.
As the higher education enrollment software project approaches completion, the vendor should include sufficient user training for both end users and administrators with a stabilization period of support for all users as they adjust to the new system.
After
After the higher education enrollment software implementation is complete, best-practice is for vendors to provide ongoing support to the admin/power users at each college or university. Administrator users should be able to contact the vendor directly, as well as submit and track support tickets through to closure.
In addition to on-going support, higher education enrollment software vendors should provide comprehensive documentation and searchable user-guides that are continually updated as new product enhancements are released. Vendors should also provide opportunities for additional training in the event of staff turnover at the institution.
Enrollment Rx understands the importance of setting the stage for success before, during, and after implementation, and are here to support your college or university through the process. Contact us to learn more about how our CRM solution for recruitment, admission, and decisions can assist your institution throughout this journey.
