Getting the Most Out of an Enterprise
Resource Planning System (ERP)
Lisa Richerson
Parker College of Chiropractic
February 21, 2008
2:30pm – 3:15pm
Copyright Parker College of Chiropractic 2008. This work is the intellectual
property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared
for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright
statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the
copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to
republish requires written permission from the author.
2
INTRODUCTIONS
3
WHY RECONFIGURATION
4
Our Goals
Competitive Functionality
• Full online application
functionality with
– Integrated inquiries and
applications
– Chat’s with admissions counselors
– Status checks of admissions
process
• Online donations and donation
history
• Online updates to alumni
profiles and class discussion
forums
• Grade calculators integrated
with LMS
Staff Efficiencies
• Each of these online
functionalities integrated
into the back office systems
• Document Imagining
• Reduction in manual or
outsourced processing
– 1098s
– IPEDs
– Faculty Load reporting
• Task lists for prospect
tracking
5
3 Major Internal Challenges
1.
Business Module Changes
– 10 years ago: DC program only
– Today: 9-tri DC still, 2 undergrad BS, massage
– Coming: 10-tri DC immediately, Masters in 2-3 years
2.
Business Process Changes
– 10 years ago system couldn’t do what it can now
– Haven’t been re-trained since implementation
– Data standardization and cleanup
3.
Cultural Changes Needed
– Took 3 years to get one department on board
– 2 module managers
– Had 3 sets of consultants out last year but haven’t implemented all
their recommendations due to time availability of all required
personnel at the same time and focus
6
METHODOLOGY
7
Needs Assessment - Scope
• Review of current and future business model to
assess what configuration changes or additional
modules may be needed
• Analyze current business process with the eye
toward automation, increased staff efficiency, and
best practices
• Review of data and determine data cleanup needs
• Review of current reporting needs
• Review training needs of Parker staff
8
Needs Assessment - Expectations
• Detailed scope and cost of the reconfiguration
project
• High-level projection of man-hours saved or
efficiencies created
• List of benefits or functionality that could be
achieved
9
Needs Assessment – Modules
•
–
–
–
•
–
–
–
Review of data structure and tables
Training on creating and editing reports
Help creating customized reports and custom
views
Standard procedures and best practices for
naming conventions, location and access
•
–
–
–
Configuration changes based on new field and
system capabilities and new program
Automate 1098-Ts
Customized G/L imports from 3rd party systems
Implementation of online statement reviews ,
payments and electronic fund transfer
–
–
•
–
–
–
–
Configuration changes required by new program
PowerFAIDS report training
Train other departments to lookup FA info
through system
Implementation of online financial aid
application and status review
•
Implementation of integrated online application
and status reviews
Update stage definition and tracking of additional
source information
Basic training of application and components
such as ticklers
Advising
–
–
–
–
Financial Aid
Thorough review and updates to module
configuration
IPEDS reporting
Move of records between modules (Admissions
to Registrar, Registrar to Alumni/Development)
Transcript adjustment
Data changes for new program
Implementation of online registration
Admissions
–
Business Office - Accounts Receivable
–
•
–
–
Complete data analysis and clean up
Remove existing duplicates
Create exception reporting
Reporting
–
–
–
Registration
–
Revise security groups
Data standards
•
•
•
•
•
General
Fully implement module
Simplify existing tree
Reporting customization
Training of module
Alumni/Development
–
–
–
Implementation of best practices for gift entry
Creation of pipeline and customized letters
Implementation of online giving and alumni
updates
10
Needs Assessment – Man-Hours Saved
Department/
Module
Admissions
Admissions,
Advising, BS
Program, MT
Program
Admissions,
Financial Aid
Business Office
Business Office
Business Office
Business Office
Business Office
Financial Aid,
Business Office
Registration
Change
Eliminate manual entry of web inquiries and
applications via implementation of CRM Candidate
and use of Process Internet Submissions
Implement Advising for all degree and certificate
programs
Projected Savings
5 minutes per inquiry * several thousand
per year
20 minutes per application * several
hundred per year
5 minutes per student data update
request
3-4 hours per degree audit
Reduce redundant data collection and entry
through coordination of on-line applications;
transfer information collected by Admissions to
PowerFAIDS
Bring production of 1098-Ts in-house
Import payroll summary transactions
Import bookstore summary transactions
Eliminate manual entry of Undergraduate and
Massage Therapy charges
Discontinue distributing student refund checks and
transfer refunds via EFT
Transfer scholarship disbursements
5 minutes per FA application
Produce IPEDS in EX
5-10 days per year
eliminate outsourcing contract
30 minutes per payroll period
30 minutes per day
1 day per trimester
2 hours per trimester
3 hours per trimester
11
Needs Assessment – Benefits
Department/
Module
Initiative
Benefits
Admissions
Admissions
Purchase new office chairs for staff
CRM Candidate implementation
Increased productivity due to reduced fatigue
Process internet submissions without retyping student data.
Admissions, Financial
Aid
Eliminate unnecessary or redundant questions on Better on-line customer service to prospective and existing
applications
students
Admissions,
Fully integrate Massage Therapy program into on- Less manual entry and processing
Registration, Business line and EX processes
Office
Admissions/
Registration
Eliminate 50% of existing Division codes.
Fewer errors, easier reporting.
Advising
All departments
Eliminate manual degree audits
Implementation of Data Standards
Greater efficiency for staff
Greater consistency and accuracy of data for all users,
resulting in better customer service to all constituencies,
more effective recruiting and fund-raising, and more
accurate institutional reporting and assessment.
Business Office
Business Office
1098-Ts
Import transactions from payroll, bookstore, and
other third-party databases
Discontinue use of outsourcer
Save time, reduce risk of error
Business Office
EFT student refunds
Provide convenient service to students, eliminate Business
Office traffic of students picking up checks.
Business Office
Implement online payment
Improved customer service for students; quicker payment
of charges
Business Office
Business Office
Combine student subsidiaries
Eliminate manual entry of MeetingTrak charges
and on-line payments
More streamlined student accounts operation
Quicker turnaround on payments
12
Needs Assessment – Benefits
Department/
Module
Initiative
Benefits
Common
Data standards
Common
Duplicate management
Higher level of consistency in data, resulting in better mailing lists
and reports
More efficient data entry and greater satisfaction with data
Common
Data standards
Higher level of consistency in data, resulting in better mailing lists
and reports
Common
Duplicate management
More efficient data entry and greater satisfaction with data
Development
Gift-entry training
More reliable donor and giving information.
Financial Aid
Eliminate custom disbursement
application
Will not require presence of programmer to solve problems.
PCC personnel
PCC personnel
Module Manager organization and
involvement
Reconfiguration Project
Better understanding of interdepartmental workflow and data
needs; increased communication to departmental users.
Awareness of need to distinguish Parker from other chiropractic
schools by outstanding customer service, motivation to be the best
individually and as a team, and willingness to accept change to
make that a reality.
PCC personnel
InfoMaker training
Registration
IPEDS
Managers empowered by information to make strategic decisions;
users empowered to provide the best customer service.
Discontinue manual preparation
Registration
Implement online registration
Improved customer service for students
13
Next Steps – Internally
• Steering Committee
•
•
•
•
VP and Sr. Director level
Project oversight – fiscally as well as
progress
Policy decision making
Arbitration
• Change management
•
•
•
Concerns over job roles and
responsibilities changing
Handled by each management team
At minimum, awareness of staff
concerns
•
Module Manager Meetings
•
•
Cross-departmental team, not lead by IS
Responsibilities:
• Determine operational standards
for department in regards to use
of module
• Set and monitor data standards
• Administer and configure module
• Schedule, test and signoff on
upgrades
• Create and maintain training
documentation, train new
employees
• Write, modify and manage reports
• First level support for
department/module (IS is 2nd level
support)
• Contact person to Jenzabar for
module for new features and bugs
• Attends JAMS regularly
14
Next Steps – Why Consulting vs. InHouse Project
• They are the experts
• They can cut through cross-departmental
issues without the politics
• Everyone on campus needs to be retrained
• We’re not letting them leave until the work is
done
• When a project requires capital and is done
by consultants it has higher profile than one
done in house
15
Next Steps – with Jenzabar
• Start with security and data cleanup in
April after our data standards are set
• Implement online functionality for
prospective students
• Work through other module updates as
consultants are available
16
WHAT CAN YOU DO
17
Look, really Look at your ERP
With Your Vendor, if you can
• Get help from the experts to
review your business
processes and how you are
using your ERP
• If you hire them to consult,
don’t let them leave until the
work is done
• Use the list-servs
• Training
– Replacement training, if
available from your vendor
– User conferences
Internal to your Institution
• Do a needs assessment
even if you can’t pay for it
• Steering Committee to
oversee progress and
arbitrate
• Module Managers or
internal User Groups
• Upgrade Reviews
• Data standards
• Training manuals and
training, training, training
18
Ask Yourself
• What am I doing manually that would be great to
have automated?
• How would my constituents want to interact with
me that I don’t have in place?
• How can I do what I do faster, better, with more
meaning for my customer…?
• Then
– Talk to your account team or helpdesk
– Use your list-servs to get help from other schools who
may have figured it out
19
Doing a Needs Assessment
Hiring a Consultant
• Knows your organization –
good, bad and indifferent
Using In-House Staff Only
• The very good Generalist –
not necessarily the expert in
one or two modules
• Include everyone on the
system
• Someone who has worked in
multiple departments and
seen various ways to do things
• Have a project manager
• Willing to ask tough
questions
• Use your steering committee
to ask the hard questions
20
What you can Expect
• A tremendous amount of staff time spent on the
project
• 12-18 months to do it (with focus)
• Serious concerns from staff regarding CHANGE
• Dissension amongst the departments on
common operating procedures
21
What you can Achieve
• Greater staff efficiencies
• Greater functionality and service to your
customers
• Happier staff (at the end)
• Robust processes and practices to carry you
forward for another 10 years
22
QUESTIONS
23