Tips to select the perfect ERP system for your university.

Choosing an ERP that fits perfect for your university, can be time-consuming and requires a plan, but once an appropriate ERP software is chosen it has a potential to greatly improve operational efficiency and decision- making at your educational institution. 

The following is the list of Key factors to consider while choosing the right ERP, which will allow your institution to meet the demands of the future and provide an excellent learning environment.

• Determine the features and functions needed

The success of the ERP system depends on the features and functions of it, and determining the university’s needs is very crucial. Having a clear definition of what your university needs and how can the requirement be achieved, should be analysed and well planned. The needs assessment will determine the modules required for your organization’s initial implementation. The most essential features include, Attendance Management, Grade Management, Exam Management, Time Table Scheduling, and Staff management.

• Ensure you have executive and team support

The ERP implementation reaches every corner of your organisation so having executive and team support is essential. ERP rollouts are hard, and exercises in changed management, so an executive sponsor’s main role is to get people on board with the project. The executive along with the team can also help to remove roadblocks, streamline decision-making and, when needed, make hard decisions about trade-offs between competing priorities.

• Write a formal request for proposal (RFP)

In a project as central to the organization as an ERP, it’s important to take the time to create formal documents. Writing formal RFPs demands that you think through what you’re looking for in the ERP system on a deeper level than you might actually do, so you can communicate it clearly and concisely in written form. Formal RFPs also help vendors understand the scope of the project and create a level playing field for vendor responses.

• Figuring out that the ERP integrates with other software you use

If you plan to continue using existing applications for your institute, you will need to choose an ERP solution that easily integrates with those applications. Integrating applications into the ERP solution can also eliminate the need to manually re-enter data from one system into another. Look for ERP systems that use industry-standard interfaces, that are highly secure and well understood by developers, such as REST and SOAP APIs, so using them will help speed the rollout of a new system and can quickly and easily connect any application to the new ERP. It also is important to look for an ERP system that supports CSV file import and export.

• Assess the reputation of your potential ERP vendors

It’s always important to feel confident that the ERP vendor offers an outstanding product or service with rock-solid support. Start by looking at the level of experience the vendor has in their industry. Research on the industry’s-oriented approach, with teams that have deep expertise in your industry or implementation partners with the needed expertise.

• Consider the costs and associated expenses

ERP software costs vary greatly depending on the vendor, the modules needed, whether the system is cloud-based or running on-premises. ERP vendors offer different pricing based on the features each user needs access to, so access should be tailored to the data and features needed for each employee’s role. Based on deployment of ERP system, there could be significant upfront costs, including licensing fees, annual maintenance, computer hardware (for on-premises installations), data conversion and transfer costs, custom coding, testing, training and implementation support from the vendor and/or consultants. To assess ongoing costs, consider the number of users/subscriptions needed, continuing support, anticipated future add-ons and customizations.

• Clean up your data

One of the biggest challenges with ERP implementations is deciding what data the new system will require. To avoid migrating too much data, many organizations set a cutoff date where data generated before that time is automatically excluded from the migration. Migrating clean data is important. A clean data migration requires in-depth analysis to locate all of your organization’s data, categorize it and understand what formats it is in. The goal is to identify and remove as much redundant data as possible, while transforming the remaining data to be migrated into the new ERP system formats.

• Assess what you’ll need for ongoing support

Estimating what level of implementation and post-implementation support needed is crucial and depends on many factors. As the people in every functional area will be users of the new ERP, so users must get the training, tools, and support needed to adapt to the changes. Providing clear, accessible documentation helps them make the most of the system. Advanced customer support services are usually more proactive and designed to keep your ERP system operating at peak efficiency.

• Future scalability and Data security

As the institution grows, change is needed and other modules needs to be added. These concerns apply to the software used to develop your ERP system, as there will be ongoing developments and improvements. Ensure the software is prepared to meet future increase in size and evolving requirements. Ensure strong data security with additional functionality such as role-based access control, encryption, and backups.

• Mobile Accessibility

Consider Off-the-Go Access feature as it enhances convenience and efficiency by enabling remote access to educational content, communication tools, and administrative functions. Permitting staff, administrators and students use mobile devices to access critical information and participate in the educational process on any mobile device.

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