When Modernization Seems Out of Reach: A Two-Part Modernization Strategy for Resource-Constrained Institutions

Part 1: Getting Started with Low or No-Cost Strategies

In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, smaller institutions, typically under 2500 students, often find themselves at a crossroads. The need to modernize core administrative systems is undeniable, yet the perceived lack of resources—be it time, money, expertise, or cultural readiness—can be daunting. There is a reason why 70% of all institutions have not made a selection to move to a modern system…they can’t afford it or can’t see a path forward given their constraints.

In fact, many smaller institutions are facing systems reaching end-of-life and support or are seeing the inevitability of being forced to move from their on-premises deployment to the SaaS model.

Despite these realities, modernization is not only feasible but also essential for these institutions to remain competitive and deliver high-quality education. Let’s consider near-term strategies that can help resource-constrained institutions effectively embark on their modernization journeys. Part One of this two-part series focuses on low or no-cost options, while Part Two will delve into strategies that involve some cost but offer significant benefits.

Re-evaluate Your Business Processes

Modernization is not just about technology; the more important work is rethinking how work gets done. One of the first steps for institutions desiring modernization should be re-evaluating business processes to align with best practices. These efforts not only have technical benefits but, more importantly, can lead to significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.

Strategy:

• Process Mapping: Document current processes to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and areas for improvement.
• Benchmarking: Compare existing processes with industry best practices to identify gaps and opportunities for enhancement. Make use of industry experts, such as Tambellini Analysts and Advisors.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement where feedback is regularly sought, and processes are periodically reviewed and updated.

Decustomize Your Legacy Systems

Over the years, many institutions have heavily customized their core administrative systems (Finance, HCM, and Student) to meet specific needs. While these customizations may have served their purpose, they often lead to increased complexity, higher maintenance costs, difficulties in integrating with new technologies, and limitations on adopting newer functionality offered in the current vendor platform. Beyond the short-term complications, customizations make modernization to SaaS systems (be it with the same vendor and product, or another altogether) far more difficult and resource intensive.

Strategy:

• Assess Current Customizations: Conduct a thorough review of existing customizations to identify those that are truly necessary versus those that can be eliminated or replaced with native functionalities.
• Engage Stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure that the transition away from customizations aligns with institutional goals and user needs. It is important here to set clear expectations and explain the benefits. Without proper communication, this effort can be seen as a step backward in functionality.
• Adopt Delivered Functionality: Where possible, revert to the system’s native functionality. This not only simplifies the system but also ensures smoother updates and integrations down the road.

Align Your New Best Practices and System Native Functionality

Aligning business processes with best practices and leveraging system-native functionality can significantly reduce the burden on IT resources, improve system integrations, and improve overall system performance.

Strategy:

• Training and Education: Invest in training for staff to ensure they are well-versed in the system’s native capabilities and best practices.
• Vendor Partnerships: Work closely with system vendors to understand and utilize the full potential of the software.
• Standardization: Standardize processes across the institution to ensure consistency and ease of management.

Conclusion

By re-evaluating business processes, decustomizing legacy systems, and aligning with best practices and system-native functionality, smaller institutions can make significant strides towards modernization without incurring substantial costs. These low or no-cost strategies lay a strong foundation for more advanced improvements. In Part Two, we will explore strategies that involve some financial investment but promise high-impact results, such as adopting a best-of-breed approach, improving data management, and leveraging cloud solutions. Stay tuned for actionable insights that can further transform your institution’s administrative systems.

If your institution would like additional guidance or support for any of the strategies mentioned, send us a message.

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Originally posted by Matthew Winn on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow him there to catch all his great industry insights.