[CoIT-PrivateHigherEd] [CoIT] CoIT Collaboration Call (ERP Systems) – Dec 11 @ 4:00

Thu Dec 4 13:38:27 CST 2025

I think it is great, especially considering that this type of project is a
campus project.  It would be good to have the leaders of our functional ERP
teams participate.  My 2¢
Richard

On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 12:58 PM Marc Hunter <m.hunter at sscok.edu> wrote:

> How would we feel about having some Non-IT folks in this particular
> meeting?
>
>
>
>
>
> |\/\/\/\/\/|    Marc Hunter
> |          |     IT Director / CISO
>
> |   (o | o)      Seminole State College
> C         _)      m.hunter at sscok.edu
> |     `- |           (405) 382-9264
>
>
>
> *From:* CoIT <coit-bounces at lists.onenet.net> *On Behalf Of *Richard Reif
> via CoIT
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 10:23 AM
> *To:* ''Council on Information Technology' (coit at lists.onenet.net)' (
> coit at lists.onenet.net) <coit at lists.onenet.net>;
> CoIT-PrivateHigherEd at lists.onenet.net; Eduardo Olivares Barra <
> olivaree at nsuok.edu>; Robert Moruzzi <moruzziw at nsuok.edu>
> *Cc:* Richard Reif <reif01 at nsuok.edu>
> *Subject:* [CoIT] CoIT Collaboration Call (ERP Systems) – Dec 11 @ 4:00
>
>
>
> *CAUTION*
>
> *This email originated from outside of SSC. Do not click links or open
> attachments unless you recognize the actual sender and know the content is
> safe.*
>
> Please join the discussion as the group dives into what the 😡🤬😡🤬do we
> do with our on-premise ERP systems.  Our current vendors will force us to
> SaaS at some point in the future.  How long do we have?  Wait and see
> versus opportunity cost of being late to the party.  Are the new systems
> really ready for prime time or is the hype cycle working overtime?
>
> Since I have the advantage ?? In this group of experience (AKA – I am
> older than most here), I can say that ERP solutions have traditionally
> oversold their “cure all” solutions for many decades now.  Are the new AI
> powered SaaS system finally going to deliver what has been long promised?
> Can we not only successfully implement these systems with existing staff
> but also keep our teams current such that we never have to implement an ERP
> ever again?  Is there any possibility of all or some of us doing this
> together for cost savings? Are our functional teams ready for this *Campus
> (**not IT**) project*?  Will executive leadership sponsor and provide
> support for the challenges that are inevitable during this very challenging
> endeavor?
>
> I am personally very excited for this next generation of systems but feel
> the need to remind myself of Charlie Brown trying to kick the ERP football
> once again.
>
> You will find the agenda below as well as a google Gemini look back at
> previous higher education ERP promises just to keep the hype cycle and
> expectations grounded.  I will need a stunt double to lead this discussion
> as I will be out and about at this time slot.
>
> Richard
>
> Agenda:
>
> ·         Timeline, risk mitigation, and key planning for transitioning
> ERP systems to cloud-based platforms.
>
> ·         Data migration strategies and system dependencies
>
> ·         Identity and access management for SaaS platforms
>
> ·         Change management and stakeholder communication
>
> ·         Date & Time: Thursday, December 11, 4:00 p.m.
>
> ·         Zoom Link:
> https://onenet.zoom.us/j/91224109180?pwd=Fo387O0Db5TUZDll7wxcQEq1exb0Fn.1
>
> Google Gemini – Look at Higher Education ERP through the decades.
>
>
>
> *The 1970s: The Promise of the "Service Bureau"*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"We’ll run the computer so you can run the college."*
> Universities were some of the first adopters of mainframes (for research),
> but administrative computing was a nightmare of punch cards.
>
>    - *SCT (Systems & Computer Technology):* Before they sold software,
>    they sold *people*.
>
>
>    - *The Promise:* They invented the "Facilities Management" model. They
>       literally promised to hire your IT staff, rent your mainframe, and sell you
>       back the computing power.
>       - *Value Prop:* "Total Computer Operation." They promised that
>       university presidents didn't need to understand computers—they just needed
>       to sign the check.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *The 1980s: The Promise of the "Integrated Database"*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"Admissions should talk to the Registrar."* This was the
> birth of the "Student Information System" (SIS). Before this, Admissions,
> Financial Aid, and the Registrar all had different physical files.
>
>    - *Datatel (Colleague):*
>
>
>    - *The Pitch:* "Information, not just data."
>       - *The Promise:* They sold the underlying database technology
>       (Prime/UniData) as a way to create a "single record" for a student. If a
>       student changed their address in Financial Aid, it updated in the
>       Registrar’s office.
>
>
>    - *SCT (Banner - launched ~1988):*
>
>
>    - *The Slogan:* *"The Unified Digital Campus."*
>       - *The Promise:* They promised that Banner was the first system
>       built on a relational database (Oracle) that could scale to major state
>       universities.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *The 1990s: The Promise of the "Unified Suite" (ERP)*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"Manage the Student Lifecycle."* The term "ERP" entered
> higher ed. Vendors stopped selling "registration systems" and started
> selling "Campus Solutions" that covered everything from a prospect’s first
> visit to their alumni donations.
>
>    - *PeopleSoft (Campus Solutions):*
>
>
>    - *The Disruption:* They entered the market in the late 90s with a
>       web-based architecture (no green screens).
>       - *The Promise:* *"Real-time access."* They pitched the ability for
>       students to register for classes online, ending the infamous "gymnasium
>       registration" days where students waited in physical lines for hours.
>       - *Marketing Vibe:* *"Leading the Way to Student Success."*
>
>
>    - *Jenzabar:*
>
>
>    - *The Strategy:* *"The Internet Portal."*
>       - *The Promise:* While others focused on back-office records,
>       Jenzabar (founded in 1998) initially pitched the "web portal" that
>       connected students to professors, before acquiring other ERPs to build a
>       full suite.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *The 2000s: The Promise of "Self-Service"*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"No more standing in line."* The battleground moved to the
> web browser. The promise was removing the administrative burden from staff
> by letting students do it themselves.
>
>    - *SunGard Higher Education (formerly SCT, later Ellucian):*
>
>
>    - *The Slogan:* *"Unified Digital Campus."*
>       - *The Promise:* A seamless flow of data where the Learning
>       Management System (Blackboard/Canvas) talked to the SIS (Banner). They sold
>       the "integration" heavily.
>
>
>    - *Datatel:*
>
>
>    - *The Promise:* *"ActiveCampus."* They focused on the "constituent
>       relationship"—treating students like customers who deserved a good service
>       experience.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *The 2010s: The Promise of "Student Success & Retention"*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"We can predict who will drop out."* Enrollments began to
> decline, and the focus shifted from "processing students" to "keeping
> students." The ERP became a retention tool.
>
>    - *Ellucian (formed by the merger of Datatel & SunGard):*
>
>
>    - *The Pivot:* *"Student Success."*
>       - *The Promise:* They stopped selling "administrative efficiency"
>       and started selling "retention rates." The pitch was that their system
>       could flag an "at-risk" student (based on grades or financial aid) so an
>       advisor could intervene *before* they dropped out.
>       - *Slogan:* *"Powering what’s next."*
>
>
>    - *Workday (Student):*
>
>
>    - *The Attack:* *"Built for the Cloud."*
>       - *The Pitch:* They entered the market attacking the 30-year-old
>       code of Banner/PeopleSoft.
>       - *The Promise:* *"The Power of One."* They promised a single
>       version of software for all customers (no painful upgrades) and a
>       mobile-first experience that looked like Instagram, not a spreadsheet.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *The 2020s - Present: The Promise of "Experience & Skills"*
>
> *The Pitch:* *"The lifelong learning journey."* The "Student Information
> System" is now dead; long live the "Student Experience Platform."
>
>    - *Ellucian (SaaS):*
>
>
>    - *Slogan:* *"Accelerate the future."*
>       - *The Promise:* Moving to the cloud (SaaS) to unlock AI. They now
>       promise to reduce the "friction" of higher ed—auto-awarding degrees,
>       auto-packaging financial aid, and using AI to guide students.
>
>
>    - *Workday:*
>
>
>    - *The Promise:* *"A Skills-Based Strategy."*
>       - *The Pitch:* They are shifting the promise away from
>       "Grades/Transcripts" to "Skills/Credentials." The promise is to help
>       universities prove the ROI of a degree by tracking the specific workforce
>       skills a student gains.
>
>
>    - *Jenzabar:*
>
>
>    - *Slogan:* *"Master the New Student."*
>       - *The Promise:* Focusing on the "non-traditional" student (adult
>       learners, part-time), promising flexibility that old, rigid 4-year degree
>       systems couldn't handle.
>
>  --
>
> Dr. Richard Reif
> CIO
> Northeastern State University
> (918) 444-5900
>
> http://service.nsuok.edu
>
>
>
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