draft Macalester College Top Ten ERP Criteria draft
These criteria were chosen by poll of administrative staff of the college, spring, 2003. The description of Jenzabar response to each is a draft written by C.I.T. staff. suggestions and corrections are welcome. Communicate with Joel Clemmer, clemmer@macalester.edu.
The vendor has a proven ability to support the system.
Our contractual costs for system support and development from Jenzabar are about $100,000 per year. Our vendor must be an active and competent partner. We call for system- or application-level support multiple times per day during periods of change to perhaps once per day during less busy times. The response is increasingly inconsistent, probably because of recent staff downsizing and turn-over at Jenzabar. Systems support is weak, sometimes verging on the abusive. Some individuals supporting selected applications, e.g., financials, are very good.
The software has good potential to adapt to future needs.
Access to administrative data by other than technical staff is a major need. Jenzabar software lacks self-service access for faculty, staff and students. Through online self-service streamlined electronic processes, we could improve our customer service, boost the productivity of our staff, and allow departmental administrators to more effectively manage their departmental fiscal affairs.
Although our computing staff has been able to customize solutions to usersÕ needs, we simply do not have the resources to develop full-blown applications to supplement JenzabarÕs shortcomings. We also doubt the efficacy of rewriting the frequently unreliable software.
Below are typical self-service options. Although available in leading higher-ed ERP solutions, they are either not currently available from Jenzabar, their offering is limited or unacceptable, or our computing staff has created a custom solution. An asterisk signifies that Macalester staff has built the function instead of the vendor.
Using a familiar web interface students can:
Using a familiar web interface employees can:
Using a familiar web interface departmental financial administrators can:
The system integrates with typical desktop applications, such as Excel, Word and e-mail.
Jenzabar announced a partnership with Microsoft in the past to facilitate integration with desktop applications but we see no follow through. The Quickmate product assists data integration on Pcs. Integration with productivity tools at Macalester largely has been through simple file extraction or through use of a user-driven reporting tool, Cognos Impromptu.
The vendor is using appropriate technology, such as the Web, in system design and development.
See above regarding the Web. We must also be concerned about the back-end, at which Jenzabar intends to rely totally on Microsoft products. These must integrate with network tools and services chosen for Macalester in response to our heterogeneous computing environment. There will be extra costs making Jenzabar's technology strategy work.
The software is a good fit to MacalesterÕs business and academic processes.
The College has used the CX (formerly CARS) system for fifteen years and the most basic business processes are getting done. Over that time, however, the system has been heavily patched, pieced together, customized, and weÕve dropped modules from use. Over the years, offices such as Financial Aid and Advancement have moved to their own solutions with disparate databases. Those offices purchase and maintain separate hardware, software and programming staff. Data integration between disparate systems is kept minimal and relies upon custom programming that must be maintained by Macalester staff.
Documentation is complete and of high quality.
Comprehensive documentation or training does not exist where our system has been heavily customized or where Jenzabar has not recently provided adequate documentation. In response to our query about documentation for the recently installed HR/Payroll module, we were told there will be none and that we should rely on the online help instead. Training from the company has recently been very uneven.
The software is of proven functionality.
The current CX systems works at the most basic level and we are able to perform the most essential functions for the College. The company struggles to execute improvements to the product, however.
While all software companies struggle with bugs, Jenzabar's recent track record is a worry for our future.
The system secures sensitive data, such as admissions applications, alumni addresses, student medical records, Perkins loan promissory notes, possibly including e-signatures.
As with other ERP solutions, the permissions governing individual usersÕ access to various modules are set with the database by the system administrator. As in typical in the field, Macalester determines additional security controls through network administration.
The system and its users can be supported with minimal additional staff and expense.
The costs of staying with Jenzabar and upgrading to their promised system list to over one million dollars. The costs of migrating to another vendor are over two million dollars. In the meantime, the annual contractual costs to Jenzabar can fairly be called a bad value. Our support obligation to Jenzabar rose by 80% over a two year span, to the point where the company now is in price competition with better known vendors to higher education with more mature systems.
The vendor is viable as a business, committed to the higher education market and offers a comprehensive solution.
Jenzabar's financial situation is precarious because the company was capitalized at the height of the financial bubble in the year 2000. The company is in the midst of refinancing in an attempt to stabilize itself. Whether a recapitalized organization can deliver a business model that will provide a robust cost-effective product is unclear.
While Jenzabar offers a complete list of modules, two important departments at Macalester found their solution inadequate.
9/26/03