He says the “fluid user interface” provides “the ability for users to be able to access these applications from any device, smart phone, tablet or laptop, and have the layouts of the screens be contextually aware of the device the user is accessing the system from.
“It does not just squeeze down the screen of the laptop into something that’s tiny and requires a magnifying glass [to see],” he says. “Also, it can reorient itself whether you’re looking at the device in portrait mode or landscape mode.”
Clark says another reason why CWU was attracted to PeopleSoft 9.2 is because of its “painless,” time and cost-saving upgrading processes.
“It allows universities to add those specific features and functions available without going through a major upgrade,” he says. “In many respects, it’s similar to when you upgrade an app on your iPhone; it’s a relatively painless process and that has new capabilities and new features…It really does bring a much more incremental approach to taking on new features and functions that can be done more quickly, the time to value is much shorter, and it’s much less expensive.”
Steps for Your Own Successful System Upgrade
Make sure the mission matches the upgrade
Clark says colleges planning on upgrading their HR or finance systems should consider if the upgrade will contribute to the school’s mission.
He says colleges should invest in a system upgrade only if the upgrade will improve the way the system’s records are handled, and not because “it’s something different.”
“The payoff for doing that is so great because it means you have to invest less in the resources required throughout the life of the project,” Clark says. “You can shift those resources to things much more fundamentally core and strategic to the mission of the institution. It’s really about getting away from the past practice of the majority of higher ed entities, which is “we have to do it because it’s different,” and create a strong governance process to ensure that you don’t stray from that mission.”
Prepare for the project
Hernandez says colleges should have all the upgrade’s ducks in a row before starting. This includes coordinating managers, vendors and integrators.
“Research your implementation plan, have a good project manager, immerse yourself in that project methodology,” Hernandez says. “Have everyone be held accountable to that project methodology as that project is going on.”
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