Public College in the North East

A Public College in the north east is a prominent regional university known for its diverse and supportive community, high-quality academic programs, and small class sizes. Like many other institutions, they recently transitioned to a new CRM system and needed to execute the implementation quickly and efficiently to support prospective and incoming students.

To achieve this, they sought external expertise from Solidan. Solidan provided guidance on best practices, risk assessment, work prioritization, and hands-on training for Slate captains. Solidan’s team of technical experts in Slate and PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, along with effective project management, helped the college successfully navigate this transition.

CHALLENGE:

The project was already in progress when the College faced several challenges that jeopardized the implementation:

Risk of Missing Critical Milestones for the New Applicant Population: The college needed to ensure timely execution to support incoming students. One of the project’s objectives was to process next fall’s applicants in Slate and not have to dual process in the old and new CRM.
Need for Project Management: Effective project management was essential to keep the implementation on track. The college team was working from the Slate template. They had not reviewed the template as a team and determined what actions applied to their implementation.
Lack of Internal Knowledge Implementing Slate: The team lacked experience with Slate, and only one member had prior experience. The college team members were not 100% dedicated to the project. They needed to fulfill their current job responsibilities, learn Slate, and implement the project.
Resource Constraints and Competing Priorities: In addition to limited internal expertise, the team faced resource constraints due to competing priorities within the institution. Various departments were affected by the implementation, yet they were unable to commit the time or resources needed to ensure full participation and collaboration. This lack of engagement from key stakeholders risked the project’s overall success.

SOLUTION:

Solidan promptly assembled a team to support the College’s project. Their objective was straightforward: provide technical expertise, guidance, and execute a plan. Here’s how Solidan achieved this:

Planning: The team meticulously reviewed Slate’s recommended work plan, making informed decisions regarding scope and implementation priorities. The team worked on a plan noting decisions, risks, and future work needs.
Collaboration: Multiple weekly meetings were held—one for team updates and others were working sessions for documenting requirements, configuring Slate, development, testing, and training.
Development: Solidan has deep expertise in PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and built out the solution to integrate from Slate to PeopleSoft using the File Parser paired with the CTM s(Constituent Transaction Management) feature.
Training & Support: Solidan provided in-depth training sessions for Slate captains and core team members. This ensured that the college team had the necessary tools and knowledge to manage Slate post-implementation. Training included hands-on practice, customized guides, and ongoing support to address specific use cases.
Change Management & Communication: Solidan introduced a clear communication strategy to help the college stakeholders stay informed and aligned with the project’s progress. The team worked closely with institutional leaders to manage change, mitigate concerns, and ensure buy-in from departments across the college. This allowed for a smoother transition and reduced friction during the implementation.

“Solidan was an integral part of our team’s success! They provided the support needed for a very successful implementation while also giving us the skills needed to dive deeper and work independently. We are forever grateful!”

— Anne C.

Result:

With Solidan’s help, the college successfully completed the Slate implementation, achieving the following outcomes:

Efficiency Gains: The implementation was completed on time, allowing the college to process next fall’s applicants in Slate without dual processing in both the old and new CRM systems.
Improved Workflows: The college saw significant improvements in the efficiency and accuracy of their applicant processing. The configured Technolutions Slate instance streamlined their application, communication, and data management workflows, reducing manual errors and saving valuable staff time.
Enhanced Team Knowledge: Through Solidan’s training, the college team gained the necessary expertise to manage Slate autonomously, reducing their reliance on external support for future updates.
Applicant Experience: The streamlined applicant process provided a more seamless and intuitive experience for prospective students.