HigherEdAdvisors: Client Profiles
Colorado College
Colorado College and HigherEdAdvisors Reach Agreement: HigherEdAdvisors Advisory and Consulting Services Announced.
HigherEdAdvisors was retained to advise and consult with Colorado College by performing a needs assessment and business process review of selected administrative business processes in financial, human resource and admissions areas. Results will provide input for a future decision regarding the need to improve existing technology support or procure technology from firms offering Financial, Human Resource, eProcurement, Customer Resource Management (CRM), Advancement and Student Administration Systems.
Colorado College extended its engagement with HigherEdAdvisors to assist the College with their ERP selection, successfully negotiating a software and consulting services agreement with SCT with direct advice and negotiating assistance from HigherEdAdvisors.
In selecting HigherEdAdvisors, Thomas G. Nycum, Vice President for Business and Finance/Treasurer said "The Colorado College started a comprehensive look at our administrative computing systems in the summer of 2000. After our own look internally, it become apparent that the college needed to do two things to bring more clarity to administrative computing at Colorado College. The first order of analysis included a look at our existing business processes to document how we are processing transactions, what could be changed for immediate improvements, what changes in software might be needed and should changes in software be from software vendors or changes be made to existing internally developed software. The College requested proposals from several consulting firms for both "business process analysis" and advice on how to proceed on software revisions. HigherEdAdvisors gave The Colorado College the best fit with regard to the amount of knowledge and experience the principles have in our business as well as having an independent non-vendor based approach to software development or purchase."
Randall J. Stiles, Director of Information Technology Services and project coordinator states: "As part of a comprehensive review of the College's information systems, we have retained the services of HigherEdAdvisors to lead the analysis of several of our most important business processes in the financial, human resources, and admissions areas. In reviewing the proposals of potential consulting firms, it became apparent to us that key selection criteria for our consultants included substantive personal, on-campus experience in the review areas as well as experience in developing and implementing both commercial and custom systems. Vendor neutrality was also quite important to us-we are seeking recommendations that are not biased toward a specific vendor package based on consultant relationships. Bob Walling and Jerry Wegenast represented the best fit with these criteria and they are currently assisting us with this critical phase of our strategic planning."
Contacts, Colorado College:
Thomas G. Nycum, Vice President, Business and Finance
719.389.6693
Randall J. Stiles, Director, Information Technology,
719.389.6250
University of North Texas System
University of North Texas System and HigherEdAdvisors Reach Agreement: HigherEdAdvisors Advisory and Consulting Services Announced.
UPDATE: May 2002: UNTS has selected PeopleSoft as their ERP system and Ciber as their system implementer with evaluation and contract advice from HigherEdAdvisors.
HigherEdAdvisors was retained to consult with the UNT System regarding implementation of the Oracle database Enterprise Information System (EIS) procurement project recently approved by the UNT System Board of Regents. Services include Request for Proposal development, Vendor Coordination, and Contract Negotiation assistance as UNT evaluated software and consulting firms who provide Financial, Human Resource, eProcurement, Customer Resource Management (CRM), Advancement and Student Administration Systems.
Phillip C. Diebel, Vice Chancellor for Finance for the UNT System and Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs for the University, states, "We interviewed a number of well known firms but, based on their knowledge of technology firms and the needs of higher education, along with their focus on reducing risk and maximizing benefits for institutions in selecting and contracting for large technology procurements, HigherEdAdvisors was our choice."
Richard A. Harris, UNT Associate Vice President for Computing and Communications Services, states, "Bob Walling, President of HigherEdAdvisors, is well known to us from having represented a number of software and consulting firms serving higher education over the years. We believe his knowledge of higher education coupled with his substantial experience in technology procurement processes in higher education will help ensure that the UNT System performs substantial due diligence and negotiates favorable contract terms."
Contacts, University of North Texas :
Phillip C. Diebel, Vice Chancellor for Finance
940.565.2055
Richard A. Harris, Jr., Associate Vice President
for Computing and Communications Services
940.565.3853
Washburn University
HigherEdAdvisors was retained to advise Washburn University by providing Due Diligence and Contract Negotiation Strategy services for Washburn’s administrative software procurement process.
Jerry B. Farley, Washburn’s President, noted that with HigherEdAdvisors assistance, the University was able to reach a successful contract with their selected vendor sooner than anticipated, and with more favorable pricing and terms than the University had expected to achieve. As Farley stated, “I only wish we would have gotten Bob Walling, President of HigherEdAdvisors, engaged earlier in our process. His services were valuable to Washburn University and should be considered as valuable to any organization navigating the uncharted waters of negotiating any small to multi-million dollar software and services contracts.”
Wanda Hill, Vice President of Administration and Treasurer stated, “Bob Walling, President of HigherEdAdvisors, worked closely with our University Counsel, executives and evaluation team. He ensured that we understood the terms offered, the associated risks, helped bring executives of the university and vendor together to negotiate more favorable terms, and directly assisted in the negotiation effort which resulted in significant cost savings over the life of the project.”
Contacts, Washburn University:
Dr. Jerry B. Farley, President
785.231.1022 x 1556
Wanda Hill, Vice President Administration & Treasurer
785.231.1022
Foundation for California Community Colleges
HigherEdAdvisors assisted the Foundation for California Community Colleges by providing expert opinion and advice during planning the Foundation's ERP project, which includes setting strategy, and RFP development for administrative systems for consortia members. The Foundation's ERP Project. The first phase is expected to serve as a model for future colleges to procure their administrative systems.
Contacts, Foundation for California Community Colleges:
Dr. Larry Toy, President
925-287-0271
Patrick Tyrell-Smith, ERP Project Director
623-825-0204
Colorado State University
Colorado State University retained HIgherEdAdvisors to provide advisory services to CSU in the procurement of a new Student Administration System for the University. HEA is providing advice in the development of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and procurement strategy.
Contact, Colorado State University:
William B. Haid, Executive Director of Enrollment Services
970.491.2127
New Jersey City University
New Jersey City University, a PeopleSoft client, retained HIgherEdAdvisors to provide advisory services in the procurement of PeopleSoft consulting services. HEA provided advise on the procurement strategy, RFP development, and evaluation and selection analysis and process. Further, NJCU asked HEA to investigate and prepare an IT staffing needs assessment and plan.
Contact, New Jersey City University:
Robert J. McBride, Associate Vice President, Campus Information Systems
201.201.3057