Select a Student Information System
Find the student information system that matches your strategic goals.
- You have been tasked with the selection of a student information system (SIS) to satisfy the needs of multiple stakeholders across campus, students, and external parties.
- You need a structured approach to the selection process of critical systems.
- The variety of software vendor offerings makes it difficult to determine the long-list of vendors to consider.
- The requirements needed to develop a short-list of vendors are not specific enough or not available.
- You do not have sufficient internal resources to invest in a formal selection process.
- The decision criteria is not defined or is unclear.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- The SIS selected will impact your ability to deliver on strategic goals. Keep your goals in focus as you execute on the tactical exercise of replacement.
- Non-traditional vendors are bringing a new perspective to the market.
- Take a holistic approach to product evaluation. Consider all elements that support the SIS functions, including existing applications.
- Vendor selection is just as important as product selection. Select a partner with a strategy and support structure that align with those of your organization.
Impact and Result
- The impact:
- Improvement on the probability of selecting a system that aligns with the strategic goals of the institution by following a structured and holistic approach that considers all aspects and stakeholders.
- The result:
- Successful execution of a complex task that could have significant implications for the institution.
Select a Student Information System Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should follow a structured approach to an SIS selection to maximize your probability of success.
1. Launch project and define target state
Define a set of clear project objectives, high-level requirements, constraints, and hurdles that relate to the selection project and how SIS fits in the institution.
2. Collect requirements and prepare RFP
Evaluate gaps between target capabilities versus current capabilities and collect, prioritize, and document SIS requirements.
3. Select vendor and communicate results
Evaluate vendor responses, then short-list and select the SIS vendors based on organizational fit.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
8.0/10
Overall Impact
5
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Minneapolis Public Schools
Guided Implementation
8/10
N/A
5
Minneapolis Public Schools
Guided Implementation
9/10
$30,023
90
Workshop: Select a Student Information System
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Target and Current Capabilities
The Purpose
- Define overarching objectives.
- Identify constraints and hurdles.
- Define key success metrics.
- Define target capabilities.
- Define current capabilities.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Clear project objectives.
- Level-setting of SIS knowledge.
- Understanding of SIS current state.
- Agreement on SIS target state.
Activities
Outputs
Define overarching objectives.
- SIS operational objectives, updated charter.
Define constraints and hurdles.
- Project constraints, project hurdles.
Define key success metrics.
- Project metrics.
Define target capabilities.
- Level 1 target capabilities, updated project metrics.
Define current capabilities.
- Level 1 current capabilities.
Module 2: Capability Gaps and Requirements
The Purpose
- Identify capabilities gaps.
- Elicit and prioritize requirements.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identify capabilities gaps.
- Priorities to pursue to fill gaps and requirements.
- Measures of project success.
Activities
Outputs
Define current capabilities gaps.
- Level 1 current capabilities, gaps between current and target.
Elicit and capture your SIS requirements.
- Inventory of business requirements, prioritized requirements.
Prioritize your solution requirements.
- De-duplicated, prioritized, and categorized requirements.
Module 3: Prepare RFP
The Purpose
- Develop content for the request of proposal (RFP) document.
- Prepare demonstrations and scoring templates.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Documented requirements for the request of proposal document.
- Demonstration scripts and vendor scoring tools ready.
Activities
Outputs
Create an RFP to submit to SIS vendors.
- Inventory of business requirements for RFP document.
Build a response template to standardize potential vendor responses and streamline your evaluation process.
- SIS Vendor Response Template.
Evaluate RFP responses with a clear scoring process.
- SIS Request for Proposal Template.
Module 4: Vendor Demonstrations and Selection
The Purpose
- Build a demonstration script.
- Prepare evaluation scorecard for vendor demonstrations.
- Define criteria for selection.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Structured approach to vendor demonstrations.
- Alignment on the evaluation criteria for the demonstrations.
Activities
Outputs
Build a demo script to evaluate product demonstrations by vendors.
- SIS demo script.
Evaluate vendor product demonstrations to inform your selection process.
- SIS Request for Proposal and Demonstration Scoring Tool.
Create short-list.
- SIS demonstration vendor scores.
Establish your vendor selection evaluation criteria.
- SIS demo scripts and evaluation criteria.
Select your solution.
- SIS vendor and product selection.