In early 2005 Urbana University, located in Urbana, Ohio received a Title III grant to implement a new Electronic Integrated Data System to automate and restructure their business processes and modernize their computer support systems.
The project was a major challenge for this small but forward thinking institution. Very few members of the staff had ever been involved in the selection of a complete administrative suite of systems or management of the complex implementation process. Urbana's president, Dr Robert Head, recognized the daunting challenge before the institution and sought the assistance of Ross Group Inc to help develop an approach to meet their needs. Finally, he was looking to reduce the risk and increase the probability of success for the overall project.
According to Dr. Head, the selection process was highly successful, leaving him with only a "healthy sense of apprehension" about the next steps.
Urbana's Title III Project Manager, Stephen Hill summed up the Ross Group's contribution to-date by stating "Ross Group helped us make sense of complex process and showed us what the possibilities could be and where to look for the possible obstacles to success. More importantly, they helped us to understand just what it was that we did not know. Without their help such a firm consensus for the DST within such a short time frame would have been much more difficult. I am sure that we would not be so confident with our decision and comfortably within our budget without their help."
He than added, "Ross Group's assistance was invaluable during this stage of the project but with the implementation project scheduled to run 15 to 18 months, their continued involvement and counsel will make my challenge as the project manager significantly less stressful."
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Given that the initial estimates were that the project could take two to three years, Dr. Head wanted the involvement of a consultant who had been there before and knew how to successfully achieve the goals of the project. Ross Group Inc clearly had those skills and met his needs.
Urbana had already taken an important step with the formation of a Data Stewards Team (DST), comprised of key members of each of the school's business departments. The team began reviewing the many vendors who traditionally provide solutions to schools similar to Urbana. By July of 2005, Ross Group was commissioned to assist in the process. The DST had found a previously developed Request for Proposal which seemed to address many of the business and technology needs they had identified.
Ross Group provided the framework for the next steps. The RFP was restructured to fit into the Balanced Score Card process Ross Group proposed to employ. The RFP was then linked to an Excel workbook, which would house the individual vendor responses, permitting an easy cross comparison of the various options. Ross Group also helped to develop a scripted product demonstration outline aimed at controlling the product demonstrations in order to maximize the benefits to the staff.
As a result of the process delivered by Ross Group, and its primary consultant Chris Ramsay, the five vendor responses were evaluated in a fair and objective manner. The field was whittled down to three finalists who all entered into a contract negotiation process concurrent with the final product presentations. The resulting vendor selection achieved a strong consensus approval from the DST. In addition to the selection process meeting scheduled completion dates, the contract was signed within three weeks of the vendor selection.
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