By the start of 2017, staff at the University of Oregon were using no less than 17 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to communicate with past, current, and prospective constituents. While that is functionally effective from a email list perspective, a CRM’s strategic value comes from gathering and using data on all interactions with past, current, and future constituents. To accomplish that effectively, CRM data needs to be accessible to all authorized users, but with data stored in at least 17 different systems, that goal is out of reach. In addition, the 17 CRMs each carry their own software and support costs, and they have not been integrated with one another.
Transform IT rationalizes the use of IT resources in support the university’s strategic academic and research missions. With so many CRMs creating silos of similar data, this area was ready for rationalization, so in spring 2017 we established a CRM initiative. We have since considered how the CRM initiative relates to Transform IT, and since this initiative has the same high-level goal as Transform IT, we have made the CRM initiative a project under Transform IT.
The CRM Initiative, a project that is part of the Transform IT program of work, is realigning the university’s use of CRMs through the adoption of a campus-wide CRM so that all data, from recruitment, student success, and advancement, is located in one place. A centralized, enterprise-wide approach has several strategic advantages: improved outreach efforts through coordination that avoids excessive messaging, improved recruitment and retention for students, and improved decision-making through enhanced reporting and data analytics.
Visit the project website for more information on the CRM Initiative
In 2017, the initiative’s committee has examined financial data and identified trends on campus for CRM use and spending. It has also interviewed stakeholders, conducted a needs assessment, and generated a report, which, based on its findings, recommended CRM consolidation.
Since then, the committee has conducted detailed requirements gathering with current and prospective CRM users. In conjunction with Purchasing and Contracting Services (PCS), the committee has drafted an RFP, which has been reviewed and approved by the new Strategic Purchasing Advisory Committee (SPAC).
Currently, the RFP is awaiting final review and approval before it is posted publicly for responses.
After the university receives those responses, it will schedule demonstrations with vendors and select a finalist. This selection process is a great opportunity for the university community to continue providing input on which CRM option fits the best, as the final selection will be based on how selected vendors match up with the university’s requirements.
An enterprise CRM is a large project, so after the selection phase, staff will develop an implementation plan, which will include purchasing licenses for the selected vendor, transitioning existing CRM users to the new software, and brining on new users as well.
Throughout this process, committee members have been asked if one CRM is a sensible goal. The initiative’s goal is to ensure that the university’s CRM needs are met, and whether that results in one CRM remains to be seen. Corner case uses of CRMs may require different solutions, and ultimately, the university needs to make sure it finds the right fit, and 17 CRMs is too many.