What are they and why do we need Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) & Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems ?

Prepared for Tennessee Board of Regents Subcommittee

Lucinda Lea, Vice President & CIO, MTSU

James Penrod, Vice President & CIO, The U of M

January 9, 2003

The Promise and Performance of Enterprise Systems for Higher Education, ECAR, Vol. 4, 2002, p.5.

Financial, human resources, student, and other systems provide the foundation on which the business of the higher education enterprise sits….they influence how:

• institutional resources are allocated,

• faculty and staff interact with an institution’s core business activities,

• student needs for information and service are addressed, and,

• decision makers interact with institutional information to formulate policies and decisions and to communicate with the institution.

What is a RDBMS and why is it important?

• It enables relations between data elements to be defined and managed.

• It enables one database to be utilized for all applications.

• It enables the utilization of sophisticated yet easy to use data access tools.

• It enables enhanced data integrity and data security for administrative applications.

What are implications of moving to RDBMS based administrative applications?

Advantages Better service for students & faculty

Systems are more flexible

Systems easier to maintain

Systems better address uniqueness of campuses

What are implications of moving to RDBMS based administrative applications?

Challenges Requires more sophisticated IT staff

Requires more sophisticated functional office staff

Requires different SMO approach

What is an ERP and why is it important?

An ERP system has the following attributes:

It is multiple in scope including HR, SIS, and financial systems, etc.

It is integrated

It is modular in structure

It provides “best practice” solutions

It enables business process redesign. Source: Gartner Inc. in ECAR, Vol.4, 2002, p.11.

What is an ERP and why is it important?

Six Critical Objectives

Reduce risk of obsolescence Standardize data & transactions Provide program of updates, modifications, etc. Position institution for changes in scale Position institution for externally inspired

innovations Spread the cost of innovation across the vendors

client base

What is an ERP and why is it important?

Ordered Reasons for implementing an ERP

Replace legacy systems Improve client service Transform institutional operations Modernize IT environment Provide better management tools Keep institution competitive Increase efficiency Accountability/compliance

ECAR, Vol. 4, 2002, P. 36, 87-88.

Primary Issues of Consideration for TBR

Cost

Vendors: PeopleSoft & SCT

Independent Consultants vs. Vendor based Consultants

Implementation Timeframe

ECAR, Vol.4, 2002, p. 37, 101.

In the envisioned environment, information is ubiquitous and shared, and services are integrated and seamless, while data warehouse solutions and horizontal administrative structures and processes predominate.

…

With visionary and imaginative leadership educational benefits derived from technology-enabled increases in the effectiveness and efficiency of expert human intervention in the educational process.