Selections Expanded Article content

<-- Previous page | Next page -->

Page 1 | 2 | 3

Choosing Software Solutions
When making these technology decisions, you will need to address some basic questions.

• Do you need the technology to meet your goals?
   
  To answer this, you need to weigh the benefits (which may include greater processing efficiencies and greater marketing effect) against the costs (which may include capital outlay as well as training costs and costs associated with changing business processes and procedures). You also need to take a realistic look at the ability of your staff and budget to support a technology solution.

Some technology decisions are made for you. For example, if all your peer schools have an online application, you may need one to remain competitive. Other decisions—say, whether an online scheduling system will be more effective than a telephone-and-paper system—will be within your control, but may require research.

• Should you buy an integrated technology system (which includes multiple required components) or buy the best individual components (e.g., database, online application, and scheduling system)?
   
  The answer is less than clear-cut. Individual components give you the flexibility to buy the best for each component and have more control over individual vendors. But the failure of components to mesh properly could result in compromising overall functionality. In addition, individual components might require you to decide which data you want to integrate directly and which you will hand key.
   
  Buying an integrated system (e.g., EDUlink or ApplyYourself, both of which include a database with other applications) should by definition avoid the problems of integrating data from multiple systems. Regardless of which route you take, you will need to take into account the attendant IT overhead. An integrated system may require a smaller initial investment for installation and integration than individual components, but it will still require technology support and maintenance.

• Should you buy, make, or outsource technology development?
   
  Developing your own technology internally is likely to provide more control over the development and upgrading. You will also have control over the lifetime of the product and will not be exposed to the risk of losing vendor service.
   
  A homegrown system is also proprietary. If you believe that what you develop will allow you to do things your peers cannot do (or are not likely to do for some time), then you could, in the view of some, gain a competitive edge. But bear in mind that internal development is likely to cost a lot more than buying from a vendor—who, after all, can spread the development costs over multiple clients. You should also anticipate the cost of upgrades.

If you decide to develop software solutions in house, make sure you consider these issues:

• If the developer leaves, will the product have been built so that another developer can produce upgraded versions?
   
  
• Does the product require providing customer service for your applicants, and if so, is your IT department equipped to provide the service needed?
   
  
• Do you want to resell the product to clients to generate additional revenue, and if so, was the system designed for commercial use?

Evaluating Software Vendors
The technology industry is evolving rapidly, and the vendors who provide software applications frequently change identities or disappear altogether. Multiapp is no longer. Embark is now a part of Princeton Review. EDUlink is emerging from the University of Virginia’s Darden School. ApplyYourself is expanding its customer base. Exeter is becoming Banner, and Prospero Technologies (maker of discussion board software) is now Inforonics.

If you decide to buy commercial, off-the-shelf software or outsource the development of your technology solutions, you should evaluate the following aspects of potential vendors:

• Business model: Is it in synch with your needs?
   
  
• Goals for growth: You may be an important customer now, but will you be later, when the vendor acquires more business?
   
  
• Customer service: What is the response time on support calls? How do you reach the vendor? What are the support guarantees? Who is responsible for applicant support issues? Is customer support 24/7? Are customer support resources scalable, so that as the vendor’s customer base grows, the quality and responsiveness of customer support will remain consistent?  
  
  
• What is the track record of the company and its products? Are you willing to work with a new young company and a version 1.0 product, and if so, will you be adequately compensated for that risk?
   
  
• The license of the product: Who owns the product and code? Who can make code changes, and who owns the changes? What happens to the code if the vendor ceases operations?
   
  
• Customer base: Does the vendor know your market? To what extent is it familiar with graduate management education or education in general?
   
  
• Integration history with other products and vendors: How does the product work with specific platforms, other vendors’ products and school IT departments?
   
  
• Payments: Up-front lump sum or a regular billing cycle? If there is no schedule of payments and all the vendor’s revenue is generated from new sales, there is limited incentive to offer customer support.

Remember that purchasing technology is not like buying a car. Upgrades to the surface of a road will still allow a car to function the same as before. Upgrades to a software platform may necessitate changes to the components hosted on that platform to keep all elements of the system functioning properly. And upgrades are inevitable.

<-- Previous page | Next page -->

Page 1 | 2 | 3