Gordon College, Columbia College Upgrade ERP Systems

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/22/08

Gordon College, based in Wenham, MA, and Columbia College, based in Columbia, SC, have upgraded to the Jenzabar EX enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Gordon College chose to upgrade to the ERP solution to revamp its current technological infrastructure to improve reporting capabilities, streamline workflows, and obtain real-time data. Also under consideration was Datatel.

"Our Jenzabar implementations were completed simultaneously across departments, allowing all offices to go live at the same time. The entire process was extremely efficient and cost-effective," said Dan Tymann, executive VP for Advancement, Communications and Technology at Gordon College. "Incorporating an ERP system can be a large shock to an organization. It has been invaluable... to have a partner who helps us define our needs, solve complex challenges, and realize a faster return on investment."

Jenzabar EX is integrated with Jenzabar's Internet Campus Solution (JICS), an Internet portal offering a central point of access to applications, including Web-based self service, e-learning, communications, and community-building. In a statement the college said it now has the ability to track correspondence with prospective students, monitor efficiencies in admissions, run student bills more efficiently, and leverage advancement opportunities that might have been lost previously.

Columbia was seeking to move forward with new initiatives by accessing data to support institutional performance. The college at the time was using a Datatel system and needed a technology provider that would offer comprehensive training to decrease the staff hours dedicated to the database and recover confidence in the system campus-wide.

"At Columbia College, we put a strong emphasis on trust and expect that from our partners," said Laurie Hopkins, VP for Academic Affairs at Columbia College. "The Jenzabar team brings a high level of trust and delivers everything they promise. Systems were configured to work specifically for our institution, and our staff received on-campus training, empowering them to use the product and focus on other aspects of their job."

With the implementation of Jenzabar EX, the central database has integrated student information and administrative data across all offices, simplifying operations, the school said.

The Jenzabar EX administrative system, developed specifically for higher education environments, is built on Microsoft SQL Server. The company also offers a Unix edition.