Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Project Exploring Shared ERP Services Model for Private Colleges and Universities

A new initiative out of the Higher Education Systems and Services (HESS) Consortium is researching whether a shared ERP services model is attainable and sustainable for private, nonprofit colleges and universities. The HESS Consortium Higher Education Technology Collective project, or HESS Collective, brings together 29 institutions to address "crucial foundational issues around ERP and cloud technology operations," according to a news announcement.  

With the overall goal of helping institutions get through operational and financial challenges, the group will explore the feasibility of four main areas:

  • Adopting a single "cloud-native" ERP platform;
  • Negotiating pricing, terms and conditions as a group;
  • Creating a shared staffing and support model; and
  • Ensuring a 10-year return-on-investment.

The collective expects to select a common ERP platform and develop a shared organizational and data governance model by early 2021, with the first institutions moving to the new platform by mid-2021.

"This has been a concept for our member institutions since the HESS Consortium was founded," noted Keith Fowlkes, co-founder and executive director for the HESS Consortium, in a statement. "Private colleges and universities know that they must innovate to survive the coming decade and this group is leading the charge to change the paradigm of traditional ERP operations."

"Small institutions across the country should be engaging in discussions around how to partner with other institutions for shared systems and services," said Trey Arrington, vice president for operations at Spartanburg Methodist College and HESS Board member. "This includes ERP, CRM, financial and fundraising systems, just to name a few. When you look at other industries, such as healthcare and the reform that it has gone through, partnerships in private higher education are necessary for the survival and continuation of our institutions."

For more information, visit the HESS Consortium site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • glowing data flow into abstract large language model

    White House Intros Classified Cybersecurity Review for Frontier AI Models

    The White House is moving forward with a voluntary framework for testing the cybersecurity capabilities and risks of advanced artificial intelligence models, though the standards guiding those evaluations remain classified.

  • cloud computing circuit board background

    Report: Cloud Crime on the Rise as Attackers Exploit Trust

    CrowdStrike's 2026 Threat Hunting Report traces a multiyear shift from conventional intrusions toward attacks that exploit trusted identities, cloud services, AI systems and software dependencies.

  • Blurred silhouettes of business people in a modern office with a glowing blue network overlay

    Open Secure AI Alliance Moves to Linux Foundation

    The Open Secure AI Alliance has moved under the Linux Foundation, giving the initiative what the organizations describe as a neutral home for developing open source tools, shared standards and defensive practices. The Alliance was launched by NVIDIA in July to develop open security technologies for AI systems and agents.

  • Abstract neural network 3D illustration

    Intel® AI EmpowerED: The AI-Ready Campus, Delivered

    Artificial intelligence is transforming higher education, prompting institutions to rethink how they manage infrastructure, security, governance, and workforce readiness. Successful adoption requires a strategic, institution-wide approach that aligns AI initiatives with educational goals, faculty enablement, and scalable operational frameworks.