Frequently Asked Questions
Q1
What is ERP? How about academic ERP?
Answer:
“Enterprise resource planning” is a system that integrates all data and processes of an organization into a unified system. A typical ERP system uses multiple components of computer software and hardware to achieve the integration. A key ingredient of most ERP systems is the use of a unified database to store data for the various system modules. Academic ERP refers to systems used primarily in higher education.
Q2
What's the difference between ERP, or “enterprise resource planning,” and SIS, or “student information systems”?
Answer:
An academic ERP is different from an SIS in many ways. The biggest difference is in their functions. An SIS is typically limited to managing basic student information, whereas academic ERPs are all encompassing solutions that manage all campus administrative functions (for example, admissions, registration, student records, financial aid, fiscal management, HR/payroll, development, alumni relations, facility management, academic affairs, document management, course management and more).
Q3
How much does an academic enterprise resource planning, or ERP, system typically cost?
Answer:
It usually depends on the size of the campus. As a rule of thumb, older technologies typically cost more because they are not as efficient and require more maintenance.
Q4
Do college or university staff members need to be trained to use an academic ERP?
Answer:
Yes, they need training. Today’s all-encompassing solutions are deep and require professional training to make the most of the system.
Q5
How many database servers must I maintain if I choose to go with an academic ERP?
Answer:
This depends on the solution. Some solutions require the IT staff to maintain a different database server for every module. Truly integrated solutions like CAMS Enterprise™ only require one.
Q6
What does SIS stand for?
Answer:
Student Information System.
Q7
Does IT staff have to install and maintain client software on every computer that accesses the academic ERP system?
Answer:
This depends on the solution. Most solutions use client-server technology that requires IT staff to update and maintain every computer that accesses the system. Truly Web-based solutions like CAMS Enterprise™ require no client maintenance.
Q8
How long does it take to implement an academic ERP?
Answer:
Implementations throughout the industry range from months to years. Some of the older, more inefficient solutions can take three to five years to implement as opposed to modern systems that can be up and running in as few as six months.
Q9
Can an existing database be converted to work with an academic ERP?
Answer:
Yes, it can.
Q10
Is an Academic ERP the same thing as an “academic administrative system”?
Answer:
Yes and no. The terms can be used synonymously; however, some products marketed as academic administrative systems are not all-encompassing solutions. Older systems also are typically not user friendly, costing much more staff time than CAMS.
Q11
What does scalable mean
Answer:
Scalable means having the ability to handle growth without having to adapt the software.
Q12
What is the learning curve associated with an academic ERP?
Answer:
Older systems utilizing text-based user interfaces require its users to remember hundreds of key codes, resulting in years of repetitive learning. CAMS Enterprise's intuitive graphical user interface and technology takes weeks to master, not years.
Q13
Does every institution need to upgrade to an academic ERP?
Answer:
A truly all-encompassing academic ERP simultaneously addresses the needs of staff, faculty, students, administrators, constituents and the public by streamlining daily activities, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.
Q14
When making a change to a student's record in one module, will users have to make that same change in every other module where that student's information resides?
Answer:
Potentially, yes. If the academic ERP is not totally integrated, users risk the chance of having to maintain the same data on different databases and on different database servers. With CAMS Enterprise™, however, users only have to make the change once since the system is totally integrated and resides on
secure, single shared Microsoft SQL database.
Q15
As an institution grows, can an academic ERP grow with it?
Answer:
Yes and no. Most solutions available today can grow with an institution. Some, however, are more costly to scale than others. CAMS Enterprise's modern technology was created with growth in mind. It was written from the ground up to scale with an institution and do so without penalizing it.