Background
As a dynamic higher education institution, Montgomery College faces the same challenges of many modern education providers. The duality of business demands balanced with the demands of traditional degree-seeking students creates a complex conundrum that all educational institutions must face to compete in today’s global economy.
Many of the existing ERPs in use by educational institutions are designed for the traditional semester-long credit based processes. Serving workforce developmental needs require a significantly different approach and dramatically different methods. Limitations in the designs of the leading ERPs combined with the dual roles of most educational institutions today create a challenge that Montgomery College asked Symplicity Networks to help with.
Solution
As the first step on this process, Symplicity Networks rapidly designed, developed, implemented and deployed an integrated data production environment for Montgomery College. Within three months, brochure production, reporting, and analysis processes were automated through a system based on multidimensional database structures, with integrated data from various enterprise business applications. The comprehensive long-term solution allows for integrated management/executive reporting, analysis, strategic initiative tracking, and planning activities.
This engagement continues with Symplicity Networks building on the first steps in this process. The next steps include the development of OLAP tools to enable the course production process to flow fluidly throughout the organization. This includes the development of an enterprise wide system that facilitates the collection of data to flow seamlessly through to the primary ERP.
Results
Schedule production time has been decreased by over 20%. A repository of formatted professional quality course information is now available to the entire institution. Montgomery College users can create standard brochures and other documents on the fly as needed and further analyze the existing data and patterns. The system developed by Symplicity Networks gives Montgomery College the infrastructure to continue to build and extend the agility of its operations.
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