BBCON 2009 - Integration: The Complete Story from the Back Office to the Web.

Integration: The Complete Story from the
Back Office to the Web.
Rachel Welsh, Webmaster and Director of Data
Operations, The Shipley School
Stephen Clark, Sales Engineer, Blackbaud, Inc.

Integration: The Complete Story

From behind-the-scenes work to the Web

Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #2


The Shipley School Databases in 2005


January 2005

Business
Office
Financial
Edge

US
Discipline
Database

MS
Tracking
Databse

BlackBaud

Admissions
Office

External
Relations
Raisers
Edge

US
Attendance
Database

US
Comment
Writing
Database

MS
Comment
Writing
Database

Whipple
Hill

Enrollment List
(spreadsheet)

Custom
Excel
Database
Athletics

BlackBook

Learning
Support
Database

LS
Comment
Writing
Database

Student
Support
Database
Medical
Records
Schedule
Star

Auction
Database
Student Service
Learning

Custom
Access
Database
for
Colleges
& Reps

OTHER - Informational lists student awards, extracurricular
activites.....

Community
Service

Service
Summary
E-class
Winschool

MS US
scheduling

Shipley
Shops

MS
Disciplne
Database

LS
scheduling

LS
Attendence


Shipley Databases Today



NetCommunity
& Online Campus
Community Website
Management and
Portal System

General
Ledger

Student
Billing

Financial
Edge

Cash
Receipts

Accounts
Payable

Admissions
Office

NetClassroom

Blackbaud

Education
Edge

Raiser’s
Edge

FA Web
Registrar’s
Office

Wealthpoint


How did we get there?
Systematic, Coordinated, Interactive Process

Stages
1. Exploration
–

A snapshot of the current reality

2. Information Gathering
–
–

Explore a shared vision
What will most likely close the gap between the current reality and the
shared vision

3. Implementation
–
–

Consideration and support for everyone
Distributed and Shared Leadership

4. Supporting the Vision and the System
–

Leadership, Accountability, Planning

5. Moving to the Web



Stage 1: Exploration

Athletics
Scheduler

Assistant
Division
Heads

Acadmic
Areas
Rachel Welsh,
Webmaster
Teachers

College
Counseling

Rose di Benedetto
Director of Instructional
Technology

Divisioanl
Administrative
Assistants

Nurses
Admissions
Office

Learning
Support
Development
Office


Shipley’s Exploration Results
 “The data is here but I can’t access it in useful ways.”
 “The database source that I use is unreliable and not available in a
timely way.”
 Concerns regarding the possibility of changes to the databases? (fear
and hope?) “None, anything would be better than this.”
 The Website can’t be audience specific.



Stage 2: Information Gathering
1.
2.
3.

A Shared Vision & Clear Definition of Ideal Database Management
System
A Solution
A Plan



Shipley’s Ideal Database Management System
 Collection of interrelated data
 Smooth retrieval and storage of information
 An environment that is convenient and efficient to use
 Ability to mine the data for specific information
 Safety of information
 Concurrency controls



Considerations Choosing a System
 Impact on
– Current way of doing business for each office
– Tech Department
– Training on teacher time/schedule
 Training options/availability
 Support – on campus, offsite, online, phone, web
 In-house expertise
 Summer availability of Staff / Faculty
 Learning curve that will extend for a few years


Stage 3: Implementation
HOS Assigned Tri-chairs
1.

Rachel Welsh
•

2.

John Zelek
•

3.

Webmaster
Director of Technology

R J R

Rose di Benedetto
•

Director of Instructional Technology

Committee
–

Representative from each module/system



Linking Records (Details)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Merge RE Duplicates
Link AO & SB – merge duplicates
Add RO (import) – merge with AO/SB duplicates
Link EE & RE – record-by-record
1.

Began with current students & their families



Stage 4: Ongoing Maintenance:









Supporting the Vision and the System
Director of Data Operations
Skilled users
Access to training
Policies & Procedures
Limited privileges
Single point of entry for records
Movement to Web



Stage 5: Moving to the Web



Pre-Promotion & Promotion of the New Site
 Pre-launch views
– All-colleague meeting
– Upper School Parent
Visiting Day

 Postcard to all
constituents
 “Warning” to parents
– New site required login



Initial Features, Enhancements & Recent Projects
 Release Started by just making some
existing content password protected
 After 3 months made move to “fun” BBNC
tools, i.e. directories, targeted content
 Advanced BBNC training to create new
layouts
– www.shipleyschool.org/news

 No longer printing and mailing family
directories
– www.shipleyschool.org/directories

 Did not print a 2008-2009 Annual Report
 Coming Soon! Online Application
 In R&D – Teacher Pages
 In R&D – User Networking


Benefits of using BBNC/OCC
 Online data changes – single point of entry
 Online directories
 EE/RE integration means single sign-on
 Some audience specific messages
 Ease Alumni event registration process for Alumni and Alumni Office
 Listing of lost alumni
 As constituent moves through the process the web knows
– Parent becomes faculty, becomes former faculty, becomes honorary alumni



Drawbacks of Integrating Databases into Web
 “Hostage” to data base entries
– Can easily destroy Web set-up

 Shipley has constituent/non-constituent set-up
– Can’t use many BBNC features

 Transparency of data



Unique Configurations for Shipley
 Targeted content with profile forms
 Profile forms used to display profiles because they show relationships
 Chapters used as class pages
 All non-class specific alumni data in standard page configuration
 Videos on YouTube and Vimeo



Making Your Move



Considerations for the Project












Do you have the necessary support from your administration?
All voices have to be heard
Change of attitude as well as practice
Fear of having confidential information made accessible to
unauthorized individuals
Learning curve involved in understanding and using database
How would a new system impact individual’s workload
Thoughtful timeline for implementation
Acknowledgement of the stress involved in change
Willingness on everyone’s part to change some aspect of how they do
things
A willingness to trust that everyone is capable of using and sharing a
database
That was Then – This is Now



Considerations for the Project: The Data
 Phasing/timing of implementation/roll out
 Possibility of temporarily running concurrent databases
 Conversion of data
 Growth potential of new system



Considerations
for the Project:
The people



Cultural Change in School Administration
 Communication between offices
 Work Flow
 Where to get information
 Who has information
 Emphasis on working smarter, not harder



What to Expect
 Culture Shift
 Roles and job description changes
 New positions
 Bumps in the road with data migration



In order to succeed focus on the people



In order to succeed focus on the people
 Has to be directly and actively supported by the top level administration
 Process has to be systemic, embedded in everything you do
 Need to hold someone accountable for project
 Need representation of all database users in the project
– representatives need to be held accountable for participation
 Establish colleague – including teaching faculty -- understanding of
need for database restructuring
 Don’t expect it to be a magic database



In order to succeed focus on the data



In order to succeed focus on the data
 Give yourselves a generous/workable timeline for data migration
 Need representation of all database users in the project and the
representatives need to be held accountable for participation
 Establish colleague – including teaching faculty -- understanding of
need for database restructuring
 Develop institutional point of view for all employees
 Educate all faculty and staff on use of new system
 Don’t expect it to be a magic database



Don’t skimp on the …
 Pre integration/conversion Data Clean-up
 Training
 Internal Communications
– You’re changing people’s jobs
– You’re changing the way the school does business

 External Communication
– You’re changing the way people know what’s happening at your institution
– You’re changing the way people support your institution



Implementing a Database Driven Website
 What we did right
– Clean and integrate EE and RE
– Create and maintain policies and procedures
– Put content behind the login that parents need – even if it wasn’t
confidential
– Decisions by committee
• Move to online directories meant support from Administration

 What we should have done
– Design – use the Blackbaud design team
– More promotion – you can’t over-promote the change

 What I wish someone had told me
– Be prepared to answer 5 “I need my password” emails a day
– Before you release a new feature have the video tutorial ready



Resources


Administrative Databases
–



http://iris.inresonance.com/directory/1

Data Migration
–
–



http://www.infotechnet.org/ntca/DataMigration.htm
http://partners.netapp.com/go/techontap/NGS_migration.pdf

Data Integration
–
–



http://www.inresonance.com/blogs/irkd/?cat=5
http://www.inresonance.com/integration

Independent School Ning conversations
–



http://isenet.ning.com/group/whipplehillschools/forum/topics/1194706:Topic:31284

Clay Shirky on Collaboration vs. Institutions
–

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.ht
ml


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