BBCON 2009 - Integration: The Complete Story from the Back Office to the Web.
1. 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.
2. Integration: The Complete Story
From behind-the-scenes work to the Web
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #2
3. Integration: The Complete Story
The Shipley School Databases in 2005
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #3
4. January 2005
Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #4
5. Integration: The Complete Story
Shipley Databases Today
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #5
6. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #6
7. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #7
8. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #8
9. Integration: The Complete Story
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.
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #9
10. Integration: The Complete Story
Stage 2: Information Gathering
1.
2.
3.
A Shared Vision & Clear Definition of Ideal Database Management
System
A Solution
A Plan
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #10
11. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #11
12. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #12
13. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #13
14. Integration: The Complete Story
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #14
15. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #15
16. Integration: The Complete Story
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #16
17. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #17
18. Integration: The Complete Story
Stage 5: Moving to the Web
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #18
19. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #19
20. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #20
21. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #21
22. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #22
23. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #23
24. Integration: The Complete Story
Making Your Move
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #24
25. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #26
26. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #27
27. Integration: The Complete Story
Considerations
for the Project:
The people
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #28
28. Integration: The Complete Story
Cultural Change in School Administration
Communication between offices
Work Flow
Where to get information
Who has information
Emphasis on working smarter, not harder
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #29
29. Integration: The Complete Story
What to Expect
Culture Shift
Roles and job description changes
New positions
Bumps in the road with data migration
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #30
30. Integration: The Complete Story
In order to succeed focus on the people
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #31
31. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #32
32. Integration: The Complete Story
In order to succeed focus on the data
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #33
33. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #34
34. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #35
35. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #36
36. Integration: The Complete Story
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
Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits — Charleston | Rachel Welsh | Page #37