Transcript College ICT Committee An Overview of DARS

College ICT Committee
An Overview of DARS
Stewart Watson
29th April 2008
Copy for distribution
Topics
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What is DARS
Strategic Aims
Project Objectives
A quick look (screenshots)
The technology stack
Deployment and connectivity
Current project status
Any questions
What is DARS
• Development and Alumni Relations
System
• Contact/Constituent Relationship
Management
• One repository of data
• Open areas and secure control
• Process focused
Strategic Aims
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Support the Campaign of Campaigns
Sharing and collaboration
Secure when needed
Support common process and best
practice
• Economies of scale
Project Objectives
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Implement core functionality first
Support internal processes and users
Establish a stable baseline
Focus on process and data
Work with Blackbaud as a partner (a
significant internal team)
• Establish training and support for the
future
User Interface - contacts
Relationship Tree
Managing Prospect Workflow
Event Management
The Technology stack
• Blackbaud have built a 3 layer
architecture:
– Role/Process focussed modular top layer
– Open Standards - Web service middle layer
– Microsoft .Net 2 / SQL Server foundations
• Smart Client (richer than browser) – over a
web connection
• ‘Relatively’ easy to build new modules –
this doesn’t mean cheap.
Business and IT Architecture
Deployment and Connectivity
Internal Users
Smart Client
http:/https:
Browser
http:/https:
BBEC App
Server
Database Server
External Users
Browser
http:/https:
BBNC - Web Access
Reporting
Database Server
Current Project Status
May 07 - Sep 07
Requirements Gathering
Jul 08 - Dec 08
Pilot
Nov 07 - Jan 08
Scoping and negotiating
Nov 09 - Dec 09
Project Closure
(Dev Off and
5 Colleges)
Jan-09
Jan-08
Dec-09
Apr-07
May 07 - Jul 07
First Round RFI
Sep 07 - Nov 07
Main ITT
Jan 09 - Dec 09
Main Roll-out
Apr 08 - Jun 08
Assessment Phase
First release available?
Oct 08
We are here
Tranche 1
Tranche 2
Tranche 3
Any Questions? #1
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Is it intended for the College systems to parallel run?
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System performance may be a concern
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Initially the connection is via a browser which downloads the Smart Client. This then updates
itself – Blackbaud tell us that it doesn’t need admin rights to deploy or upgrade.
Does the web portal (Net Community) meet Accessibility Guidelines.
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This is a common concern. The relationship management scheme should manage prospect
contact. Governance will be in place – but it requires Sharing, Collaboration and above all
TRUST
How does the solution deploy?
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this has been seen in RE7? Testing will be key in the assessment phase – Blackbaud have
tested the product at Microsoft Labs (paper attached)
Isn’t a single system open to abuse – i.e. poaching of contacts?
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No – the aim is for a single Collegiate wide system – though this may take some years to
arrive at.
There is a requirement to – but we will check this.
How many Colleges are ‘signed up’.
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We have 5 Colleges involved in the Assessment Phase (Balliol, LMH, Magdalen, St John’s
and St Peter’s) – with a further 12 saying that all things considered (i.e. mainly answering
concerns over data security) they would expect to move during the main project roll-out,
planned for calendar year 2009 at present. We have 5 who are not keen or too busy to
consider at the moment – the remainder are still to be canvassed fully – though indications
from previous communications are that at least half would fall into the positive camp.
Any Questions? #2
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Who does the migration effort?
– The project will pay for the migration effort from internal staff or Blackbaud, some
effort from college on data testing and advice
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A number of College systems feed off their current databases – how would
we replicate this in BBEC.
– BBEC uses a web services model – the connection would generally change from
ODBC to web services. This is an issue for migration which will need
addressing.
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Can DARS hold the current College focussed local Net Community data
– Yes – we are told that is the case – essentially branding and content per group –
but yet to see it demonstrated – there is an Assessment Phase workshop on the
‘online solution’.
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Won’t current RE using Colleges get this product at their next major
upgrade?
– No. BBEC is an Enterprise solution. RE 8 will use the same platform (Microsoft)
and some of the modules may have similarities but BBEC has been designed for
large organisations – the needs of smaller units require a different approach (or
so Blackbaud say).
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Advice to the project– be aware – the Colleges you talk to may not properly
understand the issues of moving their data – for example connectivity from
other systems (e.g. data feeds to web pages).