CRM Selection

Embarking on the journey of selecting the right CRM solution for your admissions and student success efforts is a crucial undertaking, yet many don’t know where to start. Whether you’re looking for a trusted partner to evaluate current choices, or are just beginning to explore CRM options, investing in a comprehensive CRM selection process is an important first step. At Kennedy & Company, we understand that each CRM selection is unique, and our approach prioritizes finding the most fitting solutions based on your institution’s specific requirements and goals.

YOUR CHALLENGES:

Prospective clients frequently turn to us with fundamental questions about improving their communication approach, boosting engagement, and optimizing conversion rates. Whether your communications lack vitality or you’re seeking expert insights into areas for improvement, our team is here to revitalize your strategy.

OUR APPROACH:

Our platform agnostic business model supports our unbiased approach to helping you identify the best combination of tools to support your institution while placing you and your business processes at the center. At Kennedy & Company, we take the time to understand the unique needs of your institution and the student populations you serve first. Your input combined with our extensive knowledge and expertise across a breadth of platforms allows us to co-create well-informed recommendations that take into account common platforms, costs, and other tools on the market.
Products and Vendors We Support 

OUR SELECTION SERVICES INCLUDE:

  • Technical and Operational Requirements Gathering
  • Current and Future State Assessment and Roadmap
  • CRM Readiness Assessment
  • Governance Overview
  • RFP Development
  • Product Demonstration and Coordination
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Key Considerations

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Alignment

  • Determining university-wide impact, and establishing a shared definition for student success
  • Clarifying partnership roles played by data stewards
  • Aligning views on data sharing and management
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Scope

  • Clarifying university-wide scope
  • Defining the processes to be housed within the CRM and structuring the implementation into distinct phases
  • Determining what systems the CRM will integrate with
  • Identifying the users of the CRM and access-level
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RESOURCING

  • Clear understanding and proper allocation of both financials and staffing resources
  • Creating an executive committee, a team of subject matter experts and an implementation team

Our Work, Your Success

Enrollment Operations Audit and CRM Selection
Kennedy & Company consultants worked with Wilfrid Laurier University, a public institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, to perform an audit of the University’s enrollment operations to increase efficiency. We provided an in-depth assessment of these operations, and developed a series of recommendations which included a review of the institution’s readiness and need for a new CRM system for use in admissions, as well as specifications for the high-level requirements for such a system.

Based on our recommendations, Laurier moved forward with a CRM selection project and brought our team in to assist with requirements gathering and RFP development. We conducted a series of interviews of stakeholders across campus to document business requirements, and delivered a list of over 170 documented requirements, divided into functional categories.

After independently selecting a CRM, the Laurier team re-engaged with Kennedy & Company for additional support and customization throughout the implementation. We led strategic discussions about strategy, process, and change management within the new tool.

Relevant Services: Technology Audit, CRM Selection

Lifecycle CRM Selection
University-of-Texas-Dallas
Kennedy & Company partnered with the University of Texas at Dallas for their selection of an enterprise-wide Lifecycle CRM system. Our work began with a discovery and requirements gathering phase with 20+ departments and stakeholder groups across campus. From these interviews, we compiled a comprehensive list of over 120 business and technical requirements for the future system. We also delivered a complete technology inventory of existing systems, with recommendations of which tools will be sunset and replaced by the CRM, and which will continue to be used and integrated with the tool.

Our team planned the overall RFP schedule, and supported the review and evaluation of the submitted proposals prior to moving the shortlisted vendors forward to the demo phase in 2024.

Relevant Services: CRM Selection

Examples of Technology Services Clients

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