Success Studies | Higher Education

Client
One of the nation’s renowned business schools in the country with over 81,000 alumni worldwide, the institution wished to enhance its infrastructure. A formal documentation of standard operating procedures was a high priority in achieving this goal.
Approach
SMART initially performed an internal control assessment for the finance and accounting function of a targeted center of the institution. SMART then assisted management in implementing the recommendations within the assessment. Goals of the implementation included developing standard operating procedures and increasing governance over the accounting of the center. SMART also developed a role based reporting strategy to efficiently and effectively monitor the control environment. SMART then extended the documentation of standard operating procedures to include the central administration of the institution.
Results
The institution successfully implemented an improved infrastructure and internal control environment.

Client
The client is a liberal arts institution that serves an undergraduate and graduate student population of 3,500 students. The institution had recently unveiled its 5-year Strategic Plan and wanted to develop a methodology and toolset to track progress against each of the Plan’s sections.
Approach
SMART met with team members to assess the information needs that were required to manage the numerous tasks and initiatives, as well as the tracking requirements to maintain feedback from the various campus-wide constituencies. SMART designed and rapidly developed a complex custom software application that stored all necessary data elements. The application served as a project tracking system for issues, individual assignments, ownership, input and feedback and supported the reporting needs of the Plan.
Results
The institution has deployed the solution and is currently using the application to manage all activities that support the 5-year Strategic Plan.

Client
A private, four-year liberal arts college with approximately 2,200 students, the institution was undergoing a major transformation of its administrative capabilities. A key component of this transformation was the dramatic improvement of the college’s information technology resources and services.
Approach
SMART initially guided the institution through a reorganization that changed the functions, processes, and organizational structures of several administrative departments including financial operations and information technology services. SMART also evaluated its administrative systems, including all core and ancillary applications, database platforms, and infrastructure. As a result of the evaluation, the institution decided to transition from its legacy systems environment to a new, integrated administrative systems platform.
SMART supported the institution as its primary implementation partner for its administrative system implementation. SMART provided project management, as well as expertise and resources to lead and support system configuration and testing, data conversion, and training.
Results
The institution successfully implemented the new system (all modules) in 15 months.

Client
This client is a private institution that provides undergraduate and graduate degrees to a diverse student body with a total enrollment of over 10,000 students. The institution began a full-scale ERP implementation to replace its legacy system as part of a campus-wide initiative to improve and integrate processes and technologies.
Approach
SMART has completed several initiatives for the institution during its implementation. SMART initially developed a comprehensive workplan for all conversions and interfaces (Finance, HR/Payroll, Student, Financial Aid, Advancement) that were required to migrate data from Datatel to Banner and completed an assessment of the project’s progress. As an outcome of the assessment, SMART was engaged to support General Person, Finance and Advancement conversion activities to help the institution achieve an on-time go-live.
SMART was subsequently engaged to lead and manage the design, testing and implementation of Banner’s Student modules (Student Receivables, Admissions, Recruiting, Registration, and Advising). SMART leveraged deep functional knowledge and extensive ERP implementation experience to guide the institution to successful go-lives. In addition, SMART led the design, testing and final conversions of all major data migrations (i.e. General Student, Academic History, Applicants, etc.).
Results
The institution successfully implemented the new system (all modules) in 18 months.

Client
A private, Tier I research university, was in the process of significant transformation in enhancing its financial and operating controls. To accomplish their goals, the University chose to outsource its internal audit function in an effort to access best practices and specialized skills sets not resident in the existing resources responsible for this activity.
Approach
For the past three years, SMART has provided internal audit, IT audit, and CFO Advisory Services to assist University leadership in evaluating the current internal control environment across the University. Through conducting dozens of audits and special projects, which were focused on assessing financial, compliance, and operating risk, SMART was able to help the University in enhancing its internal controls, performance, and efficiency. SMART has proven to be a Trusted Advisor and is consulted on a variety of matters related to the health, welfare, and strategic direction of the University.
Results
The University has experienced significant increases in all key performance metrics over the past three years, including increases in student enrollment, endowment value, and school rankings. One key contributor to this success has been the enhancements made by University leadership in risk management and operations, of which SMART has been a key advisor in numerous capacities.