Why the real payoff starts after go-live.
Modernizing your ERP or Student Information System (SIS) is one of the biggest investments your institution will ever make. But the real return doesn’t happen when you flip the switch. It happens in the months (and years) that follow, when your institution stabilizes, adopts, and truly owns the system.
Below are six ways higher education leaders can set their campus up for lasting ROI.
1️⃣ Invest in stabilization, not just implementation
Go-live is a milestone, not the finish line. Build a post-launch budget that includes embedded experts and short-term coaching. These roles help your institution unpack from the move to resolve issues before they turn into long-term inefficiencies. (This is different from “hypercare” or ticketing support; it’s collaborative, not reactive.)
2️⃣ Recognize that student systems are a different animal
HR and Finance systems are fairly standardized. Student systems, however, must flex to each institution’s academic policies and faculty-driven curriculum. This complexity makes configuration, upgrades, and release management uniquely challenging. Plan for the time and expertise that reality requires.
3️⃣ Protect institutional knowledge
When key staff leave, so does hard-won expertise. Safeguard your ROI by documenting processes, cross-training employees, and maintaining a process library. Your system’s stability depends on more than technology—it depends on people knowing how to use it.
4️⃣ Prioritize reporting and data governance early
Leaders rely on accurate data for everything from compliance reporting to financial aid eligibility. Don’t wait until after go-live to clean it up.Tip: 100% data load completion doesn’t mean 100% accuracy. Spot checks aren’t enough. Build a rigorous validation process before cutover.💡 Legato Strategic Consulting helps institutions do just that by providing independent data validation for cloud implementations.
5️⃣ Go beyond ticketing systems
Ticket queues work for IT bugs, not operational stabilization. Functional experts embedded with your teams can troubleshoot in real time and build institutional capacity along the way. That’s how you move from “fixing issues” to learning your system.
6️⃣ Measure ROI by outcomes, not just cost savings
True ROI isn’t found in reduced budgets. Instead, it’s in improved student success, cleaner audits, and more confident decision-making. Track progress by institutional outcomes, not line items.
The Bottom Line for Achieving ROI in your ERP/SIS Project
Leaders who plan for stabilization, knowledge continuity, and trustworthy reporting see smoother operations and stronger ROI overall in their ERP/SIS projects.
If your institution is preparing for, or still navigating, a cloud ERP/SIS implementation or modernization, Legato Strategic Consulting offers a free one-hour consultation to discuss strategies like these.
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