As many of you will no doubt remember, the Office of Advancement participated in the Enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) request for proposal (RFP) led by Queen’s IT Services in 2022. While the Advancement-specific portion of the request sought a replacement for our database of record (Advance), a key component of the broader RFP was the identification of common engagement tools and an approach to shared data practices. While our aspirations for a new database would not be fulfilled at the time due to budget constraints, I did want to take this opportunity to update you on the university’s ongoing enterprise CRM initiative and the emerging opportunity for Advancement to stay engaged.
Earlier this year, the university concluded its formal RFP process and solidified a partnership with Huron Consulting Group (CRM implementor) and Salesforce (SF). After years of planning and consultation, this important milestone set in motion the development of a very real implementation roadmap.
Enterprise CRM at Queen’s will be transformational. It will drive the focused and accelerated development of digital skills through the implementation of CRM tools and the seamless integration of data across existing systems. In the higher-ed space, a truly integrated CRM focuses on connecting insights across student recruitment and admissions, advancement, and marketing and strives to eliminate our current reality of siloed data spread across systems. In a nutshell, enterprise CRM ties together the constituent lifecycle and distributes it across the teams and functions of our business. The opportunities for tailored engagement, outreach, and enhanced self-service are incredible.
The initiative will soon enter what is referred to as Phase 0. This engagement will serve as the foundation to define the scope and timing of subsequent implementation projects that support the ongoing delivery of CRM capabilities across Queen’s. Phase 0 is scheduled to take place between April and June of this year.
Workstreams included in Phase 0 include,
Workstream 1 – Enterprise CRM Technology and Program Governance
Workstream 2 – Enterprise Constituent Communication and Engagement
Workstream 3 – Recruiting and Admissions Capabilities
Workstreams 4 and 5 – Learner Success Capabilities and Student Experience Assessment
As referenced in last week’s newsletter, Advancement will now participate in Phase 0 of the enterprise implementation, specifically in Workstream 1 (data considerations) and Workstream 2 (email marketing, events, and social media). While it was envisioned early on that Advancement would pursue the replacement of Advance before the consideration of the university’s new enterprise engagement tools, we will now explore this latter opportunity first.
Supported by Queen’s IT Services and resources brought to bear through the enterprise initiative, the Office of Advancement has the opportunity to be an early adopter of the tools chosen for universal adoption across the university. For our purposes, this toolset could include SF Marketing Cloud (email), Blackthorn (events), Sprout Social (social media), and the SF Customer Data Platform (common data layer).
It is important to note that our involvement in Phase 0 does not dictate a specific outcome. It does, however, provide an incredible chance for further partnership, exploration, and discovery to ensure any subsequent decision to adopt these tools is well considered.
We look forward to providing updates along the Phase-0 journey. Please watch for the launch of the university’s Enterprise CRM website in a few weeks.
Advancement board report and dashboard
Queen’s University Board of Trustees met Mar. 3 and 4. A copy of Advancement Quarterly Report and Dashboard is now available for all Queen’s advancement staff I:\ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\Board Reports\2022-23.
Board Advancement briefing
On behalf of the Queen’s Advancement, Karen presented an to the closed session of the Board of Trustees on Mar. 4. This presentation focused on internal trends relative to the past three, five, and 10 years, and was received with great appreciation in light of the positive trends reported.
Employee spotlight
The Employee Spotlight celebrates the arrival of our new and existing staff by profiling responses they share through a fun and informal survey that will help us get to know them better. Be sure to review these profiles and use these fun facts and tidbits to find commonalities, embrace differences, and spark a conversation.
A few weeks ago, we welcomed two new members to Advancement:
Rachel Purdy in the position of Specialist, Communications and Digital Engagement, Faculty of Arts and Science. and what she is most looking forward to in the role.
Lindsey Thomsen in the position of Senior Relationship Manager, Smith. and what three things she does outside of work.