Developed by The Ada Center in partnership with Complete College America
Getting Started
Selecting the right technology product and vendor partner is no easy feat. Today’s higher education technology marketplace boasts hundreds of vendors and thousands of products to choose from. Add to that the diverse needs of your student body and the varying needs of your institution’s departments, and the task of identifying the right solution can feel overwhelming. Additionally, compatibility with existing systems can be a challenge, and resource constraints often limit the options.
This module will provide you with practical insights and best practices to help you navigate this complex landscape, put together an effective procurement team and intentional procurement process, and ultimately support your institution’s efforts to find technology solutions that are aligned to your needs and mission.
Who Would Benefit From This Module
This resource will be most useful for institution leadership, technology procurement teams and/or steering committees engaged in student success technology strategy.
What You’ll Learn:
- What should an inclusive and effective procurement team look like, and why?
- How do we clearly define what products/features we really need given our unique context and goals?
- How do we prioritize our technology needs given limited resources?
- How do we separate fact from fiction as we explore vendors and products?
- What major variables should influence our product evaluation and selection?
How You’ll Learn:
Item 4.1: Read Me!
How Should We Approach Buying New Technology? Module 4 Starter
Item 4.2: Guide & Template
Turning Vision into a Clearly Scoped Project
Item 4.3: Activity
Check Your Basement: Avoiding Duplicative Technology
Item 4.4: Webinar & Guide
Prioritizing Amongst Competing Technology Asks
Item 4.5: Guide & Template
RFP 101
Item 4.6: Resource Bank
Vendor Engagement Toolkit
Access the Content
Module 4.1 How Should We Approach Buying New Technology
Module 4.2a Creating “User Stories” To Guide Procurement
Module 4.2b Creating “User Stories” To Guide Procurement – Webinar Slides
Module 4.3 Check Your Basement: Avoiding Duplicative Technology
Module 4.4a How Can I Prioritize Competing Technology Needs
Module 4.4b How Can I Prioritize Competing Technology Needs – Webinar Slides
Module 4.5 RFP 101 Getting Insight Without “Giving Away the Answers”
Module 4.6 Vendor Engagement Toolkit
Created in partnership with:
