Integration of administrative processes, systems, and data has become one of the holy grails of higher education transformation into the new normal. For years, colleges have had to buy independent, department-specific solutions that often lead to decentralized workflows, poor data management, and ineffective interdepartmental communications.

This is where system integrators come in. They get the most value out of your on-campus solutions by enabling them to share information. As a result, system integration firms and professionals are growing tremendously in demand and helping colleges integrate and deploy multiple subsystems into a central hub solution, such as AMSA Connect’s IRM Platform.

However, choosing the right systems integrator or firm can be challenging. In this post, we’ll share six factors to consider when hiring a system integration firm or professional for your college IT department.

6 Factors to Consider When Hiring a Systems Integrator (SI) for College IT Infrastructure Transformation

1.      Up-to-Date Knowledge

For over two decades, understanding software has been the basic criteria for hiring an IT professional. However, systems integrators are tasked with more challenging problems, issues, and IT downtimes. Therefore, they need to bring more to the table than their core competencies.

For instance, they need to stay updated with the latest systems and software versions, additional third-party apps and integration approaches, and contingencies to counter potential failures.

2.      Established Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Experienced system integration firms with different IT subject-matter experts typically have a standard operating procedure in place when working on any project. An established process can ensure consistent results according to your college IT infrastructure transformation objectives and milestones.

Therefore, you need to do your homework and look for experts with a wide variety of experience, especially when working with colleges or other educational institutions.

3.      Education Industry Knowledge

If you’re opting for an integration firm or systems integrator, you need to choose one with a solid understanding of on-campus environments, including interdepartmental goals and targets. This includes administration, marketing, IT, student success, and logistics, to name a few.

They should be able to create a big data flowchart incorporating all your processes, departments, and solutions to overcome different technical challenges and plan infrastructure upgrades accordingly.

4.      Bench Strength

The systems integrator you hire should be able to vertically integrate on-campus management solutions and similar third-party software to help college departments achieve their desired outcomes. If you’re hiring a firm, they should have enough people to work on large-scale projects and manage tight deadlines.

So, look for a firm that proactively offers a project plan with a detailed process and system optimization roadmap.

5.      IT Security Fluidity

On-Campus IT security has evolved from analog cameras and DVRs. Modern systems include several other systems designed to handle other threats, especially those hailing from the internet. Therefore, any integration firm or professional you hire should be well-versed in the latest Cybersecurity solutions and practices.

Moreover, they should also be familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT) security devices to keep out hackers and prevent critical student and administrative data from falling into the wrong hands. To simplify the recruitment process, look for firms with certifications from top security firms, such as Cisco, IBM, and Cisco.

6.      Long-Term Support

Usually, for college and higher ed institutions, it is difficult to manage software installation, integration, and upgrades without long-term support from trained professionals. They specialize in keeping up with the current trends and technologies. Therefore, you need to hire an integration firm or professional that will work with you for a long time.

This way, you can maintain consistency when planning future transformations via integrations and software adoption across every department on your college campus.

Bottom Line

As the education industry rapidly shifts towards digitalization, system integrator firms and professionals are highly demanded. Following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges need to keep up with the pace of technological developments to optimize their student lifecycle and bottom line.

Therefore, choosing the right system integrator (firm or individual) is a huge decision. Not only do you need a team that can digitalize and improve your workflow with advanced software, but also someone that can manage several third-party integrations and ensure 24/7 automated database monitoring.

The systems integration team at AMSA Connect can help you achieve this and a lot more. With our state-of-the-art integration management platform, you can digitalize, centralize, and automate all your on-campus processes with optimal data integrity and security.