Delivering Comprehensive Services to Ensure Your Success
Evisions’ Higher Education solutions go beyond just software. Our Professional Services team, with years of first-hand experience in Higher Ed, stands ready to assist you. From simple consultations to more in-depth development and training, Evisions provides an array of services to ensure continued administrative and operational success.
Why Would I Need Evisions Professional Services?
Your institution is experiencing challenges. These challenges may be unique to your campus, or they may be the same obstacles encountered by numerous other institutions. Regardless, you don’t have the internal resources to tackle them all on your own. This is where Evisions Professional Services comes in. They understand the specific needs and challenges unique to Higher Ed, the various reporting areas, and the complex systems used by institutions.
Some of the most common needs addressed by our Professional Services team include:
What’s Going
on at Your Institution?
Not only has Evisions Professional Services spent years working with higher ed professionals but many of them used to be higher ed professionals themselves. This experience has enabled them to recognize and understand the various departmental challenges, from Admissions to Alumni, that institutions face. When it comes to your department, do any of these challenges sound familiar?
How We Can Help
Using their deep-rooted higher ed experience, and their wide-ranging skills in everything from report development to data analysis, the Evisions Professional Services (PS) team is well equipped to help you address the challenges listed above (and any others you may encounter in your daily routine).
Need to migrate data and convert reports from old system to new.
Not only will the PS team help you migrate your data, set up new data connections, and create new reports and dashboards, but they’ll also work with you to condense reports and make the new setup as simple and efficient as possible.
Report and user-level security not meeting required standards.
The PS team understands what access specific departmental roles typically need. They’ll use this knowledge, in conjunction with your distinct security needs, to help set up the appropriate access and permissions.
Can’t easily find, present, or interpret the data specific to your department.
Professional Services has strong insight into common key metrics for each department. The team will use this knowledge to ensure you can connect to, display, and understand these key metrics, along with any other data that may be required.
Too many processes are manual and consume too much of the staff’s time.
PS will automate as many of those manual processes for you as they can. The team can also offer up time-saving tips and tricks to help alleviate any other tasks or processes occupying too much of your time.
Staff departures resulted in a loss of knowledge and resources.
The Professional Services team can help in two ways here. They can serve in a consultatory role, providing the knowledge that was lost. In addition – or instead – they can step in and do the needed work as if they were part of your staff.
Institution is moving to SaaS and you’re unsure what this means for your department.
Whether you’re thinking about moving to SaaS, planning the move, or in the process of moving, the PS team can assist with prioritization, process/report cataloging, migration & conversion, and more.
Inability to customize data and layout of transcripts, purchase orders, financial aid letters, or other important documents and communications.
The team will listen to what it is you’re wanting to accomplish and then use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to create the documents and facilitate the communications that will meet your defined needs.
Popular Service Offerings
Over the years, as we’ve worked with more and more clients, we’ve come to better understand the needs of institutions. To address some of the more common needs, Evisions has created a handful of pre-designed service packages focused on consulting and training.
- MAPS Data Warehouse Configuration
- Argos & Banner SaaS Migration
- REST Connector Configuration
- MAPS Administrator
- Data Dictionary & Library of Objects
- Argos Letter Generation
MAPS Data Warehouse Configuration
Evisions will work with the client to configure the Data Warehouse for MAPS & Argos internal metadata reporting. We’ll enable the Data Warehouse in the MAPS Configuration tool and set up a dedicated data connection. Evisions will also provide a baseline DataBlock that provides general reporting against the MAPS & Argos metadata.
Step-by-Step Understanding
Learn, step by step, how to create a new data connection to MAPS and understand the what and why of each step as you go.
See What the Data Means
Get a clear picture of how the MAPS Data Warehouse DataBlock can help a MAPS Administrator know what is happening within MAPS and Argos.
Know Where to Look
Discover how to use the two Auditing tabs in the MAPS Audit Logs to help diagnose problems so that you don’t need to rely on the entire audit log file.
Argos & Banner SaaS Migration
Evisions will guide discussions on what the client should consider, in Argos, when planning to migrate from an on-premise Banner instance to SaaS. Topics covered will include Ellucian Banner SaaS data connectivity vs. on-premises data connectivity, and DataBlock & report inventory/prioritization.
Better Understanding
The client will gain a better understanding of their data connectivity options for reports, the scale of updating Argos reports, and other technical tools that could assist with planning.
Available Product Resources
Learn about the tools within MAPS and Argos (e.g., Data Warehouse and Object Contents) that house key information that could help with migration planning.
Potential Challenges
Get insight into, and know how to prepare for, the potential technical challenges that may be encountered during the migration process.
REST Connector Configuration
Evisions will help the client set up at least one RESTful API data source in their MAPS environment. We’ll also review their configuration options and go over best practices. (The RESTful API data source is typically used with Argos but may also be utilized with FormFusion.)
Hands-on Walkthrough
Get hands-on guidance on how to configure a REST Connector connection in MAPS.
Confirmed Connectivity
Receive a fully built RESTful API data source and customized REST Connector connection with several API endpoints.
Examples and Troubleshooting
See suggested ways to use the REST Connector within Argos or FormFusion and get basic troubleshooting recommendations should any issues occur.
MAPS Administrator
The goal of this training, aimed at new MAPS administrators or those who need a refresher, is to show clients 1) the available options in the MAPS Configuration tool, 2) best practices for MAPS management, and 3) troubleshooting procedures for issues and errors. MAPS product-specific administration will also be covered, if applicable.
Detailed Review
Receive detailed explanations of the tools and options within the MAPS Configuration application, and how they are used for maintenance and user request changes.
Best Practices and Recommendations
Hear about best practices and get recommendations for maintaining and improving your MAPS environment.
Troubleshooting
Learn about the various troubleshooting processes and the available resources should you encounter problems in MAPS or its applications.
Data Dictionary & Library of Objects
Evisions will work with the client to review the Data Dictionary and Library of Objects. These two features tend to be under-utilized, so the goal is for users to understand how and when to use these two key Argos features.
Efficiency & Consistency
Discover how the Data Dictionary and Library of Objects can be used to improve both efficiency and consistency in your report building.
Data Confidence
You’ll learn how these two key features can strengthen data integrity, instilling greater confidence in the data being reported.
Report Quality
This training will enhance report quality, as it will help you write more professional SQL code and build more professional looking dashboards and reports.
Argos Letter Generation
Evisions will show the client how to create Letters as Banded Reports in Argos. In addition to creating the letters, users will learn how to create mailing labels, different letterheads, and letter templates. They’ll be shown how to add hyperlinks in a letter, execute conditional band printing, and schedule and send the letters they create.
Additional Value
You’ll learn how to get additional value from the Argos solution you already own and use. (This is just one of the ways Argos can be used for more than reporting.)
Customized & Professional
You’ll create professional looking letters – and emails – customized to your school’s branding and that include only the information you want.
Just the Start
Use the letter templates you build to then create additional templates specific to other communications and departments.
Ensuring a Tailored, Seamless Experience
When it comes to a project, Evisions Professional Services doesn’t just do the work for you – they work with you. From start to finish, they will maintain clear communication to ensure all specifications are met and everything is completed on time. Here’s what you can expect:
Understanding & Strategizing
In-Depth Consultation:
Evisions initiates a meticulous meeting with your team, diving deep into understanding your project requirements and aspirations.
Service Recommendation:
Our experts curate and recommend bespoke services, defining a comprehensive scope of work that aligns with your strategic objectives.
Detailed Project Specification
Collaborative Building:
Evisions consultants collaborate closely with your team to flesh out an exhaustive project specification.
Data and Aesthetics Alignment:
This stage involves defining critical data elements and achieving consensus on the visual appeal and functionality of reports and dashboards.
Development of DataBlocks and Reports
Autonomous or Cooperative Development:
Evisions takes the helm to independently or collaboratively, in tandem with your team, develop the requisite DataBlocks and reports.
Inclusive Creation:
This encompasses building dashboards and reports, crafting schedules or APIs, and creating comprehensive documentation surrounding the DataBlock.
Empowerment through Training and Support
Strategic Training:
Evisions equips your technical or functional staff with the skills to adeptly utilize Dashboards or reports through targeted training sessions.
Ongoing Support:
If needed, Evisions can be contracted to maintain your DataBlocks over time, ensuring continuity, and ease of maintenance for your team.