What is the timeline? When will the new CRM go live? #
February 2024. The timeline allows for pauses during days of giving, FYE and CYE reporting, and other major projects. The implementation will put significant new burdens on staff resources — many in Advancement Services will be dedicating 50% or more of their time to the project — but we’re fully committed to supporting essential fundraising, engagement, and advocacy efforts throughout the process.
How did we select Salesforce and Ascend? #
The selection process was led by a CRM Evaluation Committee that represented every job area and every unit in the Foundation. We began with a comprehensive needs analysis involving interviews with 125 key stakeholders. The results of those conversations informed our Call for Proposals, which elicited responses from four vendors. After viewing more than 60 hours of online demos, the Evaluation Committee and the vast majority of respondents to our feedback survey identified a clear favorite in Salesforce and UC Innovation, whose application, Ascend, turns Salesforce into a university advancement tool.
How will the new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system affect us?
Our CRM will go live before the new ERP, so we will build an integration with IRIS while also laying the groundwork for future integrations with Oracle. This is an exciting time for technology change at the University of Tennessee! In addition to our new CRM, the UT System has contracted with Oracle to replace IRIS, UT Knoxville is transitioning to Salesforce for its student experience CRM, and UT Knoxville athletics is moving to Ticketmaster. The core CRM team and Huron are collaborating closely with leaders of those projects, and we’re preparing for all potential scenarios.