As institutions begin the journey towards modernization of technology, the need for change management and a focus on people at the forefront of design has become more critical than ever. The pandemic has fundamentally shifted the expectations of the staff who support university operations, and those who interact with university technology. The desire for technology-led solutions that are user-friendly, effective, and efficient drives the winds of change. However, it is the inclusion of the voice of the customer that takes those winds and turns them into lasting, sustainable change.

In this presentation, Jessica Roy, Managing Director in Accenture’s Education Practice will outline Accenture’s approach to preparing for a modern technology or ERP journey, with a focus on the people and processes that will be impacted by changes. The complexities of this type of change are rooted in many years of institutional knowledge and the processes that surround the work. Successful transformation and digital modernization hinges on the changes in culture, behavior, and practice. With our Higher Education clients, we focus on assessing current state and creating a foundation for a cloud-based ERP implementation that brings the ‘voice of the customer’ to the forefront and manage readiness from design through software selection through implementation with this lens in mind.