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NDUS study maps ERP modernization path; limited vendor pool and multi‑biennium cost estimated
Summary
NDUS CIO Corey Quirk briefed the committee on an ERP market analysis and legislative IT study: PeopleSoft customizations and fragmented processes increase risk; only Oracle and Workday meet higher‑ed module needs; cloud modernization and governance work recommended with multi‑biennium funding and a 2035 cloud target.
Corey Quirk, North Dakota University System CIO and Core Technology CIO, presented the system’s ERP study and legislative IT committee review, outlining findings, vendor constraints, estimated costs and a suggested timeline.
What Quirk reported: NDUS’s PeopleSoft on‑prem system (in place since ~2002) contains more than 6,500 customizations and has produced fragmented processes, shadow systems and heavy maintenance needs. Quirk said that undermines agility, data governance and security, and that modernization is a business transformation as much as a technology one.
Vendor landscape and constraints: NDUS conducted an RFI/RFI‑like vendor assessment and vendor demos; Quirk reported only two vendors — Oracle (the incumbent) and Workday — currently offer full suites that cover higher‑education student records plus finance and human capital needs. That limited pool constrains procurement options for a single, unified system.
Cost, scope and timeline: Quirk discussed a staged plan (cloud readiness work, governance, procurement, backfill/pre‑fill staffing, implementation and organizational change management). He presented a multi‑biennium funding model — summary cost ranges for higher‑ed modernization were in the tens to low‑hundreds of millions depending on scope and implementation model — and said readiness and implementation work would likely span several biennia; NDUS set a aspirational cloud transition goal toward 2035.
Risks and operational impacts: Quirk warned that implementation capacity is tight across the market (many states are considering modernization), driving up costs for implementation and backfill resources. He emphasized data governance, reducing customizations (move from customization to configuration), and the need to standardize processes to enable shared services.
Coordination with statewide efforts: The state has done parallel studies; LIHTC (Legislative IT Committee) has studied state and NDUS ERP options. Quirk said a combined state/NDUS approach could yield savings but the student information system unique to higher education makes the NDUS procurement distinct and limits vendor options.
What comes next: Quirk said NDUS is prepared to advance cloud readiness work and governance but recommended staged legislative funding and a procurement path that recognizes implementation market pressures and vendor availability.
