Concord Academy initiated a thorough evaluation process that included reviewing its internal processes and ranking the importance of each piece of desired functionality.  This provided an objective format to evaluate six vendors.

After vendor demonstrations and reference calls, CA selected Campus Café from SCAN.

Campus Café's single database architecture would provide CA with its best option to unify its core administrative functions and provide powerful self-service for students and parents.  From the first point of contact, all information would be collected on a single record for students and parents.  Having to manually re-key student records, or contend with the duplicates associated with importing from one system to the next would no longer be a problem.  And unlike competitors, the open data schema provides a platform for CA to integrate with other applications that were external to Campus Café.

SCAN also provided a preferable company culture.  CA would be working directly with the same people during and after the implementation; would have access to same helpdesk representatives for each issue; and would have a larger voice in the future development of the product.

As part of the implementation, SCAN would add enhancements for managing parent release forms online, real time attendance, and transcript customizations.

These systems offered adequate functionality for each office, but did not offer portals for students, parents or applicants.  With an increasing number of international families to service, the need to implement web based self-service was becoming more and more important.

The system used by the admissions and student-service offices was a Filemaker solution.  The flexibility of this software was its biggest strength, and its biggest weakness.  After years of modifications by end users, CA found that it was supporting an undocumented system that had evolved to an unmanageable state.

Concord Academy decided that its primary objective would be to find a single system that met the needs of each individual office and offered the ability to fully leverage the internet and self-service portals for remote users.

About Concord Academy:

Concord Academy engages its students in a community animated by a love of learning, enriched by a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, and guided by a covenant of common trust.

Students and teachers work together as a community of learners dedicated to intellectual rigor and creative endeavor. In a caring and challenging atmosphere, students discover and develop talents as scholars, artists, and athletes and are encouraged to find their voices.

The school is committed to embracing and broadening the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and talents of its people. This diversity fosters respect for others and genuine exchange of ideas.

Common trust challenges students to balance individual freedom with responsibility and service to a larger community. Such learning prepares students for lives as committed citizens.

About SCAN:

Schools and Colleges Administrative Network (SCAN) provides enterprise solutions for Education. Our flagship product, Campus Café, is the only Java-based single database student information system built specifically for small and mid-sized institutions.