Vendor Selection Timeline

Phase I: Vendor Selection

• RFP Process and Vendor Introduction
• Vendor Selection
• Contract Negotiations and Execution
• Name new software suite
• Announce selected vendor to campus
• Resources: Selection Committee and the entire Research Community

PHase II: Pre-Discovery

• Vendor Onboarding
• Preparation and Readiness for Discovery Project
• Business Process Documentation and Re-Engineering 
  
• File Storage and Inventory for Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) 
  
• Launch Research Portal Site 
• Implement Salesforce for OSP 
  
• Resources: Program Team with engagement from the Research Office and other Stakeholders
  

Phase III: Discovery (September - December 2023)

• First Official Project within the Research Connect Program
• Review and Evaluate the Business Processes with vendor 
  
• Technology Review 
  
• Development of Implementation Plan – Timeline, Resources, etc. 
  
• Resources: Program Team, Research Office, Research Partners, and Research Community 

We are getting closer to the official kick-off of our Discovery Project. We have sessions scheduled from Sept 18th – Nov 17th. There are two overflow weeks, the week of November 27th and December 4th, where we can add additional meetings if needed. We are expecting Huron to submit their findings and a proposed schedule by mid-December.

The objective of these sessions will be to develop an understanding of the driving policies, various roles and responsibilities of each individual and unit involved in the workflow, process triggers and hand-off points, and multiple perspectives on pain points and opportunities for improvement.

Below we have included a weekly breakdown of the sessions that are scheduled:

Please reach out to Laura DiNunzio, Katie Stores, and/or Rosemary Casteel if you have questions or concerns about the Discovery schedule, Research Connect Program, etc.