AI and Student Services
While AI is being used and considered for many services, it is ideal to take a step back first and review your current office operations. Are you a high school counselor with a backlog of recommendation letter requests? Is your current process for sending out local scholarship information working? Does the student transcript request system for college applications work effectively? College staff procedures could also be involved. Do you have a back log of transfer student academic records that need to be reviewed? If so, what plans are being considered to correct this situation? Are admission office applicants waiting a long time for a status update? Is this impacting your freshman class yield rate? How are student customer service experiences in your individual student service offices and/or your one stop shop? Do enhancements need to be made? This type of assessment needs to be completed before AI is added to your school’s process. Why? AI will not fix operational issues which are a separate issue. When considering AI options, below are some things to keep in mind.
Choosing a business vendor is a serious matter. In my opinion, the dynamics are similar to a close personal friendship or marriage. Trust and dependability are involved. A technology decision can make or break an organization. I currently view technology choices as two-year decisions that may last as long as five years. This type of decision naturally leads to requesting input from numerous staff members.
Here are the three types of questions involved when you are considering a technology decision:
1. Technology vendor questions
2. General business vendor questions
3. Political questions to privately consider
In some industries, the number of major and minor companies is constantly changing. As a manager, the decisions you make can drastically affect the existence of other companies.
If you are attempting to choose a technology vendor, I would consider the following:
- What kind of background do the people have who are heading up the new company?
- Can this new product or service affect the security of my position or industry?
- If so, why has the new product or service not already had an impact?
- How long will it take for the new idea to affect my position, organization and/or industry?
- Does the idea or product make sense but lack industry support?
- If it makes sense, will people involved with the new idea or product end up being leaders in the industry?
- How long would it be before the new idea or product would be replaced?
- Is my industry ready to accept the new idea or product?
Below is a list of general questions you may want to ask a potential business vendor:
- May we have a brief organizational overview?
- What is your Customer Service approach for your current business partners?
- Do you have any plans to increase staffing in your Customer Service department?
- Are Satisfaction surveys conducted with your current business partners?
- What successes did your organization experience during the past fiscal year?
- What challenges do you expect to face in the upcoming fiscal year?
- Can you update us on your goals for the upcoming fiscal year?
- For the upcoming fiscal year, are any new services or products available?
- What other companies, similar in size and scope, do you currently serve?
- Can we call a few of your current customers, to discuss your products and services?
Again, selecting a business vendor is serious business. A lot of agreements are easy to get involved in and hard to dissolve.
The last set of questions should be privately considered before you make a final decision:
- Is a potential conflict of interest involved?
- Does the parent company of the potential vendor have a vested interest in me also using their other products?
- If so, are their other products up to the standards my organization requires?
- Does the potential business vendor have political connections involving upper administration in my organization?
- If so, will I truly be allowed to make the decision?
