Element451Integrations Guide

Pre-Integration Readiness Checklist

Updated Article

1. 🔍 Stakeholder Alignment & Governance#

  • Identify executive sponsor and project champion
  • Form a cross-functional implementation team (Admissions, Marketing, IT, Financial Aid, etc.).
  • Build Awareness among stakeholders by clearly articulating the reasons for CRM adoption.
  • Establish roles, responsibilities, and communication cadence (RACI is great for this Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed)
  • Define success metrics aligned with strategic enrollment and student experience goals
  • If you do not have a documented project management process, create a Project Charter that speaks to Stakeholder Alignment and Governance.

2. 🧭 Change Management Readiness#

  • Conduct a change readiness assessment
  • Create a stakeholder engagement plan.
  • Develop a communications roadmap (internal and external messaging). Ensure communication explains the business drivers and strategic goals behind the transition to Element451.
  • Prepare adoption metrics and feedback loops
  • Identify likely areas of resistance and create a mitigation plan. Cultivate Desire by involving impacted users early and aligning CRM benefits with their daily challenges.

3. 🗂️ Data Integrity & Preparation#

  • Perform a system-wide data audit (across SIS, legacy CRM, and spreadsheets)
  • Document and confirm the current data process with all fields and where they come from.
  • Standardize key data fields (names, phone numbers, program codes, etc.)
  • Eliminate duplicates and inactive records
  • Map data sources and define which data will migrate
  • Review data governance policies (e.g., FERPA compliance, retention rules)
  • Determine timing for integration

4. 🔐 Security & Compliance Preparation#

  • Engage IT and security teams early
  • Define role-based access controls
  • Document security practices for audits

5. 🛠️ Technical Preparation & Infrastructure#

  • Inventory all existing inquiry forms, events, communication campaigns, and workflows
  • Assess current third-party integrations (e.g., Zoom, Mailchimp, Chatbot, Calendly)
  • Define integration priorities and timelines
  • Confirm API documentation availability for SIS and other platforms

6. 📚 Training & Support Readiness#

  • Define roles-based training needs
  • Schedule onboarding sessions for power users and end users
  • Create a knowledge base (e.g., SOPs, recordings, FAQs)
  • Identify CRM champions to support user adoption
  • Plan for ongoing training cycles and refresher sessions
  • Use change champions to generate enthusiasm and model commitment to the new system.
  • Implement ongoing support mechanisms, refresher training, and performance reviews to prevent regression.

✅ Final Go-Live Readiness#

  • Stakeholder alignment and communications in place
  • Change management plan activated
  • Data audit completed and integrations mapped
  • Security, access, and role provisioning completed
  • Training delivered and knowledge base published
  • CRM environment configured for go-live
  • Celebrate all of your successes!

Go-live support team and escalation plan in place

ADKAR Readiness Tracker table listing Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement with definitions

🧩 SIS-Specific Preparation Checklists#

🔷 Colleague (Ellucian)#

  • Identify your integration strategy, whether through Ethos, batch, or another integration platform. Confirm availability and access.
  • Validate program, term, student, and person matching logic
  • Standardize codes for major fields like academic program, term, and status
  • Review duplicate detection rules.
  • Resolve Ethos-dependent errors from legacy data.
  • Identify your integration strategy, whether through Ethos, batch, another integration platform, or custom Banner scripts. Confirm availability and access.
  • Verify access to tables such as SPRIDEN, SGBSTDN, SAAADMS
  • Ensure mappings for recruitment funnel stages and term codes
  • Clean up duplicate PIDMs and define matching rules
  • Review any dependency on Banner Workflow or DegreeWorks integrations

🔷 Jenzabar#

  • Determine whether the school uses Jenzabar EX, JX, or SONIS
  • Confirm API or flat-file export capabilities
  • Validate key tables (e.g., student, applicant, course, and communication)
  • Establish process for syncing communications preferences
  • Clarify update frequency and data push vs. pull methods

🔷 Populi#

  • Review Populi’s REST API capabilities and rate limits
  • Confirm available fields for syncing (contact info, program, term, custom fields)
  • Define scope of integration (one-way or bi-directional sync)
  • Set up test accounts and developer access as needed

🔷 Workday Student#

  • Coordinate with security admin to set up Workday API credentials and scopes.
  • Define Workday reports or integrations for data pull (e.g., RaaS - Report-as-a-Service)
  • Review fields like StudentAcademicPeriod, StudentApplication, ProgramEnrollment
  • Clarify timing for integration development (due to Workday’s extensibility model)