ERP Planning Support at Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private, co-educational university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The university is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and one of five Marymount institutions of higher education. Loyola Marymount is the parent school to Loyola Law School located in downtown Los Angeles.

LMU was undertaking a study to investigate potential scenarios for the future of its ERP systems (Finance and HR/Payroll) and to decide the direction that LMU would take. LMU asked for support from MTC to review and support the work that LMU’s staff was developing and to help think through the variety of issues and opportunities that would appear.

The goal of the project was to develop the necessary planning information and options to enable LMU’s Administration and Finance executives to understand the potential scenarios and make decisions about the path that LMU would take.

LMU asked for MTC support for four events, including:

• Conducting a briefing with executive leadership on the current state of the Higher Education HR and Finance ERP marketplace in order to establish a knowledge foundation for them;
• Participating in an executive leadership presentation by Oracle by asking questions and keeping Oracle focused on the agenda topics;
• Participating in a product demonstration by Oracle by asking questions and keeping Oracle focused on the agenda topics; and
• Determination of next steps by supporting LMU staff in developing and finalizing the discussion document, creating a set of scenarios that LMU might pursue going forward, and participating in executive presentations and discussion of the materials and to provide thought leadership in those sessions so that LMU’s executives are able to understand the alternatives and make a decision.