Forum OpenACS Q&A: OACS or ACES opportunity
"requesting a comprehensive "self-serve" email management and
prospect database service to empower end users (prospective students,
applicants, enrolled students, staff and faculty) to find answers to
frequently asked questions (FAQ's) with minimal assistance in a web-
based environment.This software should be designed as a mission
critical tool to assist University Admissions Office staff with
marketing and communications to recruit eligible students at all
levels, i.e. freshmen, graduate and former students. The software
should collect vital student information (name, address, email, phone
number, major, etc) while the site is searched and archived for
efficient follow up recruitment. The system should accommodate 24/7
user friendly options for the student and office administrator.
This is easy .... however these are mandatory requirements ...
Vendor must show that they have an existing packaged product already
in service. (ACES ??)
Vendor must show that a minimum of 10 university clients currently
licenses their product.
3. Vendor must show that at least one of the existing clients has
an enrollment of 11,000 or
more students. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
4. Vendor must provide three references of similar product
installations on other college
campuses including contact name, phone number and email
address.
Comply _____ Non-Comply_____
5. Vendor must be able to demonstrate the product in person with
an on campus visit
or "on-line" audition with a conference call to discuss
product features while in
demo mode. Comply _____ Non-Comply_____
6. Product must be capable of indexing content found on the
existing website, without any
additional work on the part of the university, in order to
deliver answers to user questions when
appropriate. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
7. Product must have the ability to deliver self-service
(automated) answers to questions asked
in plain English including answers found on the existing KSU
website.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
8. The product must have a web-based reporting system that can be
viewed in realtime which
tracks user questions, topic areas and general statistics.
Comply_____ Non-Comply____
9. The product must provide automated spell checking for incoming
queries.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
10. The product must be able to log e-mail responses and turn
selected responses into web-
based FAQ pages. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
11. Vendor must agree to deliver, install and have the system
successfully operating within
eight weeks of bid award. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
12. Vendor must include all on-site training with the initial
installation.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
13. Vendor must ensure that KSU has the right to purchase the system
if service is
interrupted or business is discontinued for any reason.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
14. Vendor must ensure that the system web pages accessible to
students must adhere to
standards/image design. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
Email Management Mandatory Product Feature Requirements:
1. Ability to administer the system locally on the college campus.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
2. A report screen designed according to specifications to
display individual
prospective student information. Comply_____ Non-
Comply_____
3. A report screen designed according to specifications to display
batch
populations according to selected variables. Comply_____
Non-Comply
4. Ability to sort and view data based on predefined fields (i.e.
major, geography, education
level, graduation year, entry date, traditional or non-
traditional, source)
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
5. All data collected will be stored and maintained by the vendor.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
6. Ability to purge system (old files) by selective criteria (i.e.
original entry date, level
of education) Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
7. Ability to date stamp prospect file to receive predetermined
interval follow up messages
by email. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
8. Ability to send mass broadcast emails to all or selected
(filtered) populations
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
9. An automatic email "bounce back" message feature.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
10. All data collected must be the property of Kennesaw State
University Admissions. Any data
stored in the system must be relinquished to Kennesaw State
University upon the termina-
tion of the contract for any reason. Comply_____ Non-
Comply_____
11. Unlimited number of standard text answers for content
navigation - FAQ's
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
12. Ability to locally draft, edit and upload to questions and
answers.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
13. Ability to accommodate an unlimited number of users.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
14. Ability to route incoming emails based on subjects or key words
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
15. Ability to access and respond to emails from multiple user
stations.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
16. Abiity to monitor the quantity and status of emails received or
waiting for reply.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
17. System must allow for interface, growth, scalable, storable and
number of users.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
18. Must accommodate current KSU Web look standards/image design.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
Associated Product Mandatory Feature Requirements
Mail Integration Support:
1. Ability to locally enter prospect information into the system.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
2. Ability to permit simultaneous direct entry of data received
from multiple operator entry
points/workstations. Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
3. Ability to code contact source in each prospect file.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
4. Ability to extract data based on certain parameters in
Microsoft Word Mail Merge format
to facilitate letter, label or card generation
communications.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
5. Ability to print hard copy reports. Comply_____ Non-
Comply_____
Chat Room:
The email management system should include an option for prospective
students to find each other and chat using existing email
structures. It should be similar to AOL Instant Messenger and should
accommodate multiple users during a chat room conversation. Text
will not be stored at the end of each session or archived in any
fashion. It should be designed to prevent any unauthorized use,
viruses, attachments or harassment to other students or the
institution.
Comply_____ Non-Comply_____
Telecenter:
The system must provide a local "telecenter" option to extract
populations by selected variables (major, term of desired entry,
former KSU student, educational level, etc) for telephone follow up.
1. Provide a screen designed by the university to display prospect
information for calling.
Yes_____ No_____
2. Ability to log/type comments in a memo pad field. Yes_____
No_____
3. Ability to add or update information to the profile fields.
Yes_____ No_____
4. Ability to add and save new information. Yes_____ No_____
5. Ability to date stamp calls and code status (completed, busy,
answering machine)
Yes_____ No_____
6. Ability to recover calls that need to be reattempted due to
busy, machines, etc
Yes_____ No_____
7. Ability to report/print call production (calls completed,
outstanding, etc)
Yes_____ No_____
8. Ability to sort out files (skip) if they have been called in a
specified date range to avoid
unnecessary repeats or call backs for the same reason.
Yes_____ No_____
I think that this could be a slam dunk for ACS and/or ACES with some
modes...8 weeks seems slim, and it appears from the wording that the
requirements have been sucked from the "pre-selected vendors"
brochure.
Posted this as I thought it would be interesting to get commentary
rearding where ACS could compete.... any thoughts on wether its
viable to respond .... maybe have the entire community respond as a
distributed project team ?
