Technolutions - CRM.pdf

RESPONSE TO

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

To University of Wisconsin Whitewater

From Technolutions

Lisa Dabkowski slate-proposals@technolutions.com mailto:agclark@technolutions.com

Tab 1

Tab 2

SECTION #1: GENERAL INFORMATION

Conditions of proposal which include the word “must” or “shall” describe a mandatory requirement. All specifications are defined as mandatory minimum requirements unless otherwise stated. If no proposer is able to comply with a given specification, condition of proposal or provide a specific item/service on the Itemized Proposal List, Purchasing reserves the right to delete that specification, condition of proposal or item without having to complete the proposal process again. FAILURE- TO MEET A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT SHALL DISQUALIFY YOUR PROPOSAL. This contract proposal document and the awarded proposer’s (Contractor’s) response information shall become the Contract.

1.1 Background Information

Founded in 1868, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is part of the 13-campus University of Wisconsin System. With a fulltime enrollment of more than 13,000 students at our Whitewater and Rock County campuses, we aim to inspire, engage and transform lives. UW-Whitewater offers more than 75 associate, baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in the colleges of Arts and Communication, Business and Economics, Education and Professional Studies, Integrated Studies, and Letters and Sciences.

1.2 Purpose:

The UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WHITEWATER, hereinafter referred to as the “University”, through its Budget, Planning and Analysis/Purchasing Department, hereinafter referred to as “Purchasing”, is requesting proposals for the Admissions Office for a Customer/ Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) product for student recruitment and management for the Admissions Office and School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education based on the specifications listed in this document. The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal.

1.3 Scope:

See Requirements and Specifications (Section 4) and/or Cost Proposal Form (Attachment H) for the minimum acceptable specifications for items/services desired.

The estimated item quantities identified on the Cost Proposal Form are for proposal purposes only. The University does not guarantee to purchase any specific quantity or dollar amount. This contract must not be construed as mandatory upon any University campus, State agency or municipality. The University reserves the right to issue separate proposals when deemed in the best interest of the University.

The University intends to utilize the results of this RFP to award a contract for purchase of a CRM to provide the following services:

• Comprehensive, student lifecycle, relationship management capabilities

The entire admission lifecycle from name purchase (prospect), to recruitment efforts (inquiry), through the entire application and review process (applicants) can be managed within Slate. This includes all communications, events, application build and submission, application review, and decision release. All interactions with students are tracked on the student timeline and are available for queries and reports.

Person status and application statuses are easily viewable on the person record, allowing schools to see at a glance where in the process a specific person is.

Slate can be used beyond the initial application process to include the broader student lifecycle. We have organizations using Slate's robust features and functionality to manage post-enrollment processes, online portals for students and staff, transfer credit evaluations, student registration, retention, student success, and more. Many organizations continue to use Slate to support current students including student affairs offices, career service centers, and even human resources. Finally, Slate's advancement functionality extends these capabilities even further with relationship management, fundraising, and other specific business process requirements of modern institutional advancement offices. Slate provides nuanced permissions allowing partners to control both what a user can do but also to whom they can do it. Thus each part of the process can be tailored to the appropriate staff as the student moves through their lifecycle.

• Manage communications through multiple mediums

Institutions are looking for a variety of ways to communicate with their constituents, both electronically and print, and they wish to target specific groups. Slate is designed to keep up with the wants and needs of our clients. Slate has very robust communication capabilities. Email communications may be sent as a mass communication, either scheduled, ongoing, or as an individual mailing. Event registration communications, form response communications, reminder communications pertaining to events, and follow-up communications may be customized and automated. Communication channels include print, email, and text message. Additionally social media channels can be linked to post communications through Slate, and portals can display updates to the constituents. Multiple constituents Slate allows organizations to be in contact with students, alumni, parents, and other constituencies. As a comprehensive system, Slate aggregates all of the touch points onto a unified person record. These include event and form registrations, email activity (with the ability to view the content of the sent email in the person record), application data and activity, imported data, and all other related data points. Filtering may be done on any number of criteria, including person type.

• Workflow capabilities to automate business processes

Slate is designed to support multiple applications and workflows. Applications are stored relationally to student records, and a student record may contain any number of applications, including applications for the same term. Applications can be configured to either allow multiple applications from one record, or limit records to only submitting one application in a given term, time period, major, or other criteria. Each application can have its own data, materials, review history, and decisions, so a person may apply and be admitted to one program but not another. Workflow capabilities are highly customizable and automatable, enabling the Slate Reader to be customized to model all various processes of reading, evaluating, and routing applications. Workflows may be used when an application should be viewed and evaluated simultaneously for different processes, such as admission and financial aid review.

To track the workflow of a business process, this may be accomplished using a combination of queries and communications; however, the report builder and other features may be involved depending on the project. The Projects feature allows schools to organize day-to-day administrative workflows as tasks.

Tasks can be created automatically or manually, and they can be linked directly to records or tools within Slate. If a user is viewing a record, they will be able to see any incomplete tasks that are associated with that record for projects to which they have access.

• Event management capabilities

Slate has a robust event management system for both on and off-site events. Users may choose which events are public, and event landing pages can be created to display all events or a subset of events online in calendar, list, or map format. Events can use templates to group similar types of events together.

Specific locations are included for the events, and people may register for an event prior to it starting.

Registration numbers, waitlists, and deadlines may be set. Lists of registrants are kept based on time of registration, and different data points for a registrant can be customized to display in the registrant list.

Communications may be built into the event to acknowledge registration, send reminders before the event, or include a survey following the event. Event registration and participation are tracked within the event, and a source interaction is automatically added to the person record upon registration. Source interactions are updated when a person is marked as having attended or cancelled registration for an event.

Users may collect any information as mapped or unmapped fields on the registration form. Unmapped fields will store data but not be visible on the person record (though they are still accessible via the event registration). If an event registration is the first point of contact, a new person record will be created and a source interaction will automatically be added to the record. Personalized URLs can be used in emails sent from Slate to provide both click tracking as well as to bring constituents to pre-populated forms. Any data already present on the person record will be pre-filled on the form if a person accesses the form via a personalized URL.

Events are managed through folders, and folders may be made public or private for display on event landing pages. Events can be organized and configured from one location using event templates.

Changes made at the template level automatically propagate down to individual events using the same template. A related events selector widget may be added to the event registration form to show other events happening at the same time and consolidate event registration for multiple events into a single registration form. All events and event fields are available for reporting purposes. Events associated with a location use Google Maps to display event locations, directions, etc. This data can be referenced in event communications.

Automated communications may be sent upon registration, update, cancellation, x number of hours before the deadline or event, and post-event. Registrants may also be automatically notified when moved from "waitlist" to "registered." Event-related information can be merged into the body of the message to customize the communication. Different follow-up messages may be sent for registrants after an event based on their attendance status. Messages may be sent via email, SMS, phone, and print postcards and letters. A satisfaction survey directly associated with the event may be part of the post-event follow up communication. Survey responses are automatically aggregated and available in a dynamically generated report on the event page. QR codes are event specific codes that can be emailed or texted to registrants prior to an event as a part of an event communication. These codes can be presented at the time of the event to allow for a quick and easy check-in process, using the Slate app.

Slate implements the iCalendar (iCal) standard, and through this widely used format, Slate events can be easily shared with calendaring programs such as Google Calendar, Outlook and Mac Calendar. External iCal feeds can also be added into Slate events and interview calendars. Easily add US holidays, institutional calendars, staff calendars, and more directly into Slate, including any free/busy information.

Attendance summaries are standard in Slate. When a registrant is checked in through the event, the person record is automatically updated with proper attendance status. Reports may be built to include year-over-year data. All event data may be exported in multiple formats, such as Excel, PDF, CSV, or

HTML.

Event fees/payments may be collected for events, and the amount can either be static or calculated (such as charging an amount per guest). Technolutions has a payment gateway called Slate Payments, or schools may use their own payment gateway. Slate Payments allows for payments to be made before the form registration may be submitted. Slate integrates with mainstream payment providers, and registrants can be emailed with more information on how to pay for their registration.

• Direct integration with lead generation and social networking platforms

Slate has integrated successfully with a wide variety of software applications including SIS systems such as Banner, PeopleSoft and Colleague, business intelligence solutions, enterprise content management systems, etc. Data is typically loaded directly into an institution's Slate database after undergoing a series of checks. Slate provides built-in integrations with score data file providers including ACT, AP, GRE, IELTS, SAT, and TOEFL, among others.

Integration with social media systems is supported to the extent allowed by APIs or terms of service for these social networks. For example, content from Facebook can be embedded within a portal, and forms can be embedded on a Facebook page. Links can be provided within Slate to "like" or "follow" pages/people. Social media badges can be embedded on pages and in emails. Slate has an integration with Facebook Messenger and Facebook Custom Audiences.

• Integration with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions

Technolutions works with over 150 institutions that interface bidirectionally between Slate and PeopleSoft.

Partner institutions can use file transfer via SFTP or RESTful web services for such integration, providing both batch and real-time data transfer. Most commonly, the data exchange is implemented as a transfer of flat files on a scheduled basis through an SFTP server, where the specifications for the data exchange can be dictated by the institution and where all of the value and code translation (for country codes, major codes, term codes, etc.) happens within Slate. The data points from Slate to PeopleSoft typically include the applicant biographic and demographic data, as well as the key application components that are necessary outside of admissions. A Slate ID is also sent, along with a placeholder for the PeopleSoft ID.

A return feed is then provided wherein the Slate ID is sent along with the PeopleSoft ID to which the record was matched or for which a record was created. Subsequent data feeds from Slate into PeopleSoft would then include that identifier for direct matching. Please see Slate Technical Details for detailed information on data integration with SIS.

• Integration with a document management system (i.e. ImageNow)

Slate works with many different document management systems. We recommend that files be sent using the DIP format, wherein a ZIP archive is generated containing PDFs/TIFFs of the documents to be imported along with an index file containing the filename of each document and any associated metadata parameters (an SIS ID and document type, for example). Slate can then extract the documents and index file and import the documents onto the appropriate person records. Slate can also extract metadata from within a filename, so institutions may have files with an SIS ID and document code in the filename and obviate the need for an index file, but usually the DIP approach works best. We recommend encapsulating all of these documents into a ZIP file, since SFTP is more efficient with the transmission of a single file (e.g., a ZIP archive) instead of with the transmission of thousands of individual files. We also prefer PDFs to TIFFs, since a digital PDF of non-scanned data would be a fraction of the size of a TIFF, and a TIFF is a rasterized/bitmapped image that won't contain any digital text content and thus cannot be enlarged beyond the original resolution without a loss of fidelity. The most popular document management systems that institutions are using include OnBase, ImageNow, Docfinity, and BDMS.

• Ability to integrate the application into other areas of the University:

o Student Support & Enrollment Services o Alumni Relations & Donor Development o Camps & Conferences o Other – based on future needs

Slate can be used beyond the initial application process to include the broader student lifecycle. We have partners using Slate's robust features and functionality to manage post enrollment processes, online portals for students and staff, transfer credit evaluations, student registration, retention, student success, and more. Many partners continue to use Slate to support current students including student affairs office, career service centers, and even human resources.

The University reserves the right to negotiate with any contracted vendor(s) to establish additional discounts and/or lower prices for products determined to meet the requirements of a University-led initiative to set product standards. Contractor vendor(s) may be asked to provide new, lower prices for these standard products and configurations for a limited, fixed term, to fall within the term of the contract resulting from this Request for Bid/Request for Proposal.

All UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WHITEWATER departments must be eligible to purchase from this contract

SECTION #4: REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

NOTE: Failure to respond to all items in this section may be deemed as sufficient reason to reject any proposal. Please format your response to correspond numerically with items listed below.

4.1 Mandatory Requirements

The following requirements in sections 4.1 – 4.4 are mandatory and the proposer must satisfy them. Proposer is to identify each item and sub points below, restate the question and explain/justify if the requirement is met in narrative form.

4.1.1 Experience

The ideal proposer should currently operate constituent relationship management implementations at a minimum of five higher education institutions. The proposer should currently own the specified business and have owned and operated the specific business continuously for a minimum of three years.

Describe the Proposer’s experience and capabilities in providing similar services to those required and meeting the requirements of this proposal.

Be specific and identify projects, dates, project cost and results. Provide historical background and capabilities of proposer’s company with special emphasis on customer / constituent relationship management solutions at universities of comparable size and complexity.

Founded in 1994, Technolutions has served the education industry for more than two decades. In 2000, Technolutions introduced Slate, its flagship information management system. Over the past decade, Slate has been adopted by hundreds of colleges and universities and continues to grow quickly.

Technolutions is trusted by the world's top colleges and universities, including:

• 46 of top 50 U.S. News & World Report National Universities Rankings

• 46 of top 50 U.S. News & World Report National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings

• The majority of top 25 Businessweek business schools

• More than 1,100 top colleges and universities across 3 continents

Since inception, Technolutions has grown organically, without taking on any third-party investors or venture capital funding. Its founder, Alexander Clark, remains its Chief Executive Officer and sole shareholder, with no plans to become acquired by another business entity. Technolutions achieved profitability within its first year, and its sound business model has enabled its self-funded growth. As a tightly controlled private company, there are no external influences that might prompt a change in ownership or structure. Technolutions has a rich history of being first-to-market with innovative, transformative new features that keep our clients on the cutting edge. We continue to pioneer new technologies on an ongoing basis. The product roadmap typically extends 6 months, as that is the time frame within which new functionality goes from suggestion to implementation. Technolutions has maintained 100% client retention, without exception.

We currently work with more than 1,100 partner institutions. Clients include top research universities, small liberal arts colleges, professional schools, scholarship foundations, high schools, and not-for-profit organizations. The personalized attention we provide to our partner institutions is unmatched. We listen to our partner institutions and strive to keep Slate a premier product by paying attention to our partner institutions' needs and desires.

4.1.2 Financial stability

The proposer must be financially stable as determined by the University.

The information below comprising the financial capacity report will be used to determine the financial stability and capability of the prospective vendor.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) reserves the right to request further information from proposers to make such determination.

• Sources of financing (shareholders, venture capital, etc.)

• Bank reference(s) and name of auditing firm

• Last two annual reports and all quarterly reports since the last annual report

• Identification of the Parent Corporation and any subsidiaries

Confidential corporate information available upon request.

4.2 Company Overview

The following requirements in section 4.2, proposer is to identify each item and sub points below, restate the question and answer the question in narrative form.

4.2.1 Characteristics

Identify and describe the following characteristics of proposer’s firm.

• Legal form of business organization

• State of incorporation including all parent and subsidiaries relationships

• Company history

• Dun and Bradstreet identification number

• Type of business or markets the organization is focused on

• Company product portfolio

• Number of employees

• Organization chart of the firm

Technolutions is an S Corporation.

The company was founded in 1994, and re-incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 2004. Its founder, Alexander Clark, remains its Chief Executive Officer and sole shareholder, with no plans to become acquired by another business entity.

Founded in 1994, Technolutions has served the education industry for more than two decades. In 2000, Technolutions introduced Slate, its flagship information management system, at Yale University. Over the past decade, Slate has been adopted by hundreds of colleges and universities and continues to grow quickly.

Technolutions’ Dun and Bradstreet identification number is 797071946.

The tools in Slate were designed and developed to serve the unique process requirements of admissions, advising, and advancement offices. Clients include top research universities, small liberal arts colleges, professional schools, scholarship foundations, high schools, and not-for-profit organizations.

Slate is a comprehensive, completely integrated solution that includes individual and mass email, automatic responses to forms and events, event management for on and off-site events, travel management, reporting, gift management, application submission and management, application reading, and portals. All public facing pages include the organization's branding. Slate is completely mobile friendly. Slate utilizes responsive designs throughout all administrative and end-user interfaces, providing a complete experience across all devices and platforms. The Slate subscription includes all design, development, and implementation services to provide you with the tools as well as skills necessary to achieve your milestones and overall goals. Quite simply, there is no other solution that offers the depth and breadth of Slate. Please see attached white paper for additional details.

Technolutions currently has more than 50 employees.

Additional confidential corporate information is available upon request.

4.2.2 Subcontractors

Explain if proposer’s service providers are employees of the firm or are hired as subcontractors. If any subcontractors are included in proposer’s response to RFP, the proposer must clearly explain their participation.

(University will hold the contractor responsible for subcontractor’s performance and work quality should any subcontractors be used on the contract.) This includes any subcontracted web hosting.

There are no third-party vendors or subcontractors required as part of the solution. The service providers are the employees of Technolutions. Technolutions provides all hosting, network, and server management for Slate in secure, modern datacenters, through the use of the Amazon Web Services AWS cloud.

4.3 Vendor Information

Complete and return Vendor Information Form, Attachment C.

Please see included Attachment C.

4.4 References

Submit Form DOA-3478 (Attachment D) with no fewer than three (3) references from higher education institutions of comparable size and complexity of UWW, to which the proposer has provided services similar in scope within the past three

(3) years. Each reference is to include a contact person capable of answering technical questions and providing other relevant information. References may be contacted to confirm the Proposer’s abilities and qualifications as stated in Proposer’s response. The University may deem the Proposer’s response unacceptable if a reference cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts.

Please be certain to provide current contact information for your references.

Jessica Brady CRM Coordinator University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 800 W. Main Street Whitewater, WI 53190 bradyj@uww.edu

(262) 472-2136 Start of license date: September 2019 Services provided: All comprehensive Slate services

Marie LeBlanc Manager of Communications and Digital Strategy University of Connecticut Graduate School 438 Whitney Road Extension Storrs, CT 06269 marie.leblanc@uconn.edu

(860) 486-0978 Start of license date: February 2018 Services provided: All comprehensive Slate services

Katie Ruetz Director of Graduate Admissions Marquette University Graduate School Holthusen Hall, Room 305 Milwaukee, WI 53233 katie.ruetz@mu.edu

(414) 288-4880 Start of license date: March 2016 Services provided: All comprehensive Slate services

Suzan Koroglu Business Analyst II University of Minnesota Graduate School 101 Pleasant Street SE 321 Johnston Hall Minneapolis, MN 55455 korog001@umn.edu

(612) 625-2306 Start of license date: October 2017 Services provided: All comprehensive Slate services

4.5 Information Technology Requirements (200 points)

4.5.1 General

• Is the solution you are proposing a Commercial-Off-The Shelf product? X Yes No

4.5.1.1 Deployment:

4.5.1.1.1 Please describe what campus resources

will be required to deploy this product.

Include IT personnel, subject matter experts, facilities, trades workers, etc. in this discussion.

4.5.1.1.2 Describe if any additional suppliers and

product are typically needed to complete implementation.

4.5.1.1.3 Please describe in the Cost Proposal Form

(attachment H) the additional costs to implement that are not reflected in the solution’s total price.

4.5.1.1.4 Describe a typical implementation timeline for a comparable sized college.

We recommend that partners have two to three Slate Captains who lead the implementation. These Captains are usually experienced officers, counselors, or operational staff who have a solid understanding of your current processes. Captains should have good project management skills and be able to articulate your business process goals and objectives. They should be creative and willing to re-imagine business needs. Additionally, Captains should be able to commit adequate time to focus on your Slate instance to do the necessary build-out and local staff training along the way. They should be empowered to make decisions about implementing Slate without relying upon outside support.

The tools in Slate were designed and developed to serve the unique process requirements of admissions, advising, and advancement offices. Slate is typically able to be implemented and managed entirely within those offices, with the exception of the institutional side of any data integrations to on-campus systems.

These data integrations do typically require direct IT support and are described in our Getting Started guide and data integration documentation. SQL skills can be helpful with regards to data integrations, while a comprehensive understanding of the business processes and objectives, coupled with a strong comfort with technology and logical systems, is important for those in the Slate Captains role.

The implementation and training begins with Slate Launchpad, a four-day, in-person comprehensive training course offered in New Haven, CT and Portland, OR. Taught by a team of specialized, highly experienced Program Managers, Technolutions provides robust training and strategizing on an accelerated schedule. By the end of Launchpad, Slate Captains will have the skills necessary to strategize, configure, and customize business processes in Slate. Additionally, Captains will learn about Slate's numerous help resources and establish useful connections with other Slate institutions and the Technolutions staff. Post Launchpad, an institution will have unlimited access to a suite of online training videos and comprehensive written documentation that mirrors the Launchpad curriculum. If needed, an institution may also request any number of follow-up focused calls with Technolutions experts to discuss any aspect of their business process.

Estimating the amount of time and dedication needed to commit to Slate is a difficult question to answer due to the high degree of variability. The timeline for each institution will depend on the amount of customization required and the time Slate Captains allocate to working on Slate. Institutions should expect that approximately 1/3 of the Captains' time during initial phases should be spent on Slate. Most outreach efforts can 'go live' in about 8-12 weeks.

The included Roadmap is designed to assist the Captains in customizing Slate to meet the institution's needs. We believe that the out-of-box functionality will address most of the requirements. Slate provides many ways to extend the native capabilities of the software, including custom reports, triggers, web services, and portals. All areas of Slate may be customized to meet institutional needs, including (but not limited to) permissions, fields, tabs, reports, events, table views, portals, and the custom-built Slate application. If the project timeframe permits, the preferred strategy is to have the Slate Captains focus their efforts on at least one Roadmap box per week. Some boxes will require more time and some will require less. In general, this is a reasonable pace to expect. One final thought is that Slate is somewhat unique from other systems. There is not a 'live' date necessarily. Many of the things in Slate can be rolled out when ready. For example, Slate can be used for creating inquiry forms and events, even if the custom application is not complete. The application can be built before the reading process is worked on. It is possible and preferable to start with the core functionality needed from Slate, and then refine it in the future.

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater will be assigned a Program Manager who has a complete and general understanding of the entire Slate suite and how each module is interconnected. Each Program Manager also specializes in one or more of the Slate modules. Teams of specialists provide support for specific modules or functionality. In addition to the Slate specialists and cohesive teams, we provide a number of robust resources for every stage of your process. Many of our staff have had previous experience in enrollment management, advancement, and student success roles on campuses across the United States. Our staff also brings a mixed background of expertise in technology, marketing, finance, and management, building upon the skills necessary to ensure success for our partners.

4.5.1.2 Network: UWW’s network infrastructure runs primarily on Cisco hardware. Please note any special network requirements for the product. For example, will we need to reserve IP addresses, make sure data is available for any peripherals, allow traffic through firewalls to reach off campus systems, wi-fi concerns, etc.

Slate is licensed as a complete package and is entirely cloud based, so there are no hardware or software requirements. Slate supports all modern browsers and platforms, including mobile platforms, and continues to stay current with browser versions as they are released.

No add-ins, plug-ins, Active X controls, or end-user software installation is required, except where direct integration with desktop hardware is required. For example, integration with Microsoft Outlook requires the installation of an Outlook add-in and scanning from a TWAIN scanner directly into Slate requires the installation of a client application that supports all major browsers on the Windows platform. We make extensive use of modern web and server technologies to forego the requirement that Flash or Adobe Acrobat/Reader be installed.

Please see Slate Technical Details for more information.

4.5.1.3 Identity Management: Please describe how the system

integrates with other systems for authentication and identity management. UWW currently manages authentication through a SAML based authentication system (ADFS), are these supported? What other options exist, such as with Shibboleth?

Yes. Slate supports nearly all industry standard Single Sign-On (SSO) mechanisms employed in higher-education today, including SAML (Shibboleth/AD FS), CAS, and LDAP/Active Directory. Technolutions is a member of InCommon. Slate supports multifactor authentication.

4.5.1.4 Information Security: Provide documentation regarding how the system protects data. Include any information regarding what standards are supported (PCI, HIPAA, etc.).

We use a range of security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access including multiple layers of firewalls, a web application firewall, intrusion detection systems, honeypots, file integrity monitoring, extensive network segmentation, anti-virus/anti-malware software, and extensive logging with real time alerts for key events. Signatures are updated daily, with anti-virus/anti-malware scans performed immediately afterwards. Our web application firewall blocks known bad actors, as well as malicious behavior. All data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Slate undergoes regular vulnerability and penetration tests by third-party security firms. Please see the attached Slate Technical Details for more information.

Slate is compliant with PCI DSS. A third-party security firm undertakes an on-site evaluation and produces an AOC report on our security practices for PCI DSS compliance each year.

4.5.1.5 Service Level Agreement (SLA): Provide a copy of a

typical SLA the company would have with a customer.

Include details about the availability of technical support for UWW IT staff

Please see the existing service agreement in place between Technolutions and University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Graduate Business Program.

4.5.1.6 PCI: If PCI is in scope for this deployment does the

software integrate with 3rd tier processors such as Cash Net? What would UWW’s responsibility be from a compliance perspective if deploying the software?

Slate allows the charging and collecting of fees such as application fees, enrollment deposits, or event payments. Payment transactions are stored in our system as activities that are attached to a record; as such they can be customized to represent any type of transaction. Payments that are due are represented as an activity attached to a record. These payment due activities can be added manually or by automated rules. The records that have amounts due or overdue can be queried, and automated emails to these users can be sent. The system supports automated emails that can be based on the presence of payment due activities. Partial payments are allowed if supported by a given external payment provider; the built-in Slate payments provider supports partial payments if selected. All payment transactions are handed off to third-party payment providers, and no account details are stored in our system. Discounts are stored in our system as payment waived activities attached to a record, which offset some or all of a payment due activity. They can be added manually or by automated rules; the rules can involve checking for values entered by users, such as codes. Slate maintains compliance with all laws and standards, including PCI compliance for all financial transactions. We currently integrate with the following payment gateways: Authorize.Net, CASHNet, CyberSource, DiamondMind, Flywire, Higher One Netpay, Moneris, Nelnet Commerce Manager, Nelnet Quikpay, Official Payments/ACI, PayEezy, Payflow Link, Payflow Pro, TMS Link, TouchNet Ready and Virtual Merchant/Elavon/Converge. For these external providers, reporting and reconciliation will be done from those systems, and refunds will happen within the external systems. Slate Payments is a payment gateway that is built into Slate. Behind the scenes, Slate payments processes transactions using a platform called Stripe.com. Stripe.com is level-1 PCI compliant (https://stripe.com/docs/security/stripe). If using Slate Payments, reporting and reconciliation can be done from Slate using our query builder, and refunds will be initiated directly in Slate.

4.5.1.7 Training: Describe what ongoing training or resources are available and what audience they are designed for.

Slate Launchpad is a four-day, in-person program which begins your implementation and is taught by a team of highly experienced Program Managers who provide Slate training on an accelerated schedule.

By the end of Launchpad, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater's Slate Captains will have the skills necessary to strategize, configure, and customize your business processes in Slate. Additionally, your Captains will learn about Slate's numerous help resources and establish useful connections with other Slate institutions and the Technolutions staff. Post Launchpad, an organization will have unlimited access to a suite of online training videos and comprehensive written documentation that mirrors the Launchpad curriculum. If needed, an organization may also request any number of follow-up focused calls with Technolutions experts to discuss any aspect of their processes. The cost of all training, course materials, breakfasts, and lunches are included as part of your Slate license for up to three Captains. An institution is only responsible for travel and lodging expenses for the three Slate Captains attending the Launchpad program. Slate Launchpad 200 is a series of advanced two-day training courses focused on select topics, use cases, and staff roles. Building on the fundamental skills taught at Slate Launchpad, Launchpad 200 will provide intermediate to advanced users the opportunity to learn and grow their Slate abilities with a team of Technolutions staff. Base Camp is a half day pre-conference training option offered annually prior to the start of the Slate Innovation Summit. This pre-conference training offers training for beginners through advanced users. Courses are taught by teams of Technolutions staff focusing on Slate tools and best practices. Technolutions offers organizations a myriad of self-service Slate support resources. In addition to our four-day Slate Launchpad, Launchpad 200, and Base Camp options, illustrated documentation introduces the Slate tools and outlines the step-by-step instructions for building and customizing Slate processes. Additionally, articles are regularly posted online detailing some of the more technical aspects of Slate. All resources are displayed within Knowledge Base, a context-sensitive tool that shows help resources based on the Slate tool the user is accessing at that time. Institutions may request any number of focused calls with Technolutions experts to further discuss and strategize any aspect of their business processes. In the Slate Community Forums, users may ask questions, share best practices, and solicit answers for best practices and advice from the broader Slate community. Slate is in a constant state of evolution with continuous enhancements to Slate published throughout the year. Our feedback portal allows for bidirectional communication about Slate features and functionality. The development roadmap is shared transparently with all Slate users who can quickly and easily provide feedback about all aspects of the Slate user experience. Finally, Technolutions hosts the Slate Innovation Summit, an annual user conference for all users, including operations, technical staff, counselors, directors, and vice presidents. The Slate Innovation Summit offers numerous sessions covering best and emerging practices within Slate, admissions, advancement, and higher education.

4.5.1.8 Software Updates: Describe the process for obtaining and implementing an update to the software. Include all systems that may be impacted by an update (server, client, etc.). How often are updates released or deployed?

Technolutions provides all hosting, network, and server management for Slate in secure, modern datacenters, through the use of the Amazon Web Services AWS cloud.

As with all areas of Slate, we strive to stay ahead of the game and to meet the wants and needs of our partner organizations. New features and functionality are released on an extremely frequent basis.

Technolutions has a rich history of being first-to-market with innovative, transformative new features that keep our clients on the cutting edge. We continue to pioneer new technologies on an ongoing basis. The product roadmap typically does not extend past 6 months, as that is usually the time frame within which most new functionality is developed. All changes work their way through a production pipeline, consisting of a series of automated tests that occur as soon as new code is checked in. These range from a simple build of the application, followed by tests of increasing scale, starting with unit tests and working their way through a series of integration tests. Technolutions uses a process of "continuous delivery" where small incremental changes are frequently pushed to production so clients can start enjoying their benefits as soon as possible. All changes are rigorously tested as they make their way through our production pipeline. We do not believe in a "big bang" approach to software, where large disruptive changes are placed in production only once a year, for example. Not only does this delay enhancements, but it can actually increase error rates, as development teams have to focus on multiple issues at once. Over the past 5 years, Slate has achieved 99.999% availability. In order to achieve a high level of uptime, we have a very high level of redundancy within our infrastructure from the disks to the servers to the network. New infrastructure is introduced to this environment after a rigorous period of formal testing and in such a way as to not introduce a single point of failure. All organizations run the current version of Slate. New documentation will be available through the Forums and within Slate. Support for all aspects of Slate is always available. Along with training and documentation, there are also online training videos for on-demand training and in-depth articles. Typically, operating system updates occur on a weekly basis, with critical security patches usually applied the day they become available from the vendor. There are no additional costs for patches, updates or releases. All systems are patched as the fixes become available from the vendor. Error logs are closely monitored for the first several hours following an update to ensure that there are no lingering or introduced issues.

4.5.1.9 Describe the installation and setup of your software

product. If more than one option exists please provide detail on all options.

Slate is licensed as a complete package and is entirely cloud based, so there are no hardware or software requirements. Slate supports all modern browsers and platforms, including mobile platforms, and continues to stay current with browser versions as they are released.

No add-ins, plug-ins, Active X controls, or end-user software installation is required, except where direct integration with desktop hardware is required. For example, integration with Microsoft Outlook requires the installation of an Outlook add-in and scanning from a TWAIN scanner directly into Slate requires the installation of a client application that supports all major browsers on the Windows platform. We make extensive use of modern web and server technologies to forego the requirement that Flash or Adobe Acrobat/Reader be installed.

4.5.1.10 Please describe any interfaces, APIs, or integration you do with other systems. What is the process for adding new features to your software?

Slate has integrated successfully with a wide variety of software applications including SIS systems such as Banner, PeopleSoft and Colleague, business intelligence solutions, enterprise content management systems, etc. Data is typically loaded directly into an institution's Slate database after undergoing a series of checks. Data can be imported into Slate via the Upload Dataset tool within Slate or via SFTP batch upload. Data may be imported from many sources (e.g., PeopleSoft). Slate provides many demographic and related fields out of the box. Other custom fields may be added as needed. Any number of data points may be imported into Slate. Institutions may choose which fields will be visible on the student record. Data can be exported using SFTP, RESTful web services, and direct SQL access. All data points within a client's Slate instance can be exported. Most institutions will export data to their SIS via flat files on a scheduled basis. Queries are created using Slate's intuitive query builder. From this tool, scheduling an export of data in the desired format is a straightforward process, using flat files or web services.

Technolutions specialists can help with more complex queries through Service Desk at no additional charge. Please see Slate Technical Details for more information.

Technolutions has a rich history of being first-to-market with innovative, transformative new features that keep our clients on the cutting edge. We continue to pioneer new technologies on an ongoing basis. The product roadmap typically does not extend past 6 months, as that is usually the time frame within which most new functionality is developed. All changes work their way through a production pipeline, consisting of a series of automated tests that occur as soon as new code is checked in. These range from a simple build of the application, followed by tests of increasing scale, starting with unit tests and working their way through a series of integration tests. Technolutions uses a process of "continuous delivery" where small incremental changes are frequently pushed to production so clients can start enjoying their benefits as soon as possible. All changes are rigorously tested as they make their way through our production pipeline. We do not believe in a "big bang" approach to software, where large disruptive changes are placed in production only once a year, for example. Not only does this delay enhancements, but it can actually increase error rates, as development teams have to focus on multiple issues at once.

4.5.1.11 Does software allow for granular system permissions based on user role? If so, please explain.

User access can be customized to allow read-only, update, or no-access to specific types of records, record attributes, components, or functions. Security roles are fully customizable. Slate provides feature-level, function-level, field-level, object-level, and population-level security, enabling granular control of access permissions and rights. An institution can create any number of custom permissions and roles, each of which may contain any number of standard or custom permissions. A user may be assigned to any number of roles and will assume the security permissions from each. Feature-level and function-level permissions define what can be done. Field-level, object-level, and population-level permissions define with what those feature and function level permissions can be used. These population permissions allow segmentation across any number of attributes, including school, degree, program, or any combination thereof, along with any combination of other attributes.

4.5.1.12 Describe your typical downtime, how long is your

downtime and maintenance schedules

We use a series of rolling updates across our server farm for maintenance and product updates, with no downtime required. Please see Slate Technical Details.

4.5.1.13 Describe your product support provided and costs associated with it.

Slate support is available during business hours starting at 8:00am Eastern time and ending at 8:00pm Eastern time. Any number of service requests can be submitted through the Service Desk system at any time. Each request may be set with a severity level as well as ranked so more pressing requests are resolved ahead of other requests. Most Service Desk requests are resolved within the first 24 hours;

however, more complex requests may take longer to fulfill. Emergency requests are given 24x7x365 support. Issues of a critical nature are automatically routed to Technolutions senior management to facilitate rapid resolution. Technolutions also offers an emergency paging service that may be called in the event of an outage. There are no plans to change hours of operation.

4.5.2 Vendor Hosted

4.5.2.1 Data Center: Describe the facilities that the application is hosted from including. Please specify if the vendor owns the hosting facilities or if hosting is contracted to a third party.

Technolutions provides all hosting, network, and server management for Slate in secure, modern data centers, through the use of the Amazon Web Services AWS cloud.

4.5.2.2 Disaster Recovery: Please describe the disaster mitigation and disaster recovery processes. Include information about how long the system would be unavailable and how much data could be lost in a disaster recovery situation.

Production services are hosted in the us-east-1 region in Northern Virginia, with services duplicated across two availability zones AZs. Each availability zone consists of one or more discrete datacenters, each with redundant power, networking, and connectivity, housed in separate facilities, and…