Most schools have a FAM system - you can’t survive without it - but nobody has a FAMS that does everything. We each have our own needs, ideas and priorities, so the extensions and additions to FAMS are largely left up to each of us. Most of these systems have the ability to accept add-ons. So how do you go about dressing up your FAMS?
The options are to build extensions to your FAMS or to buy add-ons and integrate them. As a general rule of thumb, if your extension is small enough, contained in scope, and you have the IT staff to build it, you can do well on your own. Off-the-shelf software like MS Office can do quite a bit if you’re willing to work at it.
But remember, building small extensions to a FAMS is sort of like making a small adjustment to your kitchen cabinets. The project can quickly get out of hand. Even if you control scope, as the wag says, “you’ll be building tomorrow’s legacy systems today” with all the maintenance burden this implies. For example, one major university has recently put all records of its interactions with thousands of prospective students on a home-grown MS Access application.
The other alternative is to buy the functionality you want. You’re less likely to get “custom cabinets,” but you can get the cabinets quickly, at a good price and with relatively little fuss. There are a number of ways to do this but the best way to start is with systems with well understood features and functions and which can be consumed “by the drink.” In this way you know what you’re getting and you only pay for what you use. Such systems are offered over the web in a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) mode.
Overture’s Conductor, which supports communications and guides students through the financial aid process, is one such system. Add-ons like Conductor have well-defined interfaces and interactions with FAMS, and make use of the data and FAMS functions you already have, while extending your capabilities in new and important ways.
There is one trap. Often, a FAMS vendor may say they can provide all you need, or are developing what you need just around the corner. However, it’s best to consider the cost, time to implement, learning curve, and real value of a new FAMS or a FAMS upgrade. Perhaps an add-on with a lower cost, faster implementation, and out of the box usability might be a better value.
