ERP Integration

Owned by Aaron Fuleki
Last updated: Apr 13, 2009Version comment
3 min read

ERP Integration

Integration Gallery

Have you integrated ERP functionality into your portal? If so, please add a description to the Existing ERP Integration page. Go ahead and add a few screenshots or a walkthrough if you're feeling motivated.

ERP Integration Wishlist

Is there some application function or feature that your users really need? Has your analysis or user observation identified key areas where integrating ERP functionality into the portal would improve the user experience? Add your thoughts to the ERP Integration Wishlist for discussion.

Collaboration for Portal-ERP Integration

There is significant interest amongst Banner/uPortal schools to collaborate on best practices regarding portal integration. Collaboration could occur at as high a level as best practice white papers (what data and services do first year students need to succeed?), enumerating use cases/problem domains, shared designs, or just agreeing on good or "right" ways to provide the data and functions our users need. It could also mean shared code, from low level glue/connector code, to standardized data access objects, classes, and complete portlets.

The JA-SIG may have a place for such a collaborative project in their developing "incubator" system.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please join the erp-integration mailing list.

Also, Banner institutions may be interested in the Banner page, which describes some existing integration options.

Layers of collaboration for ERP/SIS+Portal integration:

  1. Identify common problem domains or areas of interest - what do we want in our portal, and how do we show it? Codify this as focus statements, best practices.
  2. Create user-centric design models for how to help our users do what they need to do.
  3. Test test test! Share results in a common format (look at FLUID's "Contextual Inquiry" work).
  4. Define the abstract objects/methods/attributes, service definitions necessary to support those models.
  5. Build a shared abstraction layer to provide the necessary functionality.
  6. Build connectors/glue code necessary to tie into your favorite SIS/ERP, starting with sane examples, and tools for administrators to tweak to fit. Include a test suite to make sure the data layer doesn't break on Banner upgrades.
  7. Build complete portlets to provide end-user functionality, contribute back to the JA-SIG, maybe bundle with uPortal. Include assessment/usage monitoring tools to support effective monitoring and continuous improvement.

Benefits, or reasons to participate

  • Help to realize a better user experience for a higher education portal.
  • Better separation - decoupling makes it much easier to support code, and easier maintenance all around.
  • Shouldn't have to worry about back-end upgrades breaking the user experience.
  • Help make clear contracts that define responsibilities amongst teams.
  • Help break down barriers between systems and staff - people can focus on their responsibilities.
  • Help improve uPortal usefulness out of the box.
  • Make it simpler to develop new functionality quickly and easily.
  • Community support - JA-SIG is well established, with many helpful members.
  • If we standardize on best practices, service definitions, and requirements, we stop reinventing the wheel, learn from each others experience, and give vendors a clear direction on how we want to work with the data in their tools.

Next steps

  • Aaron: Talk to Susan about how to define a good support relationship with the JA-SIG.
  • All: Start collecting what folks have done so far - anything you've done to connect Banner data or apps to your portal.
  • Parker: When we get an svn repository, could you start checking in what you have, so we something to hack on?
  • RJ and Aaron - test Banner instances? Hackathon?
  • Solicit potential members for a task force, start planning how to move ahead.
  • Schedule some virtual meetings, brainstorming sessions. IRC, conference calls, Webex, etc.
  • Setup mailing list. Potential members:
    • Andrew Petro <apetro@unicon.net>
    • Ken McCrery <kmccrery@vt.edu>
    • Aaron Fuleki <fulekia@denison.edu>
    • Michael Herring <herringm@denison.edu>
    • Matt Rolf <rolfm@denison.edu>
    • RJ Podeschi <rpodeschi@millikin.edu>
    • Chris Myers <cmyers@millikin.edu>
    • Benito Gonzalez <bgonzalez2@ucmerced.edu>
    • Tim Archer <tarcher@stfrancis.edu>
    • Ben Gunnink <bgunnink@stfrancis.edu>
    • Jason Shao <jason_shao@campuseai.org>
    • Roger Despres <roger.despres@yale.edu>
    • Parker Grimes <grimesp@suu.edu>
    • Bob Finch <bob.finch@wwu.edu>?
    • Adam Rybicki <arybicki@unicon.net>?