Core Technology Services

ERP360 2025

ERP Cloud Readiness Legislative Funding Request

In 2023-2024, CTS conducted a market analysis regarding the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP is a vital tool for managing business processes across different campuses, departments, and functions. The ERP enables campuses to manage their Financials (FIN), Human Capital Management (HCM), Student Information System (SIS), and their ancillaries. PeopleSoft, the current on-premises ERP, has been in use since 2002. The results of the market analysis were presented to the State Board of Higher Education in May 2024. A strategic roadmap was presented to the State Board of Higher Education in May 2024 and at NDHEUG in October 2024. This led to NDUS having a specific financial ask for the 2025 legislative session.

 

During the 69th legislative assembly, a request within (SB2003) was submitted for $10 million in funding to support NDUS’s readiness to transition to a modern, cloud-based ERP system. This investment was intended to prepare NDUS’s core financial, human resources, and student information systems for a significant modernization effort, enhancing service delivery, security, data transparency, and operational efficiency across institutions.

 

While the Legislature did not approve the $10 million funding request, they recognized the importance and complexity of this initiative. In lieu of direct funding, the Legislature authorized a formal legislative study, to be conducted during the interim, to further examine the needs, potential benefits, risks, and implementation strategies for ERP modernization across both state government and NDUS and report its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation required to implement the recommendations, to the seventieth legislative assembly.

 

The exact study information was added to SB 2021, which was NDIT’s appropriations bill:

 

SECTION 11. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY – STATE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM. During the 2025-26 interim, the legislative management shall study the enterprise resource planning system for the state of North Dakota, including state agencies and institutions of higher education. The study must include consideration of:

 

  1. The current system and potential systems, including functionality, technological structure, expected life cycle, costs and benefits of cloud-based and on-premises hosted solutions, support and maintenance costs, and potential implementation costs.
  2. The desired functionality for state agency use, including financial management, human capital management, and procurement.
  3. The desired functionality for institutions of higher education, including financial management, human capital management, grant management, compliance management, procurement, and student data management.
  4. The costs and benefits of continuing with one enterprise resource planning system or separate systems for state agencies and institutions of higher education.

 

The legislative management shall report its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation required to implement the recommendations, to the seventieth legislative assembly.