How to Evaluate an SIS Integration for Class Scheduling
![How to Evaluate an SIS Integration for Class Scheduling](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e8053c9aaa8b174d7aeed6_shutterstock_1923280370.jpg)
Evaluating a new product integration with your SIS can be challenging. To assess the quality of an integration look to see if the integration uses flat files, if it integrates all data, and how changes to the integration can be made.
In recent years, a tight SIS integration has become essential to adopt new products. But not all of us are experts on how to integrate with a legacy SIS systems. How do you know if a vendor will really deliver a true integration? Use the following three guidelines to help you determine if a prospective integration will meet your institution's modern needs.
True integrations don't use flat files
Be careful about vendors that tell you they have the tightest integration on the market and then pitch nightly file transfer, otherwise known as SFTP. While this may be the most common way to integrate with Student Information System, it also often requires the institution’s IT staff to do more work mapping your SIS with the files, and is the “laziest approach”. You want to ask the vendor whether they have a “true” integration. For Ellucian products, this is most often via Ethos or API’s, for Peoplesoft, it’s Integration Broker & Component Interface. Don’t settle for someone sending you a CSV.
Real integrations integrate all data, not some
Oftentimes, vendors will tell you that they can integrate with your SIS and that they’ve done it with many other institutions. But will they integrate with all of your fields, even the complicated ones? Can they integrate with reserve caps in Peoplesoft? Course Fees? How about if you’ve made customizations to your SIS? Make sure you ask about each one and that they can do it. If they say no, it’s a sign they’ve probably got an inflexible, legacy integration. Check out an example of a robust, real integration with Banner.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/63f79255178adf966c1ecd60_How%20to%20evaluate%20an%20SIS%20integration.jpg)
Make sure you can make changes to the integration and monitor it without needing IT
The integration that is set up today won’t be the one you’re using tomorrow. Room data changes, you’ll add additional fields to the SIS, you’ll want to sync syllabi back to your SIS etc. When these changes happen, you don’t want to have to call IT to get involved, and then wait 3 months for them to hand you a reluctant DBA. Find a vendor that provides a no-code middleware solution so that you can easily adjust all aspects of the integration without needing a programmer.
![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/624710df057b691eccd3ce53_1338368_SISIntegrationsBriefBanner-1b_040122.png)
The Power of Purpose-Built Solutions and Integrations to Extend Your SIS
Learn how to proactively evaluate potential vendor integrations with your SIS to meet your institution's needs. A list of essential questions will guide you through data mapping, integration architecture, and deployment considerations.
Download White PaperRelated content
![7 Benefits of Cloud Software for Higher Education](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e813a746ecebd013c742e2_shutterstock_2150067795.jpg)
7 Benefits of Cloud Software for Higher Education
![How to Run a Class Schedule Optimizer](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44c1718d1a04ca1cf9f47_shutterstock_1212038584.jpg)
How to Run a Class Schedule Optimizer
![Students Tell All: 5 Reasons Students Struggle to Access the Courses They Need](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/665a2a677270cd49cb6ef5df_iStock-1758838087%20(1).jpg)
Students Tell All: 5 Reasons Students Struggle to Access the Courses They Need
![Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65b800f1e239c7b46d1eccd5_iStock-1226362050%20(1).jpg)
Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation
![What Are Academic Operations?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65ae7e398eb0e788fa457cf4_iStock-1081792548%20(1).jpg)
What Are Academic Operations?
![Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65b800f1e239c7b46d1eccd5_iStock-1226362050%20(1).jpg)
Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation
![What Are Academic Operations?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65ae7e398eb0e788fa457cf4_iStock-1081792548%20(1).jpg)
What Are Academic Operations?
![5 Insights on the State of Scheduling in Higher Education](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/659c6f4c5ecad015907a3168_iStock-1138138146%20(1).jpg)
5 Insights on the State of Scheduling in Higher Education
![Students Tell All: 5 Reasons Students Struggle to Access the Courses They Need](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/665a2a677270cd49cb6ef5df_iStock-1758838087%20(1).jpg)
Students Tell All: 5 Reasons Students Struggle to Access the Courses They Need
![Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65b800f1e239c7b46d1eccd5_iStock-1226362050%20(1).jpg)
Faculty-Friendly Syllabi: Strategies For Efficient & Accurate Syllabus Creation
![What Are Academic Operations?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/65ae7e398eb0e788fa457cf4_iStock-1081792548%20(1).jpg)
What Are Academic Operations?
![5 Insights on the State of Scheduling in Higher Education](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/659c6f4c5ecad015907a3168_iStock-1138138146%20(1).jpg)
5 Insights on the State of Scheduling in Higher Education
![How to Leverage Student Degree Planning Data to Create a Student-Centric Schedule](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/640212234de34f511452d870_shutterstock_1760661251.jpg)
How to Leverage Student Degree Planning Data to Create a Student-Centric Schedule
![4 Policies to Create a Student-Centric Schedule](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62bdeda0985d3fdbb41fb8a0_shutterstock_298275191%202.jpg)
4 Policies to Create a Student-Centric Schedule
![5 Signs Your Course Scheduling Process Needs an Upgrade](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62bb38674a4a6c5bb8dd7b74_shutterstock_2070999557%202.jpg)
5 Signs Your Course Scheduling Process Needs an Upgrade
![3 Common Course Scheduling Errors That Hurt Students](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62bb6fdb1a2ec8977e1b3d5b_shutterstock_1055550002%202.jpg)
3 Common Course Scheduling Errors That Hurt Students
![4 Insights From AACRAO’s Survey on Academic Operations & Student Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62b334ba254fcca98a69db95_shutterstock_2078309398.jpg)
4 Insights From AACRAO’s Survey on Academic Operations & Student Success
![Do Your Scheduling Practices Create Inequitable Course Access for Students?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62ab795e14376ed96b9f2eb7_shutterstock_1283925196%202.jpg)
Do Your Scheduling Practices Create Inequitable Course Access for Students?
![What the Research Tells Us About the Connection Between Course Access and Student Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/629e657e58d3ad528d2a932b_shutterstock_371016464%202.jpg)
What the Research Tells Us About the Connection Between Course Access and Student Success
![How to Build A Program Map That Goes Beyond a Course List](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/628fa103c6d41472a866ee0e_shutterstock_1032206059%203.jpg)
How to Build A Program Map That Goes Beyond a Course List
![4 Guidelines to Decide Which Courses to Include in a Program Map](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/633dcc495714e7f2660d07e8_shutterstock_2209200225%20(1).jpg)
4 Guidelines to Decide Which Courses to Include in a Program Map
![5 Hidden Barriers to Look For When Creating Academic Program Maps](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/627bc4a8c599ea74f046164a_shutterstock_1395298508.jpg)
5 Hidden Barriers to Look For When Creating Academic Program Maps
![Updated HEERF Funds and Guidelines for 2022](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/620eb1494f56c0481b693706_61f834885974e89d9e3c0fc9_Blog%2520header.png)
Updated HEERF Funds and Guidelines for 2022
![Do Your Academic Reporting Dashboards Reflect and Impact How Your Institution Operates?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e80fe12d8fd3470bfc7510_shutterstock_1831302253.jpg)
Do Your Academic Reporting Dashboards Reflect and Impact How Your Institution Operates?
![Boost Student Credit Hours through Strategic Course Scheduling & Reporting Analytics](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e8139840c064fcda7907b4_shutterstock_370499771.jpg)
Boost Student Credit Hours through Strategic Course Scheduling & Reporting Analytics
![Supporting Currently and Previously Incarcerated Students with the Classes They Need](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62c6052c2787de05057ebb5c_shutterstock_195505010.jpg)
Supporting Currently and Previously Incarcerated Students with the Classes They Need
![How Much Are Academic Operations Inefficiencies Costing You?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e8056237147c65796259e9_shutterstock_772227661.jpg)
How Much Are Academic Operations Inefficiencies Costing You?
![3 Lessons Learned from Launching an Academic Operations Hub](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e824b19209b223f3ef9755_shutterstock_415153786.jpg)
3 Lessons Learned from Launching an Academic Operations Hub
![Does Your Course Scheduling Promote Student Success?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e80fb9beeea81ee7d514da_shutterstock_1613073301.jpg)
Does Your Course Scheduling Promote Student Success?
![Is Your Academic Planning Software Growing with You?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44bed0169ee01f72906aa_shutterstock_410858149.jpg)
Is Your Academic Planning Software Growing with You?
![Adopting Class Scheduling Rules to Drive Departmental Scheduling Autonomy](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e811c7976e4d5beb8d7620_shutterstock_1399125227.jpg)
Adopting Class Scheduling Rules to Drive Departmental Scheduling Autonomy
![Why Professional Schools Need an Integrated Academic Operations Platform](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62be0176e96e22b382893912_shutterstock_535706338%202.jpg)
Why Professional Schools Need an Integrated Academic Operations Platform
![7 Benefits of Cloud Software for Higher Education](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e813a746ecebd013c742e2_shutterstock_2150067795.jpg)
7 Benefits of Cloud Software for Higher Education
![4 Best Practices for the Registrar's Strategic Scheduling Roadmap](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e8139f629557dc234d5b41_shutterstock_1971115307.jpg)
4 Best Practices for the Registrar's Strategic Scheduling Roadmap
![3 Reasons Academic Scheduling Analytics Fuels Student & Administrative Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e80551d1920194a36004bf_shutterstock_1892830807.jpg)
3 Reasons Academic Scheduling Analytics Fuels Student & Administrative Success
![Why Excel for Class Scheduling & Information Silos are Bad for Student Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62be02c24898b9996d57023f_shutterstock_1746444761%202.jpg)
Why Excel for Class Scheduling & Information Silos are Bad for Student Success
![How to Run a Class Schedule Optimizer](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44c1718d1a04ca1cf9f47_shutterstock_1212038584.jpg)
How to Run a Class Schedule Optimizer
![5 Things to Look for in Curriculum Management Software](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e824a973211666117d931a_shutterstock_1376318213.jpg)
5 Things to Look for in Curriculum Management Software
![5 Tips to Improve the Class Scheduling Process for Registrars](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e8249d18c1064416d1edf1_shutterstock_2160378569.jpg)
5 Tips to Improve the Class Scheduling Process for Registrars
![The 4 Components of an Integrated Academic Operations Platform](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62be00a0da48c15ee733def3_shutterstock_699442570%202.jpg)
The 4 Components of an Integrated Academic Operations Platform
![Decentralized Communication & Project Management: Insights From 3 Leading Registrars](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e810022b890706bb37b793_shutterstock_150681635.jpg)
Decentralized Communication & Project Management: Insights From 3 Leading Registrars
![Instructor Preferences, Course Relationships, and Approval Workflows: Optimized and Automated](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44c0926e89cb5d4791873_shutterstock_2016196394.jpg)
Instructor Preferences, Course Relationships, and Approval Workflows: Optimized and Automated
![The Role of the University Registrar with Rodney Parks, Elon University](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62c60228a06e29d478c6ad86_shutterstock_238536373.jpg)
The Role of the University Registrar with Rodney Parks, Elon University
![Carnegie Mellon University's Registrar and the Future of Higher Ed in the Time of COVID (and Beyond)](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e806c46cc7b2f1b0dc2968_shutterstock_498360865.jpg)
Carnegie Mellon University's Registrar and the Future of Higher Ed in the Time of COVID (and Beyond)
![Selecting a Course Scheduling Software to Meet Your Institution's Needs](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62c605553adafd4527a38691_shutterstock_292005230.jpg)
Selecting a Course Scheduling Software to Meet Your Institution's Needs
![A Guide to Overhauling the Course Scheduling Process](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44abfb2cdfbfba3035df0_shutterstock_1188882382.jpg)
A Guide to Overhauling the Course Scheduling Process
![What is End-to-End Scheduling Anyway?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/633dca835443fd4aca739cd5_shutterstock_1959079603.jpg)
What is End-to-End Scheduling Anyway?
![The 4 Challenges of Excel Course Scheduling](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44adec1b1900cc89b5877_shutterstock_1953993730%20(1)%20(1).jpg)
The 4 Challenges of Excel Course Scheduling
![The Future State of Higher Education with Doug McKenna from George Mason](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62c604f1e85786625e63661c_shutterstock_539926798.jpg)
The Future State of Higher Education with Doug McKenna from George Mason
![Is Classroom Scheduling Software for Higher Education Dead?](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62be033eaf0c7d9f289634a9_shutterstock_1700575699.jpg)
Is Classroom Scheduling Software for Higher Education Dead?
![Make Class Scheduling Easier for Department Schedulers](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e806f437a4c9ebdb6745c5_shutterstock_1694214799.jpg)
Make Class Scheduling Easier for Department Schedulers
![Optimizing Time Blocks on Campus for Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62e44afda16a6f7a2dbbb24d_shutterstock_1401087008.jpg)
Optimizing Time Blocks on Campus for Success
![3 Best Practices for Class Scheduling](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62c60240c0399847e1ce2281_shutterstock_1100756429.jpg)
3 Best Practices for Class Scheduling
![The Top 5 Academic Data Points Your Institution Should Track for Student Success](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/62bdfed08176deefbfb1cccd_shutterstock_1805270878%202.jpg)
The Top 5 Academic Data Points Your Institution Should Track for Student Success
![4 Tips to Build a Modern, Student-Centric Catalog](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5cc1d2afad50d9167e419ad0/6262ed53d462834d8275dd09_1350815_CatalogBlogPostCoverPhoto-3_042222%202.png)